Why is intercultural communication important for business?
We need to work with customers, partners and perhaps even employees that live in other countries. And here in Canada, multiculturalism is increasing rapidly! We need to recognize that our workforce is changing to one of more diverse cultures. The business world is becoming more interconnected.
Those that resist or deny may find disadvantage in:
• Recruiting & retaining skilled employees
• Attracting new customers and/or keeping existing customers
• Securing high value suppliers & other partners in the value chain
On the other hand, those organizations that are proactive to implement a diversity strategy will have an advantage in the above. But how can we implement a diversity strategy unless we can improv intercultural communication?
What is holding us back?
• As we often focus only on the language aspect, we miss key aspects of communication.
• At a deeper level, we may have very different context in how we perceive & process information about the world around us.
The concept of Ethnocentricity
Take a moment to consider the environment you were raised in.
• Your parents taught you the type of behaviors that are acceptable in society, and those that are not.
• They also taught you how to stay safe & get what you need from the world.
• These customs & practices are passed down from generation to generation. As you have never known another way, you believe that these ways are universal.
In other communities, different customs and practices
have arisen to meet the needs of safety and security.
• These behavior's are effective within the environment and social structure.
• The physical environment and history all play a part in the values and beliefs that have arisen in a particular society.
• Each adapts to their own specific needs.
As communication skills provide a competitive advantage for businesses, effective intercultural communication skills are especially important for a company seeking to be a major player on the international market. Because messages can be conveyed accurately and effectively, effective intercultural communication allows customers to have clear information and understanding of a company, such as the difference and superiority of the company's products and services in comparison to those of competitors. Furthermore, effective intercultural communication becomes a competitive advantage for the company, particularly in the international market, because it prevents the company from wasting time and resources on communication problems, allowing the company to spend its time more wisely and effectively in conducting business ( Kei and Yazdanifard, 2015).
ReplyDeleteIn a recent development, the understanding of intercultural communication has gained importance in utilizing advantages connected to doing business internationally (Jameson, 2007). In fact, future successful international managers may be the ones that are able to manage communication in culturally and linguistically diverse contexts (cf. Beamer, 1998; Henderson, 2005; Varner & Beamer, 2005)
ReplyDeleteVery well explained! To add some thoughts, Gudykunst, Matsumoto, and Ting-Toomey (1996) found that individual factors are better predictors of high and low-context communication styles that are cultural values of individualism and collectivism.
ReplyDeleteInteresting topic for the article Nifrash, The rise of the internationalized business environment and the intensification of global competition has led to an increasing number of people travelling across cultural and linguistic boundaries (Griffith, 2002). As a result, dealing with the full complexity of human diversity has become a daily task for a substantial part of the business community.
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