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The Silent Language in Overseas Business
Business Case Review by: Tim Edwards

In today’s ever shrinking world the importance of intercultural skills in business is extremely important. Subtle nuances in behavior, unrecognized, can cost a company  money and market share.  Besides the spoken word
differences in the languages of time, space, things, friendship, and agreements can go unnoticed to the common observer.  Careful time and preparation should be spent studying these differences before a business person partakes into the realm of the international business world.

The first in these silent languages is the language of time.  Every culture frames and looks at time in different ways.  For example, in the Middle East, time is directed toward the closeness of the relationship of an individual.  A family member in need would come before any business obligation.  For Americans, time is of the essence and speed and promptness are held with great importance.  In Latin American countries time is considered much more flexible and appointments and meetings do not necessarily have to begin at the predetermined time.  The Japanese use time and long waiting periods before making decisions to gain the upper hand in negotiations.

Language of space is the second important silent language.  Office sizes, working space, placement of furniture are all examples of the differences around the world on how people use and view space.  In the United States the size an location of an office usually signifies the importance of the individual who occupies it, but in the Arab world neither would have any significance to the level or status of the individual.  The use of touch and distance in conversations is also very different amongst nations.  Touching and speaking in very close proximity is very common in the Middle East and Latin America, while the distance and touch increases in the Untied States
and even more in Scandinavia and Germany.

The third silent language is the language of things.  Material importance is often a high regard in the United States and when possessed portrays the illusion of status.  In contrast, individuals in the Middle East look to family, friends, and connections to show their status and importance.  The language of friendship is the fourth silent language.  Americans make friends easily and quickly, but are noted to drop them as quickly.  Now, this is not
always the case, but it happens in the United States more often than anywhere else.  In the Middle East and Latin America your friends will never let you down and even though friendships will usually take longer to make, once made they are there to stay.

The final language is the language of agreements.  Agreements, informal or formal, are the binding ingredients to a successful country.  In the United States we hold rules and regulations in high regard.  Business, for the most part, is done under specific written agreements and can not be broken.  In cultures in the Middle East, a mans word is often held in higher regard than something written on a piece of paper.  This is probably the most important aspect for international business people to realize.  Without understanding the ways and means people make agreements in specific cultures, doing business there is probably a waste of time.

The author of this article gives many insightful looks into the world of cultural idiosyncrasies.  The main message to take from this case is to do your homework, accept the differences in people, and learn to work together in order for both sides to feel comfortable and accomplished.

Hall, Edward T. Harvard Business Review. "The Silent Language in Overseas Business".  1960. Case Number 60308