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individual of lower status is considered disrespectful. In the US, it is
considered rude to stare – regardless of who is looking at whom. In
contrast, the polite Englishman is taught to pay strict attention to a
speaker, to listen carefully, and to blink his eyes to let the speaker
know he or she has been understood as well as heard. Americans
signal interest and comprehension by bobbing their heads or grunting.

A widening of the eyes can also be interpreted differently, depending
on circumstances and culture. Take, for instance, the case of an
American and a Chinese discussing the terms of a proposed contract.
Regardless of the language in which the proposed contract is carried
out, the US negotiator may interpret a Chinese person’s widened eyes
as an expression of astonishment instead of as a danger signal (its true
meaning) of politely expressed anger.

CROSS-CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING

Terminology within the cross cultural communications field can
sometimes be baffling to those reading the literature, websites or
promotional material. Many ask what is the difference between
‘intercultural’ and ‘cross-cultural’? What is 'cross cultural awareness'
as opposed to 'cross cultural knowledge' or, are 'cultural sensitivity'
and 'cultural competence' the same thing?

With a view to clarifying some of the above mentioned terminology,
this article will examine terms used in relation to building cross
cultural understanding within the business world.

Cross cultural understanding simply refers to the basic ability of
people within business to recognise, interpret and correctly react to
people, incidences or situations that are open to misunderstanding due
to cultural differences. The fundamental intention of cross cultural
training is to equip the learner(s) with the appropriate skills to attain
cross-cultural understanding.

Once the foundations of cross cultural understanding have been laid,
the learner(s), either through continued training or experiences within
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