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Lost in Translation: When Communication Styles Clash Across Cultures
It was the final day of high-stakes business negotiations in Jakarta, and Jeff, the American executive, was getting increasingly frustrated. His Indonesian counterparts had been unfailingly polite throughout the talks, nodding along and expressing general agreement. But every time Jeff thought they were making progress, the conversation would stall as new concerns were raised.
Jeff was used to the rapid-fire, direct negotiations common back home, where people openly voiced their objections. But here, he felt like he was constantly guessing at what the Indonesians were really thinking. “Why can’t they just give me a straight answer?” he muttered under his breath.
This kind of cross-cultural clash is playing out with increasing frequency in our globalized world. As communication scholar Geert Hofstede has observed, “What is considered normal behavior in one culture can be seen as highly abnormal in another.”[1] From the boardroom to the classroom, effective communication is often hampered by unspoken differences in what is considered polite, persuasive or simply “normal.”
“Culture shapes communication styles in profound ways,” explains Dr. Keiko Tanaka, a professor of intercultural studies. “The assumptions and behaviors that feel natural to us are heavily influenced by our…
