Cultural Differences That Inhibit Effective Intercultural Communication

This text is a good reference point. This text is used to understanding communication within culture. This source also gave a better understanding

The second section of the article deals with conflicts in low- and high-context cultures. She defines a low-context culture as groups of cultures that value words, or what is actually said (Ting-Toomey 76). A high-context culture is defined as groups of cultures that put the needs and goals of the group first. This is more of a we-identity (Ting-Toomey 76). Examples of low-context cultures are Germany, United States, and Switzerland. Some high-context cultures are the Chinese, the Japanese, and the Vietnamese. There is more emphasis put on the relationship in a high-context cultre, whereas words are more important in a low-context culture. Ting-Toomey explains one of the conflict differences between the two. In a low-context culture, two people in a conflict can argue, yell, and curse at each other while still remaining friends (Ting-Toomey 77). To call someone out in a high-context culture is a severe insult. This causes both parties to "lose face" (Ting-Toomey 77). Another difference between the two cultures as noted by Ting-Toomey is the levels of uncertainty in a conversation. There are high levels of uncertainty in a low-context society, while there is low uncertainty in a high-context culture (Ting-Toomey 79). The high uncertainty level in the low-context cultures is often

According to my experiences and different sources of theories, the challenges aside from languages which we have faced in communicating with people from a different country are dialects and complicated term, nonverbal languages, and languages disabilities. The first challenge we have confronted in communication with people from a different country is dialects. Each country consists of several regions which might have diverse dialects and complex terms, consequently it is difficult for non-native person, who don’t completely understand that languages to interpret the real meaning. Therefore, dialectical diversity can be a cause of misunderstanding and gaps between communication. Another barrier aside from different languages communication is

“To become a true global citizen, one must abandon all notions of 'otherness' and instead embrace 'togetherness” – Suzy Kassem. Cultural differences in organizations are important because they help build relationships between members regardless of their origin and background. Culture is the “Shared set of beliefs, values, knowledge, and patterns of behavior common to a group of people” (Kinicki & Williams, 2013, p.117). It is very important for companies to understand the culture they are working with, because it improves the efficiency of the organization. Members of different cultures share experiences and innovation thinking to achieve the goals of the organization. However, cultural differences may interfere with global business projects due to misunderstandings and miscommunication on both sides. There are many cultural variations affecting international business relationships such as language, interpersonal space, communication, time orientation, and

Intercultural communication is defined as when people communicate with one another who have different cultures. They may differ because of their languages, beliefs, values, and behavioral characteristics (Bennett, 1998). The intercultural communication plays a key role in globalization. It will help organizations to have a long-term success if they can manage the cultural differences and intercultural cooperation effectively to conflicts. Increasing shared knowledge and dealing with miscommunication are the two main factors for having a successful intercultural communication. However, the difference in discourse systems is the most miscommunication issue that leads individuals to misunderstand and misinterpret to the contents or messages

In low-context cultures such as North American and Western European countries, communication usually takes place at face value whereas, in high-context cultures such as Asian and African countries, communication relies upon unspoken condition. They

Alberts, Martin and Nakayama (2011) describe communication as “ a transactional process in which people generate meaning through the exchange of verbal and nonverbal messages in in specific contexts, influenced by individual and societal forces and embedded in culture.”(p.7) They then go on to state that intercultural communication “occurs in interactions between people who are culturally different.”(p.122) Cultural differences thus affect many interactions, with the communication process being one.

The organization I have chosen is NEA (National Education Association) that deals with communicating cross-cultural and what teachers should know about diversity. The Website address is http://iteslj.org/Articles/Pratt-Johnson-CrossCultural.html which is found in the NEA link. The article explains the need for educators in terms of culturally responsive and competent as schools and classrooms become increasingly linguistically and culturally diverse. The article highlights five important points of cultural difference with which all teachers should be aware when teaching students of diverse backgrounds. These five points are ways of knowing, ways of solving problems, ways of communicating nonverbally, ways of learning, and ways of dealing

Part 1: The difference between a high-context and a low-context culture comes down to what the high-context thinks versus what the low-context says. In a high-context culture, communication is done indirectly, for this reason; more visuals are used instead of text. And with low-context culture, they rely on what is said, written, and changes take place quickly. These differences affect communication between diverse cultures by association and interaction, both sides meeting can be problematic when the parties involved become impatient and irritated. First, the high-context cultures have a difficult time trying to understand the meaning in some conversations, so in order to clarify; multiple questions are being asked in order to move on with the exchanges. For the most part, this need for an explanation comes across as being blunt, especially for people that uses feelings to express themselves so the high-context society depends on signals to understand what is being said. Second, low-context culture uses logic to present their message, generally, their words speaks for itself. This style of communication can be viewed as restrained, tricky, and

Previous researchers have found that for a person to achieve better and more effective communication competence, it is necessary to develop skills that allow an appropriate participation in specific situations. The ability to listen, ask questions, and express concepts or ideas effectively is an important part of communication competence. Intercultural communication presents an unexplored and challenging field that needs to be understood for a better development in communication. (Dillon and McKenzie, 1998). The variables of listening depend on the different perceptions that a person obtains through their cultural background. Furthermore, culture often affects the structure of consciousness in the act of listening. When a person seeks to

My communal identity is that of the Inland Northwest. The Inland Northwest is a diverse area of America, where both migrants from other countries and migrants from other states settle down to live. Regardless of that, those who grow up here quickly acclimate to the region.

In low context cultures, the weight seems to fall on the speaker to precisely and completely pass on the importance in her talked or composed message. For a more broad exchange of intercultural contrasts in the middle of high and low context cultures (Cohen, 1997).

Today’s organizations are doing business more and more in a global context. The people that count in any business from the suppliers to clients to employees are increasingly based in remote locations in foreign countries. The need for effective and clear intercultural communication is becoming vital in securing success in today’s global workplace. Managers of global corporations need to understand the role of intercultural communication competence in achieving cohesiveness in diverse environments of global business teams. Whether delivering a presentation, negotiating with a supplier, or providing assistance to a client, intercultural communication must be done right.

Intercultural communication competence refers to the ability of an individual to adapt and communicate appropriately and effectively across a wide array of cultural contexts. That is to say, for an individual to be considered an intercultural communicator they must understand other’s cultures as well as they understand their own, and apply this understanding to communication (Chen 1-2). With the increasing diversity at the workplace, school and other social settings, it has become increasingly important to learn how to communicate with people from a diverse array of cultures. More importantly, adapting to a more effective intercultural communication competence model provides us with learning opportunities occasioned by the interaction with people from other backgrounds. The intercultural communication competence model comes with some key components including tolerance for uncertainty, self-knowledge, and motivation. The greatest and most important of these aspects is motivation. An individual must be willing to foster relationships with people from a different cultural background. If an individual lacks the willingness to promote intercultural relationships, then other aspects of the intercultural communication model become moot.

While all of these sources are great and well accredited, the more direct questions were not able to be asked on this end. A personal interview will be conducted with Mr. Jim Whorley, a divorce lawyer who received his M.B.A. (1987) and his Juris Doctorate with Honors (1990) at The University of Texas located in Austin, Texas. Mr. Whorley is Board Certified in Family Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization (1997), and has been practicing law for 27 years in the greater Central Texas area. Questions that are focused on how intercultural communication is emphasized in between the barristers will be asked through an exclusive interview. Hopefully he can give adequate insight into the educational purposes of intercultural communication in the legal communities.