| Expert: David Evans, a writer, broadcaster and trainer who specialises in business English Has the globalisation of business also made life more difficult for business communicators? No, I don't think it has. I feel there's a danger of placing too much emphasis on cultural differences in international business. In practice, the very fact that communication is now so much easier brings a new set of problems. For example, it is often extremely hard to make contact with certain businesspeople, because they are so much in demand that they use technology to screen their phone calls and to filter out unsolicited e-mail. Of course, it's important to be aware that there will be differences between people of different backgrounds and to be tolerant when misunderstandings arise as a result of them. But the global reach and influence of large corporations - and indeed of the global media - mean that in the most countries there is now an acceptance of a 'normal way of doing business'. For example, meetings are far more likely to start on time these days, even in cultures notorious for their lax attitude to punctuality. Rather than focusing on cultural differences, I think most people would do better to travel with a tolerant attitude and a good sense of humour!
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