Discuss about the International Organization Management for Cross Cultural Communication.
Globalization and continuous advancement in technology, certainly lowers the gaps amid the people of different nations and develops cultural interconnections. The increasing use of media, technology and other communicational means such as internet is inclining to build cultural relationship among communities or sub-communities of varied nations. In organizations, people are integral part that develops organizational culture. People while working as a team in the organization need to share beliefs and values, which shapes the overall culture. However, cultural aspect is also responsible in raising challenges. For instance, businesses face difficulty in effectively managing the workforces due to dissimilar cultural norms of employees. To attain and retain competitive advantages, organizations need to evaluate the factors that create communicational barriers in cross-cultural environment (Botha, Vosloo, Kuner, & Van-den-Berg, 2009).
Behavior of people obtained from knowledge, values, beliefs, experiences, material objects and relationship with other people and group(s) forms a culture. Communication is the process based on which ideas, thoughts, feeling or information is being exchanged among people. Culture of an individual is identified from his/her behaviours, attitudes, beliefs, norms and perceptions (Primecz, Romani, & Sackmann, 2011). The assignment intends to examine and discuss the barriers in cross-cultural communication and mechanism to surmount such barriers. Additionally, analysis will be conducted with the aim of determining and understanding cross-cultural communication from theoretical background and evaluate its implication in the international business context.
Cross-Cultural Communication
Cross-cultural communication is the procedure based on which people communicate in the context of different cultural environment. In simple term, it can also be reflected as the mechanism of communicating with people of dissimilar cultures. Cross-cultural communication focuses on determining the manner in which cultural differences affect the communication process. However, communication in cross-cultural environment is challenging for people who grow up within his/her cultural boundaries. Awareness of differences facilitates to manage the cross-cultural barriers and forms effective communication. Thus, cross-cultural communication refers to forming communication in diverse cultures generally to share the views, eradicate disagreement and achieve predetermined objectives (Primecz, Romani, & Sackmann, 2011).
Barriers in Cross-Cultural Communication
There are many reasons for the barriers in cross-cultural communication amid people. Ochieng & Price (2009) highlighted that the lack of understanding among the culturally different people evolves inadequate cross-cultural communication and lead to the lack in clarity of information. Miscommunication and misconception in the viewpoints of the people create difficulty in implementation of a successful cross-cultural communication. Misunderstanding is a common barrier in communication that develops because of difference in morals and beliefs of cultures. People develop nervousness and uncertainties while communicating in different culture, which in turn results in misunderstanding. In the similar note Rozkwitalska, & GdaÅ„ska (2010) stated that the lack of trust as well as understanding among the people obstruct in the communication process. People forms different cultural norms, which determines their acceptability and behavioral appropriateness. This lead to develop a feeling that rules they follow are acceptable by others. Individuals’ of different cultures have their own norms and problems that mainly arises when they faces difficulties to understand and/or compel other cultural norms. In addition, values differ in cultures and difficulty in consideration creates communication issues. Exaggerate problem is also often evolve due to cultural stereotypes and hinder to form effective communication amid individuals of diverse cultures. Cultural stereotype is the main reason that creates dissimilar opinions among individuals belonging to alternative cultures. Ethnocentrism is another major reason that creates barrier, which arises when individuals evaluate the other cultural characteristics based on their preconception of own culture (Rozkwitalska, & GdaÅ„ska, 2010).
Difference in the native language of people often evolves as the key blockade in creating effective communication in cross-cultural environment. The other issues relate to misapprehension, presentation, understanding and delusion. The communication difficulty also arises due to the low level of sensitivity of people on others’ cultural factors and disrespects towards others’ ethics (Jenifer, & Raman, 2015).
Mechanisms of Surmounting Barriers in Cross-Cultural Communication
Improved competences of individuals enable eradicating the barriers that progresses in cross-cultural communication. To surmount cultural barriers, it is important to form community that involve association of different cultural background people and develop their sensitivity and understanding to respect others’ values, norms, standards and beliefs. People must conduct their actions such as selection of words, presentation of perceptions and use of languages among other aspects based on developing their proper understanding of culture regardless of taking unnecessary assumptions. Besides, adopting effective measures such as learning, training and knowledge of the communication gap worked as important mechanisms in evading cross-cultural communication issues. Motivating people in developing understanding about the culture by rectifying the problems that evolve during cross-cultural communication allows forming proper communication. The barrier that evolves due to anxiety while communicating would be eradicated by adopting the measures for controlling emotions and acts. One can evade the cross-cultural communication issues by gaining proper knowledge, understandings and commands. This will develop self-awareness along with enhancing cultural knowledge and raising awareness of linguistics. Superior cultural awareness would likely to enable individuals to present themselves in appropriate manner in diverse culture. Developing intercultural skills such as understanding of other people’s behaviors aid in forming effective interaction (Arseculeratne, & Yazdanifard, 2013).
Cross-cultural communication issues can also be resolved by avoiding the perception of ‘right verses wrong’ and indulgent towards others’ behavior. Ethnocentric assumptions that remain the major reasons of creating communicational problems must need to be removed to have effective cross-cultural communication. It is important that people must develop intension of respecting others’ ethos, which can only promote and urge to eradicate cultural gaps. Padhi (2015) highlighted that cross-cultural sensitivity, adroitness, and awareness are the key components, which assist in surmounting obstructions in forming cross-cultural communication. Demonstrating affectionate towards cross-cultural aspects would help to form the sense of adjustment and adaptation of other culture in individual. Based on developing cross-cultural sensitivity, people can improve the self-conception and possession, which in turn helps in removing issues in communication amid dissimilar cultures. Cross-cultural awareness reflected to be the cognitive characteristic in communication. This will allow individuals to improve acceptance ability of other culture and evaluate behavioural approaches to form effective communication. Intercultural adroitness includes developing feeling of respect and valuing the important dimension of other cultures. Adopting sympathetic and amplification approach to view and interact in different culture would facilitate eradicating problems in cross-cultural communication (Padhi, 2015).
The barriers of cross-cultural communication are evidenced in various locations worldwide. Similar incidents were noticed in South Korea, where people from different cultures reside and face cross-cultural issues. An individual from Indian culture apart from being working in a multinational organization, faced difficulty in communicating in the organization, as his colleagues speak Korean language in the workplace and he hardly been able to pursue and understand their instructions. Often email was received from the colleagues in the local language and in most of the meetings, the involved participants used to speak in Korean language, which create difficulty in performing the job obligations and responsibilities. The scenario evolved cultural shock for the foreign resident and difficulty in developing associated feeling in the cultural environment. Cultural shocks are faced by people of foreign residents working in South Korea regardless of their long period of dwelling in the country and fluency of Korean language. The lack of cultural legacy is one of the key factors that evolve problems for non-native individuals in forming communication with their counterpart in the community. People follow paternalistic as well as authoritarian leadership practices and have strong bonding that creates difficulty for foreign residents to communicate with their colleagues. People of South Korean culture give high preference to networking, as the society reflects high-context culture. The individuals from different culture especially from the nation of low-context culture such as the US, Australia and the UK face difficulties, as they value individualism over networking (Kim, 2013).
South Korean culture provides importance over social structure, authority and centralization aspects. In addition, people identity in the culture is rooted towards working in a group. However, when people from the western cultures try to adopt South Korean culture, faces cultural shock because their social structure is identified to be decentralized (Kim, 2013).
Culture reflected characteristics of individuals and groups of people, which are basic assumptions and values oriented from languages, religions, beliefs, values, procedures, social habits and faiths. The need of forming communication and interaction lead to cultural adaptation, which is one of those evolutionary processes that repeated changes within different cultural perspectives. Cultural diversity gains considerable significance with the growing interaction of people from different societies and cultures. To gain better understanding about the manner in which people adopt cultures, various theories contributed in cross-cultural field.
Geert Hofstede. The theory elaborated culture as a collective approach, which considerably distinguishes individuals of one group with others. The theory elaborated that culture of a region can be understood from six dimensions. According to the theory, cultural valve of a nation are placed based on the dimension that includes Power Distance, Individualism vs Collectivism, Masculinity vs Femininity, Uncertainty Avoidance vs Tolerance, Long-term Orientation vs. Short-term Orientation and Indulgence vs. Restraint (Geert Hofstede, n.d.).
Power Distance Index. This dimension relates to the fact that individuals of different cultures are identified with valuing status and position to own and society. The dimension reflected that individual of culture accepts and expects the need of power within them (Geert Hofstede, n.d.).
Individualism vs. Collectivism. In collectivism culture, people focus and act as a member of cohesive group, whereas individualism culture is rooted in personal achievements as well as individual rights are given higher preference and people stand for self and family for own affiliations (Geert Hofstede, n.d.).
Masculinity vs. Femininity. The dimension elaborates value placed by individual over attainments, accomplishments and success. In masculine culture, people give importance to competitiveness, greediness, objective, authority, control and assertiveness, whereas feminine culture provides importance on relationship, associations and superior quality of life (Geert Hofstede, n.d).
Uncertainty Avoidance vs. Tolerance. The culture identity also reflected from the manner in which people manages their concerns and anxiety by valuing or minimizing uncertainties of future (Geert Hofstede, n.d.).
Long-term Orientation vs. Short-term Orientation. The culture, which is Long-term Orientation, gives superior importance over upholding the future challenges and uncertainties. Culture also identify whether individual hadrons and remain sensible to adopt the changes or restrain the transformation along with value traditional norms and conditions (Geert Hofstede, n.d.).
Indulgence vs. Restraint.
Indulgence culture reflects free gratification of individuals to enjoy life, on the other hand, restraint culture gratification surpasses with social norms (Geert Hofstede, n.d.).
Hall’s Cross-Cultural Theory. Hall’s Cross-Cultural Theory reflected that Context, Time, Space and Information are the key dimensions in culture, which differentiate it with other cultures. Context of the culture can be either high or low. Culture, in which people value relationship, be in a group, share a common space, and follow centralized approach of communication is affirmed to be High-Context culture. On the other hand, people whose identification is rooted in individualism, decentralized communication flow, develop relationship, and easily can be ended reflect Low-Context culture. Based on time, cultures can be monochronous or polychromous. In monochronous culture, people value time and work in scheduled manner, but people’s interaction are highly valued over time by individuals of polychromous culture. In accordance to space, in culture with high territoriality, people are anxious on ownership, whereas in culture with low territoriality, people tend to work in a state with low restriction. Based on time, culture of nation can be evaluated as low flow or high flow. In culture wherein information is low flow, people follow through structured and planned pathway. People prefer to work quicker, wherein the information is high flow (Boeing, 2016).
Drawbacks in Cross-cultural Communication Theories
From the prior discussion of cross-cultural communication theory, it is found that Hofstede stated different dimensions of cross-cultures, its difficulties along with other aspects and Hall highlighted significant communicational scenarios in terms of different cross-cultures. At the time of research on both of these cross-cultural theories, there are some of the limitations that have been observed, which are illustrated below.
In national genre of cross-cultural dimensions, Hofstede model has some limitations in each of the levels such as:
Cross-cultural communication is one of the important parts for international business perspectives and consistency. Through the cross-cultural communication tools, international corporate organisations are able to frame its future prospects in the global market place. Based on the discussion on cross-cultural theories of Hall and Hofstede, it can be inferred that these theories eventually assist different international organizations to ensure its market position in the global place. According to Hall’s theory, there are two types of cultural context such as high context and low context. Both the contexts are significantly distinct from each other, so it can be stated that people from those cultures are having different aspects and personal traits. From the general marketing perspective, it is observed that the international organizational environment is a complex cultural mixture, wherein different people from different cultural backgrounds are collaboratively working together towards a same goal. Hence, through the Hall’s theory, it is easy to distinguish and evaluate high context and low context cultural people within international organizational environment and generate an effective operational framework for their workings (Rogers, Hart & Miike, 2002). Moreover, through the Hofstede’s cross-cultural communicational dimensions, international organizations are able to emphasize the different situations of conflicts and identify the probable mitigation areas as well. The major complex areas of cultural dimensions such as gender differentiation, individualism and collectivism, power distance index, long-term orientation and short-term orientation along with indulgence and restraints are mainly faced within the international organizational environment. Through the Hofstede’s theory, international organizations are able to ensure its communication, negotiation, management, and marketing prospects efficiently and effectively (Hofstede, 2011).
Conclusion
The above discussion on cultural differences in individuals creates immense impact while conducting communication in cross-cultural environment. Misunderstanding, misconception, difference in values, norms and beliefs in cultures and exaggerate problems results obstruct in cross-cultural communication. Such barriers can be mitigated by remaining sensitive over cultural aspects and developing strong understanding. Geert Hofstede and Hall’s Cross-Cultural Theory provide valuable contribution in understanding cultural differences based on the different dimensions of culture.
References
Arseculeratne, D., & Yazdanifard, R. (2013). Barriers to cross cultural communication and the steps needed to be taken for a MNC to succeed in the global market. Center of Southern New Hampshire University, 1-9.
Boeing, M. (2016). Analysis of cultural differences and their effects on marketing products in the United States of America and Germany: A cultural approach to marketing using Edward T. Hall and Geert Hofstede. Anchor Academic Publishing, Germany.
Botha, A., Vosloo, S., Kuner, J., & Van-den-Berg, M. (2009). Improving cross-cultural awareness and communication through mobile technologies. International Journal of Mobile and Blended Learning (IJMBL), 1(2), 39-53.
Geert Hofstede. (n.d.). Geert Hofstede. Retrieved July 12, 2016, from https://geert-hofstede.com/national-culture.html
Hofstede, G. (2011). Dimensionalizing Cultures: The Hofstede Model in Context. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 2(1), 3-24.
Jenifer, R. D., & Raman, G. P. (2015). Cross cultural communication barriers in workplace. International Journal of Management (IJM), 6(1), 332-335.
Kim, H. (2013, December). Understanding cross cultural communications in the business sector of South Korea: Case study for foreign staffs in Korean Chaebols. Retrieved July 12, 2016, from https://www.culturaldiplomacy.org/pdf/case-studies/Hwajung_Kim_-_Understanding_Cross_Cultural_Communications_in_the_Business_Sector_of_South_Korea.pdf
Ochieng, E. G., & Price, A. D. F. (2010). Managing cross-cultural communication in multicultural construction project teams: The case of Kenya and UK. International Journal of Project Management 28, 449–460.
Padhi, P. K. (2015). The rising importance of cross cultural communication in global business scenario. Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Science, 4(1), 20-26.
Primecz, H., Romani, L., & Sackmann, S. (2011). Cross-cultural management in practice. UK: Edward Elgar Publishing.
Rogers, E. M., Hart, W. B. & Miike, Y. (2002). Edward T. Hall and The History of Intercultural Communication: The United States and Japan. Keio Communication Review, 24, 3-20.
Rozkwitalska, M., & Gdańska, P. (2010). Barriers of cross-cultural interactions according to the research findings. Journal of Intercultural Management, 2(2), 37-52.
Warner-Søderholm, G. (2013). Beyond a Literature Review of Hall’s Context Dimension: Scale Development, Validation & Empirical Finding within a Norwegian Study. International Journal of Business and Management, 8(10), 27-35.
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