What is the relationship between intercultural communication and intercultural business?

Intercultural communication involves at least two people from differing cultural backgrounds navigating both the spoken and unspoken rules of exchanging ideas. More than simply understanding the language, intercultural communication includes other signals of understanding, agreement (or not), body language, and attitudes which are possibly implied. In some cultures, it is impolite to make eye contact. In some, touching the speaker is not allowed (not even in shaking hands). The same hand symbol that means "okay" in the US means "money" in Japan. The Yoruba culture winks to send their children from a room, and the Chinese find it rude all together. In many countries in the Middle East, showing the bottom of your foot (by crossing one leg over the other) is considered disrespectful. Intercultural communication takes into consideration how situations like these vary from culture to culture.
Intercultural business refers to the formation of business relationships with people of differing cultures. It takes into account the varying cultural influences on business roles and laws. For example, some societies do not allow women to have a leadership role in a business or to even participate in a working environment. Those engaged with business representatives from such cultures would have to find a way to mediate the presence of women in business transactions in order to work effectively. Businesses also must be conscious of laws that differ from one country (or culture) to another and not simply operate in assumptions that the laws of one's own country extend elsewhere, as miscommunication can devastate business efforts. Intercultural business seeks to foster effective business partnerships that cross cultural boundaries.