...Derek Speegle February 20, 2015 Intercultural Communication: Speaking Understanding Intercultural communication is very important in today’s workplace. Mastering the complexities of different cultures and socioeconomical statuses will enhance any business venture. To understand one’s buyers is a strategical way to sell more and learn about clients and competitors. There are many ways that different cultures use both verbal and non-verbal interaction. These forms of interacting may seem like someone is saying something one way but through the lenses of a different culture or social group, they may be trying to express something else entirely. Because of this, it is important to strategize on how to use intercultural communication in today’s workplace and even in one’s personal life. Intercultural communication is the process of learning the dialectal of cultural differences and social groups. It is learning to understand that different cultures may talk or act differently and that whether it is for business, personal or just common courtesy it is important to use these tools to help connect with those other people. As it states on the website Wikipedia, different cultures and countries “communicate and perceive the world around them” in different ways and that it is important to “depict differences in communication patterns across different cultures.” For instance, bowing in japan is a sign of respect and honor, and to refuse that honor or not return it could be perceived...
Words: 747 - Pages: 3
...into a partnership with the goal of finding ways to better prepare American business students for intercultural communication in the global economy. This consortium was formed and funded on the assumption1 that business students, while receiving excellent training in the business component of international business, are woefully under-prepared for face to face communication with members of other cultures, and thus could potentially compromise American ventures abroad. The group, calling itself the Alliance for the Promotion for Cross-cultural Skills for Business Students, was financed by the Fund for the Improvement of Post-secondary Education (FIPSE) and was charged with the creation of programs requiring business student participation in study abroad programs and in innovative intercultural communication curricula setup precisely for this target group. In their effort to create this cross-cultural skills curricula for business students, Alliance members initially faced three tasks: defining the problem in theoretical rather than anecdotal terms; developing a set of pedagogical practices grounded in that theoretical framework, and which could be deployed in the study abroad context; and gathering empirical data in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the practices. The decision to use the study abroad experience as a primary vehicle for teaching intercultural communication was also based on a widely held assumption: "one of the most frequently articulated assumptions of...
Words: 750 - Pages: 3
...Internationales Management: Intercultural Communication 1 Outline Activity 1.a. …...……………………………. p.3 Activity 1 b. and 1c. ……..……………………p.8 Activity 1 d. …………………………………p.10 Activity 1e.…………………………………. p.11 Reference……………………………………. p.12 2 Activity 1.a. • Establish 3 new folders on your PC: • Definitions of Culture • Culture Models • Articles on Cultural Difference • Create a new folder in your “favorites” called Culture. • Next, search your literature and the Internet (for instance, write in Google “definition of culture”) and collect and file at least 10 different definitions. • Discuss the contents with your tutor and select the one you like best. Definition of Culture There are lots of definitions of culture in scholar or public, in the book it defined:”Culture is the holistic interrelationship of a group’s identity , beliefs , values , activities , rules , customs , communication patterns , and institutions.”(Dodd, 1997, p.36)Furthermore , culture teaches significant rules , rituals , and procedure. Culture reinforces values. Culture teaches relationship with others.1 Culture Models This model demonstrates elements of culture composing a system.The inner core lies at the most significant level.The second and third set of elements are tied to the core , but remain an area for some degree of flexibility and change.(Dodd, 1997, p.38)2 Economic and Work Educational Technology and Material Religious Systems Kinship Systems Cultural Rules...
Words: 2399 - Pages: 10
...Being a foreign worker is really a challenging task. Especially, Singapore, multi-cultural and multi-language speaking country is not an exception. I was excited when I got an opportunity to work in Singapore as a project engineer. I have done some research prior to my arrival and found that Singapore is a cosmopolitan society where people live harmoniously and interactions among different races are commonly seen. The immigrants of the past have given the place a mixture of Malay, Chinese, Indian, and European influences, all of which have intermingled. Though, it is far away from my home town, I decided to migrate to Singapore in June, 2012. It was an unforgettable moment when I touched Singapore. Everything was new to me, hours of journey in flight, a fabulous airport, Immigration & security check, languages written on the sign board and Not only those, buildings, routes, transports, fare systems, languages spoken around, dressings and the way of speaking etc, in other words, it was a cultural change and a shock to me. Later I reached my staff house; I got a call from my childhood friend, who has 2 years of working and living experience in Singapore. He invited me to go to white sands mall, Pasir ris where he lives by and to do some shopping. I was excited to meet him as I miss him since 2 years and love to see him back in abroad. I went to the mall and waiting for his arrival at the entrance, when I saw him walking on the road to the mall, I couldn’t resist myself to...
Words: 1091 - Pages: 5
...PREFACE Thank to God who has given grace and mercy to the author so we can successfully complete this paper timely, with title "Intercultural Communication". We would like to thank our friends who have been taking part in the making this paper until finish eating, and also to all those who helped in the completion of this paper. We realize that in the preparation of this paper there are still many flaws and is far from perfection. Therefore, critics and suggestion is needed here for the improvement of this paper.. The writer hopes that this paper will be useful not only for the writer but also for the readers. Bandung, September 2015 Author Table Of Contents Preface 1 Chapter 1 3 Introduction 3 1.1 Issue background 3 1.2 Purpose of the paper 4 Chapter 2 5 Theory and Discusion 5 2.1 Notion and Principle of Intercultural Communication 5 2.2 Misinterpretation Intercultural Communication in the Lecture 7 2.3 Obstacle in Intercultural Communication 9 Chapter 3 12 Conclusion 12 Bibliography 13 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Issue background The world today is filled by an ever growing number of contacts resulting in communication between people with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Not just happen out of the country, Indonesian society has always been known to be very heterogeneous in many aspects, such as the diversity of ethnicity, religion, language, etc. Is common as an Indonesian citizen with...
Words: 2535 - Pages: 11
...Essay on intercultural communication Gabriel Spargur 10/30/2013 For my interview I decided to simply go to lunch at a Chinese restaurant. I chose this because I spent two years working in a restaurant located on the Chowan River in North Carolina for two years. The culture down there consisted of what the community referred to as river rats (folks who lived near the river and frequented such activities as fishing and boating). I wanted to contrast the two cultures and learn how differently the businesses operated. The restaurant I visited was the Golden China in the town of Franklin Virginia. When I walked in the first thing I noticed was the music. They played American style music with Chinese instrumentation, giving off a familiar atmosphere with the same effect of setting the Chinese mood. As I ate I looked around for artifacts and symbols. I noticed many hanging decorations as well as flowers and religious symbols. There was a small statue of Buddha on the checkout counter as well as a crucifix on the far wall. The food areas were also decorated with flowers which I thought might be flowers with significant meaning in their culture. After I finished and paid I explained to the young lady who was waiting on me that I was a student and was interested in interviewing anyone who worked there for a class. She spoke little English and told me that it would be difficult because of this and I noted that her body language was saying that she was not interested. She touched...
Words: 1604 - Pages: 7
...1 INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION: ITS IMPORTANCE TO VARIOUS CAREER FIELDS AND PERSPECTIVE BY VARIOUS AUTHORS Priscilla N. Gitimu Doctoral Student Southern Illinois University Carbondale Department of Workforce Education and Development 311G Quigley Hall Southern Illinois University at Carbondale Carbondale, IL 62901-4605 618-453-1982 ukic@siu.edu 2 ABSTRACT Intercultural communication refers to messages transmitted between members of two or more different societies Globalization has made intercultural communication inevitable. Communicating with other cultures characterizes today’s business, classroom, and community. Technology especially the internet has increased the probability that whatever is documented online will be read by someone from another culture. Intercultural communication is of importance in any career field thus the art of knowing how to communicate with other cultures should be a work place skill that is emphasized. This is a conceptual paper whose purpose is two fold. First the paper gives a synopsis of the importance of efficient and competent intercultural communication in various career fields; namely, education, business, medicine and in counseling. Secondly, the paper presents studies and perspectives that various authors have on intercultural communication. INTRODUCTION Globalization has made intercultural communication inevitable. Communicating with other cultures characterizes today’s business, classroom, and community. Hence...
Words: 2899 - Pages: 12
...globalization, which has resulted in an increment of immigrants in the Western countries, especially, the United States. In the result, intercultural communication is one of the major issues that are presently confronted by Americans, as well as, the immigrants in the country. This paper will specifically discuss and analyze some of the causes and effects of this issue. Audience Analysis Nowadays, people from different countries are working together, as well as, individuals from different places come and study together. In this regard, it is very important that students should respect different cultures, norms and values of different societies, which may facilitate them in their studies. On the other hand, managers have to deal with Americans, Canadians, Pakistanis, Chinese, and Africans at the same time, and it is very important that they should have the proper knowledge regarding the world cultures. (Porter, 2005) Subject Area One of the significant requisites of intercultural communication overlaps with factors of effective management, listening and feedback. In specific, it is very imperative that individuals should be good listeners, as it is very essential that they should listen to their colleagues in an intercultural environment, as sometimes, a term in one culture would be diverse in another culture, and this is where intercultural communication plays the crucial role in developing cultural diversity in the region. (Porter, 2005) Problem Causes • Ethnocentrism It...
Words: 446 - Pages: 2
...Poor Communication Paper University of Phoenix Poor Communication Paper . The social and cultural meanings between the same cultures in regard to communication are understood the way they are intended. When disagreements take place within members of the same social group they will communicate, talk, or discuss in similar places that all members of that culture attend or visit. The meaning arrived at or the knowledge and accepted truth toward an issue is more or less the consensus of a group. When two cultures are in close proximity to each other although their cultures may be different they may still have power or influence over the decisions, practices and beliefs of the other. This paper will use the national issue in France involving a majority of the French people objecting to Turkey being allowed to join the European Union. The French, who share a particular national identity and history, have shared their different views as 'Frenchmen and Europeans' feel that Turkey's acceptance into the European Union is not acceptable. Turkey, the nation in between Europe and Asia is viewed as an important economic and political ally by many European nations with Turkey having access to many of the passageways toward Asia and Russia for trade and the most important oil and gas pipelines. The Turks were deeply disappointed when they received the news from France that they were unwanted. France’s influence was powerful among the other G8 member nations and its leadership within...
Words: 1474 - Pages: 6
...Most studies of interactions in culturally diverse workplaces focus on communication, obstacles, such as miscommunication, conflict and discrimination. However, another relevant aspect of a culturally diverse context are the positive results of successful intercultural communication, along with the means or techniques to which actors resort to in order to overcome the barriers set by diversity. In other words, how it is possible to work effectively and cooperate in a multicultural environment leading to positive outcomes. As a matter of fact, the lack of studies focusing on such aspect is brought to attention in Ryoo’s study (2005) on service encounters between Korean shop owners and African American customers, where the focus is put on the friendly interactions and successful communication among members of two very different ethnic groups. More specifically, some of the devices customers and shopkeepers employed were joking, complimenting or sharing attitudes, giving support, initiating rather elaborate small talk and often recurring to group identity markers, using terms as “baby” or “my man” to set a positive and relaxed atmosphere (Ryoo, 2005). However, although all these techniques led to beneficial intercultural cooperation, it should be remembered that, due to context where they took place, the relation between the two actors was of the merchant-customer kind, rather...
Words: 780 - Pages: 4
...Intercultural Communications SOC 315 Cultural Diversity March 16, 2005 Abstract This paper describes, explains and rectifies a situation that illustrates an intercultural communication issue within the work environment. A full description of the communication issue will be covered, along with the outcome of the situation. A diagnosis of the communication issue and the cultural norms involved will be discussed. Several recommendations that would have prevented the issue will also be discussed. Intercultural Communications The world today has a growing number of contacts resulting in communication between people with different linguistic and cultural backgrounds. The communication needs to be as constructive as possible, without misunderstandings and breakdowns. Sweden like many other areas is changing into a multicultural society. The health care industry in Sweden has been one of the most ethically and gender segregated work places compared to the rest of the industry. That is beginning to change rapidly, which has created some communication issues. Description of the Communication Issue Context "The chance of hearing Swedish with an accent in hospitals and other health care institutions is fairly high" (Allwood, et. al.). There is such a shortage of health care personnel that they are working abroad because they can work less hours, get higher pay and lower taxes outside of Sweden. Sweden has been recruiting health...
Words: 1195 - Pages: 5
...Intercultural Communication Barriers in America Theresa Greene XCOM200 March 30, 2012 Debra Bourdeau Intercultural Communication Barriers in America I believe that the greatest intercultural communication barrier in America today is a combination of both Ethnocentrisms and Assuming Differences. Let me try and explain to you my reasoning. America, in general, is an extremely arrogant and cocky country. The overall consensus is that no other country is as great or grand as our own. From the time I was twelve until I turned eighteen, I lived in Europe; particularly Spain, Italy and England. Some of my best memories are from that time period. I completely submerged myself into the culture, no matter what city or country I was in. During that time, in 1986, America bombed Libya; I was a senior in high school in England. I remember watching BBC news on television, which is extremely graphic; they don’t really censure much over there. Anyway, they had a reporter in New York City who was interviewing people on the street to get their thoughts on the recent bombings. All you would hear them say is “they got what they deserved” or “if they are unwilling to comply, then so be it.” They had forgotten that there were children in the area; families. Someone’s son or husband that was killed or injured. Then they failed to realize there were Americans stationed overseas. We were protested against at our homes, our jobs and our children’s schools. Our children...
Words: 518 - Pages: 3
...Apple Inc. Intercultural Communication Analysis in Marketing Strategies Rong Zhang & Jia Tong Professor Patty Goodman CMN 2002 - Intercultural Communication Aug 5, 2012 In the United States, the legendary stories are never-ending. Typically, people cannot deny that Apple Inc., which designs and sells consumer electronics and personal computers, is one of the most shining and valuable companies in the world. Since 1998, Apple is committed to bringing the best personal computing experience to students, educators, creative professionals and consumers around the world through its innovative hardware, software and Internet offerings (Goodson, 2011). The products’ revolutions which Apple did not only get Apple become one of the top admired companies but also make the world quite different. Recently, Fortune Magazine pointed out that Apple saw an 81 percent annual increase in iPhone sales, a 334 percent jump in iPad sales, and a stock price that climbed some 75 percent (Gamet, 2012). Why is Apple so successful? The main factors are the excellent products, the effective marketing strategies especially the advertisement strategy, and the attractive corporate culture. Furthermore, how Apple applies their marketing strategies in different countries including Brazil and Russia will be mentioned particularly in the following paper. Competitive Products For a retail company, products are always the core competence. Apple has varieties of amazing products such as iPod, iPad...
Words: 1759 - Pages: 8
...INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN YOUR CHOSEN FIELD Intercultural Communication - Comm. 4002-E90 In the health care setting, medical interactions require effective communication between health care providers and patients. The achievement of having effective communication; is complicated by a variety of situational factors including cultural issues. Intercultural communication is an essential component in the healthcare field. It is very unknown if the health care professionals communicate effectively with the ethnic minority patients. Not only are there language difficulties, but also cultural differences such as beliefs and understanding of the disease may result in problems in intercultural communication. (Van, Harmsen and Bruijnzeels, 2002). Communicative misunderstandings between patient and provider can lead to simple dissatisfaction, misdiagnosis, lack of any medical care, or even death. Ineffective intercultural communication can also lead to stress for health care providers, causing anxiety, being puzzled, and job dissatisfaction. Our medical staff must be trained to become competent intercultural communicators so that they can provide better care to our increasingly diverse population, and so that they become less stressed about their jobs. I don’t know about you, but I certainly would want my surgeon to be relaxed and not anxious about their job. Some recommendations that were suggested to health care workers are, that the provider should have training...
Words: 1868 - Pages: 8
...Practising intercultural communication In this chapter we show that when practising intercultural communication to achieve our goals as students and as professionals we must consider a range of perspectives. We need to be sensitive to possible effects on communication of differences between cultures, explained by researchers as relating to: high-context and low-context cultures; power distance, individualism–collectivism and masculinity–femininity; and non-verbal cues such as tone of voice, appearance and use of space. Since culture can be defined to include attitudes, expectations, family roles, history, language, non-verbal communication, socialisation, traditions and world view, intercultural communication has a very broad meaning. To practise intercultural communication effectively requires us to be adequately informed about how to use verbal and non-verbal signals and to be open to checking our understanding with others in intercultural, and indeed any, communication contexts. Introduction to intercultural communication Here is a straightforward, everyday conversation between Hong Kong businessman Mr Lau, and his Australian counterpart Mr Clarke. Mr Clarke: G’day mate. I’m Robert Clarke. My friends call me Bob. Here’s my card. Mr Lau: Hello, Mr Clarke. I am William Lau. Very glad to meet you. How was your trip? (exchanges business cards) Mr Clarke: Call me Bob. Good, thanks. (reading card: ‘Lau Wing-Leung’) Oh, it’s Wing-Leung! Nice to meet you. I’ll call you tomorrow...
Words: 922 - Pages: 4
