Instructor Manual
Guffey/Loewy, Business Communication: Process & Product, 10e, 2022, 9780357129234;
Chapter 3: Intercultural Communication
Table of Contents
Purpose and Perspective of the Chapter …………………………………………………………………………. 2
Cengage Supplements …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2
Chapter Objectives ………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2
Complete List of Chapter Activities and Assessments ……………………………………………………… 3
Key Terms ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 4
What’s New in This Chapter ……………………………………………………………………………………………. 5
Chapter Outline …………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 6
Discussion Questions …………………………………………………………………………………………………… 17
Additional Activities and Assignments …………………………………………………………………………… 21
Additional Resources ……………………………………………………………………………………………………. 26
Cengage Video Resources ……………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 26
Appendix …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 27
Generic Rubrics ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 27
Standard Writing Rubric ………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 27
Standard Discussion Rubric ……………………………………………………………………………………………………… 28
Purpose and Perspective of the Chapter
The purpose of this chapter is help students prepare for successful intercultural
communication. First, we explain the powerful effects of globalization and the major trends
fueling it. Next, we present five key dimensions of culture: context, individualism, time
audiences.
Cengage Supplements
The following product-level supplements provide additional information that may help you
in preparing your course. They are available in the Instructor Resource Center.
• Transition Guide (provides information about what’s new from edition to edition)
• Educator’s Guide (describes assets in the platform with a detailed breakdown of
activities by chapter with seat time)
Chapter Objectives
The following objectives are addressed in this chapter:
3-1 Explain the powerful effects of globalization and the major trends fueling it.
3-2 Identify the primary characteristics and key dimensions of culture.
Complete List of Chapter Activities and Assessments
For additional guidance, refer to the Teaching Online Guide.
Chapter
Objective
PPT
Slide
Activity/Assessment
Duration
Certification Standard
3-1
11
Knowledge Check in PPT
30 min
BUSPROG: Diversity
DISC: Meetings; International
applications
3-3
Pair Activity in PPT
30 min
BUSPROG: Diversity
DISC: Cultural imperatives
3-4
40
Small Group Activity in PPT
90 min
BUSPROG: Ethics
DISC: Codes; Ethics and
Grammar and Mechanics
Quiz in PPT
30 min
BUSPROG: Communication
DISC: Standard English
N/A
N/A
Grammar and Mechanics
Pre-Course Diagnostic*
60 min
BUSPROG: Communication
N/A
N/A
Grammar and Mechanics
Tutorials*
N/A
BUSPROG: Communication
DISC: Standard English
N/A
N/A
Grammar and Mechanics
Check-Up Activities*
N/A
BUSPROG: Communication
DISC: Standard English
Chapters
1–3
N/A
Why Do Communication
Foundations Matter to
Me? (Unit 01
Communication
Foundations)**
5 min
N/A
3-1–3-5
N/A
Learn It: Chapter 03
Intercultural
Communication
3-1–3-5
N/A
Assignment: Chapter 03
Intercultural
Communication
20 min
N/A
35–45
min
N/A
Communication)
3-1–3-5
N/A
Practice Quiz: Chapter 03
Intercultural
Communication
25–30
min
N/A
Chapters
1–3
N/A
Writing Assignment:
Performance Evaluation
(Unit 01 Communication
Foundations)***
N/A
N/A
* These activities appear before the student will begin the course.
Key Terms
Blockchain technology: A decentralized network originally devised to distribute the virtual
currency Bitcoin; a blockchain is a time-stamped series of unchangeable data records
managed by a cluster of computers not owned by any single entity.
Cobot: A word coined to identify mobile collaboration robots that are helping workers find
merchandise or bring it to them.
Empathy: Trying to see the world through another’s eyes, being nonjudgmental and eager
to seek common ground.
Ethnocentrism: The belief in the superiority of one’s own race; a natural attitude inherent
in all cultures. Causes us to judge others by our own values.
it is based on erroneous beliefs or preconceptions.
Prototype: Ideas about people and cultures that are based on objective, open-minded
observations, not prejudice.
Saving face: Protecting the image a person holds in his or her social networks.
Spiral logic: Circling around a topic indirectly and looking at it from many tangential or
divergent viewpoints; common in high-context cultures.
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What’s New in This Chapter
The following elements are improvements in this chapter from the previous edition:
• Rewrote opening scenario featuring Walmart by focusing on its intercultural and
legal challenges; created all-new critical-thinking questions.
• Introduced up–to-date examples of global ventures by U.S. and international
Intercultural Communication
• Enhanced the discussion of culture and its characteristics as well as dimensions to
acquaint students with tools for becoming interculturally proficient.
• Updated Transparency International’s latest Corruption Perceptions Index and its
discussion to stress the importance of ethics across cultures.
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Chapter Outline
In the outline below, each element includes references (in parentheses) to related content.
“CH.##” refers to the chapter objective; “PPT Slide #” refers to the slide number in the
PowerPoint deck for this chapter (provided in the PowerPoints section of the Instructor Resource
Center); and, as applicable for each discipline, accreditation or certification standards (DISC).
Introduce the chapter and review learning objectives for Chapter 3. (PPT Slide 2).
I. Building Intercultural Communication Skills in a Globalized World (3-1, PPT Slides 3–
11, DISC: Cultural imperatives; International applications)
a. The global economy is now a fact of life, despite recent trade skirmishes over
tariffs, making intercultural communication skills more important than ever.
d. There have generally been two different approaches to expansion:
i. Current products in new territories
ii. Localized offerings to match a market
g. Global expansion is fueled by several trends (Figure 3.2):
i. Stagnating or declining domestic markets
ii. Favorable trade agreements (GATT/WTO; NAFTA/USMCA)
h. The domestic workforce is also becoming increasingly diverse, with increases
in immigration as people move to other countries to fulfill their dreams.
k. Knowledge Check Activity: 30 minutes total. Activity 3.3—Connecting Across
Time Zones
To broaden their knowledge of time zones, have students answer the
questions found at the end of the chapter.
a) What does the abbreviation UTC indicate?
o Students will find a number of definitions. UTC stands for
Coordinated Universal Time. It represents the international
b) Internationally, time is shown with a 24-hour clock (sometimes
called military time). What time does 14.00 indicate? How is a 12–
hour clock different from a 24-hour clock? With which are you most
familiar?
c) You must schedule an audioconference for a businessperson in
Omaha, Nebraska, who wants to talk with a person in Seoul, South
Korea. What are the best business hours (between 8 a.m. and
5 p.m.) for them to talk?
o This combination is very inconvenient, allowing for only one
one-hour option during typical office hours. The best time to
d) What are the best business hours for an online chat between an
executive in New Orleans and a vendor in Mombasa, Kenya?
o The best time is 8 a.m. New Orleans time (UTC-6), which is
5 p.m. in Mombasa, Kenya (UTC+3). However, calling at 7 a.m.
e) When should two businesspeople, one in Nevada and the other in
Colorado, start a Zoom conference call with a contact in the
Netherlands during office hours?
o The Nevada-based businessperson (UTC-8) should be ready
Central European Time zone (CET). Business partners generally
compromise on the times, so that the burden of staying late or
coming to work very early is shared equally.
f) Why did your new business partner in Ankara, Turkey, call you at
2 a.m. in the Eastern Standard Time zone (UTC-5) and was
understandably shocked that he woke you up?
o Most likely the Turkish businessperson was confused about
II. Understanding Culture and Communication (3-2, PPT Slides 12–22, DISC: Cultural
imperatives; Contexts; International applications; Audience)
a. Culture – the complex system of values, traits, morals, and customs shared
by a society
b. Characteristics of culture include:
i. Culture Is Learned
c. When different cultures come together, special sensitivity and
communication skills are necessary.
d. The elements of the invisible structure of culture vastly outnumber those of
the visible structure. (Figure 3.3)
iii. Logical, analytical, and action oriented
iv. Use linear logic (proceed from Point A to Point B to Point C and
arrive at a conclusion)
h. High-context cultures are more likely to be intuitive and contemplative.
i. Listener is assumed to be already “contexted” with background
information left unsaid.
i. To identify low- and high-context countries, cultural anthropologist Edward T.
Hall arranged them on a continuum. (Figure 3.4)
i. High-context cultures, such as Asian, Middle Eastern, and African
j. Individualism – attitude of independence and freedom from control
k. Collectivism – emphasizes membership in organizations and groups or team
i. Belief that independence fosters competition and confrontation,
where group values, duties, and decisions are encouraged
l. North Americans correlate time with productivity, efficiency, and money,
while other cultures perceive time as an unlimited resource to be enjoyed.
m. The Power Distance Index, introduced by Geert Hofstede, measures how
people relate to more powerful individuals.
i. High-power-distance countries usually have formal hierarchies and
relatively authoritarian, paternalistic power relationships.
n. Figure 3.5 shows selected countries ranked according to their expression of
collectivism and individualism as well as power distance.
o. Communication styles also differ between high- and low-context cultures.
i. High-context cultures place more emphasis on surrounding context
than on the words describing a negotiation. Contracts may be
viewed as statements of intention (with changes assumed as
projects develop) or as an idea of what might be accomplished in an
p. Small Group Discussion Activity: 45 minutes total. Chat About It Topic #2:
Dos and Don’ts of Traveling Abroad
Break class into groups of three to five students. Have each small group
discuss the topic found at the end of the chapter. Groups should collectively
choose the responses they would like to share with the larger group.
• What are some dos when traveling abroad?
III. Becoming Interculturally Proficient (3-3, PPT Slides 23–34, DISC: Cultural
imperatives; International applications; Audience)
a. Culture is learned, and developing cultural competence often involves
changing attitudes.
d. Stereotype – oversimplified behavioral pattern applied uncritically to groups
e. Prototype – ideas about people and cultures that are based on objective,
open-minded observations, not prejudice
f. Prejudice – judgment that forms when a stereotype develops into a rigid
attitude and when it is based on erroneous beliefs or preconceptions
j. Empathy – trying to see the world through another’s eyes
k. Nonverbal cues are also important in intercultural communication.
i. They can convey basic messages, but care should be taken in using
and interpreting them.
l. Descriptiveness – an attitude that involves the use of concrete and specific
feedback
m. Nonjudgmentalism – an attitude that prevents defensive reactions from
communicators
r. Social media blur cultural gaps, reduce hierarchies, and empower people, but
online environments may deepen feelings of social isolation.
Intercultural Communication
s. Cultural differences persist from color symbolism to digital nationalism
(restricted access to the Internet in authoritarian countries).
t. Splinternet – a fragmentation of the Internet
u. Use these techniques for refining oral intercultural communication:
i. Learn greetings and basic phrases.
ii. Speak slowly.
v. Use these techniques for perfecting intercultural written communication:
i. Adjust your writing style and tone for other cultures.
ii. Know when to avoid humor.
iii. Familiarize yourself with customary channels of communication.
w. Model Documents 3.1 and 3.2 illustrate ineffective and effective intercultural
e-mail messages:
i. Don’t adopt a casual tone when a formal tone is more appropriate.
ii. Avoid slang and ambiguous expressions.
x. Pair Activity: 30 minutes total. Chat About It Topic #3: Identifying
Ethnocentrism
Break class into pairs and have each student pair discuss the topic found at
the end of the chapter. Students should be prepared to share their
discussion results with the larger group.
• Describe what happened.
• What made you think the experience involved ethnocentrism?
IV. Considering Culture and Ethical Business Practices (3-4, PPT Slides 35–41, DISC:
Global ethics; Ethics and morals; Codes)
a. When you do business around the world, whose values, culture, and,
ultimately, laws do you follow?
b. Most global companies have ethical codes of conduct, which should guide an
employee’s ethical behavior in other cultures.
i. Ethics considerations include business gifts, bribery, child-labor
abuse, and environmental mistreatment.
c. Transparency International, a Berlin-based watchdog group, compiles an
annual ranking of perceived public sector corruption in 180 countries.
(Figure 3.8)
d. The United States is not at the top on the index of least corrupt countries,
but it has taken the global lead in fighting corruption.
i. The 1977 Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) prohibits payments to
foreign officials for the purpose of obtaining or retaining business,
but only applies to U.S. companies.
e. Estimates show bribery costs the world $1.5 to $2 trillion annually.
f. Defining ethical behavior across boundaries is challenging, and cultural filters