How does culture affect communication?

Answer 1

The Impact of Cultural Diversity on Business Communication

What is cultural diversity?

A mixture of people from different cultures, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and language groups peacefully coexisting within any given stable and sustainable context or environment.

Cultural diversity affects workplace communication in powerful ways.

The art of business communication has evolved as globalization has set disparate businesses cultures of the world on a collision course. Emerging economies have begun to integrate the business cultures of traditional powerhouse nations into their businesses, and they have been leaving traces of their own culture wherever they go. The impact of cultural diversity on business communication has widespread implications--from corporate boardrooms to employee break-rooms--and small business owners can benefit from gaining an understanding of the eccentricities of all cultures to which they are exposed.

Workplace Communication

According to lecturer and author Stephen Dahl, languages are highly influenced by the unique world views of their indigenous cultures. This means words and expressions themselves can have vastly different meanings and implications for people from different backgrounds. Employees in today's workplaces must be careful to ensure that their intended messages are understood clearly as they communicate with culturally diverse co-workers. Taboo topics of conversation, biases in spiritual, political or social issues and the nuances of life experience differ between cultures, making it a challenge for co-workers to find a common ground when communicating. Conflict management styles vary dramatically by culture as well, creating possible tensions. Imagine an employee from the Netherlands, where people see arguments as a constructive and necessary part of communication, trying to solve a problem with an employee from Japan, where public disagreement is deeply offensive, and you'll begin to grasp the types of problems that can arise due to cultural differences.

International Business Communication

In the past, it may have been commonplace for entrepreneurs and corporate managers to develop their own unique communication style for dealing with customers, business partners and suppliers. Today, however, managers must take the time to study the cultural eccentricities of their business counterparts before attempting to make contact with people in other countries or from other subcultures. The Texas oil tycoon, for example, has to understand that grabbing his Chinese partner's hand in a firm handshake is not a good idea but that a slight bow and smile are the appropriate form of greeting. Verbal communication and body language are more important than ever in international business dealings because innocent hand gestures, mannerisms or even posture can cause a rift between culturally diverse business partners. The diversity of culturally distinct managers has been melding slowly as globalization and Westernization give managers extensive experience in different cultures.

Written Communication

A fundamental shift in the form of written business communications is taking place to accommodate foreign speakers. University business-communication courses now stress simplicity and readability of correspondence over wordiness and technical prowess in writing. Being able to get your message across to all readers has become more important than showcasing a mastery of legalese or the complex language of business research. Culture and Business CommunicationIn business the most valuable thing would be information and for it to be transferred from one body to the other, communication is the vital element that drives such process. But when the communication comes to certain influenced by culture, it is a whole new chapter to be understood.

International businesses are facing a new dilemma whereby cross-cultural communication is introduced due to the major reforms brought about through internationalization, merging and joint ventures. This would make culture an important aspect when it comes to business communication.

Lack of understanding or investment in cross-cultural training would lead to major business problems. Such as loss of clients, poor staff motivation, lack of team building, internal conflicts, and poor productivity. These are all only the icing of the by-products of poor cross-cultural communication.

International companies with highly diverse workforce in terms of nationality and cultural background all face the same problem when conflict arises from the difference of culture, language, value, belief, business ethic, behavior, and cultural etiquettes.

Such conflict could prove to be a negative impact on the business mainly in team cohesion and staff productivity. Cross-cultural communication problems can manifest into the downfalls of big international companies when taken lightly. That is why more and more companies have realized such dilemma and are upgrading intercultural communication skills within its organization.

Cross-cultural consultants and intercultural team builders are summoned to deal with such dilemma as technology and science is improving by the second. Communication within companies is now more efficient and fast phones, fax and various other means of communication tools are invented closing in on the barriers of distance but introduces cross-cultural communication awareness.

Other than the differences of culture in the company, the company's working culture is also important as the company's culture projects the company's managerial abilities. Company's culture depends on how it views its staff and departments; does it see it as a close or open system? For example when one works in the engineering department and one works in the HR department, is there cross communications of synergy between the two departments?? If there isn't this means lack of communication is at present and team building is vital in improving such situations.

Such situations are usually endorsed by joint ventures and mergers of two separate cross-cultural companies whereby co-operation is required for their commitment to an open system. Without a doubt, most companies are form or merged in the expectations of better financial and strategic managements without realizing the consequences of intercultural communication mishaps.

As more and more companies realize that their business problems are not just mere financial flaws made by lack of education in their staff's but to the cross-cultural environment in which their staff's work in. The need for understanding communication between cultures and managing intercultural business management has rocketed ever since the discovery of such events during the globalization era.

The main reason for most failed ventures or cross-cultural business is mostly due to the underestimation of the effects of culture in a working environment especially in communication. Seeking expertise help on such situation would prove to be better investments once the differentiation is been straighten out.

Answer 2

Our different cultures often cause us to simply not discus certain issues. For instance a conservative Christian especially of the old school would have a great deal of trouble discussing sexuality and would find it virtually impossible to discus homosexuality. Certain Moslem cultures bar women from speaking to men altogether other then their husbands to name but a couple of examples.Many cultures accept certain norms and expect conformity to these norms, to discuss or question these norms would put a person in a possibly bad position,

Answer 3

There are various communication issues that need to be considered when working in culturally diverse environment. Some of the considerations include language and values of each of the cultures represented.

Answer 4

Google "Ethnolinguistics" or "Anthropological linguistics".