One of the most recent dealings related to intercultural incompetence is again an event involving the Prophet of Islam. The incident took place at Sudan where a British teacher named Gillian Gibbons, 54, was charged of insulting Islam when she gave permission to her class on naming a teddy bear Muhammad. The accidental occurrence was labeled as an example of Muslim extremism and irrationality.

The unpleasant incident was however just an exaggeration of some over-sensitive parents as stated by Mr. Khalid al Mubarak, member of the Sudanese embassy situated in London. Most Muslims regard this to be a simple judgmental error that occurred due to the ignorance of the respect that is duly offered to in Islam to the prophet. After the incident many people conscious of the teachers’ innocence have come out publicly in support of her.

The Ramadhan foundation testifies about the disgraceful decision and makes clear the fact that the teacher was innocent and did not intentionally carry out any action in the idea of offending the Muslim beliefs. Ms Gibbons’ students and their parents are all on the side of the teacher, ready to give evidence for her virtuousness. The Ramadhan foundation has asked up on the immediate intervention of the Sudanese President Umar al-Bashir in the case and the freedom of the teacher has been sought out from this shocking ordeal.

According to the Ramadhan foundation the event was not worth enough to cause the arrest or detention of a teacher especially when the incident occurred due to her ignorance. This can stand as a lesson to all people going to foreign lands that knowledge about their adopted land, the ethics, traditions and beliefs to be followed in those countries have to be known and acknowledged by the people. The whole affair took place because of lack of knowledge which could have been thoughtfully avoided by simple cultural awareness courses.

Cultural awareness courses on Islam give huge reverence to the Prophet. Muhammad is believed to be the best of creation and the messenger who brought final messages of God to mankind. Such incidents are eye openers for the ultimate need of cultural awareness training especially for people going to foreign lands whether it is for work, leisure or a living. A few basic cultural awareness tips that can be kept in mind for a smooth life ahead have been noted as follows:

·    Books, journals, magazines, etc. any similar source can be referred for information on the things that should be done and those things that one should be careful about when entering a new foreign place.
·    Assistance can be sought out from the internet and related websites.
·    Take some effort in learning the new language or at least a bit of how to communicate in a new place.
·    Friends or relatives in the new land can be approached for any important points that one is unaware of.
·    The local customs and dress codes of the new location should be given needful respect. Any odd behavior that might offend the nationals will turn out be highly costly for the new people.
·    Any doubt can be simply solved by observing the locals and following their lead.

Cultural awareness expands the knowledge sphere of people making them more accustomed to the foreign land and aware of the potential dangers that can occur by chance in the new place.

Language: Though the majority of the language will be understood by an English speaking foreign audience, a speaker must be careful about jargon, idioms, phrases etc. Englishmen frequently use terms like “knocked for six”, “bowled over” etc. The audience may be puzzled. When an American refers to a ‘billion’ he means a thousand million, whereas in the UK this would mean a million ‘million’. Always remember that Language must convey the meaning to the audience.

Body Language: Pay attention to the body language. Hand gestures and the expression of emotion through the body are acceptable to some. Others expect speakers to remain calm. Similarly pay attention to the use of gestures. The thumbs up may mean ‘good’ in the USA but not so in some Afro-Asian countries. Eye contact can also be a major intercultural difference. For some strong eye contact is a sign of sincerity, for certain others it is a matter of arrogance and invasion of privacy.

Time: Study the different approaches to time across cultures. Some go for a planned approach to business matters giving importance to time and punctuality whereas some other cultures are not particular about it. Maintain proper rigidity and flexibility with respect to the particular culture.

Emotions: Sometimes the presentations may be in the presence of a small mass and may be with respect to sensitive issues in tense atmosphere. That may call for control of emotions. Do not lose temper and do not show frustration. Never lose patience. Otherwise you will risk your trustworthiness. If you are asked questions, try to understand that they are being posed only to establish facts, not to undermine you.

Style of Presentation: .Always bear in mind the needs of the target culture. For example, in the US the presenter speaks from a point rather towards a point. That is to say the presentation is bottom-line oriented. On the other hand the Europeans prefer a detailed presentation, starting from the foundation, going on step by step towards the end. The audience will have no problem in understanding this. Other countries may have their own style.

Use of Technology: In advanced countries, Power Point is the method of giving a presentation. But in under developed countries Over Head Projector may be ideal. And there are countries where they prefer blackboard. Some cultures get confused with visual presentations. They like words.

Content: Take care that your presentation satisfies the audience. If so your objective is met. Find out whether a visual presentation is okay; or whether they want a speech.

Audience Participation: In some cultures audience enjoy active participation. Some others refrain from participating. They are happy just to listen. Audiences show respect in different ways. Japanese listen closing their eyes. In the United States and European countries a good point is appreciated with clapping of hands.

Given above are only a few major points, which can improve individual’s awareness of intercultural differences in business. There are many more.

Intercultural communications field has become prominent in all sorts of spheres, may it be trade, commerce politics, education and what not. a cultural difference  will  have undesirable  effect on the prospects of business.
The clash is there both in international level and national level. No doubt it brings about challenges.
The objective of Intercultural communication training is to reduce the harmful effect the culture can have on the day to day business. Every culture has its own norms, manners, values etc which may not be acceptable to other cultures. Consequently there is bound to be misunderstanding. The training should nullify this to a great extend, which will ultimately have a bearing on the business development.
Let us look at UK business culture. The British are well known for punctuality. They are very particular about time management. For them time is precious. The same may not be the case with people of many other countries.
The British give importance to humor while they talk. They presume that this will take them closer to people. A Japanese colleague may not be able to digest this initially.
Inspiration, suggestions, criticism, etc. are all part of a British corporate meeting. This may not be the case in certain other countries. So when a person of that culture visits UK, he may be a fish out of water. There is going to be cultural imbalance and misunderstandings in both directions.
Intercultural communication training helps the entrants to become familiar with the new culture. The training should bring him closer to the new environment and he should have no more problems in adjusting. In short, the training should put an end to the brunt of cultural differences.