In order to complete this project on cross cultural communication project, I have thought of

partnering with NEHA TOTLA. We are working together in our goodwill project and she is
also a good friend of mine, which makes it easier for me to understand the communication
similarity and differences between us.

The reason why we paired up together is that first, we have worked together in lot of group
projects and therefore understand each other’s communication style. We differ from each
other on the basis of family background as she has grownup in a nuclear family and I have
always lived in a big joint family, with all my uncles and grandparents living under the same
roof, this someway effect the way in which we communicate with others.

Not only this, we have some sought of difference in our educational background as well.
Though we both have done our schooling from all-girls school but Neha did her graduation in
B.COM from an all-girls college as well, whereas I perused BBA from a co-ed college. I was
indulged in various college activities and presentations making me more comfortable and
confident with public speaking while Neha was earlier doing CA, making her more engaged
into academics and books.

I was able to determine few of the dominant communication style possessed by Neha, which
are:

 Relationship- focused
 Idea-focused

Relationship focused: in this tenure of one year while working with Neha, I observed that
she gives priority to relations. She will always try to maintain harmony and good relation
with the group members and other colleagues. She will make sure that group members are
comfortable while working together in the group. She would rather complete the assignment
on her own than arguing and asking others to give their input if they are not interested.
another instance which can be pointed out here is, she will never insult anyone publicly or
hurt anybody’s self-esteem. This does not show that she is not task focused, she does believe
in clarifying the task but well-being and feelings of group members are the ultimate focus.
She will not say anything in her interest if that is hurting others feelings. This is not just in
college but in her family as well. Neha is relational in her interactions and at the same time
she expects others to also behave in that tone with her to some extent.
Idea focused: generally, idea focused people are those who would clearly listen to various
ideas given in the group and will show her disagreement if she doesn’t like any idea of other
person. This is seen in her as she accepts disagreement with her ideas with grace and also
gives her input by giving creative and innovative ideas. She will try to identify new ways of
doing things. As said, she considers idea to be different from people thus will be upfront in
the discussions. As mentioned by her, her family members also consider and approach her to
discuss their ideas in the family matter because she expresses her viewpoints openly.

Analysis on the basis of Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions

 Power distance index- this basically talks about the level of inequality that is
accepted by the individual. I would give a low PDI score to Neha as she is more of a
participative type of person who would treat everybody in the group equally without
discriminating them. She is not at all authoritarian instead believes in distributing
decision making power to others in group.
 Uncertainty avoidance – it refers to the extent to which one can cope up with the
stress and anxiety. I would give Neha a low score under this as she is quite flexible
and also open to change. She can easily deal with different opinions and behaviours
without loosing her calm.
 Individualism v/s collectivism – this basically refers to the relations one would keep
with the people or in the group. I would give Neha a moderate score as she believes in
keeping harmony among the group and also show concern and care for the group
members. During exams she would teach others the subjects she excel in and too with
full enthusiasm, this shows the helping nature she possess. However, she also keeps in
mind her personal goals and do not prefer to give up on them. She very well
recognises her needs and works towards fulfilling them with full concentration.
 Masculinity vs. Femininity – I would give Neha a low score in MAS because she
doesn’t possess any ego related issues and at the same time as mentioned above, she
would focus on building relationships. She is quite modest believes in living a quality
life. She loves appreciation and therefore I can say that her focus is more on non-
materialistic gains of success. She would solve any conflict arising in the group using
the negotiations through which both the parties can be satisfied.
 Indulgence v/s restraint – I would give Neha a moderate IVR score as she is totally
fun-loving person who wants to enjoy her life to the fullest. She is very optimistic and
also provide freedom of speech to her team mates. However, when it comes to work,
she is very professional and makes sure that work is done before the deadline and that
to according to the guidelines provided by our instructor. she motivates creativity but
at the same time standards also play an important role in her life.