How to communicate effectively with foreign colleagues in foreign organizations and companies

TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES i LIST OF TABLES i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1 1.1. Rationale of the study 1 1.2. Objectives of the study 1 1.3. Scope of the study 2 1.4. Methodology of the study 2 1.5. Structure of the study 3 CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 4 2.1. The communication process 4 2.2. Communication types 6 2.2.1. Verbal communication 6 2.2.2. Non-verbal communication 6 2.3. Communication forms 10 2.3.1. Written communication 10 2.3.2. Oral communication 11 2.3.3. Visual communication 11 2.4. Communication styles 11 2.4.1. Aggressive communication 12 2.4.2. Passive communication 12 2.4.3. Passive-aggressive communication 13 2.4.4. Assertive communication 13 2.5. Principles of effective communication 13 2.6. Benefits of effective communication 15 2.7. Consequences of poor communication 16 2.8. Barriers to effective communication with foreign colleagues 17 2.8.1. Cultural differences 18 2.8.2. English language performance 19 CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY AND ANALYSIS 22 3.1. Methodology 22 3.1.1. Study design 22 3.1.2. Research Instrument 22 3.1.3. Participants’ characteristics 23 3.1.4. Brief on the survey questions 23 3.1.5. Data processing 24 3.2. Findings 25 3.2.1. Response rate 25 3.2.2. How Vietnamese staff communicate with their foreign colleagues 29 CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW TO COMMUNICATE MORE EFFECTIVELY WITH FOREIGN COLLEAGUES IN FOREIGN ORGANIZATIONS AND COMPANIES 39 4.1. Phase 2: Sender encodes idea 39 4.2. Phase 3: Sender transmits message 43 4.3. Phase 4: Receiver gets message 44 4.4. Phase 5: Receiver decodes message 46 4.5. Phase 6: Receiver sends feedback 47 CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION 50 5.1. Conclusion 50 5.2. Limitations of the study 50 5.3. Suggestions for further study 51 REFERENCES I APPENDIXES IV Appendix 1: Research Questionnaire IV Appendix 2: Raw data for Questionnaire collected on 17 May 2008 VIII LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2. 1. Communication process 5 Figure 3. 1. Respondents’ sex distribution 25 Figure 3. 2. Level ranked by the respondents 27Figure 3. 3. Response rate by frequency of communication ….29 Figure 3. 4. Factors considered before starting a conversation 30 Figure 3. 5. Ways of confirmation 33 Figure 3.6 Ways to draw attention 34 Figure 3. 7. Ways to ensure understanding 36 Figure 3. 8. Ways to receive feedback 37 Figure 4. 1. The communication process 40 Figure 4. 2. The communication process 43 Figure 4. 3. The communication process 44 Figure 4. 4. The communication process 46 Figure 4. 5. The communication process 47 LIST OF TABLES Table 3. 1. Occupation of surveyed staff 26 Table 3. 2. Type of organization or company 26 Table 3. 3. Response rate by working duration 28 Table 3. 4. Channel and medium 31 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION 1.1. Rationale of the study Communication is the essential need of human. It has incessantly improved and developed during our whole life. Communication helps us to acquire and increase knowledge from the outside world and strengthen relations between people, especially those from different cultures and countries. In workplace, many organizations are losing valuable business opportunities because they have failed to recognize the fundamental importance of effective communication. It is communication breakdown that is at the root of conflicts or misunderstanding among colleagues. Staff’ success also depends not only on professionalism and diligence but their individual relationships and communication skills as well. In Vietnam nowadays, the country is integrating into the global village. More and more foreign companies and organizations have been sprung up like mushroom. Therefore, communication skills with foreign counterparts play an important role in enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of their work. Vietnamese staff’s ability to communicate with foreigners has become a subject of discussion; however, few studies on it have been carried out. That is the reason why I chose the topic for this thesis as “How to communicate effectively with foreign colleagues in foreign organizations and companies.” 1.2. Objectives of the study The study aims to: Provide an overall idea about communication Investigate how Vietnamese staff communicate with their foreign counterparts Find out how to communicate more effectively with foreign colleagues Research questions of the study include the followings: What is communication process? What are communication types? What are communication forms? What are communication styles? What are principles of effective communication? What are benefits of effective communication? What are consequences of poor communication? What are barriers to effective communication with foreign colleagues? How do Vietnamese staff communicate with their foreign colleagues at workplace? What are the best ways to communicate with foreign colleagues in foreign organizations and companies? 1.3. Scope of the study I carried out a small-scaled survey with 77 respondents. This survey focused on investigating the oral/spoken communication performance of Vietnamese staff with their foreign colleagues in foreign organizations and companies in Hanoi only due to time limitation. Such factors as social status and gender were included in the questionnaires. Basing on the findings drawn from 77 informants, the writer made some tentative conclusions about what are the best ways to communicate with foreign colleagues. 1.4. Methodology of the study This thesis was written based on both primary and secondary data. A wide range of materials regarding communication and relating researches were studied such as the published books and web documents. The research methods I used were descriptive and quantitative ones. A survey on how Vietnamese staff communicate with their foreign colleagues was conducted in some foreign organizations, other limited and private companies, International Agency and Institution of Environmental Technology. A survey questionnaire was carried out to collect data. Description, analysis, and statistics were used in processing and interpreting data. Details of studying methods will be further presented in chapter III. 1.5. Structure of the study The study consists of 5 chapters: Chapter 1: Introduction - provides an introduction of rationale, objectives, scope, methodology and structure of the study. Chapter 2: Theoretical background - presents an overview of studies on communication. In this notion of communication, the process of communication and communication types, forms and styles are presented. Besides, principles of effective communication, benefits of effective communication, consequences of poor communication and barriers to communication are also included in this chapter. Chapter 3: Methodology and analysis - is concerned with a description of studying methods and the results as well as the analyses of the survey. Chapter 4: Discussions and some recommendations on how to communicate effectively with foreign counterparts in foreign organizations and companies – looks at the discussion about the survey and puts forward some tips to have a better communication with colleagues from other countries. Chapter 5: Conclusion – discusses conclusion and limitations of the study as well as suggests some directions for further study. CHAPTER 2: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND Communication is very important in all areas of life. It is “the process of transferring information from a sender to a receiver with the use of a medium in which the communicated information is understood by both sender and receiver.” (“Communication” Wikipedia). In order to have a deep and overview on communication, we first look at its process, types, forms, and styles. At the end of this chapter, we will focus on the principles and benefits of effective communication, consequences of poor communication, and analyze the barriers to effective communication with foreign colleagues. 2.1. The communication process “You can’t not communicate. Everything you say or do or don’t say and don’t do sends a message to others.” (John Woods). It is quite obvious that communication takes place at any time in any form. Whether we say something or keep silent or whatever we do, there is communication with other people. According to the textbook “Business Communication Essentials”, communication is a dynamic and two-way process of coding and decoding messages (Bovée, Thill, and Schatzman 4). Specifically, the process can be divided into six phases (Figure 2.1): Figure 2. 1. Communication process
 Phase 1 is when the sender has an idea. We form an idea in our mind and you have an intention to communicate it with other persons. We want to share it. Phase 2 is when the sender encodes the idea. Now the idea is translated into the symbols of language and thus into a message. In phase 3, the sender transmits message. The message is sent via a channel such as verbal or nonverbal, spoken or written. Besides, you also select a medium to send the message such as telephone, letter, face-to-face exchange, etc. The receiver gets the message in phase 4. After that, the receiver decodes the message. In this phase, the receiver converts the transmitted message into an abstract idea in his mind. The codes of the sender and the receiver must have at least a certain set of symbols in common so that the receiver can send feedback in the final phase. Feedback is the receiver’s reply or response to the message. The communication process can be one way or two ways. In one-way communication, there is no feedback whereas two-way communication always includes feedback. Feedback lets the sender know if the communication is successful or not. 2.2. Communication types There are two types of communication: verbal and non-verbal. Both types play an important role in communicating. 2.2.1. Verbal communication “Verbal communication is using words in writing or speaking.” (Communication 1). It requires the use of words, vocabulary and numbers organized in a sentence. The goal of communication is to have people understand what we are saying. Therefore, if we want our message to be understood, we must take into careful consideration of the words we use. Some people may say that using long and difficult words will leave an impression on their listeners. This might be true. Nevertheless, not everyone can understand such fine words or ornate sentences. The more simply and shortly we express our ideas, the more clearly they are, hence the listeners can get our points without any difficulties. 2.2.2. Non-verbal communication Non-verbal communication refers to the messages we give and receive through body language, vocal characteristics, personal appearance, touching behavior, use of time and space (Bovée, Thill, and Schatzman 31). “If the eyes are the windows of the soul, then the body is the mirror of our feelings” (Redhead 2). It is useful to be able to read people’s body language. Body language includes body movement and gestures, facial expressions, eye contact and postures. It should be noted that in different cultures, body language can have different meanings. Therefore, we should know about that to have better communication with people from other countries and cultures. Following are some examples of body language with the most common meaning. First of all, body movement is one of the tools that can tell us how the people are feeling. During the conversation, we can move toward or backward, stand upright, which may reflect the confidence. Besides, gestures are also of great importance. Head gestures are used with different meanings. For example, “yes” is shown by nodding the head up and down, and “no” is conveyed by shaking the head side to side. Scratching the head indicates that the person is confused and pauses in doubt. People also take advantage of using hands. Waving hands can be either “hello” or “goodbye.” Holding the index and the mid finger upright stands for “victory.” In short, the movements of our bodies can express what we want to say instead of speaking out. A second crucial part of body language is facial expressions, which include a lot of signs. Smiling can often cover different emotions such as happiness, sadness, confusion or apologies. We also smile our approval to agree with someone. A smile, however, can disguise true feelings. When we are confused or do not know what to say, we often laugh off or laugh half-heartedly. A sardonic or bitter smile indicates that the person is miserable or disappointed. Another facial expression is the grimace, which conveys pain and disgust. Winking with one eye is a sign of kidding or sharing a secret with the others. Rolling the eyes may show amazement or even suspicion. As we have seen, our faces mainly focus on expressing emotions and attitudes. Thirdly, maintaining eye contact when speaking with others helps communication. Direct eye contact shows attentiveness and listening. If people lose eye contact, it means they ignore the speaker and want to change the topic or stop the conversation. Nevertheless, staring at someone is seen negative as it makes him/her embarrassed, confused or annoyed. Whereas, staring at something may express surprise and curiosity. These examples demonstrate eye contact shows attention and influence. Last but not least of body language use is the posture. The way we stand or sit gives information about how we are feeling. When people stand up or sit up straight, it can be understood that they feel confident or comfortable. Moreover, the posture is shown through hands and arms. Outward and upward hands movements reveal an open and positive message. Open arms can indicate a good way to show that the person is approachable and friendly. Folded arms may mean the rejection or the disagreement. Hands in pocket can show either familiarity/informality or the disrespect depending on different circumstances. What is more, “slouching, leaning forward, fidgeting, and walking briskly are all conscious signals that reveal whether you feel confident or nervous, friendly or hostile, assertive or passive, powerful or powerless” (Bovée, Thill, and Schatzman 31). The second factor of non-verbal communication is vocal characteristics. This is expressed through tone of voice. The tone of voice used can tell us a lot about another person because it carries both intentional and unintentional messages. There are various tones of voice that express the feelings and emotions of people. The voice can sound regular, mad, happy, excited, scared, sad, worried, and so on, which depends on the state of mind. Especially when we talk on the phone, it is more crucial to watch the tone in our voice. A listener cannot see our face or body language so the tone of voice becomes a determinant factor of effective communication. Not only the tone and volume but also the speaking pace helps to know much about the people and their emotions underlying their words. Thirdly, physical appearance is also one of the most important factors of non-verbal communication. Communicating values and expectations can be defined through clothing and other dimensions of physical appearance. Normally, people form opinions through what they see in a person physically and then respond to that person accordingly. In turn, people tend to fulfill the others’ perceptions of themselves. To be more exact, if we think, for example, someone is capable and attractive, he/she will feel good about himself/herself, which affects our behavior as well as his/her opinion about us. Therefore, we can make a good impression by paying attention to grooming, clothing, accessories, and style that form our appearance. Fourthly, “touch is an important vehicle for conveying warmth, comfort, and reassurance.” (Bovée, Thill, and Schatzman 32). It can also be an expression of dominance when a higher-status person touches a lower-status one. The use of touch in communicating can be a handshake, a pat on the back, an arm around the shoulder, a hug, and so on (Protti 25). Touching behavior varies from different gender, age, relative status, cultural background, and circumstances. Accordingly, we must be careful with this sensitive factor in order to avoid giving unexpected things or messages. Who may touch whom and how will affect the effectiveness of communication. Finally, personal space and use of time should be paid due attention to. “Your personal space is like an invisible bubble that surrounds you.” (“Your personal space” Worsleyschool). Like body language, physical space also differs from different cultures and circumstances. Generally speaking, however, the distance is often large between strangers. We get closer to someone that we know fairly well. The distance between a man and a woman who are strangers to each other may be larger than that of the ones who have a relationship. In addition, the use of time can define the status when some people want to show their importance by making others wait. Meanwhile, others show their respect by being on time. Communicating status is also expressed by allowing some people to go ahead of others. Punctuality also depends on different cultures. In summary, “actions speak louder than words.” People often express ideas, emotions, and attitudes more nonverbally than verbally through all the cues, spatial relationships, and attitudes toward time. That is the reason why the “silent language” is so crucial in communication in general and communication with foreigners in particular. 2.3. Communication forms 2.3.1. Written communication Research has shown that 9% of communication is happening in writing. The most common written media are emails and memos. Recently, communication through social network sites (such as Facebook, MySpace, etc) has been on the rise. One of the biggest advantages of written communication is that both the sender and the receiver have time to think about what is written. Furthermore, it lets us plan and control the message. Though a written channel increases the sender’s control, it eliminates the possibility of immediate feedback. Feedback is delayed and misunderstandings about the message may occur in the communication process. 2.3.2. Oral communication “Oral communication is the spoken interaction between two or more people.” (Perl, Murray, and Lutrick 1). It is appropriate for direct and personal contacts but not very useful for conveying complex and technical information since it needs to be demonstrated with visual aids. Its big advantage is that it provides immediate feedback. Misunderstandings can be dealt with immediately and the possibility of conflict and misunderstanding is lessened. In general, oral communication is used when our purpose is to interact directly with the audience. Oral communication includes face-to-face, telephone, voice mail, and so on. 2.3.3. Visual communication Visual communication means communication with visual aids. “It is the conveyance of ideas and information in forms that can be read or looked upon.” (“Visual communication” Wikipedia). Its various forms range from posters, pictures, photos, diagrams, films, etc. Although visual communication is useful for long speech with complex and technical information, it might distract the audience from what is being said. In a word, visual communication will be more effective if it is combined with written and oral communication. 2.4. Communication styles There are various styles of communication. Thus, it is crucial to know different communication styles so that we can understand others in order to avoid misunderstandings. Once we are aware of such differences, we will likely be able to effectively communicate and interact with our colleagues a