Question

Intercultural Context Business/Education/Healthcare

Describe the key intercultural issues and challenges of today’s educational settings. How might these intercultural challenges shift depending on the school level (elementary, middle, high school, college, professional level)?

As more businesses grow across multiple nations and strive to become global brands, how do you think this globalization will affect the differences in the intercultural business context?

Answer 1

Intercultural communication skills are those required to communicate, or share information, with people from other cultures and social groups.

While language skills may be an important part of intercultural communication, they are by no means the only requirement.

Intercultural communication also requires an understanding that different cultures have different customs, standards, social mores, and even thought patterns.

Finally, good intercultural communication skills requires a willingness to accept differences these and adapt to them.

A Starting Point for Intercultural Communication

A desire for intercultural communication starts from the point of view that communication is better if it is constructive, and does not suffer from misunderstandings and breakdowns.

Intercultural communication requires both knowledge and skills. It also requires understanding and empathy.

Effective intercultural communication is a vital skill for anyone working across countries or continents, including those working for multinational companies either in their home country or abroad (expatriates).

It is also crucial for anyone working with people from other cultures to avoid misunderstandings and even offence. Those studying languages often encounter issues of intercultural communication.

Knowledge for Intercultural Communication

Key areas of knowledge for those wanting to improve their intercultural communication are:

• Some knowledge of the cultures, organisations and institutions, history and general way of living of different communities and nations.
• Recognition that these aspects affect behavioural norms. For example, there is considerable ‘history’ between the Greeks and Turks, and therefore it may be considered potentially a problem to serve Turkish food to a Greek person.
• An understanding of how culture can affect communication and language. For example, people from Nordic countries are often said to speak more directly than native English speakers who tend to use more ‘polite’ language. Scandinavians in the UK have reported causing offence to English people by failing to say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ enough.
• Some understanding of the conventions that may govern behaviour in certain specific intercultural environments, such as views on the role of women, or the licence (or otherwise) permitted to children.
• Crucially, awareness of your own and other people’s beliefs and values, and a willingness to recognise when these may clash.
• Sensitivity towards cultural stereotypes that may affect and interfere with intercultural communication.

• Some useful starting points may be:

• Demonstrate your willingness to meet others at least halfway by learning a few phrases in their language.

  This is easy if you know that you’re going on holiday somewhere, but it’s also important for expatriate assignments and other business trips. A few phrases, even if it’s only ‘Good morning’, ‘good evening’, and ‘thank you’, will go a long way.

  There are plenty of free language resources available on the internet so there is no excuse for ignorance.

• If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.

  Nelson Mandela

• Talk to people who know the culture about common traps and problems.

  Before you go, find people who know the region to which you’re travelling, and ask their advice. Ask your co-workers what people commonly do that’s just ‘wrong’, or what problems they have encountered, and learn from it. Listen carefully to their answers, including what they don’t say, as this can tell you a lot.