Leadership Communication

Diversity and Intercultural Communication Formatted: Font: 12 pt, Bold, Not Italic
Formatted: Font: Bold

Group 5
Fathiya Khairunnisa
Firsty Sekar Melati
Heinrich Geluk Purbono
Wa Ode Virgo Gusmaniar Soleman

Magister Management
Faculty of Economy and Business
Gadjah Mada University
Jakarta
2021
Diversity is increasing in global markets, where your customers, suppliers, subordinates or
superiors may have different cultural values and business practices. Nearly 98% of Nokia's
sales are outside its home country, Finland.

Many companies depend on vendors or operations in different countries. More software is

being made in Ireland than anywhere else in the world. India is the destination of choice for
the service and high technology industries.

Respecting diversity is good business as well as good social practice. The growing literature
shows that diverse teams generate more and higher quality ideas. 11 However, one problem
with our awareness of difference is that when a person feels isolated, he or she can attribute
negative interactions to prejudice, when other factors may be responsible. The second problem
is that members of the dominant group can recognize differences but still expect others to adapt
to them, rather than trying to understand the communication styles that other workers prefer.

What is culture?

Each of us grew up in a culture that provided acceptable patterns of behavior and beliefs. We
can categorize culture as high context or low context. In high-context cultures, most
information is inferred from the context of the message; few are "spelled". Japanese, Arabic,
and Latin American cultures have a high context. In low-context cultures, context is less
important; most of the information is spelled out explicitly. The dominant German,
Scandinavian and US cultures are in a low context.

How does culture influence business communication?

In every aspect!

Culture influences every aspect of business communication: how to show politeness and
respect, how much information to give, how to motivate people, how loudly to speak, even
what size paper to use.

Values, Beliefs, and Practices

Values and beliefs are influenced by religion. In some Muslim countries and Asia, however, it
is considered presumptuous to predict the future by promising action by a certain date. The
Puritan work ethic legitimizes wealth by seeing it as a sign of God's mercy. In other Christian
cultures, a simpler lifestyle is considered closer to God. These differences in values, beliefs,
and practices lead to differences in what kinds of attractiveness motivate people.

Nonverbal communication

Nonverbal communication --communication that doesn't use words-- happens all the time.
Body language, office size, or how long someone keeps visitors waiting - all of these
communicate pleasure or anger, friendliness or distance, power and status.

Misunderstanding is even more common in cross-cultural communication. A European

American teacher sent two African-American students to the principal's office because they
were "fighting." European Americans think fighting begins when loud voices, humiliation, and
posture suggest violence is possible.

Learning about nonverbal language can help us project the image we want to project and make
us more aware of the signals we are interpreting. However, even within one culture, nonverbal
symbols may have more than one meaning.

Body language

Posture and body movements convey energy and openness. The fact that so many people in
organizational settings adopt closed positions can suggest that many people feel at least a little
uncomfortable at school and at work.

Eye contact

White North Americans see eye contact as a sign of honesty. But in many cultures, the eyes
are bowing is a sign of proper respect for superiors.

Gestures

Gestures that mean agreement in the United States may mean very different things in other
countries. The "thumbs up" sign meaning "good work" or "continue" in the United States and
much of Western Europe is a vulgar insult in Greece.

Room

Personal space is the distance a person desires between himself and others in casual and not
close interactions.

Touch
Most parts of North America allow partners of the opposite sex to hold hands or walk hand in
hand in public but dislike the same behavior in same-sex partners. People in Asia, the Middle
East, and South America have conflicting expectations: A male friend or female friend can
hold hands or walk hand in hand, but it would be a little surprising if a partner of the opposite
sex touches in public. In Iran, even a handshake between a man and a woman is considered
inappropriate

Spatial Arrangement

Doing business internationally requires an understanding of the language and practices of

business and a sensitivity to cultural differences. Japanese homes have significantly smaller
space than most US homes. The Japanese use less furniture and arrange them differently: A
small table will be in the center of the room. In cold weather, the heater is placed under the
table; tablecloths keep warm air around the legs and feet of everyone sitting at the table.
Although US homes have a lot more furniture rather than a traditional Japanese house, Japanese
people may view Western rooms as "empty" because Western furniture lines the walls, leaving
a large empty space in the middle of the room.

Time

Organizations in the United States - businesses, government, and schools - keep track of time
by calendar and clock. Being "on time" is seen as a sign of dependency. Other cultures may
record the time according to the season and month, the sun, the internal "body clock", or a
personal feeling that the "time is right." "time is money" is often frustrating in negotiations
with people who take a much more relaxed approach.

Some people can't wait that long and need to reschedule their appointments. But in other
cultures, 15 minutes or half an hour may be the smallest block of time. For someone mentally
measuring the time in 15-minute blocks, 45 minutes late is no worse than 15 minutes late for
someone who is aware of the smaller units. Edward T. Hall distinguishes between the
monochronic of culture, which treats time as a resource, and the polychronic of culture, which
emphasizes relationships. Researchers see the United States as monochronic.

According to some experts, Europeans schedule fewer events in any given time period

comparable to North Americans.

Other Nonverbal Symbols

Many other symbols have nonverbal meanings: clothing, skin color, age, height, etc. John T.
Molloy tells readers what clothing carries a nonverbal message of success, prestige and
competence. In Japan, clothing indicates not only status but also occupational group. Color can
also carry meaning in a culture.

In the United States, mourners wear black at funerals, while brides wear white. In pre-
Communist China and in some South American tribes, white was the color of mourning. Purple
flowers are given to the dead in Mexico. 32 In Korea, red ink is used to record deaths but never
to write about living people.

Verbal communication

Conversational style to show our conversation patterns and the meaning we give them: the way
we show interest, politeness, and conformity. Different conversation styles are no better or
worse than one another, but people with different conversation styles may feel uncomfortable
without knowing why.

Praise

The statement "You must be so tired" is a compliment in Japan for acknowledging that other
people have worked hard. The correct response is "Thanks, but I'm fine." An American who is
praised for giving a good oral presentation might say "Thank you." A Japanese, on the other
hand, would apologize: "No, that's not very good."

Stay Silence

Some Americans have a hard time doing business in Japan because they don't realize that
silence almost always means that Japanese people don't like American ideas. White women
sometimes use silence to respond to comments they find offensive, hoping that silence will
signal their lack of appreciation. But some men may think that silence means respect or at least
neutrality. White women sometimes use silence to respond to comments they find offensive,
hoping that silence will signal their lack of appreciation. But some men may think that silence
means respect or at least neutrality.
There are so many different cultures, so how can we know enough to communicate?

If we are going to a certain country or if we are working with people from other cultures, then
all we need to do is try to understand the culture and language of that country. Also, realize
that differences are not a bad thing. Therefore, we need to instill the stigma that differences are
natural, so that we should have an attitude of tolerance and mutual respect.

As Brenda Arbelaez suggest, successful international communicators are:

-Realize that the values and behaviors we choose are influenced by a culture that is flexible
and open to change.

-Sensitive to verbal and non verbal behaviour.

-Be aware of the values, beliefs, and practices of other cultures.

-Sensitive to differences between individuals in a culture.

Are differences among generations changing the workplace and how we communicate?

Do differences between generations change the way we communicate in the world work?. The
answer is yes. Generational change in the world of work requires companies to make changes
in human resource governance. In today’s world of work, colleagues from across generations
are familiar. Namely, generation x (baby boomers), generation y (millennial), to generation z
who are the youngest in the office. Each generation has its own characteristics that determine
the strengths and weaknesses in the workplace. Collaborating with various people is not an
easy thing. It is already challenging to unite thoughts between peers, especially with people
who are older or younger. Differences in views and perspectives often create communication
problems that lead to conflict in their own right.

Then, ways to solve communication problems across generations in the company, are:

-Position themselves

~>generation x (baby boomers), generation y (millennial), and generation z must position

themselves. Baby boomers who are classified as the older generation should ideally be a good
parents. So they must be able to bridge the differences in contrast with millennials and
generations z. Meanwhile, the youngest, who is the millennial generation and generation z,
ideally should be able to position himself and foster a form of respect with the other two
generations.
-No need to carry feelings

~>We don’t have to bring feelings. The baby boomers generation often don’t like the millennial
generation’s style of communication which is considered too relaxed, even considered
disrespectful to their parents. Apart from the baby boomers generation, who ideally don’t need
to get carried away, the feedback that the millennial generation must do to support this is by
improving the way of communication. In practice, the greetings from the millennial generation
to the baby boomers generation have a big impact on warming the atmosphere of
communication.

-Provide space and consultative

~>Senior communication patterns that are often one way and usually not make room for juniors
are considered to be one of the triggers for uncomfortable communication situations. Ideally,
seniors don’t need to dictate to the junior in detail. This dictating communication pattern can
over time make juniors who are a generation. Millennials will feel embarrassed. When give
space, then juniors must also provide feedback by cultivating a consultative nature. So, juniors
don’t have to be quiet. Consult about problems encountered in the field but must still pay
attention to politeness.

-Give directions, not orders

~>Ideally, seniors in their work routine, provide direction not orders. Seniors need to pay
attention to speaking style. So, seniors should not just point without directing in giving
commands or assignments in the field. Meanwhile, juniors must also provide feedback in a
structured way of speaking. For example, when feeling confused, juniors should talk and
consult in depth with their seniors.

Dealing with discrimination

Dealing with discrimination is never easy. It’s generally accepted that women and racial
minorities face the most discrimination in the U.S, though chances are everyone has
experienced it in some form. Successfully handling discrimination means understanding the
situation and your options.

Many women and minorities find themselves facing a glass ceiling that keeps them from rising
to levels for which they are qualified. In promotion situations, Cheryl Green advises people
who might face discrimination to:
-Ask for honest feedback.

-Find a mentor.

-Avoid casting yourself as the victim.

-Be prepared to move on.

How can we make our document bias free?

Bias or distortions in writing is something we should avoid when we write. Sometimes writing
that is biased, contains an element of subjectivity from the author. Not infrequently there are
some hidden interests. Therefore, we need to pay attention to the use of language that is free
from bias. Language that is free from bias means language that does not discriminate against
people based on gender, physical condition, race, age, or any other category.

Here are some strategies for writing documents that are free from biased language:

-Make conclusions in accordance with the facts

~>Our writing should include conclusions based on the accumulation of facts. Because all facts
can make our work believable.

-Create an opinion in accordance with the facts

~>In writing a written work, opinions should be used rarely. All conclusions or opinions must
be clearly identifiable and never obscure facts.

-Use common language

~>In order to convey our ideas clearly, we have to use convincing words in our writing. When
we are writing about a topic that we really understand, we can easily slip into biased or
emotional use of language. The unusual usually does not convince a reader who is actually
reading to agree with our opinion. Obviously, we want to use words that will make our view
of a topic more convincing. Once we start using unfamiliar, influential language, the reader we
will feel more mocked than convinced.

-Pay attention to the choice of words and sentences

~>A good choice of words or diction can be known if a writing can be understood by the
reader according to the reader’s skill level. Broadly speaking, Wilson Nadaek describes several
functions of words, including words that can influence people and words symbolize ideas.
Choosing the right words makes the reader no need to guess what it meant, makes the reader
believe, even takes part and concludes according to what the writer wants. Furthermore, the
delivery of the writing should be arranged in effective sentences, which are able to make the
content or the intention to be conveyed is fully illustrated in the reader’s mind as what is
conveyed.

-Making language non sexist

~>Non sexist language treats both sexes neutrally. Check to be sure our writing is free from
sexism in 4 areas, such as: word and phrases, job titles, pronouns, and courtesy titles.

-Making language non racist and non agist

~>Language is non racist and non agist when it treats all races and ages fairly, avoiding
negative stereotypes of any group.

-Choosing bias free photos and illustrations

~>When we produce a document with photographs or illustrations, check the visuals for
possible bias. Do they show people of both sexes and all races?. Is there a sprinkling of various
kinds of people (younger and older, people using wheelchairs, etc). it’s ok to have individual
pictures that have just one sex or one race, the photos as a whole no need to show exactly 50%
men and 50% women. But the general impression should suggest that diversity is welcome and
normal.