Intercultural Communication in Phoenix Management Services - Essay Example

Intercultural Communication in Phoenix Management Services Introduction Intercultural communication is known as the base for international business. This paper will analyze intercultural communication focusing on Phoenix Management Services which is an organization with multicultural people. I think I can bring strategies to increase their intercultural communication skills so that they can intermingle with other individuals from any part of the world. Literature Review I will begin by examining the history of intercultural communication and examine some of the theories by researchers. The study of intercultural communication was initiated by Edward Hall and others followed suit in the 1950’s. Hall is regarded as the founder of intercultural communication which he initiated in 1951, when he started working at the Foreign Service Institute. The Foreign Service Institute was then in charge of handling cultural information in the United States. Intercultural communication did not have any resources for use in the 1960’s (Condon & Yousef, 1975). It is in the 1970’s that sources, journals and societies specializing in intercultural communication emerged. Hall looked at communication using the concept of low and high context messages depending on the importance of the context of the message. In a low context message the information in the message is explicit with no unspoken or implied information. While in the high context message most of the meaning is understood and passed on by the circumstances, relationships and non-verbal messages (Hall, 1976, Habke & Sept, 1993). In the low context cultures, everything is communicated by explicit information while in a high context culture communication depends on the subtleness and circumstances. This theory by Hall lowers the chances of causing offense in intercultural communication for if one has a view of a culture; they are able to take measures to adjust to another culture thus improving the chances of precise communication (Hall, 1976) Other researchers who have contributed to the intercultural communication theory are William Gudykunst and Young Yum Kim. As a navy specialist deployed in Japan, Gudykunst came up with he theory on intercultural communication while training others. Kim’s interest in communication aspects of the cultural adjustments of immigrants stems from growing up in Korea and immigrating to the United States. The two focus mainly on theoretical issues on intercultural communication. They think to understand the process of intercultural communication and improve on it effectiveness, there is a need for conceptual tools to understand what is happening (Gudykunst & Kim, 1997). In their theory they clearly show that all communication is in some sense intercultural. For instance the difference between one interacting with a colleague at work who shares their ethnicity and language, and their interaction with a visiting person who shares neither is not a qualitative difference, but merely a question of the degree of strangeness. This theoretical admission is important because Gudykunst and Kim downgrade ethnicity by paving the way for a distinct understanding of culture operating at every level. Gudykunst and Kim propose four categories of culture-relation influences on the communication process. There are the cultural influences which include rules, norms and values. They classify norms and rules as sets of expected behavior for particular situations (Gudykunst & Kim, 1997). Socio-cultural influences which also include norms, rules and values are keyed to social roles such as an employer or doctor and not to situations. Psycho-cultural influences are those gained by our personal experience and psychological makeup and not from our culture or society. Lastly, environmental influences relate to our expectations of behavior in a given physical environment. Gudykunst and Kim contend that high and low contexts are cultural influences while ethnocentrism and prejudice are potential psychocultural influences. They observe that though one tendency such as individualism may hold at a cultural level, any individual within that culture is free to prefer collectivism. The key strength to their theory is a new concern in to incorporate research by others and to free the individual. Ron Scollon and Suzanne Wong Scollon like Gudykunst and Kim, try to set out and apply a theoretical structure for intercultural communication. Nonetheless their goals are less ambitious. They therefore focus on interaction in formal professional context. The Scollon’s focal point is discourse systems which involve four elements; a group of ideological norms, distinct socialization processes, a regular set of discourse forms, and a set of suppositions about face interactions within the discourse system.Many systems they say cut across cultural divides. For Scollon and Wong Scollon, intercultural communication is better considered interdiscourse communication. They pay attention to describing various significant discourse systems focusing on those used in professional communication. They reckon that if we appreciate the discourse systems used by other individuals we will converse with them well. (Scollon & Wong Scollon, 1995) Analysis of Phoenix Management Services The organization I have chosen to examine is Phoenix Management Services (PMS) a property management company where I recently worked. Phoenix Management Services, Inc. was started in 1996 and so far it runs more than 25,000 units in the state of Florida. I would like to be involved with this company and improve their skills and find techniques and strategies to develop skills to interact with other cultures. While at PMS I learnt that understanding the cultural differences in a company can be the distinction between professional success and failures in meeting your goals. Exceptional intercultural communication skills are vital in today’s independent world. Communicating successfully with multicultural workmates, clients and customers improves business performance, competitive advantage and talent retention. Daily at PMS we worked with people from different cultural backgrounds with accompanying challenges and opportunities. From my experience at PMS, if communication is healthy there is a rise in productivity and this enhances performance, originality and growth of the organization. Communication is multifaceted making it difficult to convey any message which lacks fundamental cultural connotations. Disparities in culture do have a great impact on business and social communications. By PMS applying intercultural communication skills at work it has greatly improved many interactions amongst employees. Recommendations to improve communication at Phoenix Management Services The culture in which people group up in determines how they express themselves and how they communicate with others. Culture defines whom they see as ‘us’ and whom they see as ‘them’. At work, cultural stereotypes can create tensions that lower job satisfaction and productivity. Both employee and employer benefit when they confront and move beyond their prejudices (Fantino, 2006). Setting aside cultural biases is never easy and it takes time and determination. I think the following strategies at PMS can help increase their intercultural communication skills in order for them to interact with other individuals from any part of the world. They need to treat all people at work as individuals, look beyond their cultural background and see the person. It is important to respect personal names, call people by the name they prefer to be called, learn how to pronounce each name correctly and also the correct order in which to say it. Turning fear into curiosity is essential. Instead of being suspicious of other groups ask yourself what all of you can learn if you went beyond your differences. Evade making generalizations about a whole group because of a few members. The fact that a member of a group is careless does not mean all members of that group are. Being open to new information about cultures or groups of people is important rather than distorting or ignoring information that disagrees with a preconceived view of the world. Never assume that because a person is good or bad at one thing, they are also good or bad at others. For instance do not assume that a person who speaks English poorly also does things poorly. Never play favorites or treat others unfairly. While it is normal to feel a bit uncomfortable when dealing with a person from another culture, never let that discomfort result in treating the person differently. It is also essential to notice the economic and social dividing lines in the work place. Those on the privileged side of the line must be more responsive to the requirements and thoughts of those who are not. It is important to use satisfactory terms for cultural groups. Look out for terms that are acceptable to a cultural group and that are not. It is good to speak up when others use unacceptable terms. It is crucial for members of cultural groups to tell others what their group prefers. It is important to avoid making judgments based on the accent, timing, and pace of a person’s speech. Different ways of speaking may strike you as haughty, subservient, or even insulting. Try to view people objectively, even if their accents seem peculiar. Laugh with people and not at them. Avoid ethics or sexual jokes because they are never appropriate. When a person tells an offensive joke, it is in order to mention it to them later in private and let the person know that cultural toes have been stepped on. Recognizing the insult games is also important. Using teasing insults to show affection is a game men sometimes play that is often misunderstood by women and members of some cultural group. In a work culture where this is expected, there is a need to learn the rules by observing the game and always accompany that with a smile. Always anticipate clarifying cultural unwritten regulations. Groups from cultures other than the mainstream America may be unable to read between the lines. It is vital to always explain cultural expectations, even if this seems uncomfortable or embarrassing. It is essential to find out how disparities are handled in the other person’s culture. For instance, it may be considered unacceptable to say ‘No’ directly, or ‘No’ may mean only that further negotiation is expected. It is good to avoid public displays of anger. In intercultural communication, paying attention to gestures is equally significant. There is a need to be careful about gestures, and consider how they might be interpreted. If a person’s gestures puzzle you, ask questions. Let people know when they use inappropriate gestures, but in a way that does not humiliate or embarrass them publicly. It is imperative to be aware that different cultures view time differently. When one is faced with different perceptions of time, it is proper to negotiate something that works for all those concerned. It is also good to adjust interpersonal space requirements, if it is deemed necessary. Depending upon cultural practices, people may feel uncomfortable when someone is either standing close by or far off. Always take note of how close they stand when they approach and follow suit. It is also vital to pay attention to how people react when someone moves close. Finally in intercultural communication, be careful about touching in any way. Watch how individuals relate with people of their own culture. Normally people do unto others what they will accept from others, except in cases of difference in social status or authority. Conclusion In conclusion, the best thing about intercultural communication is the way it has acculturated our thinking of communication. Intercultural communication research took no real account of culture until the initiative by Edward Hall. Now there is a wealth of research interest in the matter. This is of theoretical benefit, because anything else may be significant in communication, and however displeasing the idea of culture may be, it remains true that culture influences communication and a full theory of communication must take account of it. More importantly, research in intercultural communication has led to increasing sophisticated investigations into cultures far removed from our own. This has resulted in greater awareness, and potentially greater understanding. Understanding is the key to good intercultural communication and this is a good thing. Special challenges to intercultural relationships include coping with differences, tending to stereotypes, dealing with apprehension, and having to give details about ourselves to strangers. References Condon, J. C. & Yousef, F. S. (1975). An Introduction to Intercultural communication. New York: Macmillan Fantino, A. M. (2006). Cultures at Work: Intercultural Communication in the Canadian Workplace. Edmonton, Alberta: The Muttart Foundation Gudykunst, W. B. & Kim, Y. Y. (1997). Communicating with Strangers: An Approach to Intercultural Communication (3rd ed.) New York: McGraw-Hill Habke, A., & Sept, R. (1993) Distinguishing Group and Cultural Influences in Inter-Ethnic Conflict: A Diagnostic Model. Canadian Journal Communication. University of Calgary. [On-line] Available URL:http://hoshi.cic.sfu.ca/cali/cic/backissues/18.4/sept.html Hall, E. T. (1976). Beyond Culture. New York: Doubleday Scollon, R. & Wong Scollon, S. (1995). Intercultural Communication: A Discourse Approach. Cambridge: Blackwell Read More