By David James

One of the serious afflictions of International Communications Disorder ("ICD") is loss of business. And complications from ICD include the loss of valuable time and good will in building productive business relationships.

In an area as large and diverse as the Asia-Pacific region, it is not possible to prescribe specific cures for ICD. Circumstances vary too widely. It is possible, however, to lay out some basic guidelines which, in combination with an understanding of the region's cultural signposts and individual countries, will serve the international business person well.

One thing is certain: stereotypes don't work. Everybody is different, even in homogeneous, collectivist societies like Japan and South Korea. People within a family or an organization are different. Organizations are different from one another. Nations are different. However, before a relationship is established, a communicator needs to make some assumptions about the person to whom a communication is addressed.

A basic assumption involves the Formality Factor. Before embarking on communications to a person or organization you do not know, assess the probable Formality Factor. That is, take a guess at what is the probable degree of formality the person or organization will expect from you. Bear the following in mind as you make your assessment:

• Asians are more formal than Westerners
• Older people are more formal than younger people
• People in larger organizations are more formal than people in smaller organizations
• People in older, established organizations are more formal than people in younger, entrepreneurial organizations
• People in older industries (for example, mining) are more formal than people in newer industries (for example, computer technology).

--Excerpted from The Executive Guide to Asia-Pacific Communications by David James.

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