WEEK 4 IMPORTANCE OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION.
Why is intercultural communication important to know?
- Intercultural communication offers the ability to deal across cultures, which is increasingly
important, as the world gets smaller.
-More contact with people who are culturally different.
-Being able to deal with this cultural difference peacefully, never mind creatively and
innovatively, is becoming a survival issue to thrive in a global world as a global leader.
Importance of Intercultural Communication to Various Career Fields
Education relies on effective interaction between the teacher and the learners.
- Intercultural communication has become important because the schools are becoming
more diverse culturally.
- Successful educators are effective communicators and thus culturally competent in cross-
cultural encounters.
- Teachers should therefore be sensitive to the potentially problematic outcomes of
intercultural communication in the culturally diverse class.
- Communication can be a useful source of intercultural knowledge and mutual enrichment
between culturally diverse students.
- If mishandled, communication could be a source of frustration, misapprehensions,
intercultural conflict and ultimately school failure.
- Cross-cultural communication is complex and potentially problematic in education.
- Successful communication is a prerequisite of effective transfer of knowledge in school.
Obstacles to effective intercultural communication
(i) Attitudes and dispositions,
a settled way of thinking or feeling about something.
(ii) Stereotyping, and
In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people. It
is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group
(iii) Ethnocentrism
to apply one's own culture or ethnicity as a frame of reference to judge other cultures, practices,
behaviors, beliefs, and people, instead of using the standards of the particular culture involved.
A rich repertoire of verbal and nonverbal behaviours appropriate to the intercultural situation as
well as affective capabilities to react sensitively to fellow communicators from other cultures is a
necessity in education (Linde, 1997).
The business sector
- Is most affected with the issues of intercultural communication.
- Today with emergence of multi-national companies and global companies, it is unlikely
to do business without communicating cross culturally.
- Global organizations will increasingly focus on the critical value of cross-cultural
communication process, efficiency and competence and cost of doing business.
- In order to successfully communicate cross culturally, knowledge and understanding of
cultural factors such as values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviour should be acquired.
- Effective cross-cultural communication in global economy provides pragmatic tools
about how to define a communication strategy, train representatives and conduct business
talks in order to achieve success.
- Intercultural communication is also an essential component in medicine.
- Health care professionals should communicate effectively with their patients. They
should understand their language, and cultural differences in beliefs and understanding of
disease may result in problems in intercultural 5 communication.
- One should have training on appropriate use of an interpreter, use pictures to explain
concepts to patients, demonstrate via body language.
- avoid use of common gestures as they may have different cultural meanings
- Interpersonal communication skills are essential to all helping relationships of cross-
cultural counseling.
- in counseling, communication process has been viewed as an intervention for client
change, in and itself, and not just the medium by which a counselor applies his or her
counseling approaches.
- As national economies evolve, overlap, and merge, the need to work with people from
other cultures is an irreversible necessity.
- International corporations are increasingly searching for business management
professionals who are skilled, flexible, and able to adjust and apply their skills with the
tact and sensitivity that will enhance business success internationally.
- Degrees with a cultural emphasis such as an MA in a regional study or an LLM in are
essential to learning the specific skill sets needed to transcend cultural boundaries, but do
not have a focus on cultural communications.
- Increasing one’s personal worth in the global workforce is a difficult task in today’s
hypercompetitive, interconnected economy; however, this task becomes more feasible
through intercultural communication training.
Remove Cultural Barriers
- Intercultural communication training breaks down cultural barriers and building
awareness of cultural norms, as well as enhancing self-awareness and communication
skills.
- This form of communication allows individuals to adapt their skill set to meet the
intercultural collaboration needs that global businesses value.
- International affairs graduate programmes work to remove cultural barriers by teaching
analysis and interpretation for cross-cultural interactions, including the impact of culture
on conflict and communication at various levels.
- Basic matters, such as what’s considered appropriate personal space and meeting
etiquette, can have a major impact on the outcomes of business interactions.
Improve Negotiation Skills
Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more people or parties to reach a desired outcome
regarding one or more issues of conflict. It is an interaction between entities who aspire to agree
on matters of mutual interest. The agreement can be beneficial for all or some of the parties
involved
- Intercultural communication training also enhances the ability to negotiate, which
increases individual marketability within the global workforce.
- Each culture has its own set of rules when it comes to negotiating. Some experts
recommend integrating a cross-cultural framework for people who work with multiple
cultures every day.
How to improve your negotiation skills
Cultural Themes may be rooted in religious or folk beliefs, integrate them when developing
a negotiating strategy.
Communication is key, since subtle differences in language can have a big impact on how
negotiation messages are given and received.
Group Dynamics significantly influence the sales process, since decision-makers may not
actually be at the table but represented by various parties, such as family members.
Globalization requires global brands to adjust to local cultures and markets to be relevant and
successful.
Process Engineering in global companies needs to be addressed, since resources may not be
uniform across locations and may impact the flow and timing of the negotiation process.
Time Orientation varies significantly throughout cultures and can greatly influence
expectations and the pace of negotiations.
- To increase the value and marketability of your company and of yourself, adopt the
mindset of someone who knows how to navigate the industry and understand cultural
differences and different worldviews.
- Intercultural communication training is one of the best ways to accomplish this and can
be achieved through a variety of international studies graduate programmes.
- The more individuals adjust and adapt with cultural sensitivity and intelligence to the
needs of the environment, the more companies will find exactly what they’re looking for
—a culturally competent and sought-after business professional.
This post was originally published in July 2014 and was updated with recent research and
resources.
12 important negotiation skills to have
The skills you’ll need depend on your environment, your intended outcome and the people or
businesses involved. Here are several key negotiation skills that apply to many situations:
1. Communication
Essential communication skills include identifying nonverbal cues and verbal skills to express
yourself in an engaging way. Skilled negotiators can change their communication styles to meet
the listener’s needs. By establishing clear communication, you can avoid misunderstandings that
could prevent you from reaching a compromise.
2. Active listening
Active listening skills are also crucial for understanding another’s opinion in negotiation. Unlike
passive listening, which is the act of hearing a speaker without retaining their message, active
listening ensures you’re able to engage and later recall specific details without needing
information repeated.
3. Emotional intelligence
Emotional intelligence is the ability to control your own emotions and recognize others' feelings.
Being conscious of the emotional dynamics during negotiation can allow you to remain calm and
focused on the core issues. If you're unsatisfied with the current negotiation, express the need for
a break so you and the other party can return later with refreshed perspectives.
4. Expectation management
Just as you should enter a negotiation with a clear goal, the other side also likely has its own
defined expectations. If you believe you might not be able to agree to each other's terms, you
could try adjusting your expectations. Skilled expectation management involves maintaining a
balance between being a firm negotiator and a collaborative one.
5. Patience
Some negotiations can take a long time to complete, occasionally involving renegotiation and
counteroffers. Rather than seeking a quick conclusion, negotiators often practice patience to
properly assess a situation and reach the best conclusion for their clients.
6. Adaptability
Adaptability is a vital skill for a successful negotiation. Each negotiation is unique, and the
situation within a singular negotiation may change from one day to the next. For example, an
involved party may change their demands abruptly. While it's difficult to plan for every possible
situation, a good negotiator can adapt quickly and determine a new plan, if needed.
7. Persuasion
The ability to influence others is an important skill of negotiation. It can help you define why
your proposed solution is beneficial to all parties and encourage others to support your point of
view. In addition to being persuasive, negotiators should be assertive when
necessary. Assertiveness allows you to express your opinions while respecting the other side’s
perspectives.
8. Planning
Negotiation requires planning to help you determine what you want. You should consider what’s
the best possible outcome, what’s your least acceptable offer and what you will do if an
agreement isn’t reached. The ability to prepare, plan and think ahead is crucial to a successful
negotiation. Planning skills are necessary not only for the negotiation process but also for
deciding how the terms will be carried out.
The best negotiators enter a discussion with at least one backup plan, but often more. Consider
all possible outcomes, and be prepared for each of these scenarios. For negotiators, this is known
as the “best alternative to a negotiated agreement” (BATNA).
9. Integrity
Integrity, or having strong ethical and moral principles, is an essential skill for negotiations.
Being thoughtful, respectful and honest allows the other side to trust what you say. As a
negotiator, you should be able to follow through on commitments. To demonstrate
trustworthiness, avoid over-promising.
10. Rapport building
The ability to build rapport lets you establish relationships with others where both sides feel
supported and understood. Building a rapport requires you effectively communicate your goals
but also understand the other side’s wants and needs. Rapport helps ease tensions, promotes
collaboration and increases the likelihood of reaching an agreement. To build rapport, showing
respect and using active listening skills are critical.
11. Problem-solving
Negotiation requires the ability to see the problem and find a solution. If a price is too high, how
can it be lowered? If a resource is in short supply, what can be done to increase it? Being able to
find unique solutions to problems may be the determining factor in compromise.
12. Decision making
Good negotiators can act decisively during a negotiation. It may be necessary to agree to a
compromise during a bargaining arrangement. You need to be able to react decisively. Keep in
mind that your decisions may have lasting effects on yourself or your company. It is important to
think through your options carefully without overthinking your decision. Going back and forth
between your options without a clear answer might bring unnecessary stress.
Types of negotiation
Most negotiation outcomes will fall into one of two categories: "win-win" or "win-lose." By
understanding the different types of negotiations, you can determine the most relevant skills for
your role and work to improve them. Distributive and integrative negotiations are the most
common types of negotiation.
Distributive negotiations
In distributive negotiations, also called "distributive bargaining," both sides try to gain control of
a limited amount of resources. This is considered a “win-lose” negotiation. One side’s gain
equals the other side’s loss. For example, a client may feel that if Company XWZ does not lower
the price for a service, they will be paying too much. The company may feel if it decreases its
price, it will lose money.
Integrative negotiations
Often referred to as a “win-win,” an integrative negotiation occurs when everyone benefits from
the agreement. There is usually more than one issue to be negotiated so there are opportunities
for tradeoffs. To reach an agreement, each side receives value. For example, a client believes
Company XWZ should reduce the cost of its service to $800, and the company believes it should
maintain the cost at $1,000. Both sides may negotiate a $900 service. In this case, both “win”
$100.
How to skillfully prepare for a negotiation
By considering these steps ahead of time, you can be prepared to use your negotiation skills to
your full potential.
1. Do your research
Before entering a negotiation, evaluate all sides and consider their goals. For example, if you’re
nearing the end of the hiring process, you may be preparing to negotiate a salary. The employer
likely wants to hire someone who can complete the required job duties for a competitive salary.
You likely want to offer your experience and knowledge to a company in return for what you
perceive to be fair pay.
It can also be helpful to research the person with whom you are negotiating. Understand the
limitations of the negotiator. Do they have the ability to give you what you want? Sometimes the
person you are negotiating with will be unable to meet your demands. Understanding these
limitations can help you strategize.
2. Know your priorities
Negotiations often require each side to compromise. Determine what is most important and what
you are willing to settle for in its place. Setting your priorities ahead of time can help you
evaluate what you refuse to give up as well as where you’re willing to budge.
3. Consider the opposition
Consider the potential opposition to your negotiations. Do you think that your manager will
object to a pay increase because of declining sales? Will you be denied a higher starting salary
for a position because your requested rate is above the average range? Write down all the
potential oppositions and then gather the information you can use to argue your case.
4. Know when to walk away
One of the hardest parts of negotiation can be knowing when to walk away from a deal. It is
important to enter all negotiations recognizing that you may not be able to agree. Once you
realize no further compromises can be made and one or neither side is willing to accept the
terms, it’s probably time to walk away.
5. Keep your timeline in mind
A timeline can significantly impact your position of power in the negotiation process. For
example, if one or both sides are rushing to reach a decision, one or the other may give up too
much and regret their actions. For example, if you’re trying to get a new job quickly, you may
take a position with lower pay than you deserve, or you may compromise too much on benefits.
In this case, you may find yourself unsatisfied with your decision long-term.
The same rule can apply for a longer time period. If a company is considering partnering with a
vendor but they do not yet need their services, the vendor may have a harder time convincing the
company to meet their terms. The company may push harder for discounted rates and more value
because if the vendor does not agree, they still have time to find another solution.
Challenges to negotiating in the workplace
The workplace is ever-changing, but negotiation remains constant. Keep in mind that changing
business practices can present new challenges. In addition to learning negotiation skills, it also
necessary to know how to adjust them to a specific situation.
For example, many meetings today are entirely on the phone or over the internet, and some
negotiations may occur via email. These methods of communication can inhibit your ability to
read non-verbal cues, so you might suggest interacting through a video chat instead.
Negotiation skills can help you develop your career, secure a higher salary and meet critical
business needs. Continuous practice is key to improve your negotiation ability.
Benefits of Intercultural Communication
1. Healthier communities
2. Increased commerce (international, national, and local commerce)
3. Reduced conflict
4. Personal growth through tolerance.
Although the challenges of an increasingly diverse world are great, the benefits are even greater.
Communicating and establishing relationships with people from different cultures can lead to a
whole host of benefits, including healthier communities; increased international, national, and
local commerce; reduced conflict; and personal growth through increased tolerance (see Table
Healthy Communities
- Healthy communities are made up of individuals working collectively for the benefit of
everyone, not just their own group.
- Through open and honest intercultural communication, people can work together to
achieve goals that benefit everyone, regardless of group or culture, including the global
community in the home, business, or neighbourhood.
- Healthy communities support all community members and strive to understand,
appreciate, and acknowledge each member.
Increased Commerce
- Our ability to interact with persons from different cultures, both inside and outside our
borders, has immense economic benefits.
- There are significant cultural differences among countries. Hence, only through
successful intercultural communication can such economic potentials be realized.
Reduced Conflict
- We can, however, through cooperative intercultural communication, reduce and manage
conflict.
- Often, conflict stems from our inability to see another person’s point of view, particularly
if that person is from a different culture.
- We develop blatant negative generalizations and stereotypes about the person, which are
often incorrect and lead to mistrust. Such feelings lead to defensive behavior, which
fosters conflict.
- Gibb points out that messages that carry judgements of right or wrong, attempt to control
others, are not open to different ideas, demonstrate a lack of interest, suggest that one is
superior to another, and assert one’s certainty, lead to defensive competitive and even
destructive conflict.
- Gibb maintains that communicating messages that are descriptive rather than judgmental,
focus on the issue not the person, demonstrate empathy and equality, and are provisional
and flexible, lead to supportive behaviors and reduced conflict.
- If we can learn to think and act cooperatively with others who may not be similar to us by
engaging in supportive rather than defensive communication, we can effectively manage
and reduce conflict with others.
Personal Growth through Tolerance
- As you communicate with people from different cultures, you learn more about them and
their way of life—including their values, history, and habits—and the substance of their
personality.
- As your relationship develops, you start to understand them better, perhaps even
empathizing with them. One of the things you will learn (eventually) is that although
your cultures are different, you have much in common.
- As humans, we all have the same basic desires and needs; we just have different ways of
achieving them.
- As we learn that our way is not the only way, we develop a tolerance for difference. This
can be accomplished only when we initiate relationships with people who are different
from ourselves.
- When we observe how others conduct their lives, we begin to understand how we
conduct our own lives.
The Ethics of Intercultural Communication
- Ethics involve judgments about what is right and wrong in the course of human conduct.
- Ethics set a standard by which judgments of right and wrong are decided.
- Ethics become salient (i.e., particularly relevant) whenever human behaviour and
decision-making are conscious, voluntary, and impact others.
- Ethics should not be confused with, nor are they necessarily linked to, religion.
- While most religions profess and advocate strict ethical standards, ethics apply to
nonreligious people as well as religious people.
- One need not be religious to act ethically. Moreover, ethics are not synonymous with
whatever is legal.
- While legal codes integrate ethical standards into laws that guide and control the behavior
of citizens, they may not necessarily be ethical.
- If we define culture as an accumulated pattern of values, beliefs, and behaviours held by
an identifiable group of people, and if we assume that cultures are different from one
another, then intercultural communication takes on a necessary ethical dynamic because
communication is a conscious, voluntary act that influences others.
Intercultural Communication Competence
- Intercultural communication competence is defined as the degree to which you are able to
communicate across different cultures.
- The ability to adapt one’s verbal and nonverbal messages to the appropriate cultural
context.
- Intercultural Communication effectively adapt your verbal and nonverbal messages to the
appropriate cultural context.
- When you communicate with someone from a different culture, to be interculturally
competent you will have to adjust and modify the kinds of verbal and nonverbal
messages you send.
- This process requires that you have some knowledge about the person’s culture with
whom you are communicating, that you are motivated to communicate with him or her,
and that you have the appropriate verbal and nonverbal skills to encode and decode
messages.
- Interculturally competent people successfully and effectively adapt their verbal and
nonverbal messages to the appropriate cultural context.
- Intercultural competence varies from situation to situation.
- Verbal and nonverbal appropriateness and effectiveness are two important qualities of
intercultural competence.
- According to Brian Spitzberg, appropriate behaviors conform to the rules, norms, and
expectancies of the cultural context.
- Effective behaviours are those that successfully perform and accomplish the rules and
norms.
- The appropriateness and effectiveness of verbal and nonverbal messages vary
considerably across cultures. Behaviours considered appropriate in one culture may not
be appropriate in another culture.
An Integrated Model and Measure of Intercultural Communication Competence
- Being a competent intercultural communicator involves knowing about other cultures,
having an approach tendency, and applying appropriate and effective communication
behaviors.
- Effective and appropriate behaviour can be best judged and determined from the
perspectives of both the communicator enacting the behaviour and the other person with
whom intercultural communication occurs. Moreover, Arasaratnam contends that a
person who is competent in one type of intercultural exchange probably possesses
characteristics that enable him or her to communicate competently in other intercultural
exchanges as well.
Competent intercultural communicators
In related research, Arasaratnam and Marya Doerfel discovered that those who were identified as
competent intercultural communicators possessed five qualities in common:
(a) empathy,
(b) intercultural experience/training,
(c) approach tendencies,
(d) a global attitude, and
(e) listening skills.
Arasaratnam and Doerfel arrived at these five characteristics via interviews with persons from
15 different countries who were asked to describe a competent intercultural communicator.
Arasaratnam and Doerfel interviewed persons from the United States, Bahamas, Bosnia and
Herzegovina, Burkina Faso, China, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Japan,
Malaysia, Nigeria, Norway, and the Philippines.61 Specifically, they wanted to identify those
traits in competent intercultural interactants that transcend the cultural context and cultural
identity.
