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Challenges in Intercultural Communication

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Professor

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Challenges in Intercultural Communication

Identify and Describe Your Culture and The Culture of the Other Individual.

Independence from outside influences and the ability to choose one's course are highly

valued in my culture. People from my culture are educated to have independent thought, accept

responsibility for their own lives, and pursue the things they want out of life. My culture places a

significant value on originality, independence, and self-reliance. Through their willingness to

experiment with new things, individuals in my culture have earned a reputation for being

forward-thinking and courageous.

My former coworker's (Ines) culture strongly valued family relationships; most people in

that culture identify as Roman Catholics. In her culture, the family members are incredibly close

to one another and tend to remain together for decades. All family members feel bound to look

out for one another because they view the family as the most important social unit (Purnell &

Fenkl, 2019). Ines is a Cuban immigrant who worked as a waitress at the restaurant. Her

upbringing was unique compared to what is typical in the United States. She was raised in a

society that places a high value on cohesion between groups; I could tell she was having

difficulty adjusting to the workplace culture. She had been raised in a largely collectivist culture

and considered the importance placed on personal freedom in the United States to be unsettling

(G’aniyevna, 2023). This manifested itself in various ways, including the decreased tendency of

Americans to seek assistance from extended family members and a more direct manner of

communication at work.

Compare the Cultural Communication Styles and Where Challenges Could Occur.
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Ines and I had worked at a local restaurant for a while. I was her supervisor while she

worked as a waitress. As her supervisor, I encountered communication barriers because of our

cultural differences. Ines felt uneasy and defensive whenever I criticized her performance

because she perceived it as overly direct and critical. She had trouble approaching me with

questions or seeking explanations because she believed I was not friendly or sensitive to her

cultural background.

Strategies She Employed to Overcome the Challenges and Ensure the Success of the

Communication.

Ines addressed these concerns by adapting her method of expression to better suit my

preferences. She actively listened and probed for comprehension to avoid misunderstandings.

She also asked her coworkers for input on strengthening our communication, which was a big

help. In addition, she learned about the restaurant's acceptable social standards and regulations,

especially in terms of communication.

Strategies That Helped Me Overcome the Challenges and Ensure the Success of the

Communication.

Improving communication with a cross-cultural employee calls for openness, tolerance,

and flexibility. Knowing Ines' cultural background and communication style helped me greatly

enhance our working relationship and mutual understanding. As her superior, I tried to

familiarize myself with her background and beliefs, including how to address her correctly,

whether or not certain topics are forbidden, and her preferred mode of communication. In

addition, I was patient and respectful. Since she was not a native English speaker, I anticipated it

would take her more time to articulate herself and grasp intricate concepts. I did not want to

impede her thoughts, so I did not interject with questions or remarks. When speaking to Ines, I
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made sure to be as precise and concise as possible. This helped to clear up any ambiguity or

miscommunication. I also used visuals: Highly complicated concepts or procedures were easier

to convey with the help of visual aids like diagrams, charts, or photographs (Lee et al., 2023).

Besides, I offered responses and checked for comprehension: Constantly checking in with Ines to

see if she got the message helped guarantee that she did. This made certain Ines was on track and

that there were no surprises. I urged Ines to voice her questions if she was confused or wanted

further explanation. As a result, the rapport between us improved.

Lessons I Learned from the Experience

Working with Ines, who was from a different background, broadened my worldview in

many ways. The first thing I learned is the value of cultural awareness: Managers should

consider how employees' different cultural backgrounds might impact their daily relations at

work. This necessitates not just being open to new ideas and perspectives but also to the study of

different cultures and customs. The second thing I learned is the value of attentive listening:

Practicing active listening while interacting with employees from varied cultural backgrounds is

essential (G’aniyevna, 2023). Ensuring you and your employee are on the same page requires

active listening, asking questions to clarify, and restating the employee's statements in your own

words.

It takes tolerance and sensitivity to work with people from other cultures. Being patient

and empathetic while interacting with coworkers from different cultural backgrounds is

important. It may take more time for the two parties to build trust and establish a comfortable

level of communication. It is important to be patient and understanding while taking the time to

explain things in detail and with due respect. Adaptability is also essential: Working with people

from different cultural origins requires a degree of adaptability. To do so, one must be receptive
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to input from the staff member and flexible regarding how information is sent, and tasks are

completed. When collaborating with employees from different cultural backgrounds, it is

important to provide feedback regularly (G’aniyevna, 2023). This necessitates regular feedback

and understanding checks to ensure the employee meets expectations and addresses any

questions or worries.
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References
G’aniyevna, S. A. (2023). Issues of intercultural communication and reception. IJODKOR

O’QITUVCHI, 3(28), 191–195. https://bestpublication.org/index.php/iq/article/view/4676

Lee, A. R., Dastpish, F., Freemon, M., & Parks, J. (2023). Insights into intercultural

communication from a global citizenship framework: Voices of South Korean university

students. Intercultural Education, 34(3), 271–287.

https://doi.org/10.1080/14675986.2023.2180488

Purnell, L. D., & Fenkl, E. A. (2019). People of Cuban heritage. In Handbook for Culturally

Competent Care (pp. 121–131). Springer International Publishing.