Il MANAGERS’CAFE’ è lieto di pubblicare il commento delle studentesse di Business Communications USAC VERONA che hanno partecipato all’incontro di Aprile sulla COMUNICAZIONE INTERNA.
As American expats living in Verona, the study of cross-cultural communication has been prevalent in many of our studies from the time we arrived in January. The opportunity to attend Managers’ Cafè allowed us to see communication in a foreign country first-hand and join in the conversation about what makes internal communication work and what the benefits of a proper plan might include. It was interesting to see the way an Italian networking event was held- in a manner that was laid back and social while still remaining very professional and effective in discussing issues and solutions in the workplace. In areas like this, the differences are obvious. But if you look closer you can find more inconspicuous differences and even some similarities.
Most people would assume that because of the cultural differences between the United States and Italy, working culture would also be vastly different. And in some ways they are. However, when it comes to necessities needed to be successful in a business environment, personally and professionally, there are a greater number of commonalities. Everyone requires a knowledge of important factors within each area of a business in order to be successful and feel comfortable in their work environment. They need to know basic facts about the company; they need to know the expected way of working, business trends and performance, the company’s products, the leadership, and overall style. All of these are topics discussed in Managers’ Cafe. Whether you are from the United States, Italy, or even another country, in this aspect they are all the same.
Cultural differences play a huge part in the internal communications in a global environment. When addressing people from a different culture than your own it is important to keep in mind their customs to avoid any miscommunications. This can go both ways. If they don’t know about your culture and they do something that offends you they need to know what that is to avoid coming across as rude or impolite in the future. Doing so can mean the end of a business deal or a business relationship, all because of a cultural misunderstanding. There should also be some understanding of the aforementioned cultural differences and a basic knowledge of how businesses are run in the country that you are looking to do business with.
Managers’ Cafè and other business networking events can help bring together professionals of all industries in order to bring a new perspective to common issues in the workplace. Attending events like this can help a person to branch out of the company norms when it comes to solving issues and get new viewpoints on how to tackle important facets of company culture. As an international student, attending a professional networking event in another country was fascinating and sparked a lot of thought about international business. It was not only interesting to learn and take part in the discussion of what makes a good internal communication plan and what its benefits are, but also to sit and observe the entire event and how attendees interact with each other. Attending Managers’ Cafè during our global learning experience helped us to get first-hand knowledge of how professionals interact in another country and how they address issues such as internal communications. We were able to learn that there are many commonalities between what Americans and Italians value in the communication, and the way that they go about finding these values and solutions are similar to the way Americans interact in the workplace.
Collazo Raychel
Noonan Morgan
Tallman Makaylyn
Grazie a Mary Weider docente del corso BUSINESS COMMUNICATION presso USAC Verona e Irene Fanini direttrice USAC Verona