商务英语论文.docx

商务英语论文.docx

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商务英语论文

商务英语专业毕生论文

NonverbalBehaviorsofDifferentCultures

ininternationalbusiness

国际商务中不同文化下的非语言行为

准考证号:

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身份证号:

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姓名:

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院系:

行政学院

专业:

国际政治

年级:

2006级

联系电话:

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Content:

1.BodyLanguage……………………………………………………5

1.1Smile……………………………………………………………5

1.2EyeContact…………………………………………………….6

1.3Gestures…………………………………………………………82.Orientation………………………………………………………….9

2.1Time……………………………………………………………10

2.2Distance………………………………………………………...13

2.3GiftGiving……………………………………………………..15

2.4ExchangingBusinessCards………………………………….153.Overcomecultureshocks…………………………………………164.Individualismvs.collectivism……………………………………..195.Conclusion…………………………………………………………20

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中文摘要

随着全球化的发展，国际商务活动的数量正以前所未有的速度在增加。

有效的跨文化交际已成为保证成功的商业舞台的关键因素之一。

全球化赋予了跨文化交际极端的重要性。

有效的跨文化交际已成为成功的国际商业活动不可或缺的一部分。

本文的目的是探讨不同的文化下的一些重要的非语言因素在国际商务活动中的意义.

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Abstract:

Withthedevelopmentofglobalization,theamountofinternationalbusinessactivitiesisincreasingatanunprecedentedspeed.Effectiveinterculturalcommunicationhasbecomeoneofthekeyfactorstoguaranteesuccessinbusinessarena.Theglobalizationendowstheinterculturalcommunicationwithextremeimportance.Effectiveinterculturalcommunicationhasbecomeanindispensablepartofsuccessininternationalbusinessactivities.Thisarticleisintendedtogointothemeaningofsomeessentialnonverbalfactorsofdifferentculturesininternationalbusiness.

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Cultureisacomplexmatter,includingknowledge,belief,art,morals,custom,and,othercapabilitiesacquiredbypeopleasamemberofsociety.Peoplelearncultureinthecourseofeverydaylivingbycommunicationwiththosearoundthem.Culturelearningstartsatanearlyageandgenerallystayswithpeopleforthewholeoftheirlives.

Asbusinessbecomesincreasinglyglobal,cultureunderstandingbecomesthebasisofsuccessorfailureinanybusiness.Theamountofinternationalbusinessactivitiesareincreasingatanunprecedentedspeed.Effectiveinterculturalcommunicationhasbecomeoneofthekeyfactorstoguaranteesuccessinbusinessarena.Therefore,itisessentialtohaveagoodcommandofinterculturalcommunicationskills,amongwhichnonverbalfactorstakepriorityoververbalones.Researchesshowthatthemajorityofthemeaningorimpactofamessagecomesthroughnonverbalmeans,withonlyabout40percentorlessconveyedbywordsorsounds.Mostofthetime,wearenomoreconsciousofinterpretingnonverbalsignalsthanweareconsciousofbreathing.Whenpresentedwithbothverbalandnonverbalmessages,weconsistentlyfindthenonverbalmessagesmorepowerful;whenconflictsappearbetweenverbalandnonverbalmessages,weusuallybelievenonverbalmessagesbecausemostofournonverbalactionsarenoteasilycontrolledconsciously.Thismeansthattheyreflectaperson’srealinternalstates.

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Verbalcommunicationisverymuchculture-bound,asweknow,andthesameistrueofnonverbalcommunication.Differentculturespresentdifferentsystemsofnonverbalsigns,andoftenendowthesamesignwithdifferentmeanings.Accordinglynonverbalcommunicationcanbeeasilymisinterpreted.Andthemisunderstandingscanleadtocommunicationbreakdownsandbecomeobstaclestosuccessininternationalbusinessactivities.Thusparticularattentionshouldbepaidtononverbalbehaviors（hereinafterreferredtoasNVBs）indifferentcultures.InthefollowingparagraphswillbediscussedthemostapplicabletypesofNVBs.

1.BodyLanguage

1.1Smile

Physiologically,theactionofsmilingmakesoneselfhappy;psychologically,smilingpleasesothersbesidesoneself.Theseexplainwhythewholeworldsmiles.However,thestimulus,theamount,theoccasionandeventheimplicationofsmilingareculturallybound.Withoutrelevantculturalknowledge,onsomeoccasions,oneislikelynottopleasebuttoirritateothersbysmiling.IntheU.S.A.,smilingrepresentshappinessorfriendliness,whichtheAmericansreadilyshow.Greetingotherswithoutsmilingisunreasonableandunacceptable;smilingatstrangersisnotunusual,whichoftendisconcertpeoplefromothercountries.S.Koreansregardtoomuchsmilingasasignof

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shallowness.Hence,theyusuallylookseriousanddon’treadilysmile.

It’sjusttheoppositeinThailand--“LandofSmiles”.Thenicknameisa

clearindicationthattheThaissmilealot.InGermany,smilesarereservedforfriends.TheJapanese,accordingtotheanthropologistEdwardT.Hall,aretaughttocontroltheiremotions.Insituationsofstrongemotion,itisconsideredacceptabletosmileorlaugh,butnottofrownorcry.Accordingly,theysmilenotonlywhentheyarepleasedoramused,butalsotosay“that’snoneofyourbusiness”tohideexpressionofembarrassment,sadnessandevenanger.Forthem,smilinghelpsmaintainharmony,whichisofparamountvalueinJapaneseculture.SmilingtoalleviatetensioninnegotiationisadvocatedinJapanaswellasinChina,butitisnotthecaseinAmerica.SuchbehaviorwillbetternothingbuttoirritateAmericansmoreandevenconveytothemthatyouadmitdefeat,becausetheAmericansbelievethatnoonecanmaintainamellowmoodinargumentorconflictsothesmileispretendedandtheyhatepretence.

1.2EyeContact

Incommunication,eyestalkasmuchasdolips.Eyecontactisuniversal,however,thewaysofcommunicatingwitheyesshiftfromculturetoculture.

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TheArabsstareateachotherforlongperiodswhencommunicating.Prolongedstareisasignofinterestandtruthfulness.It’simpolitenottofacethecommunicationpartnerdirectly.Theyhatetalkingtosomeonewearingdarkglassesorwhilewalkingsidebyside.NorthAmericanwhites,theEnglishpeopleandtheSwedishpeopleexpectthepersonwithwhomthey’reinteractingtolookthemintheeye.Sucheyecontact,theybelieve,showshonestyandconfidence.InAmerica,onewhoisreluctanttomaintaineyecontactiscalledshifty-eyedandcanarousesuspicion.Hence,whiteAmericansarepronetodistrustLatinAmericans,whousuallyavoideyecontactincommunicationasasignofrespect.However,intheU.S.A.,somedifferencesshouldbenoted.Forinstance,twomaleswhostareateachotherlikeArabs,inmostcases,arehomosexuals.TheNavajosandtheHopistronglydislikeeyecontact.Theformerconsideritevil,sexualandaggressive;thelatter,offensive.Similarly,inMediterraneancountries,peopleareaccustomedtoglancingatcommunicationpartners,insteadofstaring,whichisperceivedasabadomen.TheJapanesearetaughttolookattheneckbecauseitisrudetostareatothers’faces.Theyconsiderprolongedeyecontactextremelyimpolite,threateninganddisrespectful.InIndonesiaandCaribbeancultures,peopleavoideyecontacttoshowrespect.InKorea,extendedstareisrude,thelower-rankingpersonissupposedtolookdownfirst.In

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Muslimcountries,eyecontactbetweenwomenandmenisagainstconventions.

1.3Gestures

Gesturesarequitepowerfulcommunicating“tools”.Manypeople

takeitforgrantedthattheycandependongesturestocommunicateiflanguagefails.Butafterdecadesofresearchinvolvingeightydifferentcultures,expertsconcludethat“nogesturehasthesamemeaninginallsocieties.Themeaningevenshiftsfromregiontoregionwithinoneculture”.

Forinstance,thesign,acircleformedwiththethumbandindex

fingerwhiletheothersextending,represents“OK”intheU.S.A,

“money”inJapanandS.Korea,“Iwillkillyou”inTunisia,and“youare

worthnothing”inFranceandBelgium.InMexico,Germanyand

SouthernItaly,itisobscene.Thesignof“thumbup”isequallypopularandculture–based.IfyouthumbuptoaGreek,hewillflyintoafurybecauseGreeksregard“thumpup”asavulgarinsult;toanAmericanoraWesternEuropean,he/shewillfeelencouragedbecauseintheU.S.AandWesternEuropeanitmeans“goodwork”or“goahead”.Anothercommongestureisthatforbeckoning.Tofindoutthedifferencesinsomecountries,theremadequestionnaireamongoverseasstudents.Allthestudentsarewelleducatedandhavefullknowledgeoftheirculture.

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Hence,theresultsfromthequestionnaireareconvincing.Theiranswersareasfollows:

TheS.Koreanstudents:

Whenwesummonsomeonetocome,ourhandiscupped,palmingdownandthefingersmovingtowardthepalm.

TheAmericanstudents:

Whenonebeckonsafriendorapeertocome,his/herhandwillpalmupandfingersmovetowardhis/herbody.

ThePhilippinestudents:

Wequicklynodourheaddownwardstosignalsomeonetocome.

TheJapanesestudents:

Itisimpolitetousegestures.Wejustcallsomeonetocome.

TheAmericanstudentsalsosaidthattheS.Koreangesturemeans“good-bye”intheU.S.A.InChina,toapeerorafriend,oneusuallybeckonsliketheAmericans;toajunior,onedoesliketheS.Koreans.

2.Orientation

Culturealsodifferintimeorientation;thatis,whethertheculture’svaluesareorientedtowardthefuture（long-timeorientation）ortowardthepastandpresent（short-termorientation）.Inchina,aculturewithalongorientation,valuessuchasthriftandpersistence,whichfocusonthefuture,areemphasized.InRussia,theorientationisshort-term.Values

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suchasrespectfortradition（past）andmeetingsocialobligations（present）areemphasized.

2.1Time

Differencesintimezonescomplicateinternationalphonecalls.Butevenmoreimportantaredifferentconceptsoftimeandapproachestotimeindifferentcultures.

Normregardingpunctualitydiffersignificantlyfromcountrytocountry.IntheUnitedStatespeopletendtobeverytime-conscious.ConscientiousAmericansarriveafewminutesearlyforbusinessappointments,becausebeinglat