Work Place Communication Differences between Asia and Canada - Research Paper Example

Work Place Communication Differences between Asia and Canada Communication Differences between Viet se and Canadian Work Places Communication forms a very crucial aspect of the society as nothing can go on properly without the adoption of effective communication. For communication to be effective there has to be the sender, receiver, the message, and the channel of conveying the message. However, certain communication barriers may arise especially if the sender and the receiver of the message are from different cultural backgrounds with varying styles and tones of communication.

The reason for this is that communication is actually a cultural phenomenon and therefore every culture has distinct communication styles. This term paper explores the communication differences between the Canadian work place and the Asian work place, especially the Vietnamese workplace. From the onset, one would agree that Both Canada and Vietnam have varying cultural beliefs and practices that significantly affect their communication aspects at the work place. To start with, the acceptable public behavior, handshake is a very familiar mode of greeting people in Canada and the work place in general, as most Canadians are usually open minded and more outgoing than their Vietnamese counterparts.

In Canada, most people use direct eye contact ac a formal communication technique at the workplace with friendly interactions in between. When siting in a workplace setting, a casual posture is most popular while a short distance separate people involved in communication in a standing position (Centre for Intercultural Learning, 2009). In a Vietnamese work place setting, people often use facial appearance as a means of judging a person’s personality and subsequently, use the same tool to assess the person’s dignity and professional ethics.

This can be especially disappointing to honest individuals with suspicious faces. Besides, hard work and dedication are highly valued in a Vietnamese work place as positive public behavior. Who knows whether they have internalized the good old saying that talks about how action can speak more volumes than mere words (Centre for Intercultural Learning, 2009). When it comes to the official business attire, there is an element of resemblance between the two cultures. As is common knowledge that the work place is a highly respected environment, high standards of professionalism and formality in the way employees conduct themselves becomes critical.

Clothes that people wear normally tell a lot about the persons, therefore the two cultures have adopted a conservative approach in the way of dressing at the work place with both men and women clad in official business suits and dresses respectively. However, it is worth noting that the Vietnamese women are more conservative than their Canadian counterparts in that they keep jewelry and make up to a minimum (Centre for Intercultural Learning, 2009). Notably is the difference in communication criteria used especially when making conversations and networking.

In Canada, a state that uses the same greeting conventions as the United States and the Great Britain, the formal greeting goes ‘How are you?’ This form of greeting applies to anybody in the work place irrespective of corporate or social standing. The use of business cards is commonplace in Canada and most of the people prefer to swap their business cards as a way of networking. The Vietnamese on the other hand, handle conversation in a more conservative manner whereby they address their colleagues with their first name only, and a handshake wrapped in a welcoming smile.

To them, this is a sign of high moral standards and mutual respect. Instead of swapping their business cards at the work place, the Vietnamese prefer to hold the cards against the faces of interested parties so that the parties can jot down important information (Centre for Disease Control, 2007; Centre for Intercultural Learning, 2009). Meetings and presentations play a vital role in the management of a given organization and therefore deserve superb communication techniques. In Canadian places of work, meetings and presentations usually take place during the morning hours when everyone is positive and still in good moods.

Toleration of lateness can extend up to thirty minutes as this is still under the normal acceptance criteria. The Vietnamese prefer to conduct meetings in groups rather than as individual persons to encourage openness and effective communication. Though at times, the Vietnamese use English during meetings, it is not as common as their national language. They do not like extending their meetings and keep time. This only means that they try as much as possible to avoid unnecessary jokes that could have ambiguous interpretations.

However, the main intention of meetings and negotiations in both countries is to engage in actions that can lead to positive outcome (Centre for Disease Control, 2007). Dinner etiquette as a communication tool varies between the Canadian culture and the Vietnamese culture. While Canadian citizens are more open minded and outgoing, their Vietnamese counterparts arte a little conservative ate the work place especially in the way they handle dinner and office parties. In Canada, people prefer to host their job colleagues at their homes while the Vietnamese fancy an outing at the restaurant with no intention of reciprocating (Centre for Disease Control, 2007; Centre for Intercultural Learning, 2009).

When a person moves to a new country, whether Canada or the Vietnam, they are likely to face a number of challenges ranging from language barrier to culture shock. Most native Canadians have strong accent that can easily confuse outsiders who may not understand a thing when a Canadian speaks. The case might be even more complex in Vietnam that does not use English as the official language of communication. Another significant problem may be the distinct cultures whose translations and interpretation may convey varying messages (Business University, 2013).

References Business University. (2013). Cultural communication. Retrieved from http://business.uni.edu/buscomm/internationalbuscomm/world/northamerica/index.html Centre for Disease Control. (2007). Overview of Vietnamese culture (2007). Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/tb/publications/guidestoolkits/ethnographicguides/vietnam/chapters/chapter2.pdf Centre for Intercultural Learning. (2009). Cultural information. Retrieved from http://www.intercultures.ca/cil-cai/ci-ic-eng.asp?iso=vn