Communication and Negotiation: – Language is the medium through which any given culture is expressed and the subtleties of a culture can best be expressed only through a language that is home to a given culture. Cultural transliterations are only approximations and hence a compromise on the meaning and essence of a certain context. The international marketer with a hold over multiple languages has an edge over those who do not. Whenever, languages and cultures change, communication challenges comes to the fore. For instance, ‘yes’ and ‘no’ are used differently in Japanese than in western languages. In English, the answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to a question is based on whether the answer is affirmative or negative. In Japanese, the answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ may indicate whether or not the answer affirms or negates the question. For instance, in Japanese the question, “Don’t you like meat!” would be answered “yes”. If the answer is negative, as in, “Yes, I don’t like meat.” The word “Wakarimashita” means both “I understand” and “I agree”. In order to avoid misunderstandings, foreigners must learn to distinguish which interpretation is correct in terms of the entire context of conversation. The challenges of non-verbal communication are more formidable.
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