Business Structures – Language Barriers – Cultural Differences
Every Country in the world has its own culture and value base. The changing face of the world’s economy has seen some of the most successful Countries of the 20th Century in danger of losing their economic stronghold in the 21st.
China for example has found itself in the midst of social, economic and cultural changes; it now stands second in the league for richest countries. English language levels in this country are quite sketchy. Mandarin is the most common language as well as the official dialect, the aid of a translator is necessary to avoid misunderstandings and mistranslations.
It is important when dealing with other cultures, to recognise that, your own culture and sense of identity can have an impact on your approach to work and business later in life. It would be prudent to do some research on any culture you may be working with.
When dealing with colleagues or clients from a different culture, you need to know your own approach to culture and the approach of the other culture. This should form part of your business strategy or structure; most people conform to a certain national business culture, in order to spot differences you will need to be able to communicate effectively, the services of a translator or interpreter should be a prime consideration.
As we are already aware, communication problems do not arise solely due to the fact that people speak different languages, other factors can make cross culture communication difficult. For example what one culture feels to be a very positive communications style, can be seen as downright rude by another culture. Misreading a situation because of differing communication styles is bad for business.
Many cultures place emphasis on written communication, only when something is written down do they have a strong belief in it. The margin for error here is massive, the need to have the correct information written down and in the style of the culture you are dealing with, may be the difference between one deal only, or a continuation of business. A translator who is proficient in that language and who also has knowledge of the culture, will save you time and money in the long-term.
Co-operation comes from excellent communication; don’t alienate your clients by getting it wrong. Language barriers can be overcome by having someone who is a native speaker and who will also be skilled in reading body language. Some cultures are not as expressive as Westerners in their use of body language; this can often be miss-interpreted as disinterest, have somebody who is skilled in both the language and the body language of your international clients. It will pay off in the long run.
