Cultural Based English Business Communication
Teaching in Faculty of Economics
by
Brawijaya University of Malang
Cultural Based English Business Communication
Teaching in Faculty of Economics
Once, an Arabian Oil Company offers oil products to American Company with a detailed price list. The business letter was not immediately answered until the Arabian Company sent the second letter to ask whether they were interested or not. A few days later the American Company sent a reply letter by saying “ I would like to inform you that your offered price list is too high and we have got business partner which gave us more reasonable price”. This letter of refusal is very straighforward and in Arabian culture, this letter is impolite.
Seeing from the aforementioned case, we can say that each country has different ways of doing their business. They do what they believe is true for a long time without asking why they do so. Prejudices, stereotypes, bias in business communication are inevitable if the businessmen from different cultures meet and deal transactions without cultural knowledge and experience (Pedersen, 1984:5). A wide-ranging and sufficient understanding from businessmen is urgently needed to bridge differences among cultures in order to run the business efficiently.
Business men and women from non-English speaking cultures are becoming increasingly aware of the need to develop and improve their English language skills in order to conduct international business effectively and successfully (Keegan,1999). To participate in the competitive economies of the world, an excellent English language skill is definitely an additional advantage. In a global economy, multi-national organisations employ people from culturally diverse backgrounds. Team effectiveness and synergy can only be achieved with common cross-communication and language skills to all team members.
Globalization has been the buzzword of international business for many years. As international markets coalesce into unified trade zones, the individual marketplaces of developing countries are exposed to transnational pressures. Some Asian countries are pulling back from such perceived threats of international contagion. Fortunately, Indonesia is still continuing to open up its markets to world enterprise.
With Asia's current economic rate of expansion, there is little doubt that global businesses regard this region as a priority. When planning or doing business with different nation, the 'culture factor' is crucial for success (Whietfield, 2002). This world consists of many and varied cultures and unless the right preparation is done, efforts can go totally unrewarded.
Recent surveys have indicated that the success of overseas assignments, particularly in Asia, is very much dependent on the "culture factor". For the executive about to commence overseas postings or business assignments in Asia, our pre-departure briefings is a personalised and comprehensive program which is customised to meet individual needs and time commitments.
The specific subdivisions of ESP are: General English for Specific Purposes, English for Academic Purposes, English for Art and Design, English for Business and Economics, English for Legal Purposes, English for Science and Technology, and English for Vocational Purposes. All activities have the same layout: each of them provides the reader with information concerning the level of the students for whom it is designed, the aims in terms of the linguistic and social skills are meant to develop, the estimated time of preparation for the teacher and the time needed for classroom performance, and the resources required.
English for Business and Economics is taught in both private settings and official institutions. It undeniably encompasses a range of actions that are essential in everyday interactions: negotiation and communication in different environments, letter writing, workplace jargon, and business culture. The common aim of all activities is first of all to learn something about the cultural institutions that are often referred to in business programs, and then to concentrate on proposal writing, so that students might attain proficient communicative skills. Some of the lessons center on the expansion of specialized vocabulary, whereas those designed for more skilled learners try to activate higher level competence, e.g., decision making skills, persuasive strategies, and also general conversational competence.
English for Specific Purposes in Faculty of Economics nowadays provide students with complete set of English basic skills to equip them in facing future job market competition. But since the need to improve the quality of its undergraduate candidate ability to be able to compete in world market business cannot be postponed any longer and the need to prepare undergraduate candidate to have sufficient strategy to deal with international business, cultural based English business communication competence is promoted as an alternative of more comprehensive set of English Teaching in Faculty of Economics Brawijaya University.
Significant Elements in Cultural Based English Business Communication Teaching in Faculty of Economics
1.Conceptual Framework of Culture’s Role in Business Activity
Students must understand the basic concept of culture and forces of behaviour.
After understanding those two basic concepts, they must start to understand
cross cultural encounter values and beliefs and their implications philosophies
affecting business. These series of knowledge will result in an increased
understanding and appreciation of cross-cultural business environment and an
enhanced understanding of different business practices and management techniques
using English. Students will possess a greater confidence to communicate
effectively and successfully in English and an improved English language ability
for communicating in everyday social and business situations. The teaching
material will also embrace some fundamental aspects of Do's and Don't's
,Business Etiquette, Social Etiquette, Sensitivities and Stereotypes, and how to
maintain Cross-Cultural Communications in the culture of business counterpart.
2. Effective Business Communications
This teaching method aimed at non-English speaking background students at their first or second year of learning at Faculty of Economics to improve and enhance their English communicative skills in the business environment for more effective business communications. They are specifically designed to assist the students improve their English proficiency skills for business and social purposes. It expands the students' vocabulary and language functions in specific business settings. Particular attention is paid to enhance their business vocabulary and pronunciation skills. These teaching method are about developing effective second language skills in English so as to function successfully as a global communicator in a variety of business and social situations. In addition, Western business and management concepts are integrated within the workshop content to assist participants work within a Western business environment. The more specific and comprehensive teaching materials and methodology must be specifically designed for students who are interested in pursuing greater insight and opportunities within cultures in the world and understand the necessity for cross-cultural competencies. It will specifically address fundamentals in the three areas of vocabulary, grammar and language functions. Specifically, this workshop is designed for those who want a solid foundation in English language capability with teaching materials such as: Introductions and Greetings, Making Appointments, Personal Information, Personal and Emotional States, Invitations, Dining, Telephone Calls, Sightseeing and Directions.
2. Negotiating
Negotiating is a constant factor in all business. It requires cross-cultural understanding, awareness and skills. To ensure long term success in business, it is important to learn the different negotiating styles practised by counterpart’s culture. It is imperative that the various negotiating stances and tactics are recognised and understood. A series of cross-cultural negotiating tactics is presented together with detailed roleplays and case studies. The case studies processed in the workshop as wargames are designed to highlight and reinforce the important points to remember in a cross-cultural negotiation process. Issues must be included in this section are: how the students’ culture sounds to different culture, how the business counterpart culturally perceives the students’ cultural business behaviour, critical incidents in business relationship, business and management styles, developing business relationships and how to Negotiate succesfully.
3. Presenting Business Messages
As global enterprises continue to develop new and existing markets into every nation in this world, getting messages across different culture is getting to be even more critical. Different society tends to have different learning and teaching styles. Presenting to an unfamiliar audience can be a daunting task. Understanding and developing skills in cross-cultural communication are now seen to be mandatory for organisational and personal success in business. Presenting to unfamiliar audience effectively requires an in-depth knowledge of culturally different audience. Understanding the culture of the people is also imperative for effective technology and skills transfer. In short, this teaching method provides students with greater insight and skills in a one-to-one or one-to-many business communication activity in culturally diverse environments.
Advantages of Using Cultural Background in Teaching English for Business and Economics
A wider perspective of the host country's culture and people, an awareness of the ways culture influences attitudes and behaviours, an understanding of cross-cultural management and communication issues pertinent to that host country, knowledge, information and skills to anticipate and avoid cross-cultural communication breakdown are the basic advantages in learning business communication with cultural background.
One of the benefits of having all cultural sides of an office or organization needs time to sit down and discuss their expectations of the others’ sides in a facilitated manner is a greater understanding of the cultural barriers found in that office or organization (Wanning: 220). This understanding leads to the building of the successful third corporate culture.
Sensitivity to the needs of employees is a management area that is seldom stressed in teaching business cultures where efficiency, productivity and effectiveness rule are paramount. For the students of Faculty of Economics to be successful in different culture, it is important that they incorporate into their management styles the outward appearance of caring about and understanding the basic cultural values held by their culture’s counterpart. This active, outward appearance is a key to building effective and productive cross-cultural working relationships.
At the end of semester, students will have increased understanding and appreciation of presenting and training in an different cultural setting, more effective cross-cultural communications skills to face unfamiliar audience, increased understanding of the learning styles of Asians, more knowledge of the cross-cultural issues in coaching and mentoring Asians in a technology or skills, transfer venture.
The short-term objective of this concept is to equip the students of Faculty of Economics Brawijaya University with a deposit of knowledge of cultural differences in doing business among cultures and a set of method to bridge and to overcome the problems might happen because of the differences. The long-term objective of this concept is to enable the students to handle business communication in correct strategy.
Several cases in point and illustrations will be provided to awake the students about the differences among cultures in doing business including the problems possibly will occur as the result of the mentioned differences. Discussion of possible effort to get to the bottom of the problem is a must since teacher domination and student backseat tendency will result in boredom. Students’ own initiative to find out new cases from outer sources will widen their perspective and will enrich their preparation to face global communication.
Concluding Remarks
1. Considering the importance of cultural background in the business activity, it is very important to equip the students with knowledge and skill for dealing with business counterparts.
2. Kinds of Cultural Based English Business Communication Teaching are negotiating, presenting business messages, and understanding of the cultural barriers.
3. There are at least three advantages of having Cultural Based English Business Communication Teaching such as an awareness of how culture influences attitudes and behaviours, an understanding of cross cultural management and communication issues, a knowledge, information and skills to anticipate and avoid cross-cultural communication breakdown.
Reference:
Keegan, Alex. 1999. Writers Write. Internet Writing Journal:www.writerswrite.com/keegan20.htm
Pedersen, Peter. 1984. Teaching Culture. London: Prentice Hall International
Wanning, Esther. 1999. Culture Shock USA. Oregon: Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company.
Whietfield, George B. 2002. Understanding The Business Cultures of Asia. Http: members.ozemail.com.au