Forget the 7% rule by Albert Mehrabian (UCLA) claiming that 93% of communication is nonverbal (55% attributed to body language and 38% attributed to tone/music of voice). The different life experiences people have based on cultural norms also affect the interpretation they have of messages delivered by others. Cultural barriers are challenges to cross-cultural communication within an organization. Additionally, when we add virtual team members to the mix, we increase the complexity even further! People often exchange opinions or viewpoints through negotiation rather than arguing that their perspective is definitively correct. Different approaches to professional communication are just one of the innumerable differences in workplace norms from around the world. Every aspect of global communication is influenced by cultural differences. If you have traveled a lot before, you know that there are huge differences in communication between people from one country to another. Using evidences and examples from local and international, highlight and explain those differences. Culture can play a major role in how people communicate with each other, and understanding cultural differences can make for smoother communication. Sometimes it is very obvious, many times very subtle. The differences in communication recital and the diverse forms of communication can create diversity among various cultures. Expats are also often more open to new cultures and usually try to adapt to the culture of their new place of residence. These principles include: Learning about the culture … 2. Kinesics mainly deals with body language such as postures, gestures, head nods, leg movements, etc. This aspect of communication is also influenced by cultural differences as it is well known that there is a great difference in the value given by different cultures to time. Understanding the different communication styles and how culture influences them will help to ease frustration and promote understanding, not just for you, but for your colleagues, as well. Increasingly, workplaces are global environments. Cultural communication styles can be identified in a study that examines the differences in American and Japanese cultures (Yamada, 1997). Whether in a culturally diverse company or visiting emerging markets, understanding what people mean through their body language can be a challenge. Indirect Communication: The communication style of Indians tends to be polite and indirect.They may try to speak appeasingly to those they are not close to in order to avoid conflict or confrontation. Even the choice of medium used to communicate may have cultural … CULTURE AND COMMUNICATION. Linear discussions get straight to the point. Different cultures will speak at different volumes, be more or less direct in showing emotion, may or may not expect to engage in “small talk,” and exhibit other dissimilarities in communication. Cultures are either high-context or low-context. Some of the most common forms of nonverbal communication include gestures, facial expressions, proxemics (interpersonal distances), haptics (touching), posturology (posture), paralinguistics (phonetics) or … In some countries, nonverbal communication is much more important than verbal. Communicating across cultures is challenging. As stated by Jandt “culture cannot be known without a study of communication, and communication can only be understood with an understanding of the culture it supports.” (Jandt, 2010: 25). They rely less on words and are more attentive to posture, expression and tone of voice to draw meaning. effective communication entails the ability to accept and understand other cultures in spite of cultural differences. Cultural differences between team members increases the complexity or “thinking” required around communications. While studying culture and communication, it is found that gender is an important factor that makes a difference in communication. A basic tactic for overcoming cross-cultural communication barriers is to realize that many subtle differences in customs and behavior may exist. Intercultural communication is a discipline that studies communication across different cultures and social groups, or how culture affects communication.It describes the wide range of communication processes and problems that naturally appear within an organization or social context made up of individuals from different religious, social, ethnic, and educational backgrounds. In some cultures, people are loud, direct or even blunt and tend to interrupt others during a conversation. Communication and cultural differences From the course: Interpersonal Communication Start my 1-month free trial Listen to the summary at Blinkist or listen to the book at Audible. While some cultures depend almost entirely on the spoken word to communicate, others like in Thailand rely heavily on non-verbal cues. Non verbal communication can be a cultural barrier as well as language, and often it may lead to misunderstanding, especially when people are not familiar with other cultures and contexts. This is especially important when managing teams from all over the world. Cultural Barrier. Share. It’s involved in any communication via body language and environmental context. Each culture has set rules that its members take for granted. Cultural differences are the various beliefs, behaviors, languages, practices and expressions considered unique to members of a specific ethnicity, race or national origin. Cultural differences in non verbal communication Non verbal communication is what occurs without the need for words while we are attempting to communicate. Cultural differences across different regions and countries manifest themselves in different ways. Effective Cross-Cultural Communication Strategies. Workplace etiquette. Be aware of different styles of communication – some may be more direct than others, or only give feedback at certain stages. Indirect Communication: As an extension of the need to maintain harmonious relations, the Chinese rely heavily on indirect communication. The picture above is one from a series depicting the multitude of cultural differences between China and the generic “west”- a generalization of North American and European cultures. 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