Intercultural Misinterpretations Case Study

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Register to read the introduction… There are eleven common misunderstandings. It is always good to know the different common intercultural misunderstandings because you may be put in a situation like Margaret Owens but know with the awareness and knowledge you will be able to prevent this a situation like Margaret Owens from happening. Some of the 11 areas are: appropriate attire, taboos, obligations, racist, religion, language/translations, and respectfulness (Bell, …show more content…
With this study case of Margaret Owen’s, I think that knowing the do’s and don’ts taboo for Japan is important to know before conducting the interview. As I mentioned earlier in the male-female interaction, the handling of business cards when first meeting is a key part of creating credentials between one another is a definite “do’s” taboo for Japan. Also, since the case was very vague, there are some things you should always avoid when having a conversation with someone from another culture. In this case, from my research some taboos are to: not to talk about WWII, do not joke around, and no negative remarks about the their home sports team (â Circles of Excellence, …show more content…
You never want to offend or disrespect anyone. To have a great outcome, you should always research your audience and very understanding and open to others people’s culture and lifestyle.

Reference

â Circles of Excellence. (n.d.). Cultural Clues, Do’s & Taboos:
Communication Guidelines for JAPAN. Retrieved on
October 9, 2012 from http://www.circlesofexcellence.com/blog/2012/03/cultur al-clues-do’s-taboos-communication-guidelines-for- japan/ Bell, Arthur H., and Dayle M. Smith. "Chapter 19:
Communication for Intercultural Management."
Management Communication. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2010. 512-16. Print.

Burgess, H. (2003). Misunderstandings. Retrieved on October 7,
2012 from http://www.beyondintractability.org/bi-essay/misunderstandings.

Maciamo. (n.d.) Guide to Japanese Manners and Etiquette.
Retrieved one October 6, 2012 from http://www.wa-pedia.com/culture/japanese_manners_etiquette.shtml.

McIntyre, M. (n.d.) Your Office Coach. Retrieved on October 9,
2012 from

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