Pramana Research Journal ISSN NO: 2249-2976

A study on the significant role of Cross cultural communication in business firms

Gagandeep Kaur

Assistant Professor
University Institute of Liberal Arts, Chandigarh University

Abstract

In this world of globalised economy, appreciating and comprehending the different cultures has
gained increasing prominence. Misinterpretation related to culture and language can be avoided
only by elevating our level of understanding the various cultures and values. In international
business, firms must have this significant skill of understanding cultural differences to get more
benefits. Cross cultural communication is indispensable for the firms having diverse workforce
and employees of these firms should recognize the factors responsible for an effective
communication. There are some barriers which can hinder the growth of an organization so an
exposure to other cultures and an adequate training in cross cultural communication is essential
to overcome these blocks. This paper will focus on the vital role of cross cultural
communication, barriers to cross culture communication and some of the strategies to overcome
these barriers.

Keywords - cross cultural communication, globalization, communication barriers, diverse

workforce

Introduction

Globalization has opened many opportunities for the people to get mingled in varied ways. The
working culture within and outside an organization is accustomed to different working styles of
the workers who hail from different cultural backgrounds. Cross cultural communication plays a
vital role in these types of firms having diverse workplace to have better relationships with
international customers, employees and business partnerships. Even it encourages international
team working and helps in sharing common goals. Poor communication can be resulted in poor
organizational performance. In order to make cross cultural communication effective, a business
has to understand the elements associated with a culture, the process of shaping a culture,

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barriers involved in cross cultural communication process and identifying means of overcoming
such barriers (Adler & Nancy1983).

Nowadays companies have diversified workforce where people from different regions and
cultures work together in teams and these multicultural teams face many challenges, cultural
issues rising conflicts and disagreements. The firms should ensure the understanding of different
cultures to avoid these barriers in communication in order to have an effective cross cultural
communication. The relationship of managers and the team members in multinational firms is
important for the companies whose involvement is there in global business practices. Diversity in
membership can be helpful in increasing the number of solutions offered and substitutes
considered so focus should be put on utilizing individual differences to create innovations.

Cross cultural communication has a significant role to play in bringing desired results for the
business firms in global market. Internationally collaboration provides an access to the wide
range of information which as a result assists everyone to keep their work up-to-date. Research
has shown that heterogeneous teams, having a mixture of life experiences and cultures, are more
creative than the homogeneous teams .Heterogeneous groups can create a stronger dynamic
within a team and thus promote the greater creativity. Cross cultural communication is also
helpful in increasing the flexibility and responsiveness of the companies. Cross cultural
communication is crucial in making an organization boost greater relevance of its products to its
clients because international teams also help to ensure that the most appropriate products are
presented addressed in a way that is pertinent to people.

BARRIERS TO CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Cross cultural communication provides good opportunities to foster prosperity and peace in
global market but unpleasant consequences should also not be forgotten if it is not well managed.
As diversity imposes blockades like stereotyping, uncertainty, ethnocentrism on the cross
cultural communication so many problems can also arise. These barriers mainly occur due to
lack of intercultural communication skills , an inadequate knowledge of cultures, different
management style, varied expectations by management , expectations of the workers ,prevailing
power distance and language barriers etc. so that is why an adequate training is essential in cross
cultural communication. Barriers are those issues which affect the productivity and progress of

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global business. Broadly the communication barriers can be identified as issues that have to do
with the management & issues owing to the behaviour of the staff. (Ybema and Byun, 2009)

Cultures are also classified on the basis of high context and the low context cultures and
accordingly, the messages are preferred. Communication context in which preference for
messages by people is made is the underlying basis for classifying cultures as high context and
low context. In high context communication culture, meanings attached to the used or uttered
words can carry different interpretations and also words accompanied by body language may
also give different meaning to the same word if used elsewhere.

On contrary, a low context communication culture gives a direct expression of feelings and ideas
where one can frankly assess the situations. Managers belong to low context culture often give
direct and blunt comments without any hidden meanings. In these types of situations, people can
easily understand the expressions as the messages contain clarity for everyone to attach only the
universal meaning which in turn saves the precious time in business transactions. In this fast
changing global business scenario, MNCs prefer low context communication in their operations.
So these cultural contexts can arise as barriers where the management and the employees are
from different cultures and operate with divergent objectives which influence communication
process. Internal communication system as well as external communication would be affected by
divergence of national cultures.

Individuals must have some knowledge of non-verbal communication which is beneficial for
establishing the effective communication relationship within intercultural context. Non-verbal
communication consists of facial expressions, body movements, gestures, chronemics,
proxemics and para language. These non-verbal codes are displayed through emotions and
speaking style while communicating verbally. Non verbal differences can occur as
communication barrier as non-verbal code in one culture can be different from the other culture.
For instance, Eye contact is considered to be good and a reflection of honesty and
straightforwardness in U.S. However, in some Asian countries, prolonged eye contact can be
seen as rude or aggressive in many situations.

Language acts as a barrier in communication when people from different cultures use different
languages because even misunderstandings can arise among those people who use the same

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language. Although English is used as the international language but not every business firm
uses English on a regular basis.

Cultural blindness and cultural imposition are also considered as communication barriers. When
a person follows the values and traditions of the culture without even thinking about whether it is
good or bad then can have a problem in effective communication as the differences are ignored.
There are also some persons in organizations whose tendency is to impose their own values and
beliefs onto other persons.

Ethnocentrism also brings obstacles as one feels the superiority of his or her own culture and
generally ethnocentric person shows the tendency to understand the other culture based on his
own cultural values. A manager can consider his own mother tongue as the “best” and will not be
ready to learn another language as he may consider another language as illogical or inferior. An
ethnocentric person will have the tendency to reject the other non verbal systems as he/she
considers his/her own non verbal codes as the most civilized. In this way this ethnocentrism can
become a block for an efficient empathy and lead not only to the total destruction of
communication, but to antagonism and even hostility.

Each society or community has its own language, lifestyle, culture and values and according to
their set systems, they live and interact with each other. There is nothing good or bad to have
eastern or western cultural values but the way of doing the things may be different.
Ethnocentrism is a belief in the centrality of one’s own culture. It often involves judging aspects
of another culture by the standards of one’s own. Bennet(1993) defines ethnocentrism as
“assuming that world view of one’s own culture is central to all reality” (p. 30).

Stereotyping is another block to cross cultural communication. Samovar and Porter (1991) define
stereotypes as “the perceptions and beliefs we hold about groups or individuals based on our
previously formed opinions and attitudes” (p. 280). When there is an inadequate knowledge
about the people then it leads to misunderstandings. If a group is termed as dishonest we start
treating everyone in that group as dishonest irrespective of individual natures. Many examples
can be given as the one is the women are not good at math or tough subjects like Aeronautics
which may cause women in turn to avoid studying such subjects.

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Scollon and Scollon (1995) caution that in order to overcome the problem of oversimplification
and stereotyping “comparisons between groups should always consider both likenesses and
differences, that is, they should be based upon more than a single dimension of contrast, and it
must be remembered that no individual member of a group embodies all of his or her group’s
characteristics” (p. 157). Indeed, an issue to keep in mind, as McKay (2002) explains, is that a
contrast of especially western versus eastern assumptions of cultures of learning “can perpetuate
differences, promote the concept of otherness, and lead to simple dichotomies and stereotyping”
(p. 121).

Culture shock acts as barrier in communicating with others, especially, in a global environment.
Cultural shock is that psychological phenomenon which is experienced by the people after
moving to a new environment. When a person shifts to unfamiliar lifestyle and culture from his
own then he experiences a feeling of disorientation, emotional and physical discomfort which
further leads to sadness,depression,loneliness,insomnia,anger,irritability,unwilling to interact
with others. Though culture shock is inevitable but it can be managed with conscious awareness
of one’s own reactions.

Communication barriers generally arise due to the absence of understanding between parties to
the dialogue. Culture tends to create different attitudes and approaches to problem solving. There
might be different approaches to solving a problem by the management and staff. When
management and staff hail from different cultures their understanding of issues may turn out to
be different. This ultimately compounds the process of arriving at a common understanding of
the issues at stake.(Richardson and Smith, 2007)

Power distance is also considered as barrier .Since western thinking focuses on individuals’ right
to property ownership, individuals are expected to protect the individual domains earmarked for
them & any unobtrusive foray to others’ domain is not seen as unwarranted. In eastern thinking,
leaders are supposed to take the power of taking decisions on behalf of others. Under this type of
leadership, workforce feels reluctant in sharing knowledge and even employees may not show
that much enthusiasm in taking part in the decision making process. Managers hailing from a
western cultural background may be receptive to the feedback by the staff while Asian managers

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may not think listening as mandatory or an essential prerequisite for decision making.
(Richardson and Smith, 2007)

Values, practices, rules and philosophy of the business influence the communication system of a
business organization .Communication system acts as link in transmitting values & norms
associated with different cultures in an organization. Here an effective system of cross cultural
communication plays an important role to transfer knowledge with clarity so that organization
functions smoothly without being disrupted by cross cultural differences. Due to the divergence
of the work force and management, MNCs have to adopt such effective communication system
to confront certain restraints. It is imperative to overcome differences in cross cultural
communication since a uniformed pattern can be evolved through an effective communication
system in an MNC. Hence an MNC will have to ensure that steps are taken to overcome the
barriers to cross cultural communication in order to attaining organizational objectives
effectively & efficiently. Business organizations may contemplate many actions to remove the
restrains impeding cross cultural communication. (Martin and Nakayama, 2012)

Measures to overcome barriers in cross cultural communication

In the world of globalization, multiculturalism is prevailing at the workplace and at the global
business and which has really increased the necessity of effective intercultural communication
where a communicator has to be proficient in communicating. Organizations must have this skill
of communication to achieve objectives while taking into consideration the different values,
norms and beliefs of the people working for the organizations because by developing this
intercultural competence, a business organization can become successful in overcoming the
barriers to cross cultural communication. Proper knowledge of cultures, attitudes and skills can
enable people for flourishing development of intercultural competence.

The cognitive aspect of intercultural communication is known as intercultural awareness. This

dimension involves mastering an individual’s ability to understand other cultures’ implicit
conventions that govern the behaviour of people influenced by that particular culture.
Intercultural awareness results in enhancing not only cultural-awareness but also self-awareness
in the process. (Linghui and Koveos, 2008)

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The behavioural aspect of intercultural communication characterizes intercultural adroitness. The

development of adroitness focuses on enhancing the skills required enact successfully
intercultural transactions. The successful conclusion of transactions would bring about bottom
line results to an MNC that translate into tangible results. Interactive management developing
social skills especially etiquettes, enhancing the quality of self expression are some of the key
results areas where progress is expected to be made.(Dues and Brown, 2003)

Organizations should develop the ability to understand and appreciate the other cultures how
they feel or act. An adequate training can be provided to the employees to deal with blocks to
cross cultural communication as they at workplace come across them. Positive attitude is must in
solving these cultural barrier issues and this type of attitude brings respect, openness and better
understanding of the varied cultures. Intercultural development trainers emphasize the
significance of attitudes as they largely shape responses in cross cultural communication.
(Linghui and Koveos,2008)

It is very important for the persons to be aware of their own behaviour when working with the
people who are from different cultures and should give due respect to the different cultural
norms and values by treating them with dignity. Be supportive and try to give encouragement to
those who find difficulty in speaking foreign language because when expressing oneself it may
not be easy to use different language. If there is any doubt in understanding some of the figures
then write it down and get it checked .For example ,a billion is 1,000,000,000 in United States
which is different figure in United Kingdom.

To overcome the problem of any ambiguity, speak slowly and clearly. “Many misunderstandings
arise when there is a use of negative questions and answers. For example, In English, we say yes
if the answer is affirmative and no if it is negative but in India, people often use yes if they think
a negative question should be answered in the affirmative. For instance, if someone asks, “Is
Neha not coming?” one should say “No, she is not coming.” if Neha is indeed coming but people
tend to say, “Yes, she is not coming.” This response is based on the thought that “you are right
that she is not coming,” hence the answer begins with “yes”.”(Kanchan Malhotra, Tamanna
Arora)This can lead to confusion so such questions should be avoided. Listening is a good skill
which should be used properly to enhance cross cultural communication and to overcome the

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anxiety, Emotional Intelligence must be acquired by the managers and their team members to
manage their emotions and feelings while dealing with the people hailing from diverse cultures.

In today’s global business scenario, cross cultural communication has a significant role to play in
the growth of an organization and it depends on the managers how successfully they manage a
diverse workforce. Managers have the responsibility of showing admiration for cultural
differences and making the communication effective at all levels. Due to the advancement in
technology, different cultures have come on one platform in today’s era so success or failure in
managing a diverse or multicultural workforce largely depends on the managers at all levels to
communicate effectively with people from different backgrounds and nationalities, and showing
respect for cultural differences. Inability of the managers in understanding the varied customs,
values, language and business etiquette, which are required to make dealings at the international
market, can bring failure. Fostering a broad organizational culture by overcoming the blocks in
cross cultural communication is always beneficial to the employees as well as the organization.
That is why, it is necessary for the managers to develop the global mindset and multicultural
sensitivity and also to cultivate cultural awareness, attitude and skills for the sustainable
progression of their companies in international business.

Works Cited and consulted

1. Albert, R.D. (1994). Cultural diversity and intercultural training in multinational

organizations.

In Wiseman, R.L and shutter, (eds) Communicating in multinational organizations and

intercultural communication annual. Vol. xviii (153-165) London: Sage publications.

2. Chaturvedi P.D., Chaturvedi Mukesh, “Business Communication”,Third Edition, Pearson

Press,2013
3. Gudykunst, W.B.(2003). Cross-Cultural and Intercultural Communication. Sage
Publications.
4. John, M. Cross-Cultural Communication: The Essential Guide to International Business.
Kogan Page
5. Jenifer Delecta, Dr. Raman G.P.,(Cross Cultural Communication Barriers in
Workplace”,vol. 6, Issue- I ,Jan.2015, pp 332-335 ,IJM

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6. Martin, J and Nakayama, T. (2012). Intercultural Communication in Contexts. McGraw-

Hill Humanities.
7. Munter, M. (1993). Cross-cultural communication for managers. Business Horizons,
36(3). Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail
8. Molhotra Kanchan,Arora Tamanna,”Cross Cultural communication – Need of Global
Business”,Vol.1,Issue- 5(2014), IRJMC
9. Penn Sharon (June29,2018) “Cultural Communication Barriers in the workplace”
https://smallbusiness.chron.com accessed on 26 september,2018
10. Welch, D. E., & Welch, L. S. (2008). The Importance of Language in International
Knowledge Transfer. Management International Review, 48(3), 339 - 360. Retrieved
from http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail

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