Intercultural communication
Culture and patterned rituals determine the individuals speak and behave in specific situations.
Culture establishes specific and shared rules that determine social and physical contexts’ appropriate communicative behaviors(Samovar et al. 341).
Difficulties can arise during intercultural communication due to established patterns and standards across cultures.
Individuals always expect that their interaction will follow particular rules established by their cultures. The rules govern both verbal and non-verbal communication and stipulate what and how something should be said.
The rules of communication vary depending on different contexts such as bank, classroom, and church. For instance, people use formal and informal words in job interviews and playing grounds, respectively.
Intercultural communication in the globalized business
The culture determines the rules of communication employed by individuals even when contexts are similar across nations.
Intercultural communication can significantly influence the success or failure of businesses(Samovar et al. 344). Culture impacts different areas fundamental to globalized commercial activities.
Personal appearance in the business protocol is instrumental in creating a firm impression and credibility.
People should know appropriate greeting behavior and how to express themselves as per the host culture’s expectations to alleviate anxiety and uncertainty.
The initial contact in the globalized business determines subsequent events. The methods used by individuals range from sending an email to writing a formal request, as dictated by the culture.
The perception of the exchange of gifts and how to offer or receive them is different in diverse cultures. For instance, gift-giving can be linked with an attempt to get favors. People should give and receive gifts using both hands in Chinese and Japanese cultures. The approaches used by organizational leaders to motivate their employees to vary across cultures(Samovar et al. 347). For example, motivation and reward in individualistic cultures like in the United States focus on individuals.
Organizations can adopt flat or vertical structures depending on the country’s culture. For instance, organizations in western countries subscribe to a flat structure, where employees, managers, and staff, use informal and forthright communication
The culture across regions influences the leadership and management styles employed by individuals.
National cultures have a significant impact on decision-making styles adopted by managers.
According to Khan and Law, the common national cultures that influence the decision-making process are individualism, collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, and femininity.
The Decision-making process in western nations such as the United States is individualistic, focusing on achieving positive results(Samovar et al. 350). Authority is delegated to an individual or small group of people.
The northeastern Asians’ decision-making process is collectivistic, focusing on attaining orchestrated consensus, vital to sustain group harmony. The process is deliberative and emphasizes shared responsibility.
International corporate managers should know individuals involved in decision-making and how the process is implemented.
On the contrary, Northeast Asia nations such as China and Korea perceive conflict as detrimental to interpersonal relations.
According to Samovar et al., the main drivers of conflicts in organizations that international managers should be aware of are cultural differences and substantive disagreements. (350)
For instance, western countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom perceive conflicting opinions as a beneficial tool for communicating differences and establishing a compromise.
Conflicts at different levels within organizations are inevitable due to various factors such as dissimilar cultural beliefs and values as well as varying attitudes and opinions regarding goals achievements and tasks completion.
Communication gaps and different histories are key contributors to cultural barriers in business negations. Managers can overcome these barriers by respecting cultural differences, understanding how others perceive their culture, and considering involved individuals.
The value of individualism and self-reliance drives negotiations in western countries such as the United States(Samovar et al. 352). Business representatives prefer linear and logical procedure approaches to negotiations.
Collectivism influences negotiation styles used in countries such as China and Japan. Negotiation approaches are holistic and focus on establishing lasting collaborative business relationships
Negotiations are instrumental that facilitating difference management among dissimilar parties. Additionally, negotiations promote a decision-making process that yields mutually cooperative and agreeable interactions.
Intercultural communication in education
Globalized educational organizations allow international students to learn and understand different economic, social, and cultural perspectives.
The globalized society allows students to pursue their education from any country in the world. As a result, there is not a limitation of cultural diversity in education systems, especially in developed nations.
For instance, the United States accommodates more than 886,000 students from different nations(Samovar et al. 356).
The culture teaches individuals about values, customs, beliefs, and perspectives treasured by their community.
Although education is considered vital in the United States, it is not viewed as the only tool for success.
Chines and Korean cultures consider educational achievement as one of the most significant values. Parents in these countries are actively involved in the schooling of children. Language connects individuals to ethnic in-group and distinguishes them from others.
Educators should acknowledge the possibility of having students conditioned to learn differently in multicultural classes.
Culture influences the thinking pattern of learners, impacting their reasoning, social interaction, and capability to solve problems.
Students from diverse cultures are likely to have different attitudes towards their educators(Samovar et al. 363). For instance, apprentices from hierarchical cultures consider their instructors as figures with high-status authority.
Limited English proficiency hinders the learning process for students and can lead to lead to linguistic and cognitive issues.
Some cultures prefer the oral presentation of information and others accentuate texts. For instance, Arabs and North American Native tribes have an oral tradition as a way to present information.
Moreover, they should design activities that exemplify cultural differences and recognize that cultures impact communication styles for the learners(Samovar et al. 365).
They should also promote students’ awareness of their culture and others, engage them in cultural discussions, and design classroom activities that demand collaboration.
They should also acknowledge the possibility of conflicts and misunderstandings based on culture, encourage unbiased attitudes towards values, beliefs, and behaviors, and design rules to govern classroom discussions.
Further, they should be aware of the learners’ community environment, challenges associated with cultural stereotypes and intolerance, and resources vital to accommodating all students.
Instructors should recognize their culture influence their behavior and perspectives, enhance their self-awareness about cultural differences, and improve their tolerance and understanding of other cultures.
Intercultural communication in the healthcare context
Illnesses are considered as a punishment from supernatural agents or due to evil eye Central America, Mediterranean counties, Middle East, and other parts of the world(Samovar et al. 369). Players and the use of folk healers are primary remedies to diseases.
The holistic perspective to health holds that multifaceted factors contribute to illnesses(Samovar et al. 368). For instance, financial problems can cause stress, leading to headaches and even depression.
This perspective emphasizes a good diet, positive mental outlook, and regular exercise to ensure good health.
Healthcare providers scientifically recognized the causes of illnesses and their effects to design and implement appropriate interventions. For instance, use of evidence-based intervention to deliver healthcare services.
The scientific perspective believes that pathogens invade the body and disrupt normal biophysical functions(Samovar et al. 370). Interventions use scientific studies to destroy the disease-causing agent and restore normal body functionality.
The United States and other nations advanced in technology acknowledge annual physical examinations, exercise, immunization, and good nutrition as fundamental approaches to disease prevention.
Some cultures such as Mexican believe that addressing imbalances between cold and hot can prevent diseases.
Others attribute health to the will of God, good luck, and supernatural causes such as charms or amulets.
It is inevitable for healthcare professionals to encounter patients who speak different languages or do not understand English. Therefore, physicians and nurses rely on bilingual staff that helps explain the diagnosis, treatment plans, and medications(Samovar et al. 372). Language is among other factors that influence the quality of services delivered and patient satisfaction. Misunderstandings due to language barriers can lead to misdiagnosis, increased costs, medical errors, and reduced patient compliance.
Some communities actively discuss the issue of death or dying and others ignore it completely.
Although western cultures (the United States and Europe) accentuate patients’ autonomy in making health decisions, other communities such as Filipino families have a significant influence on the same(Samovar et al. 373). Equally, physicians in Japan discuss with family members about treatment options rather than the patient.
The end-of-life decisions and discussions vary across cultures in the world. For instance, the issue is reluctantly discussed, with healthcare providers perpetually urging patients to relentlessly medication directives should they lose the ability to communicate or become incapacitated. However, other cultures such as Mexican consider death as part of life as well as the will of God and can discuss it openly.
References
Khan, Mohammad Ayub, and Laurie Smith Law. “The role of national cultures in shaping the corporate management cultures: A three-country theoretical analysis”. Organizational Culture, Jolita Vveinhardt, 2018.
Samovar, Larry A et al. Communication between cultures. 9th ed., Wadsworth/Cengage Learning, 2015, pp. 339-378.