Intercultural Communication: Researching Other Cultures

Cultural sensitivity is a vital component of successful international communication. Say that you are tasked with preparing a report for an audience that includes members from your company’s office in Thailand – or Egypt or China or any other country.  Are there any writing or presentation techniques that could be unacceptable or even downright offensive to your readers? 

Or perhaps your company will be sending a group of you overseas. What is the protocol for introducing group members and for conducting a meeting? What should you wear – or not wear? When you go to dinner, should you drink alcohol? Are there any gestures you should avoid making? 

In “Seven Common Hand Gestures That Could Spell Disaster,” Links to an external site. Richard Darell introduces the infoposter you can see a part of below. He cautions that while we might not always be able to understand the languages of other cultures, we are all aware of the power of body language, including hand gestures. Unfortunately, a hand gesture that is perfectly innocent in one country can be truly offensive in another. For example, the common thumbs-up means “okay” or “well done” in America, but in Russia or West Africa, it means something entirely different: “up yours.” 

Preview from the article on Seven Gestures

Meal times can also be tricky. The widely-printed digital article “15 International Food Etiquette Rules That Might Surprise You” Links to an external site. lists the ways common (if slightly-in-poor-taste) American food behaviors have different meanings in other countries. For example:

  • In Japan, never stand your chopsticks upright in your rice between bites or when you are taking a break, because at traditional funerals, a rice bowl belonging to the deceased person is placed before their coffin with chopsticks standing in the rice. 
  • In India and other parts of the world, you should never eat with your left hand — even if you are left handed. Why? In India, the left hand is used for cleaning after a bowel movement, for wiping the bottoms of the feet, and for other “dirty” jobs.
  • In Russia, never dilute your vodka with ice and never turn down a drink if it is offered to you, because “offering someone a drink is a sign of trust and friendship” and to it is to also reject those important gestures.

If you plan to travel to another country, you should research the customs and rules that govern behavior there. Although you could purchase a book that will teach you the basics, you can just as easily search the web. Numerous sites provide guidelines for intercultural interaction. Compare the information provided by them to ensure that you are getting the best coverage.

By understanding the culture you’re engaging with, you can make connections, make others feel comfortable and welcome, and avoid embarrassment. As Fardad Zabetian notes in Forbes Links to an external site., "Whether traveling abroad or teleconferencing, we all need to be aware of many things — from spoken language to body language — which could help seal the deal or cost you an opportunity."

Start by checking out these articles and infographics:

Many such sites exist. When you conduct your research, plan to visit several of them in order to get the widest possible perspective on the country and its culture.  When it comes to actually writing documents for international audiences, though, your most valuable resource is your overall knowledge of professional writing principles, beginning with the concept of plain language.