ANSWER
Cross-cultural communication is critical to workplace success, employee satisfaction, and retention. Before we explore how to do it, let’s first discuss why it’s so important.
Increasing Productivity
We are all aware of the importance of effective communication in the success of any collaborative venture.
Effective communication reduces misinterpretation and ensures everyone is on the same page regarding strategies and goals.
Within a diverse or global workforce, cross-cultural communication must be honed so that all team members understand the project and their role in it.
Furthermore, communication fosters a sense of belonging. This increases team members’ commitment to working together.
Creating Trust
Improved communication builds trust between managers and employees. Employees believe that leaders are on their side and value their perspectives when leaders demonstrate an understanding of cultural differences and communication styles.
They believe they can put their trust in those in positions of authority and that the leadership believes in their abilities and values what they have to offer. It’s critical that employees feel valued — including their distinct cultural perspectives and norms.
Making Use of Appropriate Incentives
Incentives are useful for increasing employee productivity, but they only work if the incentives truly motivate the employees.
Improving cross-cultural communication makes it easier to implement appropriate, employee-wanted incentives.
If incentive programs are tailored to your employees’ specific cultural norms, they will feel recognized and valued.
Improving Innovation
A diverse workplace means a broader range of perspectives and approaches, which benefits creativity and innovation. Effective cross-cultural communication allows team members from various cultures to bounce ideas off one another and learn from one another. In this way, they can achieve more innovation together than individually — the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
However, without effective cross-cultural communication, diversity can lead to understanding barriers. This will make it difficult for a team to collaborate.
Various Communication Styles
When considering cross-cultural communication challenges, we may first consider language barriers and dialectal variations that cause misunderstandings.
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However, there is more to it than that.
Different cultures place different emphases on communication styles with peers and superiors. While continuous eye contact is an important part of communication in the United States, it is considered rude or aggressive in many cultures.
These are the kinds of things that can make cross-cultural communication appear to be a minefield of offence and miscommunication. In reality, much of this comes down to a few key distinctions.
Cultures of High and Low Context
In 1959, anthropologist Edward T. Hall proposed the concept of high-context and low-context cultures and communication styles.
Low-context cultures generally value clear communication that does not rely on context to aid comprehension. High-context cultures, on the other hand, consider the verbal element to be only part of the message. Thus, much is conveyed implicitly through intonation and facial expression.
Communication between members of high-context cultures (such as Japan or Saudi Arabia) and low-context cultures (such as the United States or Germany) can be difficult if these differences are not recognized. These high and low-context barriers are even more difficult to navigate in an era where remote work affects all aspects of people’s lives.
Many of the subtle implications of a high-context communication style are likely to be missed by those with a low-context communication style.
On the other hand, those with a high-context culture may look for hints that aren’t there or find a direct communication style lacking in decorum.
The best way to avoid these differences is to be as aware of them as possible. It is also critical to recognize that one communication style is not “better” than another. They are simply distinct.
How to Improve Cross-Cultural Communication
Here are some immediate strategies for improving cross-cultural communication in your organization.
1. Mutual Recognition
Accepting that there are cultural differences and that the other party’s communication style is not “worse” than your own is the first and most important step toward effective cross-cultural communication. To communicate effectively, both parties must be willing to go a little further to be understood and listen without judgment.
Slip-ups are inevitable, but if both parties act in good faith and with an open mind, they are easily resolved.
It’s natural for people to be surprised and offended when someone else’s way of interacting differs drastically from their own.
To cultivate openness and flexibility among employees from various cultures, explicit directives and corporate training sessions may be required.
2. Complete Your Homework
If you’re working with customers or new employees from different cultures, learning about their culture and customs can help you a lot. It’s not about knowing everything about their culture but demonstrating that you’re willing to go out of your way to be respectful.
3. State Your Expectations
Don’t assume that everyone you work with has the same communication style or workplace norms as you. You must specify what you require from your team members to complete the task.
This could include stating that you require people to communicate with you explicitly because you cannot pick up on contextual cues.
QUESTION
Instructions
Although the lesson for this week already addressed this information, for ease of assignment completion, here it is again.
Here is a list of topics from which you can choose:
Verbal communication
Nonverbal communication
Public speaking
Cross-cultural communication in the workplace
Listening in communication
Gender and communication
Communication and care management
Perception
Conversation skills
Communication, technology, and social media
Click on the following link for an example of what you will be doing this week:
Link: Example Submission
Use this example to guide your submission for this assignment.
Choose a topic: #3 Public Speaking
Narrow the topic to identify a specific purpose: Managing anxiety when public speaking
Develop a one-sentence thesis: There are three important steps to take in order to manage anxiety when doing a presentation.
Establish your main points for the PowerPoint:
Main Point #1: Visualize doing the presentation well
Main Point #2: Take a deep breath before you begin
Main Point #3: Focus on the information rather than the performance
Three sources (Include the titles of three potential sources here.)
Source 1
Source 2
Source 3
With the above example, the topic was narrowed to managing anxiety. This topic could have also been narrowed to eliminating “um’s”, presenting while using a visual aid, etc. There are many different ways in which you can make the topic of your choice more specific to your interests.
Now it is your turn. In order to write an effective thesis, you will need to do your research. Find a minimum of three scholarly sources that you plan to use to inform your teaching. Use the template for Assignment 2 to guide your organization of this information. You will receive feedback concerning your topic choice, thesis, organization, and sources in the grading process.
Reflection
At the end of your submission, add a reflection paragraph addressing your consideration of a cross-cultural topic and why or why not this topic was chosen. What is it about cross-cultural communication that interests you, concerns you, or creates a barrier for you.
Note: Any topic you chose is fine, but this is a chance to reflect on the added component of cross-cultural communication.
Presentation Note
PowerPoint presentations with recorded narration are due in Week 7. Begin practicing the use of your microphone with your computer and the PowerPoint narration feature.
Make sure to view the following tutorial for help with creating narration:
Link (website): Narrated PowerPoint TutorialLinks to an external site.
Writing Requirements (APA format)
Length: 0.5-1 page (not including title page or references page)
1-inch margins
Double spaced
12-point Times New Roman font
Title page
References page is not required as the 3 sources are listed in Section 5.
Use this example to guide your submission for this assignment.
Choose a topic: #4 Cross-cultural communication in the workplace
Narrow the topic to identify a specific purpose: Managing anxiety when public speaking
Develop a one-sentence thesis: There are three important steps to take in order to manage anxiety when doing a presentation.
Establish your main points for the PowerPoint:
Main Point #1: Visualize doing the presentation well
Main Point #2: Take a deep breath before you begin
Main Point #3: Focus on the information rather than the performance
Three sources (Include the titles of three potential sources here.)
Source 1
Source 2
Source 3
With the above example, the topic was narrowed to managing anxiety. This topic could have also been narrowed to eliminating “um’s”, presenting while using a visual aid, etc. There are many different ways in which you can make the topic of your choice more specific to your interests.