Effects of Culture Diversity in Business Communications
Course: Interpersonal Communication (PSY 1023)
Professor: Terry Peddlesden
Author: Sze Chun Pang (c0628538)
Date: October 6, 2014
Introduction
Nowadays, in the time of globalization, different types and levels of cross-cultural communications are now increasing constantly and appearing frequently in negotiations, trades and social events. As a result, culture has become significantly important in the field of business communications. However, the cultural differences among people often lead to incomplete information and even unnecessary some misunderstandings and embarrassments. In the worst case, they may also cause disagreements and contradictions, affecting the efficiency
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In the field of international business communications, people always come from different countries and areas with different prospective on political system, habits, religious beliefs and education backgrounds. They have different or even opposite understandings on the same thing. Chinese philosopher Confucius from 2500 years ago said “The differences in the characters of men are chiefly owing to habit. By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart” could totally explain the concept.
There are many types of cultural differences in business communications. The major ones may include the sense of time, sense of space, sense of values and ethics and interpersonal communications. American anthropologist and cross-cultural researcher, Edward T. Hall mentioned that every culture is affected by the manner in which time, context and space are handled.
Sense of time
People from different cultures have different expectations on and methods to cope with time. Edward T. Hall has separated them into two: Monochronic and
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For example, the number “4”, is very alert to Japanese and Chinese. In events, we should aware of things such as the quantities of the gifts and levels and numbers of the hotel rooms.
Conclusion
As a result, we can see that culture diversity takes an essential role in business communications. In the trend of globalizations, cross-cultural negotiations are being more and more often which we could not avoid anymore. We have to make some clear understandings on different forms of culture diversity and find the ways to overcome them. With the skills on dealing those problems, the effectiveness in communications and the competitiveness of the company would definitely increase.
Bibliography
Legge, J. (1893). Chapter 2. THE CONFUCIAN ANALECTS (p. N/A). Oxford: Oxford Clarendon Press.
Time, Context and Space. (n.d.). Benet Davetian 's Sociology Web. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from http://www.bdavetian.com/3%20TIME%20CONTEXT%20SPACE.htm
Hall 's cultural factors. (n.d.). ChangingMinds.org. Retrieved October 5, 2014, from
The Challange of Cultural Diversity in Corporate America The expanding conflict over cultural diversity in corporate America may present as many opportunities and problems as affirmative action. Today, cultural diversity is an important fact of life and business, due to the changing face of society, and therefore, the work place. It is growing ever more essential for people to interact with others outside of their racial, ethical, religious, regional, social, etc. boundaries. To stay on top of their competitors, corporations must change their approach, and see diversity not as a necessary evil, but as a source of enrichment and opportunity that may bring a wealth of benefits to the company.
Workforce diversity refers to the existence of individuals with different cultural, economic and social backgrounds within an organization (Claretha, 2014). In the modern world, there is increased level of diversity in the workforce due to increased level of awareness and socioeconomic interactions among people. Therefore, organizations have become multicultural places which require effective communication to ensure organizational success. That is, in the modern global community, the workplaces in various organizations have become more culturally diverse (Claretha, 2014). This has had serious impact on the personal and professional relationships among employees depending on the communication model that is established in an organization. In addition, due to the increased level of competitiveness in the business environment, organizations have been forced to establish suitable framework to effectively manage human diversity. This paper will analyze the concept of workforce diversity and organizational communication and determine its benefits and possible disadvantages in relation to business success.
For those members who are going to be heading out into our global community, Dupraw and Axner (ND) state that one must remember that “Culture is often at the root of communication challenges” which might
The workforce of America is more diverse than it has ever been. White male upper class men no longer solely dominate companies. Women, people of color, and other minority groups are now rising in the ranks and demanding change. How can one know all the ways to manage such a diverse group of employees? Through a variety of ideas, experiments, and attempts, leaders across the nation are looking for solutions to this answer. Not only are people coming from different ethnicities, we are also experiencing a great influx of workers from nations all across the globe. To keep the level of job satisfaction high, workers must be able to feel comfortable in their workplace environment. It is almost impossible for a person to know everything about all cultures and be aware of what may or may not offend a person from a different ethnic group. What must be done is to teach cultural awareness and diversity training. Basically what I have discovered in reading the journal articles is that there is no one right way to run a company but there are definitely ‘better’ ways when it comes to cultural sensitivity in the workplace. As I continue my research, I am looking to find what some of the most effective ways to manage a culturally diverse workplace. Some of the issues that I am coming across are related to gender, race/ethnicity, communication patterns, and power struggles. I feel this subject is very relevant to our course because as we focus on management and human relations, we must take into account the humans that we are managing. Even if we just look at the diversity of our class we see how different our perspectives can be. To be an effective manager in this day and age, cultural diversity issues must be given serious consider...
Cultural diversity can make a big impact on our daily life. It is one of the factors that determines how we communicate and act among others. My boyfriend, Michael Palmucci, and I have our differences and few similarities in communication and perception of ourselves. Michael was born in Canada and has identified himself as Canadian Italian despite the fact that his family is Italian and was raised as one. On the other hand, I was born in Vietnam and have considered myself as Vietnamese American. The first language Michael learned was Italian, which he had forgotten when he was learning English. It was mandatory for him to learn French because he lives in Quebec, in which resulted him in knowing Italian, French, and English. Being part of a
In Hall’s article, “Context and Meaning” it is revealed to us the importance in cross cultural communication. Context can be defined as the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed. Cross cultural communication is important because it creates diversity and understanding between the workers. In this essay the reader is provided with sufficient evidence to identify the staging of context with such importance to cross culture communication, teach about culture and joint cooperatives, and business transaction, and help create a diverse workforce.
Many people who go to visit or work in another country suffer some misunderstanding from the local people, because they have a different culture. Different culture will cause disparity points of view about almost everything. In the article, Intercultural Communication Stumbling Blocks by Laray M. Barna, there are five stumbling blocks mentioned that are seen in a cross-culture communication. These blocks are: language, nonverbal signs and symbols, preconceptions and stereotypes, the tendency to evaluate and high anxiety. Barna wants to use these stumbling blocks to show the common blockades between different cultures. I agree with what she thinks about the language, nonverbal signs and symbols, preconceptions and stereotypes, and the tendency
... maintained over lengthy periods of time, a more comprehensive approach to understanding the subjective interpretations of communication partners could help an intercultural partnership enhance their working relationship (Heffernan, 2008). In a sense, miscommunication and conflict could be not only minimized but hypothetically avoided all-together by communication partners. The possibility of this phenomenon could make Communication Accommodation Theory an inviting prospect for researchers interested in the development of cross cultural communication practices, organizations operating over-seas, and individuals who engage in intercultural discourse on a regular basis. The practicality of CAT in addressing the causes of intercultural conflict management, could make a significant impact on the way modern business and social interactions are conducted across the world.
When individuals or groups from different cultures communicate, this process is called intercultural communication. The transaction process of listening and responding to people from different cultural backgrounds can be challenging. The greater the difference in culture between two people, the greater the potential of misunderstanding and mistrust. Misunderstanding and miscommunication occur between people from different cultures because of different coding rules and cultural norms, which play a major role in shaping the patterns of interaction (Jandt, 2012).
Effective communication with people of difference cultures can be especially challenging. The way people interpret the world can be strikingly different between cultures. Intercultural communication occurs when a member from one culture produces a message that is absorbed by a member of another culture. How that message is understood by the communicating party is a vital part in intercultural communication. For example, in Cambodia it would be considered rude to discuss business in a social setting (Language, culture, customs and etiquette, n.d.). However, in the United States this is a common practice and is almost an encouraged event. Another important factor and consideration in intercultural communication is the importance of understanding cultures, values, history and beliefs. For instance, in Cambodia, if you deliver a present that is wrapped in white paper, this is considered to represent mourning. This is one of the many reasons why it is important to assimilate into a culture and be mindful of communication between cultures (Language, culture, customs and etiquette, n.d.).
Miller, K. (2012). Cultural Approaches. In Organizational communication: Approaches and processes (6.th ed., p. 81 to 93). Boston, Mass: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.
The frequent situations of misunderstandings in intercultural communication may be more common then one may believe. The potential for misunderstandings between two different cultures communicating is very high. Through such things as idioms, translation errors, and wrong body language communicative skills can be incorrect. When these intercultural mistakes occur between the people speaking or moving it may be perceived by the opposite culture as funny, rude or confusing. With these considerations in mind, the combination of possibilities for misinterpretations is increasingly elevated.
The way people communicate varies widely between, and even within, cultures. One aspect of communication style is language usage. Language has always been perceived as a link between people but it can also constitute a barrier. Across cultures, some words and phrases are used in different ways. For example, even in countries that share the English language, the meaning of "yes" varies from "maybe, I'll consider it" to "definitely so," with many shades in between . Furthermore, communication between cultures which do not share the same language is considerably more difficult . Each culture, has its distinct syntax, expressions and structure which causes confusion in intercultural communication. For example , in Asian countries the word “no” is rarely used, so that “yea” can mean “no” or “perhaps”. Therefore, an American traveling to Japan might be considered impolite if he ignores this rule. Furthermore, individuals who are not comfortable with a certain language may not be taken seriously. Such is the case in the classroom, where a student who has a perfect knowledge of the subject in question may have difficulty expressing his idea due to his inability to write properly and therefore he would not receive the grade he truly deserves. Similarly intercultural communication is dominant in the workplace. In the past, many companies and organizations could operate entirely within their country of origin and conduct their activities exclusively in their own native language. But now, due...
Understand and heed cultural differences - cultural variables in transacting international business. (1991, January 28). Business America. FindArticles.com., Retrieved March 20, 2009, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1052/is_n2_v112/ai_10412261/pg_4?tag=content;col1
As I mentioned earlier, I thought I had very good understanding of cross cultural communication. I did not know if I would gain much in this class before I decided to take this class. For me, cross cultural communication was about talking with people with different cultures backgrounds. For example, two people are from two different countries; the communication between them is cross culture. However, I found that cross cultural communication is a more complex thing than I ever thought. The definition of cross cultural communication can be defined as the ability to successfully form, foster, and improve relationships with members of a culture different from one’s own. It is based on knowledge of many factors, such as the other culture’s values, perceptions, manners, social structure, and decision-making practices, and an understanding of how members of the group communicate—verbally, non-verbally, in person, in writing, and in various business and social contexts, to name but a few. I know this is a long definition. It is not as simple as I ever thought.