Cultural differences impact the way email should be used in international business. One of the advantages of email is that it helps to overcome language barriers, if used properly, because, unlike telephone or face-to-face, it gives one of the parties in a multilingual communication the time to consider, translate, interpret and respond. People often feel very inadequate when having to communicate in second and third languages, if they at all can, and email provides the "breathing room" to compose thoughts more accurately. On the downside, however, it is very difficult to "read" the non-verbal cues, the "atmosphere" in which the email is written, which is much more easily accomplished on the telephone (and certainly in face-to-face meetings). This is more important in some cultures than in others: in "high-context cultures", most of the communication and the real intent of what people mean is not found in the words but in the accompanying non-verbals and the atmosphere of the conversation: in fact, in these cultures, words are often intentionally used to say exactly the OPPOSITE of what is really meant.mericans are used to communicating in a LOW CONTEXT format, that is, where what they really mean can be found for the most part in the words they use. Email works well with low context cultures. Relying on it as the sole source of information for HIGH CONTEXT cultures can result in misinformation.
Finally, many cultures need a lot of personal socializing in their discussions, in order to develop comfort around busienss issues: this is also different for more straightforward Americans, and when emailing with such a culture, Americans need to be take the time to socialize in culturally appropriate ways (each culture does it differently).
Different for different cultures. In fact, resumes, interview thank-yous, etc., have to be composed differently and contain different information and emphassis, depending on the culture you are sending it to. For example, some cultures merely require short summarized bulletpoints, and de-emphasize details of the individual's life and experience: others require minutiae, and place great emphasis on educational degrees (Western european).
Certain topics that would not be considered taboo in some cultures are very taboo in others, and one needs to be careful about such things in chat rooms. They vary from culture to culture, and there are many.
Very popular in most of the rest of the world, especially in developing countries where landline systems have not been developed yet, cellphones have just bypassed the need for wired services, and are used extensively in these countries. In these countries, most businesspeople rely on them, and rules for shutting them off in social situations are not as strictly enforced as they are in developed countries, where the option for wired services is greater, and where people generally take greater offense at ringing cell phones in public.
Generally yes, but in some cultures where hierarchy and rank are very important, you must be careful about how and who you address interoffice mails, being sure to copy the necessary people and addressing them with their proper titles. This is not as important in cultures where rank and hierarchy are de-emphasized.
© 2000 Dean Foster Associates