Cross Culture
Cross culture in the business world refers to a company's efforts to ensure that its people interact effectively with professionals from other backgrounds. Many companies that seek to expand the markets for their products devote substantial resources to training employees on how to communicate and interact effectively with those from other cultures. For example, when employees of an international company transfer to another country, they need to master the cross culture. Cross culture is a concept that recognizes the differences among business people of different nations, backgrounds. and ethnicities, and the importance of bridging them. Cross culture in the business world refers to a company's efforts to ensure that its people interact effectively with professionals from other backgrounds. Today, cross culture education is considered imperative for employees acting in managerial capacities abroad.
What Is Cross Culture?
Cross culture in the business world refers to a company's efforts to ensure that its people interact effectively with professionals from other backgrounds. Like the adjective cross-cultural, it implies a recognition of national, regional, and ethnic differences in manners and methods and a desire to bridge them.
Understanding Cross Culture
A field of study, cross-cultural communication, has emerged to define and understand the many ways the different peoples of the world communicate with each other verbally and non-verbally.
For example, when employees of an international company transfer to another country, they need to master the cross culture. They must not only learn the language but adapt to its social norms.
Today, cross culture education is considered imperative for employees acting in managerial capacities abroad. Failure to effectively communicate with subordinates or understand their actions can lead to cascading problems within the business.
The Disadvantages of Cross Culture
Every culture shapes how the most minute social, societal, and professional behaviors are interpreted, and that inevitably carries over into business. Some cultures view the association between a manager and a subordinate as a symbiotic relationship. In others, the manager is expected to rule as a bureaucrat.
Cross culture extends to body language, physical contact, and perceptions of personal space. In cultures that adhere to strict religious standards, interactions between members of the opposite sex, even in the business sphere, may be complicated.
Body language such as hand gestures may be frowned upon or, worse yet, may have meanings that were entirely unintended. In some cultures, casual touching is common, while in others it is viewed as rude, disrespectful, or worse.
In some cultures, casual touching is common, while in others it would be viewed as disrespectful or worse.
Cross Culture Examples
Failing to observe any of the customs listed below would be a serious cross culture faux pas.
Related terms:
Boardroom
A boardroom is where a group of people conducts meetings, often the board of a company. Learn about virtual boardrooms and how to hold a meeting. read more
Corporate Culture
Corporate culture refers to the beliefs and behaviors that determine how a company's employees and management interact. read more
Culture Shock
Culture shock is the feeling of uncertainty, confusion, or anxiety that might be experienced when visiting or living in a new environment or country. read more
Generation Gap
A generation gap is the differences in actions, beliefs, and tastes of members of younger generations versus older ones. read more
Globalization
Globalization is the spread of products, investment, and technology across national borders and cultures. read more
Interactive Media
Interactive media is a method of communication whereby the program's outputs depend on the user's inputs, and the user's inputs affect the outputs. read more
Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A)
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) refers to the consolidation of companies or assets through various types of financial transactions. read more
Social Capital
Social capital is the practical outcome of informal interactions between people that can be attributed to networking in the business world. read more