Communication is the process of transmitting ideas from one person to another. Within a culture, effective communication--when the sender of a message and the receiver understand the information the same way--is often difficult to achieve. Communication across cultures is considerably more complex and difficult because differences in language, usage, verbal style, and non-verbal communication abound.

In addition to the technical aspects of communication, culture affects the communication process. For example, some cultures prefer direct communication and high explicitness, while other cultures prefer indirect communication and attempts by the communicator to hide saying what he or she actually thinks.

Despite the difficulties in communicating across cultures and within cultures with diverse populations, new communication methods are rapidly changing the way people talk to each other. For example, the Internet has democratized communication so much that ordinary people from around the world can talk directly with world leaders. In May 1998, Russian President Boris Yeltsin talked with people from various countries on a live Internet chat through arrangements provided by American owned MSNBC.

Use the following Web sites to identify five issues that affect cross-cultural communication that will probably become more prominent in the next decade. Which of these issues present increased difficulty for cross-cultural communication? Develop suggestions for overcoming the communication problems you have identified.

1. Netiquette International
   http://www.albion.com/netiquette/
   This is the Netiquette site. It provides information on etiquette for communication over the Internet.
   
   
2. The Internet--a Revolution in Communication.
   http://www.nih.gov This site has information on the Internet as a communication medium and links to information on the Internet revolution. It also has links that emphasize communication issues in most countries of the world.
   
   
3. Information Technology and the Internet
   http://intranet.hbs.edu/applegate Professor Lynda Applegate of the Harvard Business School has created an interesting site for learning to manage in the information age and how to do business on the Internet. Click on "Doing Business on the Internet Demo."

1. a large corporation
2. a small corporation
3. a private citizen or civic organization

• From the corporations request information such as an annual report, the products they manufacture or services they provide, the countries they operate in, and countries they export to. From individuals request information concerning their education, work experience, and recreational activities.
• After receiving this information evaluate its quality--for example, is it in a language that you can understand (that is, did the company adjust for a different language), does it provide the information you requested, is the information complete and intelligible--and whether the Internet is the most effective way to communicate for the purposes suggested.

Using the information from the Web sites above prepare a short presentation intended to generate discussion about the new types of communication technologies available. If your university (or fellow students) have programs for e-mail and chat rooms, use them for the discussion. Some questions are:

• Is the Internet more or less efficient and effective than face-to-face communication? Traditional business letters? The telephone?
• Which communication method is most useful for communicating across cultures?
• How can emerging technologies be changed to improve cross-cultural communication?