Cultural communication in business context

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Intercultural Communications Studying Cultures
Cultural Summary of Personal Space and Social Behavior
India has a complex combination of old and new customs. Besides modern and conservative philosophies, Indian culture is at times a mix of Asian and Western cultures. In spite of the complicated culture of the country, there are some unique aspects that Westerners from countries such as the US need to understand to conduct successful businesses in India. With a special focus on personal space, Indian have minimal objections to cuddly and walking hand in hand behavior. However, men and women do not touch each other in public (Goel and Ramesh 48). There is so much friendly backslapping in the workplace and superiors often pat their subordinates on the shoulders. Similar to the US, a handshake is a common practice in India. It is essential for foreigners to master the country’s traditional greeting, Namaste. By acknowledging Namaste, foreigners imply a mutual divine essence with Indian people.
Indians are extremely curious and like exchanging outlooks even with complete foreigners. All their meetings begin with small conversations. Westerners who want to venture into the country should be prepared to hear locals discuss matters that would be considered as an invasion of privacy in their home countries. What is more, Indians do not say NO directly (Goel and Ramesh 49). Foreigners should be able to recognize when they are objecting without necessarily using this term expect for divisive issues.

Indians take great pride in their rich history and appreciate intelligent conversations characterized by mutual respect. Foreigners should avoid pointing our social ills such as dirt and poverty as locals might interpret them as condescending characters (Goel and Ramesh 49). Business attires differ distinctly across different parts of the country. Regardless of these variations, decorum and decency is the guiding principle in this case. They prefer conservative dressing than casual as it dictates formality.
Communication Networks and Style
Body language and emotions are of great significance in India being a high context culture country. Indians utilize a broad range of non-verbal cues during communication. The most common ones are head and hand motions (Garg 54). It is critical to note that most of the movements that Indian people utilize during communication are similar to those used in the US. For instance, the use of the hand while expressing oneself resembles that of the US. However, in India, this form of motion is used with more passion and frequency during conversations. When compared to that of the US, India’s communication style is more attached (Garg 54). Typically, high levels of body language and emotions characterize conversations in India. Therefore, besides listening, foreigners should be able to recognize body language and emotions to understand a message.
Another important aspect of Indian communication is the infusion of culture during an interaction. Notably, story-telling communication style is quite popular in the country since Indians consider it as a huge segment of their history. Incorporating tangents and giving profound details when communication is a vital part of the Indian culture (Garg 55). Foreigners from the US are used to linear forms of communication whereby they identify the main points of a conversation. The most critical concept that Westerners desiring to conduct business in the country should learn about communication in India is that interaction styles differ distinctly based on a situation. For example, Indians are usually more indirect when interacting with strangers or elders. With their fellow Indians, they are more expressive with body language and emotions. These conversations are also more direct and relationship-oriented. Contrarily, they act in a distant manner when interacting with strangers. They utilize linear, direct, and detached styles of communication in this case.
Works Cited
Garg, Ramesh C. “Cross-Cultural Business Communication Practices – India versus the United States.” Amity Global Business Review, vol. 5, no. 1, Feb. 2010, pp. 53-59. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=71497229&site=ehost-live.
Goel, Puneeta and R. S. Ramesh. “An Empirical Study of the Extent of Ethical Business Practices in Selected Industries in India.” IUP Journal of Corporate Governance, vol. 15, no. 1, Jan. 2016, pp. 46-66. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=113483671&site=ehost-live.