The Cultural and Language Barriers - Example

ASSESSMENT 1: CASE STUDY REPORT By Name Course Instructor Institution City/State Date Table of Contents ASSESSMENT 1: CASE STUDY REPORT 1 Table of Contents 2 Executive Summary 3 Introduction 4 The Cultural and Language Barriers 4 Work and Life Balance 7 Conclusion 8 Recommendations 9 References 11 Case Study Report Executive Summary Language barrier limits the opportunity for locals to interact effectively with the foreign workers as evidenced by Dandan Yuwen while trying to interact with her colleagues in Europe. The present global economy is knowledge-based; therefore, online communication has become more and more valuable to organisations since it offers an effective way of responding to the dynamic competitive markets. After the online conference between Yuwen and colleagues from Asia, Europe, and the US, she noted that good ideas had been raised, but the language and cultural barriers in addition to time constraint made it hard to develop them. Even though, online communication has promoted knowledge and information based culture, if poorly managed it can destroy the performance of an individual or a group. Without a doubt, the global marketplace has generated scores of opportunities for business development; however, poor cross-cultural communication may negatively affect the workers. Therefore, as recommended in this report, it is imperative to comprehend the cross-cultural communication barriers as well as understand how to overcome them. Work-life balance is another issue that has been exacerbated by the time difference between Europe and China. Normally, inability to manage a balance between work and life can result in issues such as poor employee performance. Still, the globalisation and advancement in technology have increased workloads in the global village. Therefore, a number of strategies have been suggested so as to overcome these issues: introduction of initiatives that support work-life balance, improve internal organisational communication, and espousal of cross-cultural training programmes Introduction The aim of this report is to offer an analysis of the situation Yuwen is experiencing using different international human resource management (IHRM) theories. Besides that, the report provides a number of practical recommendations that can help improve the situation. Yuwen experiences some problems while trying to interact with her colleagues from other countries because of poor phone connection as well as language and cultural barriers. The pronunciation of some words by the European and American colleagues were hard to decipher because of the accent and it was hard to ask for clarification because of time constraint. Another problem that Yuwen experience is the inability to balance between work and life, and this attributed mainly to inability to work remotely. According to Yadav and Rani (2015, p.682), lack of work-life balance can result in job dissatisfaction, lack of commitment from employees, job stress, absenteeism and poor performance. These days, organisations are operating on a supranational level, trading in different parts across the globe and across national barriers. Fujimoto et al. (2007, p.9) argue that having a strong network competence can positively influence the online collaboration; therefore, cross-cultural communication effectiveness is crucial to the success of the business today. The Cultural and Language Barriers Evidently, language and cultural barriers created a challenging situation because good ideas discussed during the online meetings could not be implemented. Basically, the challenges associated with cross-national business are attributed to cultural differences and globalisation. Irwin (2012, p.5) maintains that cultural difference is the main barrier to doing business in a globalised market. Hofstede (1993) as cited by Irwin (2012, p.5) is certain that the globalisation of business is largely influenced by regional and national differences. For instance, the Chinese society is impacted enormously by the traditional values related to Confucianism that supports a strict system of modesty and norms. This can be evidenced by Yuwen behaviour since her work and private life have largely been separated. Basically, companies from the western countries that have integrated ethical values into their business practices must take into account the Confucian influences and cultural characteristics on the behaviour of the employees. For instance, what the Westerners deem to be undesirable and offensive practice due to the violation of the core principles could be tolerable and acceptable in another culture. Most companies ignore either intentionally or unintentionally the roles that respect and personal connections play in helping workers learn how to appropriately manage the business relationships, especially when operating in the Chinese market. Chhokar et al. (2013, p.1032) opine that China does have a strong collectivism since people rely more on institutions or groups so as to find the way forward. In this case, employees working in China are more inclined to collaborate with others with the goal of avoiding risks as well as reducing the responsibilities. While collaborating, Chinese are inclined to focus more on relationships than their counterparts from Western countries (Anedo, 2012, p.95). Technological achievements have made the world a global village, and as a result people from different cultural backgrounds are communicating and working together. Still, failure to understanding the cultural diversities makes it hard to manage people from different cultures. Kawar (2012, p.105) asserts that managing people in the organisation is associated with different issues such as motivating them, developing strategies and structuring policies. Therefore, there is a need to understand the cultural diversities so as to effectively manage employees in a globalised organisation. The cultural dimensions theory by Hofstede illustrates how a culture can affect the values of people within the society. The dimensions include; (1) power distance, (2) individualism versus collectivism, (3) uncertainty avoidance, (4) masculinity versus femininity and (5) long-term orientation versus short-term orientation (Rodrigues & Sbragia, 2011, p.39). Time constraint made it hard for Yuwen to balance her work and life and also made it hard to put the ideas generated through online conferencing into practice. Every culture perceives time in a different way based on its history, traditions, and so forth. Citing Hall and Hall (1990), Kawar (2012, p.108) posits that there are two forms of time systems: polychronic and monochronic. Polychronic time system is utilised in cultures where people main emphasis is on one task that hardly relies on comprehensive information and where priorities are taken over schedules are. On the other hand, monochronic time system is utilised in cultures where time is used linearly and people carry out one task at a time in line with the set schedule. In these cultures, people focus more on information instead of people. China is believed to be a high context culture because the style of communication as mentioned by Kim et al. (1998, p.512) is influenced by strong behavioural norms, a social hierarchy that is well-structures and the closeness of human relationships. In such a culture, Nishimura et al. (2008, p.785) affirm that the internal meaning is normally deeply integrated into information; therefore, not all is stated clearly when spoken or in writing. Yuwen does not ask for clarification because, in Chinese Culture, the listener is supposed to read ‘between the lines’ in order to comprehend the unsaid. In the culture where Yuwen works, people are inclined to speak linearly (one after another); therefore, the speaker is hardly ever interrupted. On the other hand, in the low context (LC) culture such as Europe, the US and Australia, people are expected to ask for clarification in case something is not clear. Basically, the low context culture is characterised by linear as well as direct communication. Importantly, communication is always dramatic, direct, precise, open, and rooted in true intentions and feelings (Nishimura et al., 2008, p.785). Without a doubt, cross-cultural communication has confronted Yuwen with her interpretations as well as perceptions. Adler (1991, p.89) maintains that cross-cultural perspectives are likely to render everything slightly uncertain. Communicating with a foreign colleague could be the same as knowing the music but not the beat or the words but not the music. Work and Life Balance Lockwood (2003, p.2) argues that globalisation has filled the society with conflicting commitments and responsibilities; therefore, work/life balance has turned out to be a main issue in the place of work. Therefore, there is a need for a work-family/life culture, which can be made possible if the organisation values as well as supports the integration of workers family and work lives. Basically, lack of work–family culture can result in negative career consequences (Wei et al., 2013, p.106). Recently, multi-faced and competing demands between home and work responsibilities have increased tremendously, mainly because of workplace and demographic changes. Due to such changes as well as the resultant conflict, Lazar et al. (2010, p.202) posits that organisations have been forced to come up with a different form of practices that intends to improve the efforts of employees to fulfilling both their personal and work commitments. Globalisation has led to increased work responsibilities; therefore, balancing between professional and personal life has become almost impossible. Friedman and Greenhaus (2000, p.3) insists that problems associated with work-life balance have become very serious and must be addressed. Friedman and Greenhaus (2000, p.3) hold the view that the existing conflict between family and work has some consequences; for instance, It considerably affects career attainment and the family life quality. For women like Yuwen, the issues surrounding work/life balance can result in limited career advancement opportunity as well as the accomplishment in their roles within the workplace. Having a balance between work and family can somehow enable a person to balance his/her role both at work and home. Delina and Raya (2013, p.275) suggests that work-Life Balance initiatives may offer a good solution to solving the conflict between family and work since they increase the control of employee over workplace and time as well as reduces stress. Evidently, living a balanced life is crucial for individuals like Yuwen who seek to achieve satisfying experiences in every domain of life; therefore, they need personal resources like commitment, time and energy. Most women work very hard both in the workplace and home to the detriment of their own well-being and health so as to have a quality of life. However, work/life balance normally influence the sought after; for instance, an imbalance in the family and at the workplace can thoroughly impede a person’s quality of life. According to Delina and Raya (2013, p.275) work imbalance normally results in high-stress levels and eventually diminishes employees’ productivity at work. Conclusion To sum up, this report paper has indicated that there exist cross-cultural differences amongst different cultures, and such differences can negatively influence communication between people coming from different cultures. Globalisation has left people exposed to different cultures, and this normally results in scores of barriers such as language and communication barriers. These barriers as mentioned in the report always result in poor communication. Therefore, understanding intercultural communication can help overcome such barriers. Besides that, the paper has emphasised the need to establish a supportive work-family/life culture so as to ensure employees are not stressed and also to improve their performance. Recommendations The company should espouse flexible work-life balance initiatives so as to retain the current workforce and reduce work-related stress. For the initiatives to be effective, the organisation must change the assumption that a worker is out of control when working out of sight. For this reason, the organisation must introduce performance-based assessment so as to measure the commitment and contribution of the employees through performance instead of ‘face time’. Furthermore, there need for dialogue between top management and employees so as to ensure everyone benefits from the introduction of supportive work-family/life initiatives. To solve the internal communication problems, dialogue, input and sharing should be encouraged so as to ensure employees work towards success. Besides that, communication should be done routinely to ensure everyone gets real-time updates. Furthermore, employees should be trained in the language of sharing so as to ensure people like Yuwen can share their perspectives freely. This can be achieved through coaching. In terms of Cross-cultural training programmes, the training programs should teach cultural differentiation so as to enable employees to learn how to maintain their culture while recognising the value of other cultures in the organisation. Employees should be trained on how to understand and appreciate cross-cultural differences so as to promote communication that is clearer. In so doing, they will be able to break down cultural and language barriers, opens horizons, make relationships stronger and build trust. Imperatively, the cross-cultural training program must emphasise on the cultural issues and on helping participants improve how they communicate across cultures. Therefore, the cross-cultural training program should enable the participants to learn about themselves, develop interpersonal skills, build trust, and encourage confidence. References Adler, N.J., 1991. Communicating across Cultural Barriers. In International Dimensions of Oganizational Behavior. Boston, MA: PWS-KENT Publishing Company. pp.63-91. Anedo, O., 2012. China - Africa culture differences in business relations. African Journal of Political Science and International Relations , vol. 6, no. 4, pp.92-96. Chhokar, J.S., Brodbeck, F.C. & House, R.J., 2013. Culture and Leadership Across the World: The GLOBE Book of In-Depth Studies of 25 Societies. New York: Routledge. Delina, G. & Raya, P., 2013. A study on Work-Life Balance in Working Women. International Journal of Commerce, Business and Management, vol. 2, no. 5, pp.274-82. Friedman, S.D. & Greenhaus, J.H., 2000. Work and Family--Allies or Enemies?: What Happens When Business Professionals Confront Life Choices. New York: Oxford University Press. Fujimoto, Y., Bahfen, N., Fermelis, J. & Hartel, C.E.J., 2007. The global village: online cross-cultural communication and HRM. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, vol. 14, no. 1, pp.7-22. Irwin, J., 2012. Doing Business in China: An overview of ethical aspects. Occasional Paper. London: Institute of Business Ethics. Kawar, T.I., 2012. Cross-cultural Differences in Management. International Journal of Business and Social Science, vol. 3, no. 8, pp.105-11. Kim, D., Pan, Y. & Park, H.S., 1998. High- versus low-context culture: A comparison of Chinese, Korean and American cultures. Psychology & Marketing, vol. 15, no. 6, pp.507–21. Lazar, I., Osoian, C. & Ratiu, P., 2010. 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Work life balance: challenges and opportunities. International Journal of Applied Research , vol. 1, no. 11, pp.680-84. Read More