Home > Blog > Cultural Communication 101 – Apps To Help You Communicate Effectively

Cultural Communication 101 – Apps To Help You Communicate Effectively

With the multitude of apps available nowadays, the information you need is literally at your fingertips—just a click away. Whatever you need to find, you can be certain “there’s an app for that.” And that can be very handy in so many areas of business and etiquette.

To test out the sheer volume of apps for various needs, I opened the app store on my iPhone and typed in “How to tie a tie.” Up popped the app called “How to Tie a Tie Free.” The app features instructions on how to tie 30 popular neckties knots, plus bow ties, ascots, pocket square folds and men’s scarves! What’s really cool is there is a “virtual mirror,” so you can walk follow the instructions and see your actions right on your phone! (Gentlemen, looking good is easier than ever!)

Traveling abroad for business? Taking a little time to learn the cultural etiquette for the country you’re visiting will help you put your best foot forward when doing business globally. With your smartphone you have access to all kinds of apps to help you navigate business anywhere – with confidence!

Here are a few that will help you in your journey!

• Compare Cultures
  This app provides intercultural tips and pointers and is great for those who are involved in intercultural business communication and global working.  It illustrates where potential gaps exists between cultures, in a graphical format. Plug in two different countries (your home country vs. visiting country) to see the comparisons for “dimensions” such as Power Distance and Individualism. Click on the “dimension” for tips on how to overcome cross-cultural challenges. Example: In a cultures where there is a high Power Distance the relationship between boss and subordinate is rarely close or personal.
• Tipping Abroad
  The comment I found on this app says it all “Heading to Europe next month. Insulted someone last time by over-tipping because I can’t keep track of all the customs!” This tipping app calculates the tip in the local currency of frequently visited countries. Handy to have when dining out abroad!
• QuickTip
  This app is one of the most popular free tipping apps on the iTunes. The interface is very user-friendly, with an intuitive slider that allows you to easily adjust the tip percentage. You can see the total tip amount adjust in real-time. No math skills needed!
• Fast Talk
  When it comes to business, it’s so important to avoid the “foot in mouth” syndrome! And that can be difficult when you’re in a country where language is a barrier. Download the app before you leave home to get access to hundreds of common phrases from five languages. You can save the phrases for easy access and listen to pronunciations of phrases by native speakers. It’s a great on-the-go way to brush up on a new language.

What apps have you found that helped you communicate and do business with different cultures. We’d love to have you share them here!

Posted by Margaret in Etiquette Edge, Etiquette Tips and tagged culture, communication, cell phone apps.