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Intercultural Communication in the Workplace

Intercultural Communication in the Workplace. Intercultural Communication Challenges. Communication dependant on cultural upbringing On autopilot Use symbolic systems learned as children to understand messages Use their own cultural norms. Intercultural Communication Challenges.

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Intercultural Communication in the Workplace

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  1. Intercultural Communicationinthe Workplace

  2. Intercultural Communication Challenges • Communication dependant on cultural upbringing • On autopilot • Use symbolic systems learned as children to understand messages • Use their own cultural norms

  3. Intercultural Communication Challenges • Researchers use an iceberg analogy to describe how a person’s heritage impacts communication

  4. Intercultural Communication Challenges • Communication can be described as an “action chain” • Meaning – • One phrase or action leads to the next • A whole series of unwritten expectations of reciprocity • Unwritten expectations are culturally unique

  5. Intercultural Communication Challenges • Stereotyping --- another challenge • Is believing that all members of a group communicate similarly • A stereotype can become a self-fulfilling prophecy

  6. Four Stages of Intercultural Communication • Unconscious incompetence • Speaker misunderstands • Doesn’t even know a misunderstanding has occurred • Conscious incompetence • Speaker is aware of misunderstanding • Makes no effort to change

  7. Four Stages of Intercultural Communication • Conscious competence • Speaker modifies communication to avoid misunderstanding • Unconscious competence • Speaker is skilled enough to make cultural adjustments without thinking about them

  8. Intercultural Communication Concepts • Communication uses symbols • Only sender knows exact meaning of message • Receiver filters message through cultural norms to interpret original message • Relationship between sender and receiver important in preventing misinterpretation

  9. Intercultural Communication Concepts • Verbal vs. nonverbal messages: • Verbal messages best for conveying data-like content • Nonverbal messages communicate feelings and attitudes about relationships

  10. Intercultural Communication Concepts • Verbal communication: • Messages can only be interpreted within cultural context • Cultural context --- innate part of how and what we perceive • Hard to believe that other cultures don’t have some “background” understanding

  11. Intercultural Communication Concepts • Low- and High-Context Cultures: • Cultures vary between “low-context” and “high-context” • “Context” --- the affective and physical cues used to indicate meaning • Examples: Tone of voice, posture, facial expression, gestures, rolling eyes, twitching

  12. Intercultural Communication Concepts • Low-Context: • The actual words more important than who is giving message • Information presented in linear, logical sequences • Meaning depends on the words used • Example: Western cultures

  13. Intercultural Communication Concepts • High-Context: • The wording may be vague or incomplete • The meaning found in how the information is conveyed

  14. Intercultural Communication Concepts • High-Context: • Nonverbal signifiers are highly meaningful • Examples: Small eye movements, small sounds, squirming • High context cultures are most typical among homogeneous populations

  15. Intercultural Communication Concepts • Cultures ranked by high- and low-context communication: • Very high-context: • Asian, Middle Eastern, Native American • Mildly high-context: • Latino • Low-context: • U.S; many European cultures even lower

  16. Intercultural Communication Concepts • Mismatch between high- and low-context communication: • May result in impatience or offense • Biomedicine is usually low-context • Goal: Convey information accurately; not to promote positive relationship • High-context clients may feel dissatisfied and discontinue treatment

  17. Intercultural Communication Concepts • Low-context cultures: • Individual typically regarded as separate from group • Values: • Individualism, self-realization, personal accomplishments, excel beyond others

  18. Intercultural Communication Concepts • Low-context cultures: • Communication used to gain group acceptance • Within family, workplace, community • Self-esteem: • Based on successful mastery or control of situation

  19. Intercultural Communication Concepts • Low-context cultures: • Individualism --- a prominent characteristic in: • Australia, Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand, Netherlands, Sweden, U.S.

  20. Intercultural Communication Concepts • High-context cultures: • All members of group interact according to predetermined patterns • Values: • Awareness of group members as mutually dependent, preserve group’s identity and cohesiveness, fulfill set roles

  21. Intercultural Communication Concepts • High-context cultures: • Collectivism --- valued in: • Denmark, Ghana, Guatemala, Indonesia, Nigeria, Panama, Peru, El Salvador, Sierra Leone, Taiwan, Thailand, Venezuela, Columbia

  22. Nonverbal Communication • Touching --- Examples by Culture • Cultures that mostly avoid touching: • U. S., Canada, Great Britain, Scandinavia, Japan, Korea

  23. Nonverbal Communication • Touching --- Examples by Culture • Cultures that expect touching: • Middle East, Greece, Mexico, Central Ameria, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Russia

  24. Nonverbal Communication • Touching --- Examples by Culture • Gender impacts cultural rules • For many cultures, touching on head or hair is especially inappropriate

  25. Intercultural Communication Concepts • Uncertainty Avoidance: • Cultures vary in how tolerant they are towards uncertainty and ambiguity

  26. Intercultural Communication Concepts • High “Uncertainty Avoidance” Cultures: • Prefer structure, formality, external supervision, and consensus • Deviation from norm creates anxiety

  27. Intercultural Communication Concepts • High “Uncertainty Avoidance” Cultures: • Cultures include: • Argentina, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Egypt, France, Israel, Spain, Mexico, Greece, most of Africa and Asia

  28. Intercultural Communication Concepts • Low “Uncertainty Avoidance” Cultures: • Are willing to accept dissent within group, open to change, more informal, internally driven

  29. Intercultural Communication Concepts • Low “Uncertainty Avoidance” Cultures: • Cultures include: • U.S., Canada, Denmark, Great Britain, Hong Kong, India, Jamaica, Sweden, Philippines, Netherlands

  30. Intercultural Communication Concepts • Perception of power and authority or “power distance”: • Influence communication patterns • Low-context cultures: • Person’s job or role confers power • Power distance is small • People seen as equals • Willing to question directions and ask for explanations

  31. Intercultural Communication Concepts • Perception of power and authority or “power distance”: • High-context cultures: • Superiors automatically given respect • Authority and instructions not questioned • Explanations are not expected • Large power distance

  32. Intercultural Communication Concepts • Perception of power and authority or “power distance”: • Miscommunication arises when people miscalculate one another’s power distance • Employees with high power distance may reject employee empowerment

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