UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MINDANAO

Local and Global

Communication in
Multicultural Setting
Group 3
 Learning Outcomes

At the end of this lesson, the students shall have been able to:
1. define and discuss cultural diversity;
2. discuss and define what intercultural communication is;
3. identify ways culture can determine how information is
processed;
4. compare and contrast communication in the local and global
setting; and,
5. identify effective ways of communicating within the influences of
individual cultures

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 What is Communication?
• Communication is often defined as the sharing of
information, ideas, and messages between two or
more people. The primary goal, of course, of
communication, is to understand the information
being conveyed or shared and at the same time,
also to be understood. One of the ways successful
communication can be achieved is to have the
involved parties share a mutual knowledge of
how the signs and symbols used in
communication come together to create
meaning. However, communication is not as simple
as sending and receiving messages as it may
involve interaction between people that come
from different backgrounds and cultures.
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 INPUT

• Effective communication is important in any interaction

one gets involved in. In theory, effective
communication is as simple as sending a message to a
receiver, the receiver decoding the message and
understanding it and ideally, getting a response from
that said receiver. However, effective communication is
not as simple as it theoretically sounds. In fact, effective
communication involves a complex understanding of
how symbols and signs are presented based on the
cultures and environment of the communicators.

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 What is culture?

• Culture is often defined as the learned patterns and

attitudes shared by a group of people (Martin &
Nakayama, 2010). According to Geert Hofstede (1984), a
noted social psychologist, culture is “the programming of
the mind.” He said:
Every person carries within him or herself patterns of
thinking, feeling, and potential acting which were learned
throughout [his or her] lifetime. Much of [these patterns are]
acquired in early childhood, because at that time a person is
most susceptible to learning and assimilating.

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 What is Intercultural
Communication?
The differences of cultures and backgrounds
affect communication. In fact, culture becomes a
significant determiner of how people approach any
form of communication. One’s environment can
significantly change his or her perception about
certain issues in the society which in turn would
also determine how he or she would communicate
the ideas he or she may want to tackle.

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 High-Context Cultures and
Low-Context Cultures
• According to scholars, high-context
and low- context cultures rely on the
verbal and non-verbal cues present in
the interaction to draw meaning
from the message. High-context
cultures take into account the
background information of the
sender and receiver when
comprehending messages.
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 Read some examples of Intercultural
Communication below
• 1. In Japan, for a period, the sale of Pampers diapers was not
particularly promising. After a thorough study, it was discovered
that the reason for the low sale of the Pampers diapers was based
on the importance the Japanese put on gender differences.
The result was the introduction of pink diapers for girls and
blue diapers for boys.
• 2. The American cowboy used in the ads of cigarette brand
Marlboro is often seen as an effective symbol in most countries,
except in Argentina where their concept of a cowboy is often seen
as a lower-class worker. The Intersection of Cultures: Multicultural
Education in the United States and the Global Economy (Joel
Spring, 2000)

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 Potential Areas for Misinterpretation in
Intercultural Communication
• According to AJ Schuler (2003),
miscommunication in a cross-cultural setting can
be minimized if one is aware of the different areas
wherein misinterpretation can occur. He came up
with a list of potential hot spots in intercultural
communication which more often than not, have
become areas for miscommunication. Looking into
these areas and studying them before interacting
with people from other cultures can greatly help
lessen the obstacles one would need to navigate
in the communication process.

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 1. Opening and closing conversations
• Different cultures have different ways of going
about addressing someone in terms of whom
should be addressed first, how they should be
addressed and when they can be addressed.
Who speaks first or who closes the conversation
can also differ from one culture to another. In
some situations, addressing someone in a
manner that is not common in a particular
culture can often be seen as rude and
disrespectful.

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 2. Taking turns during conversations.
• There are appropriate ways of interacting
with other people in all cultures. In some,
turn-taking is often welcomed whereas, in
other cultures, listening and reserving
comment after the conversation is
preferred. Other cultures believe that
giving an immediate response can be
seen as a challenge or humiliation.

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 3. Interrupting

• In some culture, interruption during a

conversation can be acceptable
especially when it is within the context
of the interaction. However, in other
cultures interrupting in the middle of a
conversation, regardless of the point
being made, can be viewed as impolite.

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 4. Using Silence

• The use of silence and the amount of silence

in communication can be interpreted in many
ways depending on the culture in which one is
interacting. In some cases, silence before a
response to a conversation would give the
impression of thoughtfulness and consideration
to the first speaker. On the other hand,
silence can also come off as a sign of hostility
or indifference to others.

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 5. Using appropriate topics of
conversation
• Appropriateness of topics could largely depend on
the situation one is in, and the culture one belongs
to. In some cultures, talking about money can be
seen as unethical and embarrassing. In other
cultures, however, one can easily talk and ask
about how much a person earns. In Asian cultures,
talking about family issues with those who are not
part of the family can be construed as inappropriate.
Many Asian cultures protect family issues fiercely.
Appropriateness of topics to discuss is not only
determined by where one is from but also by their
religion, educational background, etc.
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 6. Using humor

• In Western culture, humor is often used as an

icebreaker in communication to help establish
rapport with others. In some ways, humor is used
to make an atmosphere less stifling and more
relaxed. In other cultures and situations,
however, using humor in a conversation may
seem disrespectful.

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 7. Knowing how much to say

• Knowing how much to say and when to say it

can also determine the success of
communication. Many people from Western
cultures prefer communicating in a straight-to-
the-point manner; whereas, those from Asian
cultures are less confrontational, thereby utilizing
a more indirect approach in discussing certain
matters.

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 8. Sequencing elements during a
conversation
• When to say things is as important as what one
says and how one says things. A speaker should
always consider the timing in which he or she
should introduce a topic, negotiate, or ask for
directions. Often, people struggle about when
they should change direction in terms of the
conversation or how far into the conversation
would it be appropriate to ask questions.

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 CONCLUSION
Intercultural communication is an ever-
evolving process. As cultures continue to
grow, morph, adapt and interact with each
other, how people communicate will continue to
change over time. As technology and travel
continue to make access to the rest of the world
easier and more convenient, it is important to
understand that differences in culture should be
studied to allow for better communication and
interaction among the members of the global
community. No culture is better than the other,
and no culture is perfect. It is only when people
understand this that they can learn to adapt and
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