Intercultural Communication: Recognising Cultural Variations:

You are a young male manager representing a German tire manufacturing company sent to negotiate a possible collaboration with a Malaysian tire company.

In your first meeting with the Malaysian Muslim female representative, you extended your hand politely for a handshake but she nodded her head instead.

You also brought a bottle of wine for the Malaysian counterpart to show your sincerity in collaborating with them.

However, she refused to accept it, causing an awkward situation. The negotiation failed eventually. What mistakes have you made?

What other cultural differences may be interfering with effective communication in this situation? (Germany is considered a low-context culture; Malaysia is high-context.)

Write a brief email message to your instructor or a post on your class blog.

You may want to research both countries before you post your analysis.