INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN THE WORKPLACE

Intercultural Communication In the Workplace

Intercultural Communication in the Workplace

Communication is the act or process of imparting or exchanging meanings, such as information, opinions, thoughts, and feelings. Intercultural communication is the act or process of imparting or exchanging meanings across cultural boundaries. Anything that humans seek to transmit from one individual or group to another within a specific culture (intracultural communication) may also be transmitted between different cultures (intercultural communication) Gudykunst, W. (2006).

Not only do businesspersons commit intercultural mistakes as individuals, but their organizations do so as well (Ricks, 1993). When a business organization makes intercultural mistakes, it may result in costs to the company amounting to millions of dollars; and when a business organization hurts host individuals, organizations, and communities, it can seriously jeopardize its reputation and guest status in the host nation.

Europeans have understood this for centuries, in that even short trips of a hundred miles may bring a traveler to an entirely different nation and culture (Gudykunst, 2007). Small nations that are highly dependent upon international trade are acutely aware of the need for intercultural knowledge and skills. For nations like Iceland, the Netherlands, or Japan, whose language is spoken in no other country, the need for linguistic as well as broader intercultural training is obvious. In the Netherlands, for example, instruction in not one but two foreign languages is required in the public schools, starting in the first grade and continuing through secondary school.

Teams high in cultural intelligence are more likely to understand the unique dynamics of their teammates' cultural backgrounds, thus facilitating performance. Let us consider the example of a student project team including team members from cultural backgrounds that are significantly different on the masculinity dimension. Culturally intelligent team members are more likely to know the cultural backgrounds of their teammates ...