Amity International Business School Communication and International Negotiation Major Obstacles to Intercultural Communication BY KP Kanchana

Amity International Business School Today's competitive global economy results in frequent cross-border movements of staff that results in a growing diversity at the workplace. As the inevitable happens between cultures, breakdowns in communication are a common occurrence. Three main obstacles to intercultural communication are identified 1. Language * Slang, Jargon * Dialects, Pidgin * Accents

Amity International Business School 2. Modern Technology * * SMS Text Messaging * Video Conferencing / Teleconferencing

Amity International Business School 3. Behaviourial and Mindset * Anxiety * Discomfort * Fear of the "Unknown" * Prejudice and Stereotyping * Perceived Cultural Superiority or Ethnocentrism * Discrimination = Racial, Sexual, Educational

Amity International Business School Barriers to Intercultural Communication Linguistic Cultural Physical Perceptual Nonverbal Emotional Experiential Bell (1992)

Amity International Business School Unexpected Barrier to Effective Communication # 1: FEAR For example, a person might be afraid of how a fellow employee would react to certain information or to a certain request. In such cases, honest communication and well thought-out wording are especially needed. Verbal assurances of continuing concern would communicate a personal interest that would help to promote good relations. How to Overcome Fear Mentally evaluate the situation very carefully. Ask yourself if you would like someone to tell you what is happening if you were in his position: "Would I appreciate it if someone told me?" If the answer is yes, think about what you will need to say.

Amity International Business School Unexpected Barrier to Effective Communication # 2: RESENTMENT It has fittingly been said that a happy marriage is the union of two good forgivers. Instead of nursing anger or resentment certainly calls for carefully word choice and clear communication. Besides choosing the right words, it is also very important to choose the right time to talk in order to clear up the situation that lead to resentment. It is counter productive to act like the proverbial "bull in a china shop". Instead, waiting for a few minutes or perhaps a few hours can make a major difference.

Amity International Business School Communication Barriers Language Barriers –Knowledge of the home country’s language is important for personnel placed in a foreign assignment –Poor writing is a greater barrier than poor talking –Problems occur frequently when translating a message from one language to another Cultural Barriers –Approaches to writing letters differ both across and within cultures –Americans communicate more bluntly than the English and Japanese

Amity International Business School Communication Barriers (cont.) Perceptual Barriers –Perception A person’s view of reality How people see reality varies and influences their judgment and decision making –Advertising Messages Messages frequently misinterpreted –View of Others Perception influences communication when it deals with how individuals ‘see’ others –Perception of women differs across countries –Problems occur when international managers perceive their subordinates

Amity International Business School Communication Barriers (cont.) Impact of Culture –Cultural Values Values directly and indirectly affect communication between people from different cultures –Use of time –Misinterpretation Can affect the way we perceive others and themselves Can affect day-to-day communications

Amity International Business School Communication Barriers (cont.) Impact of Culture (cont.) –Nonverbal Communication Transfer of meaning through means such as body language and the use of physical space Kinesics –Study of communication through body movement and facial expressions Oculesics –Deals with conveying messages through the use of eye contact and gaze Haptics –Communicating through the use of bodily contact Proxemics –Use of physical space to convey messages –Four distances people use in face-to-face communication

Amity International Business School Communication Barriers (cont.) Impact of Culture (cont.) –Nonverbal Communication (cont.) Chronemics –Way in which time used in a culture »Monochronic time scedule - things are done in a linear fashion »Polychronic time schedule - people tend to do several things at the same time and place higher value on personal involvement than on getting things done on time Chromatics –Use of colors to communicate messages –Many colors have different meanings in different cultures