ABSTRACT
Americans caught in the cross-cultural communications trap are apt to feel doubly deceived because the Japanese manufacturer may well be an established and respected member of the business community. The link between the two cultures is provided by acts of communication between the administrator, representing one culture, and people representing another. Since the most obvious form of communication is by language, the chapter first considers words, meanings, voice tones, emotions, and physical contact; then take up, in turn, the cultural impact of time, place, and social class relations on business situations in various lands. It suggests what the individual administrator may do to increase his effectiveness abroad, and what students of culture may do to advance this application of anthropology. The barricade approach to communication is practiced even by old hands in Latin America who are completely unaware of its cultural significance.
