...Denielle Scalisce 05/13/2014 Understanding Cross-Cultural Communications It’s no secret that communication across many cultures is something that we deal with in every work place. As business environments expand they include various geographic locations and a wide range of cultures. Because of that it is important to be able to understand how to communicate with individuals who speak another language or who rely on different means to reach a common goal. The internet and modern technology have made it very easy for businesses to expand to these cultures and also allow them to communicate with each other as if they were located in the same town. For those who are native English-speakers, it’s seems that English is the most widely used language when trying to reach the widest range of people. Without getting into cultures and sub-cultures, it is most important for people to realize that a basic understanding of cultural diversity is the key to effective cross-culture communications. Without necessarily studying individual cultures and languages in detail, we must all learn how to better communicate with individuals and groups whose first language, or language of choice, does not match our own. Just a basic knowledge about culture and at least something about the language of communication in different countries is important. Take for instance kissing a business associate is not considered appropriate business practice in the U.S., but in Paris,...
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...Introduction to cross-cultural psychology In each society there are different beliefs, when it comes to psychological disorders many cultural believe that disorders can be caused by demons that have taken over there mind and body. To obtain a better understanding of how different cultural view psychology this paper will define cultural and cross-cultural beliefs. The next step will be to analyze the relationship between cultural and cross cultural psychology this leads to the discussion of the role of critical thinking in cross- cultural psychology. Last the paper will discuss the methodology associated with cross-cultural research. Define cultural and cross-cultural psychology Each human does not get to choice the cultural that they will be placed in. From birth to adulthood the culture that we learn and live in is chosen for us by our caregivers. Culture is defined as a set of behaviors, symbols, and attitudes that are shared among a large group of people and this is usually been passed down from one generation to the next (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). The behaviors that are learned can be customs, traditions, habits, and fashions. Symbols are a form of material objects (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). Attitudes are beliefs that include political, religious, moral views and can include opinions, superstitions, and stereotypes (Shiraev & Levy, 2010). Although some cultures may have some attributes that are similar there are no two cultures that are the same. This is why it is important...
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...CROSS CULTURE COMMUNICATION Sondra Pham University of Memphis Abstract This paper explores cross culture communication by dissecting the term. Cross-cultural communication is a newly studies and researchable topic due to the businesses going global and the interaction between different cultures. In this paper, it will define communication and culture along with helpful tips and strategies to better understand how to communicate between different cultures. This paper examines the do’s and don’ts during cultural interaction in the business world as well as the tools for communicating with different cultures. Cross Culture Communication The importance of effective communication is immeasurable in the world of business and in personal life. Communication and cultures have always existed, but with the global market growing, it has been more common for business to do business with people from different cultures. The way of communicating will not be the same in all countries. Cross- cultural communication is essential in order to have a successful business and relationship with companies around the world. There are many aspects that go into consideration when communicating with people from a different background. Before fully understanding cross culture communication, one must first understand communication. Understanding Communication Communication is our ability to share our ideas and feelings. Whether people live in Hanoi, Vietnam, a city in Brazil, the mountains of North...
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...Managing cross cultural communication Introduction Globalization is a phenomenon that is in vogue nowadays. In this rapidly changing world to succeed it’s imperative for an organization to adopt the phenomenon of globalization. On one hand globalization cultivates scores of benefits for the organization. On the other hand, it also generates various dilemmas for management. One of these dilemmas is of effective communication management. This phenomenon of globalization presents challenges of understanding and managing cross-cultural communications. According to Stephen Roberts: “Culture is the framework in which we communicate” This suggests that various factors give rise to the problem of cross-cultural communication. These factors include: language, environment, technology, social organization, the perception of authority and non-verbal communications. Having the ability to assess these variables is vital in ensuring for managers to convey messages and conduct business across a wide range of cultures. This paper addresses communication within multicultural project teams and the significance of leadership style in managing cross-cultural communications. The aim of this paper is to reveal different ways or skills that managers need to adopt to make the process of communication effective. Furthermore, this paper sheds lights on variegated barriers that may exist in effective communication process in a cross-culture environment. Literature review Zapf...
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...10 Incorporating Cross-cultural Communication in ELT: A Pedagogical Approach ■ Y. Suneetha Rajeev Gandhi Memorial College of Engineering & Technology, Nandyal G.M. Sundaravalli Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupathi ABSTRACT: Cross-cultural communication has become ever more significant through the globalization of markets, affairs of nation-states and technologies. Consequently, the cultural quotient (CQ) is becoming increasingly important, especially in the context of the changing dynamics of work culture around the world. This paper makes a case for the need to pay attention to intercultural communication and discusses some specific approaches and strategies in the teaching of intercultural communication in the classroom. These approaches include addressing issues like learning to honour one’s own culture and sharing it with others while developing a capacity to be open to other cultures. Other strategies include progressing from an ethnocentric to an ethno-relative state of understanding and acceptance of cultural differences and increasing one’s ability to communicate with non-native speakers. Specifically, classroom practices and strategies suggested include intercultural explorations, use of texts, films, short stories and other multi-media resources, contrastive case studies of cultures, group encounters and role plays. Introduction Sir Francis Bacon said that if a man was gracious and courteous to strangers, it showed that he was a citizen of the world, and...
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... Introduction In this assignment, a conscience effort has been made to understand the concepts of “Cross Cultural Management” (CCM). Before we get into the dept, it is important for us to understand “Culture” in broad terms. The expression “culture” can be defined as the inherited values, concepts, and ways of living which are shared by people of the same social group. To simplify further, culture is divided into two kinds; the first is “generic culture” which is essentially a shared culture of all humans living on this planet. The second is “local culture” which refers to symbols and schemas shared by a particular social group. The local culture can also be understood from the simple that every country has a diverse and different culture which may be similar, but it certainly cannot be the same. Culture is different in many forms and contents that include factors that we can see like language, behavior, dressing and food; and others that we cannot see like beliefs and values. With the advent of Globalization, the world is now a global village and the technological achievements of this modern time have brought people closer together than ever. This also means that people from different parts of the world and with different cultural backgrounds are working and communicating together. While this is not only interesting, but dealing with people from different cultures requires conscience efforts in knowing the cultural diversities. This can be further be explained with...
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...Summary on Cross Cultural Communication June, 13, 2016 at 8:50 am Cross-cultural communication has become strategically important to companies due to the growth of global business, technology and the Internet. Understanding cross-cultural communication is important for any company that has a diverse workforce or plans on conducting global business. This type of communication involves an understanding of how people from different cultures speak, communicate and perceive the world around them. Cross-cultural communication in an organization deals with understanding different business customs, beliefs and communication strategies. Language differences, high-context vs. low-context cultures, nonverbal differences and power distance are major factors that can affect cross-cultural communication. Cross-cultural communication is imperative for companies that have a diverse workforce and participate in the global economy. It is important for employees to understand the factors that are part of an effective, diverse workforce. With cross-cultural communication you have to remember the six principles. The first principle is the similarities or the common ground, the next one is differences or the perspective, judgment, or choice. The third principle is diversity or valuing the difference, the fourth one is respect or the basic human need. The fifth one is acknowledgment which is the recognition of individual needs. Finally the six and last principle is empathy, the understanding and compassion...
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... 221). My research team was composed of seven members that were four local students and three Chinese. Through the group activity, I have personally gained a lot from working with my research team on diversity management. The paper analyzes my self-awareness on cross-cultural issues and provides an insight into our chosen research topic ‘benefits and challenges of a cross-cultural team’. The paper further analyzes the implications of diversity management in an organization as a manager. My self-awareness on cross-cultural issues From the group activity, I was able to learn that cultural awareness is the base of communication and it entails the ability of individuals to stand back and become aware of their cultural values, beliefs, perceptions and differences. It is essential for individuals to understand the reason why they do things differently, why they react differently in a particular ways and perceive the world in different ways. Cross-cultural awareness is central when individuals interact with people from different cultures as individuals will evaluate and interpret things in different ways. What can be considered as inappropriate behavior in one culture is considered as appropriate behavior in another culture (van Knippenberg & Schippers 2007, p. 523). As an U.K local, it is almost automatic to perceive the Chinese as individuals who always work and talk about business over tea and lunch breaks instead of sitting down and enjoy their meals. Thus, it...
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...The need for understanding cultural differences, diversity of needs and competing interests is paramount to be successful in the current age of globalization. Business dealings have evolved into cross border … and business executives are required to deal with counterparts for from different parts of the world. A high level of cross cultural negotiation skills becomes a prerequisite for success. Thus the importance of understanding cultural diffences becomes critical. Cross cultural negotiations are complex and involve both personal and cultural – they have an impact on both perception of conflicts and the methods used to solve them. Many factors influence the outcome of cross-cultural negotiations and should be considered before entering into negotiations with another culture. Negotiators who understand certain aspects of cross-culture negotiations have the advantage over the negotiator who is not well prepared to negotiate with their foreign counterpart. I will discuss a few negotiation factors which constitute a basic framework for identifying cultural differences that was presented during the cross cultural team presentations. Cultures have different views and reasons for setting their goals in negotiations; for example in North America the goal of any business negotiation is to reach a substantive outcome; time is money and the outcome of reaching an agreement is quick and formal. In Italy, quite the contrary is true; the goal for a negotiation is to focus on building...
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...Culture is something that both unites and segregates individuals of the human race. I have always found different cultures to be interesting and have enjoyed meeting people from other ethnic backgrounds. Coming to a new country that did not understand nor fully accept the culture that I brought with me was not an easy adjustment. I always felt a bit lost and misunderstood, never really being able to celebrate my Punjabi heritage or the American culture. Holidays were especially hard because my family did not understand the traditional American holidays and we didn’t have an outlet to celebrate the holidays we did for the first 8 years of my life. It was hard finding a healthy balance. This all helped me to better understand culture in general. But, what is culture? More importantly what is its relationship to psychology? Culture is defined as a group of characteristics, behaviors, attitudes, values and customs that are particular to a group of people. “Behaviors must be judged according to cultural rules and ideologies or the judgment has no basis in the reality embraced by the culture” (Solomon, Greenberg, & Pyszczynski, 1991). Cultural Psychology deals with specific location, perceptive and beliefs of a culture that one has been raised in or is accustomed to. Cultural psychology looks at how factors of culture influence a person’s behavior. Cross Cultural Psychology, according to ‘Introduction to cross-cultural psychology’, “is the scientific study of human behavior and...
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...A Look into Cross-Cultural Psychology Amy Stoffel Psych 450/Diversity and Cultural Factors in Psychology December 6, 2011 Cheri Meadowlark A Look into Cross-Cultural Psychology Culture is a significant factor for any psychologist to consider when interacting with a client. However, for those psychologists in the field of cross-cultural psychology understanding culture is essential. Understanding the basis of cultural psychology and cross-cultural psychology as well as the relationship between the two psychologies is necessary in this field. Additionally, key concepts such as multiculturalism, the methodology connected with the research, and the role of critical thinking are important in understanding cross-cultural psychology as a discipline. Cross-Cultural Psychology versus Cultural Psychology Cross-cultural psychology is a relatively new field of psychology rooted in Europe but developed primarily in the United States. This branch of psychology is an international discipline that includes other disciplines such as anthropology, sociology, history, physiology, and political science. The main focus of cross-cultural psychology is how cultural factors influence people’s behaviors, emotions, thoughts, and motivations. Cross-cultural psychology is considered the critical and comparative study of cultural effects on human psychology. In cross-cultural psychology both the similarities and differences of people in various cultures are compared [ (Levy & Shiraev...
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...Introduction to Cross Cultural Psychology Patrice Jones PSY/450 May 7, 2010 Joseph Gaines Introduction to Cross Cultural Psychology Cultural and cross cultural psychology is the field or branch of psychology the focuses primarily on culture, and the effects culture has on the mind and behavior. Culture is the symbols, attitudes, and behaviors shared by a group of people and passed on to the next generation. Culture affects how an individual thinks and in turn affects an individual’s behavior. Cultural psychology focuses on how culture affects an individual’s mental processes and behavior within that culture. Cross cultural psychology compares at least two cultures to see how culture affects an individual’s mental processes and behavior. Cross cultural psychology not only focuses on the differences between cultures, but also on the similarities and the reasons for these differences or similarities. Cultural psychology focuses on the effects culture has on an individual’s mental processes and behavior within that culture. Cultural psychologists try to find out as much about a particular culture, and how that culture affects the individual’s that lives there. Cultural psychologists can have a better understanding of a behavior when viewed in its sociocultural context. Cross cultural psychology compares two or more cultures to determine how culture affects an individual’s mental processes and behavior. Cross cultural psychology does not focus on only one culture at a time...
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...more than 310,000,000 people migrated daily to new points on the globe. (Kemp 2009) Why are so many people migrating? In a world where culture understanding may become more important than actual communication, “Saving Face” by Francine Kemp tries to help us understand conflict in multicultural organizations. To obtain a better understanding of what Kemp means by “saving face” we need to move forward and understand what is happening in the world around us. Author Francine Kemp’s professional interests are in leadership development. Kemps main research lies in the field of women and diverse groups with the focus being cross cultural communication between cultures, genders and social groups. Her education and background are also impressive. Dr. Kemp possesses a Doctorate of Management in Organizational Leadership through the University of Phoenix, a Masters in Education from the Trenton State College now Renamed the College of New Jersey earned in Tel Aviv, Israel, and a double Bachelors in Education from Wright State University, Dayton, Oh. http://www.apu.apus.edu/community/faculty/bio/779/francine-d-kemp “Saving Face” has a broad range of geographic locations that it references throughout the article. Kemp’s groups of focus include Asian, Middle Eastern, African and Hispanic Cultures. Kemp utilizes these groups to compare how culture can be divided into low-context and high-context groups. Kemp identifies low-context groups to exhibit very little concern, interest...
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...International Dimensions in Organizational Behavior | Cross-Cultural Communication INTRODUCTION "We didn't all come over on the same ship, but we're all in the same boat." – Bernard Baruch, American financier and statesman. The Internet and modern technology have opened up new marketplaces that allow us to promote our businesses to new geographic locations and cultures. And given that it can now be as easy to work with people remotely as it is to work face-to-face, cross-cultural communication is increasingly the new norm. For those of us who are native English-speakers, it is fortunate that English seems to be the language that people use if they want to reach the widest possible audience. However, even for native English speakers, cross-cultural communication can be an issue: Just witness the mutual incomprehension that can sometimes arise between people from different English-speaking countries. In this new world, good cross-cultural communication is a must. BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION Obviously, not all individuals acculturate similarly. Some find the daily challenges of responding to another culture to be too stressful and overwhelming. If possible, such individuals will choose to return to their cultural origin; if they cannot do so, various kinds of maladaptive adjustments, or even mental illness, can occur. People misunderstand each other for a wide variety of reasons, and these misunderstandings can occur between people who are culturally...
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...PSY/450 – Introduction to Cross-Cultural Psychology Paper Aspectsof Culture in PsychologyCultural context is a major element in understanding human behavior and psychology. Berger (2011) explains, “Culture affects every action—indeed, every thought” (p. 13). The culture that an individual lives in along with the similarities and differences between cultures provide vital information in understanding psychological processes. Cultural Psychology Cultural context is not separable from the person; it is a vital part of individual psychopathology. Shiraev and Levy (2010) explain that cultural psychology studies the individual within a specific culture. The cultural psychologist seeks out meaningful links between a specific culture and the individual in that culture. The cultural psychologist examines the individual in a cultural norm. Cultural Influences on the Individual According to Shiraev and Levy (2010), “Before reaching adulthood, most of us do not choose a place to live or a language to speak” (p. 2). These cultural elements influence many aspects of human developmental processes. From the moment of birth, cultural elements play an important role in human development, development of personality, and individual psychological aspects. It is impossible to separate human behavior from cultural experiences because cultural exposure forms individual value systems,belief systems, and knowledge bases for each individual within any specific culture. The goal of cultural psychologists...
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