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The Need for and Benefits of Intercultural Communication

Intercultural communication designates any sort of communication that links more than
one culture. This type of communication may involve two parties engaging in discourse or any
other form of exchanging information. Heeding the opinion of Orbe (2018), intercultural
communication is far-reaching and indispensable because contemporary communication
networks incorporate a prodigious number of distinctive people who come from assorted
backgrounds across the globe. Mastering diversified communication cues that connects
multifarious cultures, equips one with a fundamental socializing potential that is focal in many
aspects of this modern world. Businesses and corporations that manoeuvre international affairs
cannot avert the diversity of cultures (Perusek, 2007). Therefore, intercultural communication
would become imperative especially in this sense of meeting Ascoli.

Intercultural communication provides a consequential framework for global

interconnectivity (Owen Hargie, 2011). It as well assists employees who come from dissimilar
cultural experiences to converse coherently, annihilating conventional misconceptions and
misjudgments that may hinder efficiency and fecundity. In addition, intercultural communication
is a principal constituent of teamwork and concerted cooperation in any association or
organization setup. Intercultural communication is of the utmost importance for successful
leadership to flourish in circumstances that depict cultural diversity and ethnic variegation like in
this meeting with Ascoli. The success of advertising, customer loyalty, innovation, cultural
sensitivity, good business sense, and mitigation of ethnocentrism, all rely on good intercultural
communication.

Chronemics and Monochronic Time (M-Time) versus Polychronic (P-Time) Orientations

In agreement with Keith Coleman (2021), in most business scenarios, laying the
foundations of presiding over time customs is an approach of a great consequence towards
prosperity and successful outcomes. An appropriate time culture demands a keen probe of the
circumstances under which operations run before a resultant stratagem is established.
Monochronic time and polychronic time orientations are the two predominant time cultures that
influence improvement in workplace communication, saving of time and money, management of
expectations and deadlines, and cementing better business relations.

A monochronic character fancies consummating a single undertaking first before

advancing to the next. Their time custom keeps them jammed to handling one duty at a time, to
warrant meticulousness and perfection. On the other hand, the polychronic lifestyle incorporates
a concurrent way of executing tasks. Polychronic eccentrics make strides on performing more
than one piece of work synchronously, provided the tasks can be handled side by side with a
consistent cogent.

The paramount nonconformity that distinguishes this time mores is that a polychronic
way of life holds interpersonal correspondence in high regard while monochronic habits have a
high opinion of schedules and timetable schemes (Sumner & Keller, 2006). Polychronic people,
in many cases and instances, place reliance on other people as a time prompt or reminder, which
should have been the case during the meeting with Ascoli. The monochronic time culture
demands punctuality, one task at a time, business time-management tools like timetables, short-
term relationships, and individual achievement. Likewise, polychronic culture demands human
interaction, teamwork, a holistic strategy, flexibility, high communication context, and long-term
relationships.

Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT) and Anxiety/Uncertainty Management Theory

(AUM)

The Uncertainty Reduction Theory (URT) theory articulates that on many occasions,
individuals generally experience uncertainty when interacting with strangers and are therefore
prone to trigger a conversation to lessen uncertainty (Rudmin, 2003). This communication theory
particularly focuses on the opening stages of interactivity before the actual discourse. URT
postulates the conviction that interacting parties typically require an explication about each other,
in a move to lighten anxiety and uncertainty by being in a position to make suppositions that
forecast the stranger's probable reactions and way of conduct (McCroskey & Richmond, 2016).
This is climacteric in the instigation of interrelations and personal correspondences at individual,
interpersonal, intergroup, and cultural levels. The URT theory is crucial in comprehending
effective and decisive means of communicating at different levels like in my case with Ascoli.

The instrumental view of Anxiety Management Theory (AUM) is on both intergroup and
interpersonal levels of communication. AUM centers its attention on conjectures about the
newcomer's behaviours as a foundational viewpoint for effective communication and self-
identity. It presupposes that communication is conventional and everyone is acquainted with
their conduct oversight. Through communication with others, especially in an ambience
depicting a social context, the perception and recognition of the other person or group's traits as
of a particular type, stimulates self-esteem, which is vital for effective communication (Hofstede,
2007). Anxiety/uncertainty management theory gives the impression that productiveness of
communication relies on the capacity and the potential to be at the helm of uncertainty and
anxiety. Lack of this capacity is what prevented my attainment of positive results from Ascoli.

Acculturation/Acculturative Stress and Culture Shock

Acculturation is the process of enlightenment, illumination, understanding, and

customizing to new customs, civilizations, traditions, lifestyles, or mores that are contradictory
or incongruous from one's accustomed and typical way of life (Hovey & King, 2006). Desirous
of ethical interconnections that are recently developed, extremely strange expatriates, latterly
new locations, or new contemporary jobs and cultures, acculturation defines these scenarios as
consequential to the modification and even change of behavioural patterns of an individual or
group. The acculturation process encompasses a dynamic approach whose cynosure is on the
fashion in which strangers tailor, revamp and become seasoned to the underlying presumptions
about human nature, perspectives, judgment values, and behaviours of the presiding societal
group or folk customs (Gudykunst & Kim, 2004). I missed a perfect influential approach when I
met with Ascoli.

Acculturative stress is a sequence and composition of retaliation or emotional responses

and tendencies experienced by characters that are not acquainted with a new culture, beliefs, or
way of life (Harriet et al., 2012). A culture shock denotes the exceptional adaptation spell and its
associated emotional characterization, personal sensitivity, and intuitive understanding when
exposed to a new culture. When an individual experiences a new culture, an anxiety that is an
impulse, an inclination that is not triggered by premeditation or outward stimulus, springs up and
might be manifested in an apparent or disguised manner. The outcome might materialize fear,
mistrust, or retaliation, as depicted in my case with Ascoli.
Ethnocentrism in the Workplace

As maintained by Celeste Headlee, (2021), ethnocentrism extirpates a prolific and

exuberant business unit or organizational framework that inherent diverse cultures and
interdisciplinary civilization. The frame of mind that a certain culture is more superior to others
is fallacious, misleading, and despicable. Ethnocentrism may lead to a waste of costs and time in
searching for a specified workforce that is of a particular culture or ethnicity (Berry, 2017). It
impedes progress because only certain precepts and opinions are enforced on others.
Ethnocentrism destroys teamwork and interpersonal relationships in the workplace and distorts
the communication framework as it contributed to my experience with Ascoli.

Nonverbal Expectancy Violation Theory and Fundamental Assumptions

Nonverbal expectancy violation theory examines how people respond to an

unprecedented violation of social conventions and assumptions. It defines communication as an
exchange of habits and manners where one's conduct may contravene or not comply with the
expectations of another person. In conformity with Peter Andersen (2018), nonverbal
communication, to a great degree, is biological-oriented has a common implication for many
cultures, unlike verbal communication. Nonverbal communication is the basic mechanism for
emotional communication. Through it, people express anger, deception agitation, and affection
among others. Nonverbal communication may use facial expressions, eye contact, gestures, body
postures, etc. This communication is not prone to pretence and encourages honesty. It acts as an
influential tool that controls discourse. It helps instill emphasis for verbal communication to
elicit further understanding especially when verbal communication is not adequately effective
like in my case where I was constrained by verbal language drawbacks.

Recommendations
 Global Architects managers can use the following recommendations to effectively
improve cross-cultural communication with Ascoli. It is vital to alter one's personal beliefs,
demeanour, and perception to make room for others, mitigating differences and promoting
common discernment. It is equally ethical to avoid assimilation systems of undermining the
minority in an approach to enforce your desired culture on them for social acceptance (Begley &
Boyd, 2003). Furthermore, segregation slows general development, and it is through integration
and collaboration that mutual support and solid relationships are fostered.

Additionally, for better intercultural communication results with Ascoli, you must
prepare yourself well before moving abroad. Have an open mind, lower your expectations,
accept the fact that you're still adopting, avoid trying too hard, ventilate your frustrations,
research more about the new culture, accept the fact that people might not change to favour you,
examine your own culture, understand and recognize the kind of time culture to expect, accept
changes in schedules since they are polychronic cultures, organize appointments in advance,
practise thoroughly on human interaction and personal connection, learn to communicate crucial
information amid casual conversations, seek to establish long term relationships, minimise
making assumptions about business partners, always evaluate how to interact with business
partners, be sharp in predicting other people's behaviour and resulting actions, be good at
creating and conveying non-verbal messages, understand the different levels of communication,
identify with strangers easily and with modesty consider their mindfulness to engage effectively
in dialogue, develop a solid basis for understanding the practical knowledge of acculturative
stress, attempt to mitigate stress, master other cultures and endeavour to keep the channels of
communication open.
References:

Begley, T.M., & Boyd, D.P. (2003). Why Don’t They Like us Overseas? Organizing U.S.
Business Practices to Management Culture Clash. Organizational Dynamics, 32, 357- 371.

Berry, J. W. (2017). Immigration, acculturation, and adaptation. Applied Psychology, 46, 5-34.

Celeste Headlee, (2021). We Need to Talk. How to Have Conversations That Matter, 1, 96-102.

Gudykunst, W. B., & Kim, Y. Y. (2004). Communicating With Strangers. An approach to

Intercultural Communication, 2, 78-93. New York: Random House.

Harriet Oster, Douglas Hegley, and Linda Nagel, (2012). Adult Judgments and Fine-Grained
Analysis of Infant Facial Expressions. Testing the Validity of Coding Formulas, 28, 15-31.

Hofstede, Geert H (2007). Cultures and Organizations. Software of the Mind, 1, 56-87. New
York: McGraw-Hill

Hovey, J. D., & King, C. A. (2006). Acculturative stress, depression, and suicidal ideation
among immigrant and second-generation Latino adolescents. Journal of American Academy of
Child and Adolescent Psychology, 35(9), 1183-1192.
 Keith Coleman, (2021). How to Enjoy Conversations, Build Assertiveness, & Have Great
Interactions for Meaningful Relationships, Speak Fearlessly. Tools for Talking When Stakes Are
High, 2, 67-89.

McCroskey, J. C., & Richmond, V. P. (2016). Fundamentals of Human Communication. An

Interpersonal Perspective, 2, 46-87. IL: Waveland Press

Orbe, M. (2018). Constructing co-cultural theory. An Explication of culture, power, and

communication, 5(2), 162–171. Thousand Oaks, NJ: Sage Publications.

Owen Hargie, (2011). Skilled Interpersonal Interaction. Research, Theory, and Practice, 47-51.
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Perusek, D. (2007). Grounding Cultural Relativism. Anthropological Quarterly, 80(3), 821-836.

Available at https://www.jstor.org/stable/ 30052726

Rudmin, F. W. (2003). Critical history of the acculturation psychology of assimilation,

separation, integration, and marginalization. Review of General Psychology, 7(1), 3-37.

Sodowsky, G. R., & Maestes, M. V. (2000). Acculturation, ethnic identity, and acculturative
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Sumner, W. G., & Keller, A. G. (2006). Folkways. A Study of the Sociological Importance of
Usages, Manners, Customs, Mores, and Morals, 1, 17-46. Boston: Ginn and Company