Final answer:
Successful managers in cross-border business are empathetic to cultural differences, understanding that this is crucial for effective communication and collaboration in a globalized workplace. Employing cultural competence and avoiding ethnocentrism are essential practices for navigating the complexities of a diverse work culture.
Step-by-step explanation:
In cross-border business, successful managers are empathetic to cultural differences. This empathy helps them understand, respect, and effectively communicate with partners and colleagues from diverse cultures. It is important because globalization has led to more interactions between different cultures, particularly in the business world, where cultural misunderstandings may lead to ineffective communication and collaboration. To avoid ethnocentrism and foster a multicultural workplace, managers need to cultivate cultural competence by learning how to navigate and respect diverse work cultures. Additionally, maintaining an awareness of personal biases, adopting a critical yet open perspective towards different cultures, and engaging in effective cross-cultural communication are key to optimizing a company’s efficiency and productivity.
Adhering to a self-reference criterion would be a pitfall as it encompasses evaluating other cultures through the lens of one's own culture, which can lead to misunderstandings. Moreover, overemphasizing the importance of business jargons would not facilitate effective cross-cultural communication, as jargon can be a barrier to understanding for those not familiar with the specific business language of another culture. Lastly, it's counterproductive to avoid analyzing awkward situations in cross-cultural encounters, as confronting and understanding these situations can lead to better mutual comprehension and more effective problem-solving.