Communicating Across Cultures for Globalization -myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theCommunicating Across Cultures for Globalization. Answer: Globalization has resulted in people from different backgrounds or with different cultures being brought together in the workplace. This has made it imperative for managers to find out how they can communicate with minimal misinterpretation. Culture defines several aspects of peoples lives including how they perceive the world around them and also how they interact with those whom they come to meet. It is for this reason that those who would like to be managers must learn as much as they can about others in order to understand what they really mean whenever they try to communicate. In a similar manner, those who venture into other continents or regions must learn as much as possible about the culture of those who live in those countries so that they may not end up doing what is considered inappropriate while they think that they are doing the right thing. People should also be willing to adapt to situations and therefore practice some of the cultural practices of those places where t hey go to work both as a sign of respect and to make work easier. A look at the topic of communication across cultures gives insight on what to expect and what to do when dealing with people from different cultures. Communication involves making meaning out of the information that someone is trying to pass across. It mostly involves the use of both verbal and non-verbal cues. Different people put emphasis on different things during the communication process (Shockley-Zalabak, 2014). In some cultures, such as the Western culture, the non-verbal cues are not as important as the actual words spoken. On the contrary, gestures and sign form a very significant part of what is communicated among those of the Asian origin, among other people from the East (Steers, Nardon and Sanchez-Runde, 2013). This means that in the workplace there is a tendency of people to interpret reality in a manner that they deem fit, or differently from their peers. In as much as it is argued by most publishers that effective communication is greatly hindered by factors such as gender and age, cultural differences are actually the greatest obstacle in the mid-sized as well as the large companies. Notably, The greater the numbe r of cultural groups, the harder it is to convey the intended message without upsetting one of those in the group. Several theories have been put to explain the reasons why communication involving those of different cultures is difficult. Hofstede (1984) categorizes regions based on six parameters in order to give a visitor insight on what to expect when moving to these places. Some of these parameters include the power, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance and indulgence indices. With ranks in terms of percentages, it is possible to predict what certain cultures focus on hence a possibility of knowing how to conduct oneself when in these places. A person is able to predict to some extent what to say and when to best say it. These parameters are however not comprehensive when it comes to analyzing communication between people of different cultures( Hakken and Mat, 2014). One is not, for example, able to decipher the value that is attached to things such as gestures and even silence by those who form the minority. Language is thought to play a crucial role in communication. Steers, Nardon and Sanchez-Runde (2013) believe that it is the greatest determinant of how people who try pass information will manage to understand one another especially when they come from different backgrounds. In a similar way, language is believed to be one of the greatest impediments to information flow between those whose cultural backgrounds differ. This may appear contradictory if one is not to notice that language is looked at from different perspectives. It is important for those who move to countries that they are the minority to spend enough time in learning the language of their country for the sake of proper interpretation of the reality(Aronin and Laoire, 2013). People, most of the time work in teams or gather together for the purpose of decision making. These meetings most of the time requires these people to use the dominant language hence the need to properly learn a language when one goes to work in a different geographical region especially where their language is not commonly spoken (Pettigrew,2014). Hence, a good manager must always go for the language that favors as much of the workforce as possible as the first step of minimizing communication difficulties. One component of communication that nearly all managers overlook is the whether some of the workers speak the dominant language as the first or second language thereby failing to know the kind of vocabulary to use. This should not be the case for a serious manager. There are several other important factors to consider when communication between those of different cultures is concerned. These include the appropriateness of the message, the behavior of those communicating, and the message formatting. These factors, however, seem to outweigh language in importance as per Steers explanations in their book (Steers, Nardo, and Sanchez-Runde, 2013). What remains clear however is that these factors need to be put into consideration when people from different cultures are communicating. The topic chosen for discussion needs to be appropriate. Some cultures do not consider for example talking about ones family appropriate whereas in others it is nearly impolite if someone does not ask how their peers family is doing. Among the South Koreans for example, discussions revolving around families are most of the time avoided by the communicating parties whereas in the West people feel comfortable discussing in length about the families of those concerned (Stee rs, Nardon and Sanchez-Runde, 2013). In some culture, discussions about health care issues are seldom allowed as this is mostly associated with lack of positivity and also bad luck (Yum, 2012). On the contrary, some cultures allow for these types of discussions while focusing on the facts that they can deduct from these talks. A manager, therefore, needs to determine if the topic for discussion is considered appropriate by those who belong to the minority, lest he or she may lack to get the feedback that is needed ( Bens,2012). What should be done when this is the case, therefore, is to approach such topics indirectly especially if important information is needed in a discussion. When communication involves people from diverse backgrounds it is also important to note that that context plays an important role in determining the effectiveness of the process (Chaney and Martin, 2013). Context can be broadly grouped into two categories that is, high context and low context cultures. When a culture is termed as high context it means that people in that society give more importance to the context surrounding the message compared to the information itself. Conversely, those that are considered to be from low context cultures give little importance to the context of the message compared to the message itself. This means that the person who is communicating in a low context society must ensure message clarity and even go the extra mile of using things such as a written document (Frankel et al,2012). For those in societies considered to be high context, the manner in which something is said is usually more important than what is actually said. It is therefore important for managers to learn how significant the context is to the communication process and therefore know how to best relay their message. The topic of communication across cultures is very important for all those who may find themselves in leadership positions in regions that are far from them. Moreover, it is prudent for those who plan to go to work in countries or regions which practice different cultures to dig deep into this topic so that they may have substantial knowledge about what is needed to ensure communication is effective (Matsumoto and Hwang, 2013). It is my belief that learning about cross cultural communication will mold me into one of the most accommodative managers as it provides the knowledge on what needs to be done so that their intended message is passed successfully. Having noticed from work that most of the time some colleagues feel alienated because they have different cultural beliefs, I believe that I will be in a better position to understand those from other regions. The rapid growth in industries and institutions means that the interaction of people from different backgrounds is inevitable and so it is important to know what it takes to have meaningful conversations. It is also important for people to be willing to change in terms of behavior or beliefs for effective communication to take place. Learning about cross cultural communication helps one to identify the acceptable behavior when in the company of people from different cultural backgrounds. The way managers are expected to behave in different situations differ depending on the geographical region involved (Okoro, 2012). For those in the West, a manager is expected to be assertive and always take control of situations. Whenever there is a situation, they are mostly required to be among the first to express their opinion. This is however not the case for those in the East. A manager or anyone occupying the top position in most of the Asian firms is usually expected to speak after an invitation from others (Steers, Nardon and Sanchez-Runde,2013). This knowledge, which is obtained from learning about communication, is crucial for people from the East who move westwards and vice versa (Kawar, 2012). The way conversations are ended also differ between people of different cultures. It is important to note that America and Canada and even here in Australia, a manager is usually expected to leave a conversation the moment that he or she is done with discussing the main topic whenever there is a meeting. This tradition is also common in not just companies but also in learning institutions. In countries such as Spain however, it is the norm for a manager to linger a while as they discuss other businesses before he or she leaves (Gesteland, 2012). Hence, I believe that cross cultural communication is one of the most important topics that those who plan to work in diverse environments need to learn. The study of communication across cultures is also important in the enhancement of one's communication skills. Efficient communication is not just a matter of knowing the most suitable language to use in the workplace or the most appropriate behavior but also involves broadening one's knowledge from the smallest of cues that can be noted during the process of information sharing (Thomas and Peterson, 2017). Surprisingly, sometimes silence can also be an important form of communication which when used correctly can pass the intended message without a lot of effort being put into the information passing process (Tjosvold, 2017). It is however not easy to know when to use silence as a tool for communicating, not unless one does it practically especially when surrounded by those whose culture places a lot of value on silence and non-verbal cues. Most companies today are trying to ensure that they enhance the communication skills of their employees by making sure they are routinely traine d on the business practices of their regions before they are given the go ahead to start working in those localities (Men and Tsai, 2012). Etiquette is now an important part of the training offered to those who may not belong to the majority groups. This topic has taught me a lot of things. For instance, it has become clear that people perceive situations differently based on their cultural inclinations. As such it becomes prudent to know how best to make them understand you. This can be achieved by having the zeal to learn how people from different parts of the world communicate. Anyone who hopes to be a manager must understand that organizations will rarely be made up of the same type of people and that the likelihood of having friction as a result of misinterpretation is quite high once people who belong to different cultural groups are brought together. Since I plan to become a global manager, I hope to use this knowledge to foster cohesiveness within the organization that I may head. I am already having challenges in my day to day life when it comes to communicating effectively with those who are from some parts of the world, a situation that I hope will improve with time especially once I am done with my course. I plan to visit other parts of the world, especially the East to learn about the dominant cultural practices in these places more so the ones that are useful when it comes to communication. Since there is rapid growth in countries such as China, the importance of learning about their values is quite high as several industries or firms including the Australian ones may be interested in opening branches or plants there (Shambaugh, 2013). For one to thrive in these places cultural knowledge about others is important. Relaying information also requires that people listen attentively. It is only through attentive listening that those in the managerial positions can learn from their failures and therefore find the best solutions for their companies especially when they are coming from those who may not belong to the dominant cultural group(Alberts et al, 2015). The effect of external factors should also not be overlooked as they may contribute to the effectiveness of the communication (Caligiuri and Tarique, 2012). When a manager is not only a skilled listener but also a person who is able to avoid external hindrances to the communication process, he or she is usually able to close deals easily and guide the company to prosperity. To sum up, it is important to learn about cross cultural communication because most companies are hiring people from different backgrounds. Learning how to be effective when passing messages between those of different cultures is not easy. One has to be prepared to make mistakes and sometimes to unintentionally offend one of the parties involved in the communication process. It is only through practice and commitment that someone may be able to get to that position in which he or she knowns what to say and when to say it. Effective communication is key in promoting cohesiveness within an organization and also ensuring that the company remains innovative due to the input of those from different backgrounds. 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