Communication in Saudi

885 Words4 Pages
Effective ways of communication: Vague vs specific, indirect vs direct The people of Saudi Arabia often communicate in more indirect manner. The message is conveyed in more ambiguous manner which is emotionally rich. These ambiguous messages omit the specific factual even technical aspects of the message. By recalling the shared experiences and sentiments in indirect manner, they try to evoke affective responses. In Saudi Arabia, the concept of contexting and indirectness plays a role. Arab tendency is to treat details as implicitly understood and self-explanatory. In Saudi Arabia, the onus is not on the speaker to get message across but on listener who need to comprehend and get the hidden messages. Linear vs Non linear The Saudi communication is nonlinear in nature, the communication does not go in sequential step by step manner. The message has multiple themes all expressed in oral terms and heightened by non-verbal communication. Oral vs Literate Saudi is an oral culture. These societies favor more intuitive approach than favoring evidence reasoning and analysis. Single instances can constitute enough evidence for a conclusion and specific person or act can represent the beliefs and ideals of the society. This is reflected in their communication styles often jumping to conclusions based on single instances. Accuracy vs imaginary Due a long experience of oral tradition and storytelling, metaphors analogies are part of fabric of oral tradition, the communication to groups involve using metaphors. Often points are made across by using strong and clear example. Saudis believe that building strong bonds and trust is essential to do business. Most often Saudis prefer first few meetings to be conducted very leisurely so that partners can build trust. The business relationships exist between people not with the companies. So it is
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