empathy is very important to know how to manage tasks when making business between Taiwan and Dominican Republic, and also between different cultures overall. Having and understanding the other cultures and beliefs will accordingly create an appropriate environment which will be advantageous to make business.
Lastly, the relationship of the open mindedness culture toward social interaction in business communication is examined. For Taiwan, it is almost a null relationship between open mindedness and social interactions, which means this culture, or behavior, does not influence the social interactions toward business communications. In the case of Dominican Republic, open mindedness culture is also weak, regarding to its relationship with social interactions. Thus, research contribution with respect to the effect of this variable on the model is obvious because early literature lacks of their impact on social interactions, although not according to the research expectation. In general, in both countries it is always better to keep a very ethical and neutral behavior in order to maintain the professionalism on business communication and avoid harsh situations.
5.2 Research Suggestions
Based on the research findings and contributions described above, research suggestions for the academic perspectives and for the business perspective are as follows. First, this research considers two countries (Taiwan and Dominican Republic) and explores that the less impact on the social interactions is open mindedness. Thus, for future research, the open mindedness culture could be applied in more countries which may explore in-depth information contributed to both academic and practice. Second, some of the propositions in the research model are partially accepted. To get some more concrete results for those types of culture, disclose more on each of them will provide results that can deliver a clearer statement regarding to the relationship with the social interactions or decision outcomes toward business communications.
For the businessman’s point of view, variables as cultural empathy, communications skills toward different cultures, and uncertainty avoidance are the ones that should catch the most attention to social interactions conducive to business communication when making business between Taiwan and Dominican Republic, since according to the results these are the ones with more influence on the business communications. For the researchers, the results show that overall the impact of the social interactions in business communication is remarkable, and is affected by
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the cultural dimensions. Thus, adjustments on the research model could provide newer and deeper insights for future purposes.
Moreover, for both countries social interaction is a variable with a very high level of significance influencing decision outcomes. The generation of new questions involving this variable might create new results that could provide deeper results of its relationship with individual decision outcome, such as efficiency, quality, consensus, and commitment. Also, conflict management is a variable that most of the subject gave a high degree of significance. Thus, it is suggested that CEOs, and managers as well should pay more attention to when appreciating this behavior within a company. Understanding the situations and conflict within the company will create an environment on which conflicts will be avoid, and personal will feel for please while at work. Uncertainty removal as one of the social interactions shows similar results as uncertainty avoidance on the decision outcomes. Thus, it is suggested that entrepreneurs and businessmen should not anticipate much on these variables via cultural behaviors.
5.3 Limitations and Future Directions
Despite the research thesis contributes findings and suggestions to academic and practice, certain limitations and future studies are as follows. First, the social interactions are considered as main influential antecedents toward decision outcomes. There are many other variables that might influence the decision outcomes in business communication, which will be regarded as one the research extensions of the current research thesis. Second, the research finding is limited to Taiwan and Dominican Republic, thus the research context can be extended to more countries when global business is concerned.
Third, the current research thesis adopts a qualitative research, which is based on responses from interviewees, without sufficient numbers to support findings as a quantitative approach.
Moreover, less than the half of the subjects that collaborate on the research are from Taiwan, even thought that the results are consistent and real, an even number of subjects for both countries may produce more relevant results. Forth, most of the subjects were interviewed online, which limits the possibility to extract deeper information as those who were personally interviewed. Fifth, the qualitative approach of this study might fundament a future study with a quantitative approach.
Finally, other factors, instead of the single variable of culture, could be integrated in the model to obtain more diverse results when dealing with the antecedents of social interactions.
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Appendix: Interview questionnaire
The purposes of the interview are to request your experiences, comments, opinions, and concepts regarding how cultural dimensions influence social interaction towards decision outcomes. Please feel free to answer to the following questions.
Subject code: Date of interview:
In order to have a better understanding of the question on the fallowing survey, please find the definitions of the seven (7) cultural dimensions considered on this research.
1. Power dissipation: Degree of inequality among people which the population of a country considers as normal.
2. Partnership: The extend of which people feel they are supposed to take care for or to be care for by themselves, their families or organization they belong to.
3. Dominant sex: Which culture is conducive to dominance assertiveness and acquisition of things vs a culture which is more conducive to people, feelings and quality of live, masculinity vs femininity.
4. Panning: The degree to which people in a country prefer structured over unstructured situation.
5. Communication skills toward different cultures: Investigate the cultural differences on the communication process, emphasize cultural differences in communication practice.
6. Cultural empathy: Also referred to as 'sensitivity' this dimension refers to the ability to empathize with the feelings, thoughts, and behaviors of members of different cultural groups.
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7. Open-mindedness: refers to an open and unprejudiced attitude towards outgroup members and towards different cultural norms and values.
1 Do you think that the power dissipation in X people (X country, for example Taiwan) is obvious? Why do you think so?
Answers:
2
Based on your experiences or perceptions, does the power dissipation matter to social interaction with customers for your business, such as conflict management, task management, behavior influence, idea generation, enhancement of participation
willingness, and uncertainty removal? Why yes or why not? Do you have special cases to share with me?
2-1 Conflict management:
2-2 Task management 2-3 Behavior influence 2-4 Idea generation
2-5 Enhancement of participation willingness 2-6 Uncertainty removal
3
Again, based on your experiences or perceptions, does the social interactions mentioned in Q2, influence your final results, such as efficiency (e.g., quick to reach decisions, …), talk quality (e.g., good price, good impression, trust, … etc.), consensus (e.g., things to be work with, rules to be followed, and ways to contact, …), and commitment (e.g.,
contracts, promises, …) Why yes, why no? Do you have any special case to share with me?
3-1 Efficiency:
3-2 Talk quality 3-3 Consensus 3-4 Commitment
58
1 Do you think that the partnership in X people (X country, for example Taiwan) is obvious? Why do you think so?
Answers:
2
Based on your experiences or perceptions, does the partnership matter to social interaction with customers for your business, such as conflict management, task management, behavior influence, idea generation, enhancement of participation willingness, and uncertainty removal?
Why yes or why not? Do you have special cases to share with me?
2-1 Conflict management:
2-2 Task management 2-3 Behavior influence 2-4 Idea generation
2-5 Enhancement of participation willingness 2-6 Uncertainty removal
3
Again, based on your experiences or perceptions, does the social interactions mentioned in Q2, influence your final results, such as efficiency (e.g., quick to reach decisions, …), talk quality (e.g., good price, good impression, trust, … etc.), consensus (e.g., things to be work with, rules to be followed, and ways to contact, …), and commitment (e.g., contracts, promises, …) Why yes, why no? Do you have any special case to share with me?
3-1 Efficiency:
3-2 Talk quality 3-3 Consensus 3-4 Commitment
1 Do you think that the dominant sex in X institution, business, institution (X country, for example Taiwan) is obvious? Why do you think so?
Answers:
2
Based on your experiences or perceptions, does the dominant sex matter to social interaction with customers for your business, such as conflict management, task management, behavior influence, idea generation, enhancement of participation willingness, and uncertainty removal?
Why yes or why not? Do you have special cases to share with me?
59 2-1 Conflict management:
2-2 Task management 2-3 Behavior influence 2-4 Idea generation
2-5 Enhancement of participation willingness 2-6 Uncertainty removal
3
Again, based on your experiences or perceptions, does the social interactions mentioned in Q2, influence your final results, such as efficiency (e.g., quick to reach decisions, …), talk quality (e.g., good price, good impression, trust, … etc.), consensus (e.g., things to be work with, rules to be followed, and ways to contact, …), and commitment (e.g., contracts, promises, …) Why yes, why no? Do you have any special case to share with me?
3-1 Efficiency:
3-2 Talk quality 3-3 Consensus 3-4 Commitment
1 Do you think that the planning in X people (X country, for example Taiwan) is obvious?
Why do you think so?
Answers:
2
Based on your experiences or perceptions, does the planning matter to social interaction with customers for your business, such as conflict management, task management, behavior
influence, idea generation, enhancement of participation willingness, and uncertainty removal?
Why yes or why not? Do you have special cases to share with me?
2-1 Conflict management:
2-2 Task management 2-3 Behavior influence 2-4 Idea generation
2-5 Enhancement of participation willingness 2-6 Uncertainty removal
3 Again, based on your experiences or perceptions, does the social interactions mentioned in Q2, influence your final results, such as efficiency (e.g., quick to reach decisions, …), talk quality
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(e.g., good price, good impression, trust, … etc.), consensus (e.g., things to be work with, rules to be followed, and ways to contact, …), and commitment (e.g., contracts, promises, …) Why yes, why no? Do you have any special case to share with me?
3-1 Efficiency:
3-2 Talk quality 3-3 Consensus 3-4 Commitment
1 Do you think that the communication skills toward different cultures in X people (X country, for example Taiwan) is obvious? Why do you think so?
Answers:
2
Based on your experiences or perceptions, does the communication skills toward different cultures matter to social interaction with customers for your business, such as conflict
management, task management, behavior influence, idea generation, enhancement of
participation willingness, and uncertainty removal? Why yes or why not? Do you have special cases to share with me?
2-1 Conflict management:
2-2 Task management 2-3 Behavior influence 2-4 Idea generation
2-5 Enhancement of participation willingness 2-6 Uncertainty removal
3
Again, based on your experiences or perceptions, does the social interactions mentioned in Q2, influence your final results, such as efficiency (e.g., quick to reach decisions, …), talk quality (e.g., good price, good impression, trust, … etc.), consensus (e.g., things to be work with, rules to be followed, and ways to contact, …), and commitment (e.g., contracts, promises, …) Why yes, why no? Do you have any special case to share with me?
3-1 Efficiency:
3-2 Talk quality 3-3 Consensus 3-4 Commitment
61
1 Do you think that the cultural empathy in X people (X country, for example Taiwan) is obvious? Why do you think so?
Answers:
2
Based on your experiences or perceptions, does the cultural empathy matter to social interaction with customers for your business, such as conflict management, task management, behavior influence, idea generation, enhancement of participation willingness, and uncertainty removal? Why yes or why not? Do you have special cases to share with me?
2-1 Conflict management:
2-2 Task management 2-3 Behavior influence 2-4 Idea generation
2-5 Enhancement of participation willingness 2-6 Uncertainty removal
3
Again, based on your experiences or perceptions, does the social interactions mentioned in Q2, influence your final results, such as efficiency (e.g., quick to reach decisions, …), talk quality (e.g., good price, good impression, trust, … etc.), consensus (e.g., things to be work with, rules to be followed, and ways to contact, …), and commitment (e.g., contracts, promises, …) Why yes, why no? Do you have any special case to share with me?
3-1 Efficiency:
3-2 Talk quality 3-3 Consensus 3-4 Commitment
1 Do you think that the open-mindedness in X people (X country, for example Taiwan) is obvious? Why do you think so?
Answers:
2 Based on your experiences or perceptions, does the open-mindedness matter to social interaction with customers for your business, such as conflict management, task management,
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behavior influence, idea generation, enhancement of participation willingness, and uncertainty removal? Why yes or why not? Do you have special cases to share with me?
2-1 Conflict management:
2-2 Task management 2-3 Behavior influence 2-4 Idea generation
2-5 Enhancement of participation willingness 2-6 Uncertainty removal
3
Again, based on your experiences or perceptions, does the social interactions mentioned in Q2, influence your final results, such as efficiency (e.g., quick to reach decisions, …), talk quality (e.g., good price, good impression, trust, … etc.), consensus (e.g., things to be work with, rules to be followed, and ways to contact, …), and commitment (e.g., contracts, promises, …) Why yes, why no? Do you have any special case to share with me?
3-1 Efficiency:
3-2 Talk quality 3-3 Consensus 3-4 Commitment
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Appendix II
Appendix II: The summarized data from subjects of Taiwan and Dominican Republic
Country Subject Cultural dimensions Social interactions Decision outcomes
Taiwan S1
64
65
66
S19 Power distance, Open mindedness
Uncertainty removal 2, Conflict management 2, Task management 2, Enhancement of participation willingness 2, Behavior influence 2, Idea generation 2
67
6, Enhancement of
participation willingness 3
On the Table, each social interaction and decision outcome has a number that represents the frequency that the subject mentions them on each section of the survey (when there is no number it means that the social interaction or decision outcome was mention just once).