Team Presentation

Context:

WellTech was recently acquired by an international healthcare technology company based in South Africa. As part of the acquisition process, WellTech’s senior leadership team will travel to South Africa for a week of introductions, meetings, and negotiations regarding how WellTech will operate once acquired. These are high-stakes meetings, and the leadership team wants to both build a good relationship and come away from the negotiations well-positioned.

To help them prepare, leadership has assembled your team to research the communication differences between the cultures and to prepare a presentation that covers the following:

An overview of how culture affects business communication preferences

Specifics on the foreign country’s preferences (contrasted with US norms) for:

Written communication

Spoken communication

Meetings (arrangements and how they are conducted)

Decision-making

Specific recommendations on how to adapt to the other country’s norms, including resources for learning more

Leadership wants the presentation to be 5 minutes or less, clear, informative, and research based.

Presentation:

Research your chosen country’s communication preferences and prepare a 5-minute presentation on your findings for the WellTech leadership team.

In your presentation:

every team member must speak for roughly equivalent time

your researched claims should include a citation on the relevant slide

your transitions should be smooth between presenters

PowerPoint:

Create a PowerPoint presentation to accompany your presentation to the leadership team.

Your PowerPoint presentation must:

Include a title slide and a closing slide

Give citations for researched material

Of course, your PowerPoint should align with the principles in your Week 9 lectures.

Team assignments Recommended Roles:

Project Manager – arranges and leads team meetings, introduces and concludes presentation, arbitrates differences of opinionResearch Lead – sources credible information for report

Slide Design Lead – creates first draft of ppt, leads revisions

Proofreader/Document Handler – proofs PPT for best practices, assists with edits; submits documents

Facts about South Africa:

South Africa is known as being the “Rainbow Nation” because:

The mix of cultures and people living there

11 official spoken languages: English, Afrikaans, isiZulu, isiXhosa, IsiNdebele, Sesotho, Northern Sotho, Setswana, SiSwati, Tshivenda, Xitsonga.

South Africa is the only country in the world with three capitals

South African government is divided into 3 sections:

Cape Town judicial capital

Pretoria administrative capital

Bloemfontein legislative capital

Worlds first heart transplant was complete in Cape Town, South Africa

Citation for all this https://expatexplore.com/blog/interesting-facts-south-africa/

South Africa Business Culture:

Largest economy in Africa & the economic health of its neighbors are linked with South Africa’s commercial sector

Many companies are doing business and moving their businesses to South Africa

Because of the complex mix of cultures, races, & languages there are different approaches to business

WellTech needs to be flexible and observant in South Africa there’s no “one size fits all” process that will work in South Africa’s complex environment

WellTech must learn about South Africa before going on a business trip

Citation of this: https://www.worldbusinessculture.com/country-profiles/south-africa/business-meetings/

South Africa’s written communication:

South Africa consists of different spoken languages, but English is mostly used as a business language

Humor defines South African business communication

Embraced in communication as releasing tension

For contractsis not expressively clear because:

most businesses are concerned primarily with forming a personal relationship with one another. It is thought that business will proceed with a relationship than formal communication available on the contract

Report formatsare either statistically based or not

Reports are often presented in business meetings to enable the business to make decisions. Participants are given time to express their views openly and finally, a decision is made.

Citation: https://ivypanda.com/essays/us-and-south-african-written-and-visual-communication/

South Africa’s spoken communication:

South Africans have a DIRECT style of communication

VERBAL:

They speak confidently & straight to the point

Ex: they are likely to openly point out when you’re wrong or disagree with you on the spot

South Africans speak at a louder volume than Americans

Raised voices

Silence is interpreted as a sign that the convo. Is not engaging or something is wrong

South Africans are uncomfortable when there’s a long period of silence

Spoken communication depends on the location and formality

Ex: In a small town it’s rude when people refer to elders without using the prefix “oom” (uncle) or “tannie” (auntie)

Ex: In Urban environments use the formal “Meneer”, “Mevrou”, or “Juffrou” (Mr, Mrs, or Miss) referring to older people

NON-Verbal:

Comfortable with physical contact lack of physical contact is interpreted as unfriendly or lack of trust

Hands

Some ethnic groups may find it impolite to make gestures w. the left hand SIMILAR TO U.S.

Black South Africans: favor the right hand

White South Africans: comfortable with using left & right hand

Hands in pocket interpreted as disrespectful

Eye contact have steady eye contact throughout the convo. (shows respect)

Personal space:

Black south Africans sit and stand close to each other Americans may consider this to be uncomfortably close

Point at someone RUDE

Prefer face to face communication

Citations: https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/ , https://ivypanda.com/essays/us-and-south-african-written-and-visual-communication/

South Africa’s meeting arrangements and how they’re conducted:

Meeting styles differ depending upon who you’re dealing with (a traditional, white-dominated business, a start-up black African company or the subsidiary of a multi-national located in Johannesburg or Cape Town)

However, here are tips to keep in mind when it comes to meetings:

1. South Africans expect you to have a good idea of the current situation on the ground in South Africa.

Show that you have done your research and that you have adapted your policies or ideas to meet the local conditions.

South Africans are well prepared with a plan and structure of how they want the meeting to go

2.  take time in the meeting to try to develop a good relationship with the people you are doing business with

This is important within all sections of South African society as relationships have always formed the basis of good business – regardless of cultural background.

3.  avoid anything that could be considered a hard sell approach

It’s much better to be understated and patient with South African contacts as being too pushy will probably alienate people.

South Afrikaners Negotiations and expectations of what will be achieved:

 they appreciate and value directness for the sake of clarity and mutual understanding.

During the meeting: Give your full attention to the person speaking and listen courteously. (RESPECT IS HUGE)

DO NOT INTERRUPT like U.S.

Expect negotiations to move slowly

Negotiations: win-win results is the ideal outcome of a meeting for a South African

Citation: https://www.worldbusinessculture.com/country-profiles/south-africa/business-meetings/ , https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/Arrive on time (be punctual), greet everyone in the room individually https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/FORMAL BUSINESS INTRODUCTIONS exchange business cards and take a moment to examine the content of the card before putting it away https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/INITIAL MEETINGS often used for partners to familiarize themselves with one another and establish business relationships

South Africa’s decision making in business:

Strategy: planning short term (1 year) to medium term (5 year) basis

Organizational structure a pyramid

Decision-making is passed up the hierarchy

Decisions:

Avoid unnecessary delays (important for negotiations with the person who has the authority to make decisions)

Citations: https://www.labourmobility.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Management-culture-in-South-Africa.pdf (PDF)

Recommendations on how to adapt to the other country’s norms, including resources for learning more:

https://www.labourmobility.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Management-culture-in-South-Africa.pdf (PDF)

A good website of comparing U.S. & South Africa: https://ivypanda.com/essays/us-and-south-african-written-and-visual-communication/