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Cultural differences in business
How does culture cause miscommunication
Cross cultural differences in business
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In many workplaces now days friendly touching employees is a common act, but many people for cultural or religious reasons dont welcome this and may find it offensive. Being aware of the cultural differences of the employees and understanding thier retuals can eliminate cross cultural misunderstanding in the workplace, ("Safe Work Australia 2013, para .1). Non verbal communication such as touching discrourages employees even though it is a normal gesture for the employee or supervisor. In this essay i will be looking at the touching issue and ways this can be prevented in the workplace if one is not confortable with it such as , Facial expression, Body gesture, Eye contact and Posture. Touching ones body such as,shaking hands is a non verbal
Nonverbal behavior is channeled by norms and most of us abide by them without being aware of them. Physical appearance, gesture and body movement, face and eye behavior, vocal behavior, personal space, touch, scent/smell, and time are all forms of nonverbal communication behavior. Norms differ amongst various cultures, ethnic, and geographic groups. There are endless ways and forms to violate nonverbal norms, and by doing so can lead to a barrier in communication, which are problematic to distinguish.
The first notable problem arises from differences in the use space and touch. In terms of proxemics, which is the study of how people use personal space differently (Hall,1966), each culture has its preferred concept and use of personal space. When it comes to touch, cultures can vary in the amount of touching and the meanings of
Giving touch should not be prevented from care givers, while it does not mean care givers take giving touch for granted and give it to patients forcibly; being sensitive, observant and respectful should be emphasized when giving touch (Edvardsson et al., 2003).
Cultural competence can be defined as using the ability of one’s awareness, attitude, knowledge and skill to effectively interact with a patient’s many cultural differences. Madeline Leininger, a pioneer on transcultural nursing describes it this way; “a formal area of study and practice focused on comparative human-care differences and similarities of the beliefs, values and patterned lifeways of cultures to provide culturally congruent, meaningful, and beneficial health care to people” (Barker, 2009, p. 498). The importance of cultural diversity in healthcare allows for the delivery of appropriate cultural autonomy. Showing respect for others will lead to trust between nurse and patient which in turn improves healing and health.
Culture impacts the interpretation of body language, which includes “eye contact”, “personal space”, and “bow” (Hurn 2014). The British anthropologist Edward Burnett Tylor (1871) defines culture as a set of social standards containing “social values” “custom”, and “religious beliefs” (1). In order to avoid embarrassments in conversation with people who hold different social values, believe in unlike religions or are influenced by diverse custom, it is vital to evaluate how culture affects explanations of body language and how cultural differences will cause misunderstandings among speakers.
Question Answered: Present the ways in which cross-cultural experiences strengthen a continuous development of the world environment.
Today’s management in the workforce is composed of all types of people verses thirty years ago when white males held a majority of upper-management positions in companies. These positions are now held by a mixture of ethnic back grounds and women who hold just as many if not more management positions then men. Just by looking at the changes in management demographics shows how important it is for people to understand cultural competency in the workplace. Dr. Roosevelt Thomas Jr. (1999) stated, “Diversity is the collective mixture of whomever we have in our workforce characterized by their differences and similarities” (p.11). Managers and supervisors must understand the characteristics of a diversity mature individual; they also need to be able to articulate the differences between affirmative action, managing diversity, understanding and valuing diversity to build skills that transforms awareness into productive and supportive workplace behaviors.
When communicating, only a small percent of the exchange is verbal. The larger part of the message is made up of body language or movements, known as nonverbal communication. The reason for people using nonverbal communication is to enhance the message they are sending to the receiver. One way nonverbal communication differs is through cultural differences. Cultural differences have a significant impact on nonverbal communication as cultures differ greatly in their nonverbal interpretations and responses. Firstly, this essay will prove how kinesics can create barriers between people as types of nonverbal cues differ amongst cultures. It will then show that paralinguistics can be based on cultural expectations and this can create stereotyping in cross-cultural communication. Turning to haptics, it will then show that different perspectives on haptics can cause problems in a cross-cultural context. Finally, it will prove that because of different cultural norms, the use of proxemics can be misinterpreted, therefore proving that cultural differences have a significant impact on nonverbal communication.
Nonverbal communication has always played an important role in the entire communication process. It may include gestures, kinesics, haptics and other means, which a person incorporates into the communication process. These acts make the communication process more effective and meaningful. However, nonverbal communication is highly influenced by cultural differences as the context of the culture defines how the message is interpreted. This essay will analyse several types of nonverbal communication such as proxemics, haptics, kinesics, semiotics and paralinguistic. It will also analyse the messages conveyed by these nonverbal communication types in different cultures and their impact on the non-verbal communication process in relative cultural contexts.
Anita Bruzzese. (2010, March 20). On the Job: Nonverbal cues can give you the edge at the office. The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved May 9, 2010, from ProQuest Newsstand. (Document ID: 1988454201).
Axtell, E. R. (1993). The dos and taboos of body language around the world. In Social interaction in everyday life (chapter 22). Retrieved from http://www.sheltonstate.edu/Uploads/files/faculty/Angela%20Gibson/Sph%20106/taboos0001.pdf.
The term “culture” refers to the complex accumulation of knowledge, folklore, language, rules, rituals, habits, lifestyles, attitudes, beliefs, and customs that link and provide a general identity to a group of people. Cultures take a long time to develop. There are many things that establish identity give meaning to life, define what one becomes, and how one should behave.
One of the main topic Amy Cuddy talked about was about communication with body language, communicating in a non-verbal way with others but as well with ourselves. Cuddy describes how one judges on other human body language and how one can make decision based on their body language. Amy Cuddy describes situations like job interviews and promotions, where humans could make decision based on someone’s non-verbal communication. Also Amy Cuddy use the example of Nalini Ambad research that states when someone watches a mute clip of a physician attending a
In spite the fact that shaking hands is widely spread in many cultures as a kind of greeting, we find that the Japanese people and japan one of countries where is people are not accustomed to shake hands and kiss, where such physical contact is considered to be immoral conduct!
...tention to how people react to one another’s comments, guessing the relationship between the people and guessing how each feels about what is being said. This can inform individuals to better understand the use of body language when conversing with other people. It is also important to take into account individual differences. Different cultures use different non-verbal gestures. Frequently, when observing these gestures alone the observer can get the wrong impression, for instance, the listener can subconsciously cross their arms. This does not mean that they are bored or annoyed with the speaker; it can be a gesture that they are comfortable with. Viewing gestures as a whole will prevent these misunderstandings. Non-verbal gestures are not only physical, for example; the tone of voice addressing a child will be different from the way it is addressed to an adult.