Intercultural_Communication

Introduction Intercultural communication is not an easy subject in organisations and its worse for organisations operating internationally like my organisation YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association). It becomes important as it examines how people from different cultures, beliefs and religions come together to work and communicate with each other. The demand for intercultural communication skills increases as there are more barriers and limitations when dealing with a foreign country, to cover the cultural differences encountered when stepping into foreign grounds is vital to fully understand the cultural differences that exist so as to prevent damaging business relations due to intercultural communication gaps. According to N.Payne, Introduction to intercultural communication “there are many theories that set principals to help interpret the basis of intercultural communication”. These theories help to iron out possible ripples of misunderstandings by giving a basic guideline on how to address situations. These guidelines help prevent clashes between different cultural groups caused by misperceptions. I agree with N. Payne when she gives an example of the basic skills of intercultural communication, “to listen without judging, repeat what you understand, confirm meanings, give suggestions and acknowledge a mutual understanding”. I believe that these skills can be used universally by all cultures and races and they are fundamental general communication skills. Neil Payne, Introduction to intercultural communication, Cape Town   Effective communication with people of different cultures is especially challenging. Cultures provide people with ways of thinking, ways of seeing, hearing and interpreting the world. Thus the same words can mean different things to people from different cultures, even when they talk the same language. Stella Ting Toomey, Cultural Barriers to Effective Communication, describes three ways in which culture interferes with effective cross- cultural understanding. First is what she calls “cognitive constrains” these are the frames of reference or world views that provides a back drop that all new information is compared to or inserted in to. Second are “behaviour constrains” each culture has its own rules about proper behaviour which affect verbal and non-verbal communication. Whether one looks the other person in the eye or not, whether one says what one means overtly or talks around the issue; how close the people stand close to each other when they are talking, all of these and many more are rules of politeness which differ from culture to culture. Ting-Toomey’s third factor “emotional constraints”, Different cultures regulate the display of emotion differently. Some cultures get very emotional when they are debating an issue. They yell, they cry, they exhibit their anger, fear, frustrations and other feelings openly. Other cultures try to keep their emotions hidden, exhibiting or sharing only the rational or factual aspects of the situation. All these differences tend to lead to communication problems. If the people involved are not aware of the potential for such. Stella Ting-Toomey, Cultural Barriers to Effective Communication, University of Colorado USA Cultural conflicts arise because of the differences in values and norms of behaviour of people from different cultures. When I am at work I act according to my values and norms of my culture; another person holding a different worldview might interpret his or her behaviour from an opposite standpoint. My colleagues and I once compiled a fundraising proposal which we thought was excellent, and as we pitched it with the boss before we could set up a meeting with the potential sponsor, he told us it was good but he was going to ask “Brent” the English speaking person to take over because he did not trust us black people to speak appropriately with the sponsor. This was a situation that left us feeling unworthy, discriminated against and stereotyped and caused a massive conflict. It’s these kind of things that make an employee untrustworthy and lose their loyalty towards their organisation. Age difference is another issue that constitutes to effective communication. Our boss at work is about 57 and his assistance is about 27 and the assistance understands us as young interns, since our boss is older we perceive him as sick, boring, inactive and strict. If he gives us an instruction to do something we do it immediately no questions asked, where as if the boss is not around and leave work with his assistant to give to us and because we know him on a more friendly way we tend to not take him seriously resulting to miscommunication due to age-based psychology differences. If a Zulu cultured person works mostly with white people in an organisation eventually their culture becomes the most valued one, and the black person’s language difference and perception of accent can block successful communication because the white people will perceive having an accent as a sign of ignorance. Resulting in the one party trying too hard to fit in and assimilate completely into the other’s culture which is a consequence of ethnocentrism. Roles and Status, in some cultures, a social hierarchy often exists that can create “bumps” in communication in the workplace for example; in many countries women are subordinate to men. In contrast males with such cultural backgrounds may no adapt well to working equally with females or having female supervisors. Personal space, South Africans prefer to stand about five feet apart when conversing. However, people from different cultural backgrounds may have different comfort zones. Body language says a lot but it is interpreted differently in the world for example; most South Africans signal “no” in shaking their heads, but people from some countries raise their chins. Another example is with eye contact; white people like to make eye contact, and when that does not happen it can be taken as a sign of evasiveness. Personal appearance, hygiene and grooming, eating habits and attire can vary from organisation to organisation of different countries as well as culture for example; at my workplace it is not necessary to dress formally but to dressed appropriately and it differs for other organisations. Other cultural nuances exist. However with the increasing number of nationalities in the workplace, it is impossible to identify all of the potential cultural differences. Many resources are available to help employers learn more about specific cultures if they are not inclined. Clearly it is the responsibility of workers to learn English and adapt to the cultural norms of that specific country they work in. many employers have the “sink or swim” attitude expecting workers to figure things out themselves which does no work most of the times. The benefits of employers investing time and resources in helping workers adapt to the workplace include increased productivity and performance, trust and loyalty among workers and improved security. For my boss these are the solutions that I would recommend which I think are the best and will work wonders.   Learn as much as you can about the culture of the people you are dealing with Particularly if you employ several people from the same cultural background. Respect individual differences, abilities and personalities. Even though people may share a common language or culture, it doesn’t mean they are alike. Stereotyping discounts individuals and can limit options for them in the workplace. Getting to know a person’s culture is a first step to getting to know them as individuals. Provide an orientation program for new hires that addresses some of the cultural differences and language barriers This can help head off confusing or potentially unpleasant experiences for employees. Consider having co-workers serve as mentors or coaches To help new workers adapt to the culture and vocabulary of the workplace. When working with immigrants, refrain from using jargon or slang That might not translate well. Choose words that convey the most specific meaning and stick to one topic at a time. When training new employees, make sure they understand your training material and why it is useful to them. Use graphics or demonstrations to illustrate points whenever possible. Often the lack of effective training tools and qualified instructors can leave workers out of the training loop and limit their opportunities to enhance their skills and advance in the workplace. Never assume your communications with someone with limited English- speaking abilities has been understood. Ask for feedback or for demonstration, particularly when you are training them. Be patient. A thoughtful supervisor or co-worker can make all the difference in helping prevent feelings of inadequacy and embarrassment when a person cannot express him or herself clearly or fully. Recruit bilingual managers and supervisors To serve as the communication link between cultures and/or engage co-workers to serve as translators while people are learning. Help workers take care of their basic survival needs. For example, helping them find transportation to and from work can reduce fears of the unknown and build trust and loyalty with the worker. Provide sensitivity training to native workers To make them more aware of and sensitive toward the different cultural differences. Charlotte-Mecklenburg workforce development board, Barriers to successful Employment Conclusion In conclusion, clearly the role and expertise of cross cultural communication consultants is important for today's businesses. The potential pitfalls cross cultural differences present to companies are extensive. In essence a cross cultural consultant's primary objective is integration. This integration, between colleagues, clients and customers is crucial for business success. Equipped with experience, knowledge and above all objectivity, a cross cultural consultant creates bridges of understanding and opens lines of communication. Conflict, depending on the outcome, can be a positive or negative experience for an organization. With changing demographics, cultural differences become an acute issue. Many groups resist assimilation and wish to preserve their cultural distinctiveness, which makes cultural conflict education an essential tool for maintaining healthy relations in organizations and society in general. Bibliography http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/cultural-services/articles-intercultural.html Viewed 13 July 2011 www.colorado.edu/conflict/peace/problem/cultrbar.htm viewed 14 July 2011 www.charlotteworks.org/clbpositionpaper.pdf viewed 14 July 2011