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Understanding the challenges to verbal and nonverbal communication in Austria can provide an important step to enhancing communication with this country.
An understanding of the non-verbal cue of forms of respect, coupled with an understanding of language, can greatly enhance communication in Austrian culture. Titles are very important in Austrian culture, indicating the non-verbal importance of proper forms of respect in Austria. Language is important also, as the wives of men with titles often hold their husbands' title. For example, the wife of an Austrian professor named Schmidt may be known as Frau Professor Schmidt (Munter).
The importance of non-verbal cues in communication in Austria can hardly be overstated. For example, North Americans and Israelis may interpret stroking a beard as being deep in thought. However, Austrians see the same gesture as meaning "How boring" (Barth, Calcote, and Ragsdale). Similarly, temporal non-verbal communication is important. Austrians place high value on punctuality, and failing to be punctual is considered disrespectful (University of Leoben MUL).
In summary, it is important to...
Failing to do so may result problems in communication and unintentionally causing offense to Austrians.
References
Barth, Michelle, Calcote, Michelle, and Ragsdale, Kathleen. Communicating Across Cultures.
SURVEY OF INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATION, MMC 5306, Section 2979, Fall 1998. Accessed October 20, 2005. http://grove.ufl.edu/~mleslie/Pres2.htm
Countrywatch. CROSS-CULTURAL ISSUES AND INFORMATION. Accessed October 20, 2005. http://aol.countrywatch.com/aol_topic.asp?vCOUNTRY=10&SECTION=APP&TOPIC=CCIAI&TYPE=APPEN
Munter, Mary. Cross-cultural communication for managers - includes related articles on training at multinational corporations and similarities of cultures. Business Horizons, May-June, 1993. Accessed October 20, 2005. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1038/is_n3_v36/ai_13183249/pg_4
Accessed October 20, 2005. http://www.unileoben.ac.at/~stdekan/homepageneu08_05/Getting%20Along%20in%20Austria%20final.pdf
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