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CMA Foundation · Fundamentals of Business Laws and Business Communication · Intercultural and International Business Communication

Ananya, an Indian executive, nods her head sideways while listening to a German client, meaning she is following him. The client concludes she disagrees. This misunderstanding is mainly an example of which barrier?

This is a non-verbal, or kinesic, barrier. The same gesture, a sideways head movement, signals understanding in India but is read as disagreement by the German client. The failure arises from different cultural meanings of body language, not from jargon, noise or hierarchy.

  1. ASemantic barrier due to technical jargon
  2. BPhysical barrier due to noise in the channel
  3. CNon-verbal (kinesic) barrier due to differing meanings of gesturesCorrect
  4. DOrganisational barrier due to hierarchy

Explanation

Head movements carry different meanings across cultures; a sideways wobble can signal understanding in India but disagreement elsewhere. The words and channel were not at fault, and no hierarchy or jargon is involved. So the problem lies in body language interpretation.

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