Intercultural Business Communication Assignment Sample

Introduction Of Intercultural Business Communication Assignment

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The manager possesses knowledge of different cultural backgrounds for a successful management work that is highly diverse and associated with different cultural perspectives. They must be sensitive to the cultural diversities that can greatly contribute to their efficiency in building cross-cultural communication systems. Different societies have different cultural values and behavioral patterns the managers need to identify these cross-cultural differences. In this report, intercultural communication gaps have been identified and the solutions have also been addressed with the help of two different conceptual methods.

Description of the intercultural business communication scenario

John, a marketing manager of an American multinational company, recently has shifted to India to work in a company as a marketing head of the department. While working in the new company John has been facing some problems while communicating with the Indian fellow members of the company. Ha has noticed that the employees of the new company are not as friendly as the employees of his former company. He has to explain the matters in full detail to them and they do not give the effort to understand the matters John explains. And sometimes they misunderstand John’s instruction. He has to provide a full detailed description of the tasks. He feels that he has to give much effort to make the employees understand him.

He knows that the employees have creative and innovative skills but the only problem is that they don’t use their skills till John clarifies the matter. They have created a huge communication gap with John. During the completion of the project work, John has also faced problems in the meeting with the employees due to lack of communication. He also feels that the American employees complete their tasks by their efforts and John did not need to give many instructions unless they get struck to any idea. The Indian employees are very qualified and skilled but the only problem is the communication system. The cultural environment of the American workplace is also different from that of the Indian workplace. It has also brought a huge challenge for John in communicating with the employees of the new company.

Analysis of the scenario using cultural dimensions

The scenario can be discovered by using Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory. The theory will help describe the scenario to build an understanding of the cultural dimensions. Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Theory, invented by Geert Hofstede, is an approach to understanding diversity between cultures and establishing how enterprises are handled in cultural differences(Andrijauskien? & Dum?iuviene, 2017). To look at it another way, the structure is used to differentiate between different national cultures, their features, and their effects on a business setting.Geert Hofstede, a Dutch business scholar, established Hofstede's Cultural Factors Model in 1980. The study aimed to determine the dimensions in which cultures varied.Using a system proposed from the analysis method, it examines the effect of a social and cultural context on its individuals' attitudes or how these values relate to behaviors.

Power Distance Index

The extent whereby the lesser powerful members of a group expect and accept that power is divided inequitably,as per the “Power Distance Index”. A high index value shows that the order of society has been created and accepted without query or reasoning. A low index indicates that people doubt leadership and seeking to transfer influence (Andrijauskien? & Dum?iuviene, 2017).

With the help of this theory, John can understand the concept of cultural dimensions that can help him identify the major differences. It will guide him in understanding the power distance. As he has been belonging to a foreign country and his cultural dimensions are different from those of the cultures of India, he needs to identify the major differences to build a strong adaptation in the Indian culture. As per this index suggestion, the highest power index can show the unquestioning behavior of the employees and the lower index refers to doubting the abilities of the leaders(Andrijauskien? & Dum?iuviene, 2017). John can use this index to identify which index is being performed in the new organization. And depending on his analysis, he can use the power index smartly and effectively to make the employees trust the leadership skills of John. It will help remove the cultural differences in the workplace. John will also be benefitted to communicate with the employees freely.

Individualism vs collectivism

The "level to which individuals in a collectivist society" is indeed the focus of this index. Individualistic societies have loose connections, with most individuals only recognizing their good relationships. They place a greater emphasis on "I" but instead of "us." Collectivistic, but on the other hand, depicts a community in which closely-knit ties bind large families others into in-groups. When a dispute develops with that other in-group, these in-groups are infused with irrefutable trust and commitment to one another(Andrijauskien? & Dum?iuviene, 2017).

John can analyze the goals of the individuals as well as the team with the help of this index. This index will help him understand that individual and collective goals are equally important. It will also help him build a better communication system with the employees. Most importantly, he needs to understand that the cultures of India and America are different from each other. To survive in the Indian business environment, John needs to understand the cultural concepts of the business workplace(Andrijauskien? & Dum?iuviene, 2017). Thereby, he needs to use strategies that can help him in developing a good relationship with the employees. He needs to understand the goals and objectives of the individual employees. He also should understand the goals of the organization. It will help them work effectively within the organization.

Uncertainty avoidance Index

The Uncertainty Avoidance Index is described as "a society's avoidance of uncertainty," in which persons embrace or resist an unforeseen, unexplained, or go-out incident. Societies with a good score on this score have rigid ethical standards, regulations, and rules, and they often rely on ultimate fact, or the belief that one single Fact controls anything but everyone understands what it really is. A small degree in this measure shows that different feelings are adopted more quickly(Andrijauskien? & Dum?iuviene, 2017). Society has fewer rules, individuals are more acclimated to vagueness, and the milieu is more unrestricted.

As it is a new business environment and the cultures are different here from those of the American cultures. He needs to identify the risks and uncertainties in the new cultural dimensions. This index will help him in this context. Apart from that, he will also gain an understanding on to avoid the uncertainties related to that he may face in the new environment.

Masculinity vs femininity

Different norms are presented by women from diverse cultures. They show polite and sympathetic attitudes with men in “feminine civilizations”. The girls are more expressive and have to face competition in “masculine cultures” since they are less passionate than males. To put it another way, they still see a gap between male and female norms.In very patriarchal communities, this dimension is typically shown as prohibited(Andrijauskien? & Dum?iuviene, 2017). John may enhance his talents and capabilities in dealing with diverse workplaces by using Hofstede's cultural dimensions model to understand the differences in the behavior and attitude of people regarding masculinity and femininity. By studying their cultures and differences, he can make successful selections to develop strong relationships with the workforce.

Long-term orientation vs short-term orientation

This indexlinks previous acts to current as well as future activities. A lesser extent (short-term) of the index indicates that traditions are maintained and upheld, and that persistence is prioritized. Adaptation, and pragmatic problem-solving methods are seen as a necessity for communitiestogether with a peek degree in this long-term orientation(Andrijauskien? & Dum?iuviene, 2017).

This idea aids in determining the degree to which society may tolerate different points of view based on the time scale. Long-term strategy accomplishes long-term ambitions via tenacity and determination. Short-term orientation focuses on short-term ambitions that could be accomplished in the near future if swift values are produced. By examining the time frame, John may see the value of defining objectives.

Indulgence vs restraint

This measurement is essentially a measure of contentment, and whether or not simple things in life are gratified. "A culture that enables relatively unrestricted fulfillment of fundamental and normal human emotions linked to having amusement," according to the idea of indulgence. Its polar opposition is stated as "a community that manages and controls the fulfilling of demands through rigorous moral codes." Restrained societies think that outside circumstances determine their existence and sentiments, whereas indulgent culturesfeel that they are under charge of making sure and feelings(Andrijauskien? & Dum?iuviene, 2017).

It highlights how to manage one's impulses and desires. Indulgence implies that the organization should allow for unrestrained enjoyment in the pursuit of wealth. Restraint strives to provide the best satisfaction based on requirements, and it is guided by societal standards. John can comprehend the differences in the two cultures' standards and requirements based on this concept. He can decide things to respond to changes in society by grasping these two community laws and standards.

Analysis of the scenario from an anti-essentialist perspective

Essentialism is the belief that materials or other entities have at some a few of their attributes intrinsically, and that these attributes are at the very least needed for really objecting or pertaining towards this kind. Essentialism is the idea that entities have a combination of qualities that are required for them to exist. Anti-essentialism, on the other hand, has traditionally held the role that this is not the situation(Carbado & Harris, 2018). Therefore, most anti-essentialists are simply suspicious of'real' or imagination essences. Some people are suspicious about modality in general, claiming that the essential/accidental difference is meaningless. A broader group of skeptics include conventionalists, feedback models, and deflationists, do not completely deny the difference but consider it as non-objective and as a consequence of mental activity. Anti-essentialists are frequently driven by metaphysical worries about the assumed nature or foundation of essential features, as well as epistemological issues regarding what falls on one side or the other of the split.

To understand the scenario on the basis of the anti-essentialist perspective, it can be described in two interwoven situations that John can face after shifting to a new cultural dimension. The cross-cultural challenge is a serious problem in the workplace since it offers many obstacles for staff and employers both, hampering the group's progress and activities more complicated. After arriving in India, John was confronted with the same situation.

Acceptance of cultural differences

The anti-essentialism perspective comes here with the concept of whether John can accept the cultural differences in India as he comes from America, a different cultured place. John can tolerate cultural differences and diversity when he identifies the main areas that he needs to develop. At the same time, he may also face an obstacle in adapting to the cultural differences as he is habituated to a different circumstance. As his background is different, it can make many challenges to him to adapt to the cultural differences (Taras, 2017). It can prevent him from understanding diversity and differences. Thereby, he never can achieve the goal of being habituated to the different cultures.

He may be more attentive to this diversity by comprehending the cultural distinctions in the company, as well as the variations when he faces cultural challenges. It can enable him in grasping the challenges to promptly adapt to the new circumstances. It can also increase his interest to be adapted to perform a better leadership style. Acceptance of cultural differences can also help John develop a better workplace by strengthening his understanding capability (Keith, 2019).

Adaptation

Adaptation can be explained in the context of the anti-essentialism perspective as to whether John can be adapted to the cultural differences or not. As he has a gap in communicating or interacting with the employees, it can be a huge difficulty for him to adapt to new changes. He can never change his leadership style as he is familiar with the leadership skills and style he was using in the American workplace. As he was using a leadership style in the American workplace as per the behavior and cultures of American business, he was familiar with that. So it can be a problem for him to change his leading style in the Indian workplace. Also, the employees were friendly there which is different from that of the Indian workplace. Being habituated to work in this kind of situation, he may be not become able to be familiar with the new employees.

On the other hand, this situation can provide him enough interest to cultivate new leadership styles as per the changes in workplace behavior. The most essential thing John can really do to tackle the cross-cultural challenge is to accept the change and then become nimble enough to respond to it. He can be familiar with the cultural distinctions seen between American and Indian workplaces. He also can be altered to accommodate these changes by upgrading his leadership capabilities and approaches for interacting with employees as part (Wang et al., 2017).

Open-mindedness

John has faced these obstacles by adhering to one thing: that Indian employees would behave the same way to American ones. As per the anti-essentialism perspective, it is to determine whether John can be open-minded to accept the changes in the behavior and modes of the working capability of the employees. To identify this area, it can be stated that John is familiar with the workability and productivity of the employees of America and he thinks that the employees of India will also behave in the same way. But the main challenge here is the differences in cultural behavior. So the anti-essentialism perspective suggests that John can never accept the changes in the behavior of the workers of India. He cannot broaden his horizons. He cannot become more personable and open-minded, and cannot encourage workers to share their opinions and opinions with John.

On the other hand, it is also possible that he will be more attentive and careful to understand the changing behavior of the workers as per the changes in the workplace pattern. Therefore, by understanding the differences in the cultures of the two places, he may analyze the two and make effective decisions (Mittelmeier et al., 2018). He may create a communication system with the employees of India through regular interactions with them. He may also lessen this gap by enhancing the number of conversations with the employees or analyzing their feedback and improving the areas as per the feedbacks and opinions of the workers.

Adaptation to a good and fluent communication

It is plain and obvious that there was a lack of interaction between the employees and John in the new workplace. So, as per the anti-essentialism perspective, it is broadened to describe whether John can create a good communication system with the employees of India or not. He has a lack of understanding of the cultural differences of India. It is also true that the cultures he was habituated with were different from that of India. So, it can be a challenge for him. It is possible that due to diversity and cultural disparities, he cannot create a good communication system as per his habits of the American workplace culture.

At the same time, is also possible that by having a meaningful discussion with the workforce, John can establish a strong communication network. He can support the employees in understanding one another's ideas. By easing such a need to begin anything, John may also create comfortable and various applications ranging for team members to express their thoughts and perspectives. A successful interaction may also assist John in developing solid communications and interactions inside the company, resulting in increased worker efficiency and productivity (Kosareva et al., 2019).

Understanding of the scenario

Throughout the discussion of the two conceptual approaches, it can be stated that John needs to develop his understanding of cultural differences. John was facing huge challenges in communicating with the employees and that was the major problem of John to instruct and help the employees as per their requirements. He was also considering the capabilities of Indian employees similar to those of the American employees. He was also facing problems with the culture of the Indian workplace.

Strengths of Hofstede’s model

As per the analysis of Hofstede’s cultural dimension theory, John can improve his skills regarding the cultures of the Indian workplace. Multinational managers may apply his method to enhance employee motivation and reduce disagreement, both of which are ways to enhance the performance of the organization.It will thereby help him overcome the situation. Based on Hofstede’s model he can use the different indexes to improve his cultural knowledge and become adapt to diversity ((Taras, 2017). By understanding the power distance index, John can help the employees and team members by guiding and directing them effectively as per their requirements. It is very important for developing the workplace environment. He can acknowledge the achievements of the employees that can lessen the workplace disparity. He can also give attention so that the employees can understand his instruction. A high degree of uncertainty avoidance predicts a low level of acceptance, and likewise. John may use this idea to gain insight ability in terms of dealing with the many conditions in which he has worked for decades, as well as the new workforce. Due to cross-cultural characteristics, he can also strengthen his weak areas to deal with work challenges and risks (Taras, 2017).

Weaknesses of Hofstede’s model

Some experts believe Hofstede uses an obsolete concept of culture that ignores the consequences of internationalization. Furthermore, Hofstede claimed that workers' responses are unchanged by their environment, which is inaccurate considering individuals react differently in various situations and locations. Its advantages include the fact that it compares organizations with national cultures, which is key in all companies since it influences productivity and employee conflict(Taras, 2017). As John has shifted to India from America, he needs an international concept to understand the cultural differences. So, the weakness of Hofstede’s model can be a challenge for John to adapt to the cultural and behavioral disparities in the workplace.

Strengths of the Anti-essentialism concept

According to the anti-essentialism theory, there are other scenarios in which the person owns the assets and realistic eventualities in which the person does not exist for each personality and property. Anti-essentialism, it is said, cannot be established meaningfully within the paradigm of regular modal concept semantics (Carbado& Harris, 2018). It is proposed as an alternative to traditional interpretation to make sense of the essentialism idea.

Strengths

It may increase the confidence of John by bringing challenges and doubts to his capabilities. It can also push John to achieve his goals.

Weakness

This theory suggests that there are doubts about whether John can achieve the goal of overcoming cultural differences or not. It demoralizes the confidence and motivation John by making doubts about his capability. It thereby can decrease his self-confidence.

Conclusion

Thereby, it can be concluded that the two crucial concepts have helped identify the major areas for lessening the cultural differences. In this report, the scenario can help in generating ideas on how to deal with different cultural areas using capabilities to adapt to the new changes and cultural dimensions.

References

Andrijauskien?, M., & Dum?iuvien?, D. (2017, October). Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and national innovation level. In DIEM: Dubrovnik International Economic Meeting (Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 189-205). Sveu?ilište u Dubrovniku.

Carbado, D. W., & Harris, C. I. (2018). Intersectionality at 30: Mapping the margins of anti-essentialism, intersectionality, and dominance theory. Harv. L. Rev., 132, 2193.

Keith, K. D. (Ed.). (2019). Cross-cultural psychology: Contemporary themes and perspectives. John Wiley & Sons.

Kosareva, L., Evreeva, O., & Zakirova, O. (2019). Formation of language competence: Modern issues and strategies in the area of cross-cultural communication. Space and Culture, India, 7(3), 149-159.

Mittelmeier, J., Rienties, B., Tempelaar, D., & Whitelock, D. (2018). Overcoming cross-cultural group work tensions: Mixed student perspectives on the role of social relationships. Higher Education, 75(1), 149-166.

Ng, T. K., Wang, K. W. C., & Chan, W. (2017). Acculturation and cross-cultural adaptation: The moderating role of social support. International journal of intercultural relations, 59, 19-30.

Taras, V. (2017). Cultural dimensions, Hofstede. The International Encyclopedia of Intercultural Communication, 1-5.