It is a cultural matter and there are no easy answers. I had a colleague from a different country who complained that we were very abrupt in our conversations. We could not understand what she was talking about until she explained that a how are you question required at least a five minute conversation. (I am summarizing her ten minute long explanation.)

She strangely came around to my way of thinking when I explained that if I was spending five minutes exchanging pleasantries with others, that was five minutes that I could not spend helping her with her work related issues.