Introduction
Companies’ demand for cross-cultural awareness and communication capacity grows as they develop, scale, and expand in foreign markets. Moreover, globalization directly impacts worldwide communication, which helps to enhance commercial prospects, erase cultural boundaries, and establish a global village. If cultural variations in how individuals make decisions and execute commands are considered, organizations might confront significant difficulty in obtaining deals. As a result, cross-cultural knowledge enhances communication between persons from various cultures. Employees and clients are more willing to pay attention when they are aware of possible differences and similarities between cultures. As a consequence of the need for intercultural knowledge, there have been developed several models for evaluating and describing cultures. One such framework is the cultural dimensions theory of Hofstede, which provides for the understanding and comparison of market subtleties based on multiple aspects. Hence, the current paper considers Hofstede’s model’s factors for the discussion of communication differences and similarities in the US and Nigeria.
Discussion
First, it is necessary to determine the differences and similarities in the cultural variable of the US and Nigeria to assess their impact. Regarding masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, and a long-term orientation, the United States and Nigeria are comparable, per Hofstede’s cultural aspects theory (Hofstede Insights, 2021). Nigeria and the US have high scores for masculinity. People live to achieve in masculine nations; managers are supposed to be decisive and forceful, the focus is on competitiveness and performance, and problems are settled by pushing them out. Uncertain avoidance results reflect the extent to which individuals of a culture feel frightened by ambiguous or unclear circumstances and have built beliefs and organizations to avoid them. Both the US and Nigeria score a medium point for the described aspect, which means that it is not a definitive component of these cultures (Hofstede Insights, 2021). Next, the United States and Nigeria are classified as normative cultures, which implies that they revere traditions and uphold traditional societal standards.
Individualism, power distance, and indulgence were the primary distinctions between the United States and Nigeria. The United States is regarded as a very individualistic society in which individuals primarily care for themselves, being self-sufficient and concerned with their well-being (Hofstede Insights, 2021). Unlike the United States, Nigeria is classified as a collectivist culture, with individuals demonstrating a strong sense of connection to their society. The power gap between Nigeria and America is likewise different. While Nigerian culture supports a social hierarchy with inherent indefensible inequities, Americans prefer to believe in fairness for all individuals, irrespective of their differences (Hofstede Insights, 2021). Finally, there are apparent differences in indulgence between the two countries. Nigerians have a greater tendency for instant satisfaction and less power over their desires than Americans.
The stated cultural differences between the two countries have a visible impact on their face-to-face interactions. First, since both cultures are similarly masculine, it is not difficult to establish a highly-productive working atmosphere during face-to-face meetings. However, due to the collectivistic nature of Nigerians, they like to build personal ties before doing business. As a result, at the first meeting with a Nigerian firm, one can expect to spend some time getting to know them on a personal level, and the session might seem too long for an American. Moreover, the hierarchical structure of society in Nigeria makes a group’s oldest member admired and honored. They are the first to be welcomed and served in a face-to-face setting. Otherwise, business etiquette is conducted similarly in both countries.
However, several individual biases can affect business communication. While the US citizens are predominantly Christian, Nigerians practice Christianity and Islam, depending on the region. Working hours in the Christian areas are frequently different from those in the Muslim parts of Nigeria. Namely, Muslims do not operate on Friday, their holy day. As a result, there is a barrier to establishing a date for the meeting since Americans can choose any working day. At the same time, Nigerians can consider the proposal of working on Friday offensive. Moreover, Muslims will not usually shake hands with someone of the opposing gender. In turn, Americans can consider such a tradition as a discriminational bias toward women.
Conclusion
Finally, there are some differences in verbal and non-verbal communication that might affect the productivity of the meetings. For example, in oral communication, it is necessary to take the time to inquire about the individual’s health, the well-being of their family, or other pleasantries in Nigeria. In contrast, Americans may try to rush the conversation to business matters. Communication in Nigeria can also be implicit and dependent on nonverbal clues. Moreover, when conversing, Nigerian people utilize gestures. They may laugh to hide their genuine sentiments when they are upset or puzzled. Many people use indirect visual contact to show their regard for the other individual. As for Americans, they prefer direct communication and established eye contact during the interaction. Thus, there might be a challenge in understanding the intentions of the communicators from Nigeria and the US.
Reference List
Hofstede Insights. (2021). Country comparison. Web.