The context for this presentation is a seminar at an international conference for company CEOs. The CEOs participating in this seminar would like to understand the benefits they can derive from Emotional Intelligence (EI) training for their employees. This comes from the realization that IQ testing is not a good indicator of employee performance. Rather, interpersonal relationships are increasing in importance in every line of work. Technical skills alone are not sufficient for success in business today. The CEOs come from different countries in the world, representing different cultures. They represent different types of companies and different industries.
The two main issues in international business communication of interest in the presentation include the universality of emotional communication and the role of non-verbal communication in intercultural communication processes. One of the fundamental assumptions made in the process of preparing this presentation is that emotional communication is universal regardless of the culture. The specific manifestation of emotions varies from culture to culture. Nevertheless, all the fundamental emotions are similar in every society.
The second main issue the presentation addresses is the use of nonverbal communication. Again, this is a common characteristic of international communication. The presentation has references regarding the situation and the role that non-verbal communication plays in EI. Nonverbal communication is important because it varies from culture to culture.
The presentation is suitable for a multicultural context because of the following reasons. First, the examples chosen for use refer to issues that anyone in business will understand. This includes the use of common business processes such as procurement, product design, and salary negotiations. These factors are not unique to any nation. Therefore, anyone who is in business from any place on earth will identify with these procedures.
Secondly, the presentation uses IQ as a peg for linking information relating to IE. IQ is famous and widely used across the world. IE is less famous. Thus, the audience will find a basis for relating to IE, assuming it is the first time they hear about IE. The idea, in this case, is to present new information based on what the audience already knows.
Thirdly, the benefits chosen are universal. Every business would like to have better processes, better talent management systems, and better customer care. This means that culture will not be a barrier to understanding the benefits that accrue from IE training outlined in the presentation.