The symbolic value of certain phrases may be incorporated into our belief system and form an essential element of how we see the world. There are particular phrases which trigger strong positive or adverse reactions. Countering someone advocating a very different interpretation of such a phrase may be perceived as a personal attack, a denial of an aspect of the other’s identity. A coal miner, for example, is likely to react quite differently to the phrase “global warming” than an environmental activist. Those views may center around potential unemployment, resulting in loss of income, family tension, and potentially a dramatic change in lifestyle.
According to Kurylo (2013), symbols allow culture to be represented or constructed through verbal and nonverbal communication. They try to create meaning by interpreting the symbols used in communication. Miscommunication and misunderstanding may arise because symbols may not have the same meaning for both the sender and receiver of messages. If these are not efficiently handled, they may lead to stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. Monaghan (2020), Zhu (2016), Holmes (2017), Merkin (2017), and Samovar et al. (2012) observe that inter-cultural communication occurs between people from different cultural groups.
By embracing these principles, teams can overcome the challenges of working across cultures and thrive in the rich opportunities that such diversity brings. Effective cross-cultural communication fosters an environment where every team member feels valued and understood. The ideal dynamic involves a seamless exchange of ideas, where diversity is leveraged as a strength rather a hurdle, enabling teams to collaborate efficiently and harmoniously toward their common goals. However, today, because of technology we are more connected than ever before. And our interactions on the internet are also shaped by our cultural upbringing. As mentioned earlier, cultures can range from high to low context with respect to communication.
Cross Cultural Communication Examples
Effective communication in cross-cultural and diverse environments is crucial for building strong relationships, fostering understanding, and achieving success in today’s globalized world. By embracing cultural awareness and sensitivity, overcoming language barriers, recognizing nonverbal cues, and developing interpersonal skills, individuals can navigate the complexities of cross-cultural communication with ease. Cultural awareness serves as the foundation for effective communication across cultures. Understanding different cultural norms, values, and perspectives enables individuals to adapt their approach and avoid misunderstandings.
- It is perhaps inevitable that such behaviour will be seen as deliberate evasion by some cultures, although the motivation behind the message is more complex than it may first appear.
- Reconciling these differences confers competitive advantages to those who communicate effectively.
- A second approach is to substitute making prescriptive suggestions with a descriptive account that highlights the kinds of issues that arise.
Intercultural Communication Examples
In 2005, the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions member states agreed that cultural diversity “increases the range of choices and nurtures human capacities and values. Therefore, it is a mainspring for sustainable development for communities, peoples and nations” (UNESCO, 2005, p. 1). The Convention reiterated the importance of the link between culture and development. UNESCO also steers an International Fund for Cultural Diversity to promote sustainable development and poverty reduction among the developing and least developed countries that are parties to the Convention.
Culture reinforces the economic, social, and communal fabrics that regulate social cohesion. The message’s sender and the receiver’s culture significantly influence how they communicate and relate with other people outside their tribal communities. Globalization has compelled people from widely divergent cultural backgrounds to work together. In our increasingly globalized world, effective cross-cultural communication is pivotal for fostering understanding and collaboration. The book Bodytalk by Desmond Morris is an interesting reference for gestures used all over the world and their meaning.
Scholars of conflict resolution have in fact pointed to some positive aspects of personal conflict (see sidebar). Conflicts can illuminate key cultural differences and thus can offer “rich points” for understanding other cultures. How such conflicts are resolved varies in line with the context and individuals concerned. Communication scholars have identified patterns in conflict resolution, discussed in the next section. As you seek to understand cultural differences and appreciate the diverse perspectives they bring to the table, this knowledge should inform your communication approach.
Additionally, such initiatives have been linked to adverse mental health outcomes, such as heightened levels of stress and depression among staff. In the attempt to create more inclusive and harmonious work environments, certain approaches have proven to be less effective and in some cases, counterproductive. Overall, the purpose of cross-cultural communication is to bridge cultural divides and create a more interconnected and harmonious world. Being aware of such issues is the first step to avoiding cultural misunderstandings.
In 1998, Stockholm hosted an Inter-governmental Conference on Cultural Policies for Development. Its Action Plan on Cultural Policies for Development reaffirmed the correlation between culture and development (UNESCO, 1998). In 1999, UNESCO and the World Bank held the Inter-governmental Conference, Culture Counts, in Florence. Here, ‘cultural capital’ was emphasized as the tool for sustainable development and economic growth (UNESCO, 1999). With ‘low-context’ Dutch suspects, research has found the use of ultimatums to be most effective when focused on personal issues.
Arguably, out of the phases, it is the early orientation and relational aspects of dialogue that are most vulnerable to misunderstanding. If people struggle over problem-solving aspects of interaction, there is a good chance that such misunderstandings will surface during their discussion. In contrast, issues relating to relationship or role may be difficult to spot, and even harder to undo as an interaction unfolds. When this approach is used in interactions with those from cultures in which social group is valued (e.g. as is typical of people from China, Kurdistan, and Surinam), the reaction is surprising.
From there, people make assumptions about what they think life is or should be. Young and Collin (2004) present that social constructionism pays more attention to society than individuals. What is widely accepted by a particular community may be unacceptable to other people who are not members of this group. Therefore, people see an issue as good or bad based on their group’s description.
In many cultures it is difficult or embarrassing to answer in the negative, so you will always get a ‘yes’ even if the real answer is ‘no’. If you’re not sure whether the other person has understood you properly, write it down to make sure. For example, in the UK we write a billion as 1,000,000,000 but in the USA, it’s written as 1,000,000,000,000. This job description created an unintentional bias against the entry-level applicants the ad was meant for. It also drove bias against multilingual applicants whose familiarity with English may be adequate for the position but who are not fluent enough to fully understand the job description. A team lead asks one of their highest-performing team members, a transfer from an international office, to handle two large projects simultaneously.
Although the organizational culture is unlikely to change overnight, making the effort to spark conversations on the individual level can be a step in the right direction. To begin, consider stepping out of your comfort zone and trying new things in the workplace. In terms of cross-cultural communication, one of the best ways to embrace this idea is to try new methods of doing things in ways that can help you better understand the perspectives of others.
Learn more about Northeastern’s https://www.youtube.com/@Fanfills Master of Science in Corporate and Organizational Communication or our Graduate Certificate in Cross-Cultural Communication to see how you can improve your skills and gain a career advantage. To be successful in any industry, organizations need to understand the communication patterns of employees, customers, investors, and other audiences. Awareness and willingness to adjust allow for the exchange of information regardless of cultural values, norms, and behaviors that may vary between audiences. By cultivating cultural awareness and sensitivity as the foundation for cross-cultural communication, interactions are more inclusive, respectful, and effective. This is the information content the sender wants to share with his receivers. A French man may see nothing wrong in his wife wearing a very skimpy bikini and other men ogling at her at a public beach.
These cultures are referred to as ‘low-context’ cultures – the meaning of the interaction is mainly in the words exchanged. There are a wide variety of ways to enhance your intercultural communication competence. Among these are learning when to ask open-ended questions, stick to yes/no answers, and decide when to use humor.
If you want to learn about other people and their customs and find common ground around the world, this is how to do it. Intercultural communication has become a key concept in language instruction, but only recently. “In the last 20 years—and particularly in the last 10 years—we really understand more about the role that language plays in identity,” says Frei. In her many roles at Penn, Frei ensures that language and cultural studies meet the standards of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL), which has started to center identity and culture. “Over the last 10 years, the best practices have changed, and ACTFL really has begun to look towards intercultural communication,” says Frei.
This has led to the conceptualisation of high-contact and low-contact cultures. Generally, interpersonal touching is more common in contemporary Western societies than in Asian cultures. Similarly, Latin American cultures are considered high contact while Middle Eastern cultures can be considered low-contact or non-contact cultures. Such assertions could lead to overgeneralizations as well, and due to globalization, they might not be valid as well. In addition to this, an individual’s personal boundaries might also stem from their upbringing as well.
At worst, they can be off-putting, even offensive, which can severely damage your brand image. Even if your marketing efforts are mainly focused on a single country or region, it is still important to consider potential cultural differences within that city or region. Better cross-cultural communication facilitates greater understanding between teammates. These strong internal relationships foster a sense of camaraderie, improve engagement, and minimize churn. Today’s workforce is both more spread out and more closely connected than ever before.
The result is that norms mislead how the other person’s behaviour is understood. The use of the modal verb “could” or the conditional form “would” is not semantically necessary – they don’t add anything to the meaning. They are included as part of the standard way polite requests are formulated in English. Asking the same questions more directly, i.e. “Bring me another cup of tea”, would be perceived as abrupt and impolite.
He thus encourages everybody to join in to win, not as individuals but as members of a group. If he is high on doubt avoidance, he makes his messages very direct and unambiguous and leaves no room for misinterpretation. However, a male sender who wants to assert his masculinity may wish to sound harsh. The sender who regularly attends church services may unconsciously put some words of Scripture in his messages because of his exogenic roots. The sender with monochronic orientation will send one message and expect the task to be completed as scheduled.