How to communicate when there's cultural diversity

10 Commandments of intercultural communication;




I. Be aware of differing social values II. Be aware of differing status symbols and how to demonstrate them;



III. Be aware of decision making customs: not all people like to make decisions quickly and efficiently; IV. Be aware of concepts of time: not all people like to see time as money;



V. Be aware of personal space: people from different cultures have different 'comfort zones'; VI. Be aware of cultural context: people from certain cultures (called 'high-context cultures) rely less on verbal communication and more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental settings to convey meaning. People from low-context cultures like the USA rely more on verbal communication and less on circumstances and implied meaning to convey meaning;



VII. Be aware of body language: learn the basic differences in the way people supplement their words with body movement; VIII. Be aware of different etiquette rules or manners: what is polite in one culture may be considered rude in another;



IX. Be aware of legal and ethical behavior;  X. Be aware of language barriers: English is the most prevalent language in international business, but it's a mistake to assume that everyone understands it.



To me number eight is one of the most important of the 10 Commandments of intercultural communication. I chose number eight because so many times our body language are manners can defend others without us knowing. I can recall when I was in the U.S. Navy and before we left the ship in Dubai we received a brief on the customs and manners of the people of Dubai. I can remember one of the customs it stood out to me was when sitting down don't sit with your legs crossed, but keep both of your feet placed on the floor. I found this to be funny, not because I cross my legs but I didn't know the reason behind it. I learned the reason behind it was because in some Muslim countries it is an insult to show the soles of your shoes to someone.

I can also recall when Pres. George H. Bush was in office. He visited Australia, while departing from the plane President Bush waived a peace sign to the people. In America it was no big deal because we've seen many presidents waived the peace sign. Unfortunately in Australia the peace sign is equivalent to what we call shooting a bird. I guess you can see the ruckus it caused in Australia and the embarrassment it caused the president. I am surprised no one briefed him on the etiquettes and manners of the people of Australia. I'm a firm believer in paying attention to detail and taking care of the little things in life. Some things may seem trivial or unimportant to us may have a greater effect on someone from a different culture.


Hahn, M. (2005). Ten Commandments of Intercultural Communication. Retrived from, http://EzineArticles.com/120247