Cross-cultural communication in business dining contexts

TASTES & COMMUNICATION

Business Communication

On a recent trip to India, Mr. Yang, a prominent Chinese executive, dined with his client Himanshu Jain. Mr. Yang commented that the food was spicy, which Mr. Jain interpreted as an opportunity to discuss Indian cuisine. After lengthy explanations, Mr. Yang commented again that the food was spicy. What happened? What barrier is likely getting in the way of clear communication and how could this barrier have been overcome?

This situation exemplifies a breakdown in crosscultural communication. There could have been several factors that contributed to their miscommunication. Language is likely a prominent factor in why they had a problem. Certainly, they must share some common language in order that they conduct business together, but because this cultural conundrum stems from a linguistic misfire, language barriers are a good place to start. There also seems to be some contextual confusion. Yang perceived his comment as a nonsequitor while Jain saw the comment as a conversation starter. There are many differences across cultures with regard to table manners, table conversation, and dining etiquette. For example, in some cultures, it is customary to not hold conversations until the meal is complete. There are many cultures where it is customary to avoid certain topics while dining with others. Therefore, this miscommunication may have had to do with the context of the situation: eating a business dinner with an international colleague. Thus, social, business, and dining etiquette all come into play in this situation. Sometimes the simplest act or gesture, such as making a comment during a meal, can induce a great storm of confusion, explanation, and apology, such as it does in this hypothetical case.

There is a lack of additional details regarding this situation, but another factor that may have contributed to the confusion is the nonverbal communication while the men were at dinner. There may have been some misinterpretation of tone of voice, body language, and body positioning. There are gestures within every culture that mean "I want to talk more" or "I do not want to discuss this." The miscommunication may very well have happened nonverbally, especially because according to experts in the hard and social sciences, the vast majority of communication occurs in nonverbal forms. Therefore, if there were more details regarding their body language, position, and other traits, deeper insight may be deduced as to what happened or caused this particular miscommunication between international business associates.