Essay on "Australia vs. US Business Culture"

Essay 6 pages (1879 words) Sources: 4

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Australia vs. U.S. Business Culture

Discuss the differences in verbal communication between Australia and the U.S.

and Australia are similar in that both speak English as the common form of language. This may seem like both countries would have close cultural ties because of the common language that they share. Yet, when you look a little closer, it is clear that there a number of district verbal communication differences between the two nations. The most notable would include: the use of slangs / jargon and the various forms of regional accents. In the United States, a variety of slangs / jargon is used by different sub-groups within society. For example, many African-Americans will speak what is known as Ebonics. This is where various slangs and accents are used to verbally communicate the message to various members of the social group. The way it works is the proper nouns, adjectives and verbs are changed. Where, someone will often end their sentences in the form of Z. instead of an S, while changing another part of the sentence structure. For example, in Ebonics someone would say, "There be James." This would be pronounced There be Jamez. In this context be replaces is as the verb is, while the Z. sound is substituted for the S. When you compare this to Australia, there is somewhat of an emphasis on key words such g'day, meaning good day. However, beyond these subtle distinctions the use of slangs is not as widely spoken in Australia, as there is an emphasis on speaking proper English. Another difference is: that there are various regional and ethic dialects throughout the United States. This different from Australia, where there are various dialects, but the distinction is harder to tell and there is no emphasis on having a particular accent based upon: social, economic or ethnic groups. ("The United States vs. Australia," n.d.)

Despite a possible lack of knowledge of the language spoken in Australia, discuss at least 5 cross cultural barriers which may be encountered when trying to communicate with a business person from Australia.

The five possible cultural barriers that would be encountered when trying to communicate with a business person from Australia would include: patriotism, racial issues, the political system, family loyalty and political correctness. In America patriotism is a part of American culture that has helped drive society to produce a number of innovations around the world. In many ways, patriotism has it roots when America was seeking independence from Britain. While, patriotism in Australia is not as important, this is because such feelings were discouraged when Australia was a colony of Great Britain (as patriotism was considered to be a threat to the status quo). As a result, these feelings are more muted in Australia. An example of this difference can be seen when the Australia flag was banned from flying at an Independence Day event. This is because organizers feared that the flag would highlight the country's discriminatory past towards Aborigines. ("The United States vs. Australia," n.d.)

America and Australia have their own unique racial issues that they have wrestled with. For the U.S., the biggest issue that must constantly be faced is: the divisive past that was once American society. Where, there was a clear separation between blacks and whites. In Australia, these distinctions are not as severe, as society does not have separate names for each ethic group that lives with the country. A good example of this can be seen by looking at the Aborigines, where they are called Australians not Aboriginal Australians. While, in America there are different distinctions for each ethnic group (i.e. Caucasian, African-American, Asian-American or Latino. ("The United States vs. Australia," n.d.)

A third distinction between the two countries is: the overall political system. In America, there is the belief that everyone has the right to have their voice and ideas heard. As a result, the political structure in America allows more extreme elements to participate in the political process. While, in Australia they have mechanisms in place to prevent more extreme elements from becoming involved in the political process such as: preferential voting. This is where voters will rank the candidates based upon who they prefer. The way that this helps to determine the election, is officials will look at this information to decide which candidate is least disliked by the majority. This serves as way of preventing more extremist elements from being elected to Parliament. ("The United States vs. Australia," n.d.)

A fourth distinction is family loyalty. In Australian society, the family plays an important role in providing social support to the individual. Where, many Aborigines for example, will often be conflicted in working with law enforcement to identify family members accused of wrong doing. This is different from America, where each person is concerned about their own individual well being. If someone does not cooperate with law enforcement they could be enticed to cooperate by facing similar charges for protecting them. ("Language and Communication," n.d.)

A fifth distinction is political correctness. In America, there is an emphasis on ensuring that the right words and tone are used to convey the right message to different groups within society. This is because of the large number of ethical and racial groups that live within America, who could be offended by the use of certain words or phrases. To not offend a particular group, more emphasis is placed how the message is delivered. In Australia, political correctness is not as important, as Australians admire someone who will tell them what is on their mind, rather than what they want to hear. ("The United States vs. Australia," n.d.)

Which cultural dimensions are more important when considering a cross-cultural business exchange in Australia? At least 5 specific cultural differences between the U.S. And Australia should be identified.

The various dimensions that should be considered as part of the different of a cross cultural business transaction would include: the proper use of English, avoiding those issues that could be viewed as divisive, speaking to the intended person in a more moderate tone, avoiding the topic of religion and keeping an open mind. The first consideration, the proper use of English is when you are speaking from a more neutral tone and not using any kind of slang or jargon. The second dimension, avoiding those issues that can be viewed as divisive; means that you do not talk about issues that could be offensive to some Australians such as: the fact that it was a colony of convicts. The third issue, speaking to the intended person in more moderate tone, means that you speak in more of a neutral tone of voice, avoiding large fluctuations in your tone of speech. When your voice is constantly being raised and lowered, this is often viewed as lecturing someone, rather than trying to instill excitement. The fourth consideration, avoid the topic of religion, can be very divisive in Australian society. This is because various missionaries would often look at the Australians as the decedents of criminals that need to be punished. As a result, the overall acceptance of religion is more controversial because of this past. The fifth issue, keeping an open mind, is when there will be obvious differences between the cultures. Where, Americans will have more traditionalist point-of-views. This is different from Australians, who embrace a more neutral point-of-view, because of the conflict that their ancestors would face in trying to support their families by stealing or going to a prison colony. As a result, Australians do not have as much of a traditional sense of right and wrong. Instead, they believe that these issues are more of a middle ground, based on unique situations. ("The United States vs. Australia," n.d.)

Which is the most important of the barriers?

The most important of these barriers is having an open mind. The reason why is when you are conducting business with someone from another country, you must embrace their traditions as well as your own. This means that you must be sure to keep an open mind at all times and speak from a neutral standpoint. Once this occurs, is when you will be able to overcome the different cultural barriers.

What are the essentials regarding language differentials (verbal and nonverbal) which must be considered in order to respond ethically and with empathy to a business person from a culture different from the U.S.

The biggest differences in both verbal and non-verbal issues that must be considered to effectively respond to a business person from Australia would include: not expressing large amounts of emotions, having direct eye contact and avoiding segregating the different ethnic groups within society. Not expressing large amounts of emotions is common within Australia and American society. Where, everyone is expected to keep their emotion in check during various meetings and public gatherings. Having direct eye contact with the person is showing; that you are more empathetic to their culture and are speaking directly to them. In Australia, these are two… READ MORE

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