[originaltext] The increase in international business and in foreign investme

The increase in international business and in foreign investment / has created a need for professional executives / with knowledge of foreign languages and skills in cross-cultural communication. / Americans, however, have not been well trained in either area / and have not enjoyed the same level of success / as have their foreign counterparts in international business. / In many international business negotiations abroad, / Americans are perceived as wealthy and impersonal. / If Americans want to play a more effective role, / they must make more efforts to improve cross-cultural understanding.