Globalization forces organizations to communicate with different cultures in their interdependent operations. Thus, it seems important to detect and analyze issues that have to be understood by organizations in their communication with other cultures, more specifically, aspects that can result in an incorrect interpretation of the messages sent from one culture to another. Aiming to understand this subject more deeply, the two symbolic activities pointed out by Porter and Samovar (1995) in the verbal communication process- use of language and internal activity of thinking- were analyzed using the cultural dimensions proposed by Hofstede (1980), Trompenaars (1995) and Hall (1984). A qualitative descriptive field research based on semi structured interviews was carried in the Rio de Janeiro subsidiary of a North- American transnational organization that works in the telecommunication area. During the interviews with the director and two managers, there were emphasized some negative points in the interaction of the two cultures, but it was also pointed out the possibility of grasping synergies from cultural diversity, as suggested by the good results obtained by the Brazilian relational style in dealing with customers, and the motivating effect caused on Brazilian subordinates by the more egalitarian treatment adopted by their American superiors.
Intercultural communication; Brazilian culture; North-American culture; Transnational companies