Mbg225 - 1264 Words

MGB225 Intercultural Communication amp; Negotiation Skills Assessment I: Research Report European Negotiations Southern Candles Tour De France Executive Summary 1.0 Introduction The prevalence of internationalisation and globalisation of businesses in the twenty-first century has reiterated the importance of effective cross-cultural communication to achieve any level of progress or success. Culture is defined by Geert Hofstede, as the collective programming of the mind distinguishing the members of one group or category of people from another. This report will identify national cultural differences between the U.S. and France within the case study European Negotiations - Southern Candles Tour De†¦show more content†¦- Mr Picard attempted to raise business matters at the dinner party which may have considered inappropriate by his French business associates. 3.2 Intercultural Verbal Communication Issue - It appeared that Mr Picard did not make the effort to familiarise himself with basic French pleasantries/ phrases. He relied on Mrs Dubois to converse with Mr Durand at their initial meeting in Paris, did not offer a basic French greeting to Mrs Durand, did not use courtesy titles such as Monsieur/ Madame. - Mr Picard perceived that the afternoon meeting went well though argumentative; which indicates that he saw the meeting as an argument over their viewpoints and may have risked coming across with a hard sell. - Mr Picard may have disadvantaged his business proposal by only availing himself to one business meeting; within French business culture, meetings are generally held to discuss issues as opposed to making decisions. This could have been further compounded by the fact that Mr Picard did not follow-up their business meeting. 3.3 Intercultural Nonverbal Verbal Communication Issues - It is questionable as to how each party interpreted the handshakes exchanged; the U.S. tend to offer a firm handshake whilst the French prefer a light and brisk handshake. This may have created an impression of power play, dominance or indifference from the onset. - Mr Picard used the okay sign to