Chapter 1 Communication: An Intercultural Perspective Needs and purposes for communication: Survival/Co-operation/Personal needs/Relationships/Persuasion/Power/Social needs /Information/Making sense of the world/Self-expression Communication is a form of human behavior derived from a need to connect and interest with other human beings. Communication occurs whenever meaning is attributed to behavior or the residue of behavior. Business communication, as a kind of organizational communication, is the exchange of oral, nonverbal, and written messages within(and across the boundaries of) a system of interrelated and interdependent people working to accomplish common tasks and goals. Also defined as: a dynamic,multi-channeled process,which covers internal communication in a given organization. Characteristics of communication are: dynamic(动态), irreversible(不可撤回), symbolic(符号性), systemic(系统性), self-reflective(自我反映), interactive(involve at least two people)(互动的，交流至少牵扯到两个因素), complex(复杂). Intercultural business communication(IBC) is defined as communication among individuals or groups from different cultural backgrounds in a business environment. It’s also defined as a relatively new term in the business world and is defined as communication with and between business that involves people from more than one culture. Intercultural communication(IC) includes: International communication(between nations and governments) Interethnic communication(same race but different ethnic) Interracial communication(exchanging messages are from different races) Interregional communication(exchange of messages between members of the dominant culture) IC as a phenomenon has the following features: Universal/long history/daily occurrence The complexity i...
