In today’s globally connected world, so many of us deal with people from cultures other than our own. We may work in organizations that buy or sell internationally (and often both), or who have operations based outside of the UK. We may participate in projects with international teams. We may work for public bodies or NGOs who have international duties. Or we may train people -- either from cultures other than our own or who will be working overseas. In this respect, having a better insight into the differences that exist between cultures and a greater understanding of how to cater for these differences are valuable assets. For both the novice and the experienced practitioner, this book should prove to be a most useful addition to the bookshelf.
The book’s authors have a wealth of experience of cross-cultural and international communication. Brian Hurn has lectured on cross-cultural communication at the London Academy of Diplomacy and at several universities and multinationals for the past 20 years. Barry Tomalin is a writer, public speaker and trainer, specializing in English language, cross-cultural and international communication training and has 30 years’ experience in over 50 countries.
The book covers a wide range of related topics -- wider than the title of the book suggests. It is split into 15 chapters of fairly even length. Each starts with a list of contents and a brief introduction. Each ends with a bullet-point summary, a list of references and a list of suggested further reading. In this respect, the book is a fine academic textbook and would form an excellent starting point for further in-depth research into the topics.
The early chapters cover the basic ground. The first examines the question as to what is cross-cultural communication. Included are references to models of what exactly makes up a culture, the inter-relationship of culture and language and models of communication. The second and third chapters then give an excellent précis of some of work of the main theorists in this field. We are introduced to the thinking of Edward and Mildred Hall and their proposition that some cultures are typified by high-context communicators (with lots of implied knowledge used in a communication, often linked to long-lasting relationships), and some by low-context communicators (direct, explicit, clear). Also their thoughts on time: monochronic cultures where being “on time” is important, and polychronic cultures where deadlines are more flexible (!) and time taken to build relationships is more important. The theories of Geert Hofstede, produced from his analysis of responses from 117,000 managers working in 40 countries, are reviewed. Others such as Fons Trompenaars and John Mole are covered, giving us a wide range of theoretical knowledge about the differences between cultures.
The fourth chapter examines the use of English internationally. It is estimated that a quarter of the world’s population speak at least some English. This may be a boon to UK-based citizens, but it also makes many of us reluctant (too lazy?) to learn other languages. This may work against us in many ways. Varieties of English used internationally are also reviewed, and mention is made of the other significant world languages.
Chapter five specifically covers communication skills. Aspects such as speed of spoken delivery, stress, intonation and volume, silence and accents are covered. Other channels of communication are examined, such as written communication and presentations, and topics such as listening and non-verbal communication. Hurn and Tomalin cannot and do not give a guide to communicating in all cultures, but they give examples and enough to get the reader thinking. Their referencing and further reading suggestions provide additional sources of information.
From here, the book diverges into a number of separate topics and I suspect that many readers will pick and choose which ones are applicable to their interests. Chapters 6, 7 and 8 may be the ones of most relevance to those in the HR/training profession. They cover Selection and Preparation for Foreign Assignments, Leadership Across Cultures and International Team Building and Teamworking. After that, the chapters are more diverse, covering, for example, international negotiations, multiculturalism and globalization.
For my money, I believe the authors have done a very good job of producing a book which gives much information of use for both students and practitioners. They quote extensively from a multitude of sources and give their own experience where appropriate. They give enough detail to allow useful profiles to be built up through the book of a number of cultures but are careful to stress they provide generalizations and not stereotypes that can be relied upon. In some areas I would have liked more details. For example, they referred to management theories and models such as Action-Centred Leadership and Belbin Team Roles without much expansion into the areas of application in different cultures. In some areas, I felt I was reading similar information repeated a number of times. Also, some of the chapter summaries introduced snippets of new information not covered in the preceding text. However, these are relatively minor points when compared to the strengths of the book.
Some further information about the book is provided in the supporting website (www.crossculturalcommunication.co.uk).
In summary, a very worthwhile kick-off point for anyone wishing to understand and prepare themselves (or others) for working or communicating across cultures.
The review was originally published in Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 46 No. 2, pp. 109-110
