In this report, I am going to give you a little information on Laos’s communication. Laos has a large unskilled work force. Agriculture employs an estimated seventy-five percent of the population, all most six percent of industry, and nineteen percent service. Lao do not believe in efficient use of time. Appointments may be delayed or not kept at all. You will receive invites at the last minute to anything. They don’t take enough care when introducing sensitive or important matters. Planning ahead and making firm times for things is frustrating for them. Whereas in the United States when you are given a time to be somewhere, you are expected to be there on time. You will know ahead of time what time you are expected to arrive.
Their style of communication is to repeat a message many times during a conversation. This insures the meaning has been clearly understood. Lao are comfortable with long pauses; they feel they don’t have to fill every gap in the conversation. Lack of response can convey disagreement more strongly than words. Body language tends to be reserved. There is little or no eye contact and few expressive gestures often than the “wai”. This is the Lao greeting that says thank you and good bye. They tend to keep more physical distance from each other. If comfortable with you, Lao will touch you a lot, especially among women. Communication styles in business in the States are determined by many of the approaches to business. The desire to debate issues directly and openly leads Americans to be seen by some cultures as aggressive and even rude.
The official and dominant language in Laos is Lao, a tonal language of the Tai linguistic group. Minorities speak an assortment of Mon-Khmer, Hmong-Yao, and Tibeto-Burman languages. French, once common in government and commerce, has declined in usage, while knowledge of English--the language of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)--has increased in recent years. They also speak French. Majority of the US speaks English.
Because of the hot tropical climax, the traditional clothing of Laos is different for men and women. While men's clothing is simpler. The clothing of women of Laos is elaborate and decorated with embroidery and designs. The men of Laos wear pants with a shirt and vests. The women wear a sarong like cloth with a shirt or a jacket. Short or revealing clothing is unacceptable. In the US Business suit and tie are appropriate. Men wear dark colored business suits and women should wear a suit or dress with jacket.
This country is conservative. Business cards should be given and received with both hands and should be treated with respect. The cards should have a Laotian translation on the opposite side. Handshakes are common, but the traditional greeting is the phanom. This is where the palms are placed together as if in prayer and held in front of the chest or face. Surnames usually come before first names. Business hours are normally Monday thru Friday. The hours of operation are 8am-12pm and 1pm-4pm. In the US business cards are generally exchanged during introductions. However, they may be exchanged when one party is leaving.
There is limited external and internal telecommunication, but mobile phones have become widespread. Cell phones will only work in the major cities. They have media, but it is not widely read. It is three different newspapers and all run by the state. Lao have a General Post Office (GPO) that is beside the Morning Market. Normal postal service is inexpensive and reliable although it can take up to two weeks to and from Western countries. If it is urgent, a courier service is recommended. They also have a national radio station. The US communicates several of ways. Most of the US uses: mail, telephones, computers, mail, video and web conferencing, social networking sites, faxes, and more.