Cultural Communication Problems of Foreign Business Personnel in the United States

摘要

This paper discusses the communication problems of the German expatriate em ployee in the United States, and notes some differences in oral and written means of communication as seen by the expatriate. Interviews with both Germans and Ameri cans, in Germany and the United States, lead to the conclusion that technical com petence outweighs cultural awareness; that Americans are often unaware of cultural differences between themselves and foreign employees; that language incompetence is more an American problem; and that cultural variances do affect oral and written modes of communication.