Theories Explaining Cross-Cultural Communication - Essay Example

Cross-Cultural Communication Student’s Name Institution’s Affiliation Date Introduction Cross-cultural communication refers to interaction among parties of different cultures. In an organization, communication process comprises of both verbal and non-verbal communications. Communication process involves the transfer of knowledge and information to various individuals within an organization. These people in the organization come from different cultures, and hence, they speak different languages (Carbaugh, 2013). The etiquette during communication process between any two individuals depends on their cultural background. For communication to be successful, the messages must be sent and received in an appropriate manner. An understanding between two parties from different cultures may be limited due to different customs, thoughts, and languages among the different culture. The differences of cultures make it difficult to attain a successful communication. Lack of successful communication among different significantly contributes to conflict or intensify already existing conflicts (Kinloch & Metge, 2014). The presence of good and effective communication is very significant contributors to the success of an organization. Development of successful communication skills in workplace enables an organization to effectively communicate to the outside world in today’s competitive business environment. Organizations with wide cultural disparity are often faced with certain problems. The individuals working in the organization may find it difficult to freely interact with others (Carbaugh, 2013). The meaning of words in a given culture is not similar to that of a different culture. The incidences of miscommunication greatly contribute to widespread conflict and tension at the workplace. Barriers to effective cross-cultural communication In our daily life, the presence of cultural barriers in a communication process causes a lot of frustration, disappointments, and problems that limit efficiency of communication. The main obstacles to cross-cultural communication are the language of an individual. Separating cultural barriers and the language itself is hard. The information of the culture and the language are transferred using the language, hence, the reason why language and culture cannot be separated (Taylor et. al, 2013) A language used in a given society is developed based on certain historical circumstances. It shows the background, values and view of life in the society. In a language, the main barriers of a language are caused by semantic, word connotations, differences resulting from the tone and the difference between perceptions. i. Poor understanding of cultures and limited knowledge People may lack a good understanding of different cultures when they are interacting with other people from different cultures. This limitation becomes a barrier towards the achievement of an effective communication process. To understand different cultures, an individual should acknowledge the similarities and differences of various cultures. It is only through understanding of the different cultures that an individual will appreciate the culture of each other (Gendron et. al, 2014). As an individual from a certain culture, it is important to know that our cultural backgrounds and experiences have a great influence on our behavior and also the way we communicate. ii. Cultural Relativism It is a barrier limiting the effectiveness of communication process. In the presence of cultural relativism, an individual would make a comparison of the values and behavior of different cultures and make a judgment against them based on standards of right and wrong. A judgment is often biased because an individual would make a preference of their culture than different culture and hence, consider other people’s culture to be wrong (Gendron et. al, 2014). Therefore, cultural relativism becomes a barrier when a person assumes beliefs, values and behaviors of a different culture to be wrong. iii. Ethnocentrism Ethnocentrism is another barrier towards the achievement of effective communication among the various cultures. According to ethnocentrism, it means a person would hold an inherent belief that the values and traditions of their culture are correct and superior when compared with other cultures. In real life situation, all people tend to be ethnocentric to some degree and, therefore, different cultural beliefs, values and behaviors may seem strange and wrong (Gendron et. al, 2014). This perception is a barrier to effective cross-cultural communication. Ways of overcoming barriers to effective cross-cultural communication There exist several mechanisms that can be employed to minimize the barriers that limit effectiveness of cross-cultural communication. In a corporate environment, a good long-term work relationship can be built by introducing employees who works in the organization in a non-threatening environment. It will enable the employees to deal with any situation that may arise because they will understand the language, rules and norms for acceptable behavior of the different cultures (Taylor et. al, 2013). An organization should train their employees on how to resolve conflicts that result from the cultural misunderstanding. Good knowledge on how to resolve cultural conflicts provides excellent opportunities for employees to respond to various challenging situations in perspective different from their culture. Also, it is important for an organization to train their employees on how to communicate effectively across cross-cultural work environment and conduct activities to illustrate that we are dependent on the language itself (Taylor et. al, 2013). The following are some guidelines that will facilitate cross-cultural communications and overcome the barriers of effective communication: i. Understanding of your culture It is important to understand your culture to improve cross-cultural communication. An in-depth knowledge of an individual’s culture and how it determines your beliefs, values and behavior will significantly improve the communication with people from different cultures. Our cultural background and experiences shape our thoughts, value system and interaction with other people, and recognition of the same is significant. ii. Understanding language differences When communication with an individual from a different culture, it is important to learn the differences between verbal and non-verbal cues that exist between the two cultures. Examples of nonverbal cues include facial expressions, gestures, conversing at a social distance. A gradual understanding is gained through observation, and it is important to avoid nonverbal signals which might be offensive iii. Respect for diversity Respect for the diversity among different cultures will enable an individual to learn the different cultural customs, beliefs, and values without any biases by judging them against one’s culture. However, this does not advocate for disrespect for one’s culture but instead understand how cultural values shape a person’s beliefs and behavior. An understanding of how people from different culture interpret both verbal and nonverbal language improves cross-cultural communication. Theories explaining cross cultural communication i. Socio-Cultural Theory The theory was developed by a psychologist called Lev Vygotsky. Sociocultural theory is based on the notion that human beings learn from their seniors or their peers. Our cognitive capability is enhanced through learning from our environment, therefore, suggesting that we learn by interaction with our environment. In his theory, Vygotsky focused on the zone of proximal development. According to Vygotsky, “zone of proximal development refers to the difference between what a learner can do without help and what he or she can do with help.” (Casmir, 2013) Zone of proximal development is the difference between the level of actual development of an individual as per an individual problem-solving capability and the extent of development of an individual based on problem-solving capability contributed by peers. The actual level of development of an individual is determined by the level of maturity and understanding. Zone of proximal development allows individuals to resolve cultural conflicts through social interaction (Taylor et. al, 2013). The theorist, Vygotsky, believes in the most important aspects of his theory; namely: social context, language, and mediation. a. Social context Social context refers to circumstance from which an individual is originating from. A person may be born with some knowledge they already have, and this knowledge may be incorrect. For instance, the social context of a person can instill some racism and hence, making the individual to become racist. Social contexts determine the kind of knowledge a person will bring the society. Therefore, knowledge is dynamic due to varying social contexts (Barak, 2013). b. Language The language is an important aspect of the theory that determines the level of development of cognitive structures. Lack of understanding of both verbal and nonverbal cues of the language inhibits the growth of cognitive structures. The communication link of a language is broken if an individual’s language cannot be understood because language is an important means of communication (Barak, 2013). c. Mediation A means of mediation is necessary for effective communication to take place. The mediation is very significant in the zone of proximal development. It is because a learner may find it difficult to understand a certain concept without a means of mediation. The presence of mediation initiatives aids in improving understanding of a person (Barak, 2013). ii. Social judgment theory When a person receives either verbal or nonverbal message, they accept or reject the message based on their individual perspective. This is the basis that Muzafar, Sherif, and Hovland developed the theory. According the theory, an individual either accepts or rejects the message based on their ego and cognitive map (Nadel, 2013). According to the theory, an individual holds some beliefs on an issue depending three aspects; namely personal anchor, available alternatives and ego-involvement. The three dimensions determine whether an individual will either accept or reject the message they hear. An individual will accept the message if they think consider acceptable depending on their attitude and reject a message if they consider it to be wrong. In any scenario, an individual often has their position of preference in a message they hear. The position they take on an issue is their anchor. A person makes the judgment based on the available alternatives and hence, the possibility of acceptance, rejection or non-committal. Lastly, the position of a person regarding a certain issue depends on their personal ego-involvement. Cross cultural communication facing global companies The global firms usually have more diverse cultural combinations because it employs people from different cultural backgrounds. The cultural difference often greatly contributes to rampant differences and cases of conflicts among the workforce due to strong attachment to different cultures. The way an individual communicate is significantly influenced by their culture, and hence, hence people from different find it difficult to communicate in an effective manner (Taylor et. al, 2013). The diversity of cultures in global organizations causes the communication problems. Managing people from different cultural attachment is challenging to an organization. Managing cross-cultural communication is a major concern to global companies. To attain an effective communication, the message should be appropriately sent by the sender and received by the receiver without distorting the original meaning. The incidences of miscommunication among the different culture in an organization have significantly contributed to rampant misunderstanding (Taylor et. al, 2013). Example Toyota Motor has to cross cultural communication problems in Pakistan. The global company has several employees from Pakistan working at this branch. However, the executives are from Japan. In this case, the culture of executives is different from the culture of employees originating from Pakistan. The communication problem arises because Japanese and people of Pakistan speak different languages; they use different gesture and sign language at varying circumstances. The differences have significantly created language barrier which minimized the level of understanding. Implications of cross cultural communication The study has an insight to managerial implications. An in-depth analysis of communication process enables the management to understand the significance of culture when transferring knowledge internationally. The analysis and discussion of the barriers to cross-cultural management as the major cause of conflict enable the managers to have a better understanding and hence, appreciate the cultural differences. The managers should take an initiative the differences in communication across various cultures. Conclusion In conclusion, cross-cultural communication is significant to achieve success in any organization. Lack of understanding of the different cultures may result in rampant incidences of conflicts in an organization. The barriers to effective cross-cultural communication include the language, cultural relativism, ethnocentrism and limited knowledge of different cultures. The barriers can be avoided through respect for different cultures and understanding your culture. Cross-cultural communication is explained by social, cultural theory and social judgment theory. References Barak, M. E. M. (2013). Managing diversity: Toward a globally inclusive workplace. Sage Publications. Carbaugh, D. (2013). Cultural communication and intercultural contact. Routledge. Casmir, F. L. (2013). Building communication theories: A socio/cultural approach. Routledge. Gendron, M., Roberson, D., van der Vyver, J. M., & Barrett, L. F. (2014). Cultural relativity in perceiving emotion from vocalizations. Psychological science, 25(4), 911-920. Kinloch, P., & Metge, J. (2014). Talking past each other: problems of cross cultural communication. Victoria University Press. Nadel, S. F. (2013). The theory of social structure. Routledge. Taylor, S. P., Nicolle, C., & Maguire, M. (2013). Cross-cultural communication barriers in health care. Nursing Standard, 27(31), 35-43. Read More