Intercultural assignment -JTC300

 Intercultural assignment

Identify five differences in acceptable business or cultural norms between the U.S. and another country of your choice. An example might be the use of formal titles, differences in handshakes, greetings, attire, timeliness, gender roles, etc. Explain how you might compensate for these differences if you needed to communication with someone from that particular country.

There are some cultural differences between the United State and Vietnam, especially when we are talking about the intercultural communication. In this essay, I will explore five differences in cross-cultural communication between Americans and Vietnamese.  These five differences are: eye contacts, handshakes, greetings, addresses, and timeliness.

In the United State, if you have good eye contact with a person, it generally means that you are interested in what that person is saying. It is considered a sign that a person is honest. If you neglect to make eye contact with another person or look down or away from a person during a business exchange or a conversation, you may be thought to lack self-confidence or are considered to be uninterested in a conversation. However, in Vietnam this eye contact can be taken as disrespect or a challenge of authority. It is often considered more polite and respectful to have only brief eye contact, especially between people of different social rolls such as students and teacher, children and elders [1].  For example, if a Vietnamese woman avoids looking someone in the eyes, she is being polite and appropriate according to her culture; she is not demonstrating a lack of self-confidence or showing a lack of interest in conversation. In communication with Vietnamese, I should avoid eye contact as much as I can with those who are in authority over me, so I am not considered overly bold or disrespectful.

In the United States, during a business meeting, social gatherings and every other situation, a good firm handshake is the most common or a polite way to introduce oneself to others or when being introduced to someone.  People will expect to shake hands at the beginning and at the end of a formal business gathering. Sometimes, making a good first impression is based on a firm handshake. So if your handshake is weak, then you will be observed as lacking confidence which is not a positive quality to display in a job interview. In Vietnam handshakes are fine with both men and women when greeting; however, it is most often seen in a formal meeting or when meeting someone for the first time.  In a casual gathering, instead of shaking hands, Vietnamese tend to nod their heads, bow down or stand up to greet  someone and just say "hello" or "how are you?" [1].

There are many different ways people greet one another on the street, in the home, or in business situations. In the United State, we have the standard greeting: “Hello, my name is..” with a handshake. The Vietnamese greeting others by saying “hello” and “how are you?”. According to the paper, THE DIFFERENCES IN SOCIAL INTERACTION BETWEEN VIETNAMESE AND AMERICAN CULTURE, “Vietnamese greetings are really formal. The way people greet is discreet and respectful. Their ancestors once said: “Lời chào cao hơn mâm cỗ” (A saying of Hello is higher than a table of delicious dishes). The statement reveals that greetings played a huge role in the old days and even today as well.” The Vietnamese are not greeting others by kissing on the cheeks or by hugging. Vietnamese maintain a certain distance with strangers. Understanding the correct use of the Vietnamese greeting will make any situation more comfortable as well as make a good impression on those in present company.

Vietnamese society has a ladder based on age; knowing a person’s age, you will be able to address them in the proper way. For example, if a person is male and older than you, then you call him “anh+ his name” and if a person is younger than you, then call him “em+ his name”.  If a person is female and older than you, then you call him “chi + her name” and if a person is younger than you, then call him “em+ her name”. If the person is the same age as you, you can simply call them by their name. If the person is elder lady or gentlemen, then you would use ba + her name or ong + his name. In every working environment, I should learn from my local colleagues to use names with the correct pronouns for a person’s age.

For Americans, meetings are usually started exactly on time. If the meeting request says 9 AM, it is sharply 9 AM. People will not wait for 10 min or 15 min; therefore, being on time is very important for meetings. However, for the Vietnamese, time and deadlines are not strictly obeyed and may be delayed by few days. Therefore, if I expect people to come to a meeting at 8am, I should invite them for 7.30am.

Unlike Americans, the Vietnamese have their own way of doing things and it is important to follow the rules. In today’s business environment, intercultural communication skills remain important. Companies are operating globally in South Asia; therefore, communicating with people from different cultures can be expected and is extremely challenging. However, communication would be easy and more effective, if one understands other cultures.

References:

1.       THE DIFFERENCES IN SOCIAL INTERACTION BETWEEN VIETNAMESE AND AMERICAN CULTURE. (2012, November 26). Retrieved June 23, 2015, from https://perfectlyloveimperfection.wordpress.com/2012/11/27/the-differences-in-social-interaction-between-vietnamese-and-american-culture/