Communicating in a World of Diversity

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Discuss the opportunities and challenges of intercultural communication Define culture and explain how culture is learned Define ethnocentrism and stereotyping, then give three suggestions for overcoming these limiting mindsets Explain the importance of recognizing cultural variations and list eight categories of cultural differences Identify the steps you can take to improve your intercultural communication skills Outline strategies for studying other cultures List seven recommendations for writing clearly in multilanguage business environments

Intercultural Communication
Intercultural communication is the process of sending and receiving messages between people whose cultural background could lead them to interpret verbal and nonverbal signs differently. Every attempt to send and receive messages is influenced by culture, so to communicate successfully, youll need a basic grasp of the cultural differences you may encounter and how you should handle them. Your efforts to recognize and surmount cultural differences will open up business opportunities throughout the world and maximize the contribution of all the employees in a diverse workforce.

The Advantages of a Diverse Workforce

The diversity of todays workforce brings distinct advantages to businesses: A broader range of views and ideas A better understanding of diverse, fragmented markets A broader pool of talent from which to recruit

The Challenges of Intercultural Communication

A companys cultural diversity affects how its business messages are conceived, composed, delivered, received, and interpreted. Culture influences everything about communication, including
Language Nonverbal signals Word meaning Time and space issues Rules of human relationships

Understanding the Concept of Culture

Culture is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and behavior norms. You belong to several cultures, each of which affects the way you communicate.

 Ethnocentrism is the tendency to judge all other groups according to the standards, behaviors, and customs of ones own group. Stereotyping is assigning generalized attributes to an individual on the basis of membership in a particular group. Cultural pluralism is the acceptance of multiple cultures on their own terms.

Suggestions for overcoming Ethnocentrism and Stereotyping

Avoid assumptions. Dont assume that others will act the same way you do, use language and symbols the same way you do, or even operate from the same values and beliefs. For instance, in a comparison of the 10 most important values in three cultures, people from the United States had no values in common with people from Japanese or Arab cultures. Avoid judgments. When people act differently, dont conclude that they are in error or that their way is invalid or inferior. Acknowledge distinctions. Dont ignore the differences between another persons culture and your own.

Contextual Differences
Cultural context is the pattern of physical cues, environmental stimuli, and implicit understanding that conveys meaning between members of the same culture. High-context cultures rely heavily on nonverbal actions and environmental setting to convey meaning; low-context cultures rely more on explicit verbal communication.

How Cultural Context Affects Business

IN LOW-CONTEXT CULTURES IN HIGH-CONTEXT CULTURES Executive offices are separate with controlled access. Executive offices are shared and open to all. Workers rely on detailed background information. Workers do not expect or want detailed information. Information is highly centralized and controlled. Information is shared with everyone. Objective data are valued over subjective relationships. Subjective relationships are valued over objective data. Business and social relationships are discrete. Business and social relationships overlap. Competence is valued as much as position and status. Position and status are valued much more than competence. Meetings have fixed agendas and plenty of advance notice. Meetings are often called on short notice, and key people always accept.

Importance of recognizing cultural variations

People from different cultures encode and decode messages differently, increasing the chances of misunderstanding. By recognizing and accommodating cultural differences, we avoid automatically assuming that everyones thoughts and actions are just like ours. Begin by focusing on eight categories of differences:

Categories of cultural differences

Contextual differences (the degree to which a culture relies on verbal or nonverbal actions to convey meaning) Legal and ethical differences (the degree to which laws and ethics are regarded and obeyed) Social differences (how members value work and success, recognize status, define manners, and think about time) Nonverbal differences (differing attitudes toward greetings, personal space, touching, facial expression, eye contact, posture, and formality) Age differences (how members think about youth, seniority, and longevity) Gender differences (how men and women communicate) Religious differences (how beliefs affect workplace relationships) Ability differences (inclusive strategies that enable people with disabilities to more fully communicate with the rest of the workforce).

Communicating successfully from one culture to another requires a variety of skills, all of which you can continue to improve throughout your career. Make your intercultural communication effective by:Studying other cultures; studying other languages; Respecting your audiences Preferences for communication style; Writing as clearly as possible; Speaking as clearly as you can; Listening carefully; Using interpreters, translators, and translation software when necessary; Helping others adapt to your own culture.

Improve your intercultural communication skills

Strategies for studying other cultures

Although a thorough knowledge of another culture and its language(s) can take years to acquire, conducting research will help you grasp the big picture and recognize enough basics to get through most business situations. Find websites and books that offer advice on traveling to and working in specific cultures. Also sample newspapers, magazines, music, and movies of the culture youre interested in to get an idea of dress, nonverbal customs, manners, and so onalways being careful not to read too much into entertainment products.

Recommendations for writing clearly in multilanguage business environments

Take extra care with your writing, adapting your approach, style, and tone to meet audience expectations. To write effectively to multicultural audiences, follow these recommendations: (1) use simple, clear language; (2) be brief; (3) use transitional elements; (4) address international correspondence properly; (5) cite numbers and dates carefully; (6) avoid slang, idiomatic phrases, and unfamiliar jargon; (7) avoid humor and other references to popular culture.