Culture and Diversity in Communication
Some examples of the basic guidelines of intercultural communication and how they might be applied depends on the nature of the situation. Different situations call for various strategies and techniques in order to bring about effective change in a positive manner. Therefore, it is imperative to exercise skill, tact and good judgment when approaching intercultural communication issues. Be aware of the cultural differences practiced by the worker.
In the workplace, you have an employee from another culture who appears to have issues with reference to being a “team-player”. He keeps to himself and is hesitant about sharing job-related information. He appears distant and stand-offish. For the sake of the entire staff as well as the organization, you must deal with the situation.
Effective communication techniques should be applied in this situation. Commandments 5, 6 and 7 (Hahn, 2005) in particular, should be observed when attempting to handle this delicate situation. All of the commandments must be kept in the back of your mind when handling such issues.
The worker appears to not be a team player when in actually (because of the different cultural background) the worker has no concept of what “team-player” is. How can he function in that concept if he is unaware that it exists? The way he views his “comfort zone” also is a product of his culture and must be taken into consideration as well. His body language says aloof and separate, when in reality his culture training dictates his personal space. Although he has a good working knowledge of the English language, there may still be problems with full comprehension of the slangs and colloquialisms we tend to use in the workplace. A successful manager or communicator will take these principles into consideration when handling intercultural communication issues. Denise
Hahn, M. (2005, December 30). Ten Commandments of Intercultural Communication. Retrieved February 1, 2011, from http://ezinearticles.com/?Ten-Commandments-of-Intercultural-Communication&id=120247
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