COMM 2072:

Communication and
Organization
Practice
Assignment: Reflection Report
Student Name: Tuan Minh Nguyen
Student ID: 110133743
Date: 01/05/2017
Introduction.
Communication is defined as a process of exchanging information and ideas. There are many
ways to communicate. To become an effective and valuable employee in the organization, it
requires the ability to use all means of communication in a consistent manner. If people use
communication in the workplace effectively. It will create positive working relationships,
build trust and respect each other in the workplace. To build an effective communication
process within an organization we need to evaluate the interactions between individuals and
groups in the work environment. The company that I decided to choose for my research is
Lazada Vietnam Group where I worked. Lazada is known as a German e-commerce
company. It is established and operates mainly in Asian countries such as Singapore,
Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Philippine. The Lazada Vietnam group consists
of over 100 employees and is distributed into working groups such as IT team, supply chain
apartment, marketing team, sales team and logistic team. I will focus on IT team that consists
of staff groups that I will focus on analyzing issues such as: disability, multicultural and
emotional issues, relationships and personality of IT team members. In this article, I will
analyze the communication between team members and give advice on how to improve
communication in the work environment.

The lazada's IT team that I will focus on include Khanh, Fabian, Derek, Gener and Quang.
Khanh is a computer engineer and is known to be the only disabled person in the company.
He was born into a family of fathers affected by chemical warfare leading to Khanh suffering
from hearing and speech problems as well as muscular atrophy on his legs. Khanh is 29 years
old and must use a wheelchair to move. Lazada is a global company, so, they have many
employees coming from diverse cultures. Fabian and Derek are the designers and manage
website. Fabian is from Germany with the ability to mastery in English. Derek comes from
Japan and his English communication is not fluent. Gener and Khanh will be placed in the
analysis of emotions, personalities and relationships. Quang is 45 years old, is the leader of
the IT team, is known as a person with a lot of experience, strong personality and
independence in the work. Gener is a young man who manages and maintains a network. He
is quite humorous, sociable, easy to share with everyone and sometimes superficial to the job.
Based on their interaction, I will analyze how different relationships and personalities affect
communication in the work environment.

This research is designed to prove that any workplace or community of people, people are
different in character and way of building relationships.In any organization, every employee
wants to have a harmonious relationship with colleagues to create a positive and comfortable
working environment. In addition, everyone needs to make the right communication process
to build up those relationships.
Analysis

Disability people in workplace

In Lazada, Khanh is known to be a person affected by dioxin chemical which leads to be

defected. But in the work environment, he is a very experienced person, enthusiastic with his
tasks and is sociable with his co-workers. Due to the problem of disability, Khanh is not able
to communicate fluently as well as processing the information ineffective, confused and lack
of understanding of language. These are Khanh’s obstacles in communication just like most
people with disabilities. In the office, Khanh spends a lot of his time and tries his best to
communicate effectively with his co-workers in a variety of ways in order to accomplish his
works. In my observation, I found that many people feel discouraged when dealing with
disabilites, which leads to them not wanting to communicate as well as contract with
disabilities people. According to A, Afia and et al (2015, pp.465-474), it is seen as a stigma
and discrimination against people with disabilities. But in Lazada, most of the staffs are
sympathetic to Khanh, they try to help Khanh and communicate effectively with Khanh in
many ways and Khanh also responds to their expectations. Lazada, like many other
organizations, also carries out social work, so they know that the difficulties people with
disabilities are experiencing. As a result, Lazada's human resources department has also taken
actions to help Khanh do his work better. Lazada has assisted staff in recognizing the
problems Khanh is experiencing at work, so a written statement is sent to all employees in the
company to call for motivation and assistance to Khanh to fulfill his roles in the business,
which was be called a Disabilities Action Plan (DAP) that protects and empowers them to
work. Like many organizations in the world, for example, the University of Queenland has
implemented a Disabilities Action Plan (DAP) that committed to create a positive working
environment and support the disabled to communicate to meet their needs (The University of
Queenland, 2015). Moveover, according to the Education Council of Australia (2016) , the
DAA guidelines has announced that all people with disabilities have citizenship and should
be treated like a human being, if the person with a disability is able to meet the requirements
of the job they need to be treated fairly as non-disabilities people to get the job Khanh feels
more comfortable communicating and sharing his difficulties with everyone in the company.
It is important that Khanh is like everyone, he also wants to get work, contribute and be part
of society. Persons with disabilities can increase their independence and personal control if
organizations respect and give them opportunities (Department for Community and Social
Inclusion, 2017). It becomes important to Khanh through Lazada's communication
environment. He feels more confident and comfortable in communicating with people at
workplace. The Vietnamese Ministry of Labor has also implemented legislation to assist,
meet the needs and create employment opportunities for people with disabilities to reduce the
barriers to their employment (M. Vu, 2013, pp. 2-4). I recognize that organizations need to
create opportunities for people with disabilities to demonstrate their abilities at work and that
they aspire to meet their needs through active communication and support. I realized that
organizations need to create opportunities for people with disabilities to demonstrate their
abilities at work and they want to meet their needs through active communication and
support. By the way, Khanh will feel less anxious and focus on development and contribution
as people.

Multicultural in workplace

Cultural diversity becomes a barrier to communication, and it can be determined by

similarities, differences in language and gestures, information misconceptions, or extreme
anxiety (Ceglarska, E and et al, 2008,). In this situation, Derek is from an Asian country, and
his English is not fluent and it's just enough to help him understand most of his work. But in
communication, he can be confused and can not grasp information in the process of
communicating with employees.
In many conversations, if the staff talked too fast or they used too many slang words, I
realized that Derek would not capture the conversation's information through his eyesight and
unresponsive actions. Return information of the conversation. Later on, Derek tried to show
that he understood the problem by answering yes or body gestures. In this case, high culture
context is applied. It is defined as ambiguity and tries to evade conflict. Derek comes from a
country with high culture contexts, which proves that he has high self-esteem and often
avoids embarrassing situations and respects the people around him. Exploring the culture
that is considered very important in communication. It helps us to understand the values and
traditions of their culture. In contrast, Fabian is from Germany, where culture is low context,
it is defined as an open, straightforward. This proves the big difference in the two cultures. I
realized that, in order to understand the value and culture of communication of a certain
culture, we need to explore it in the long run. In Asian countries, communication culture is
considered important in the workplace. Some actions are considered disrespectful, for
example, body gestures such as pointing or ignoring someone's gaze will be considered
disrespectful. In gesture communication between different cultures, it has a big difference and
can create obstacles to effective communication (E. Austin and Sweller,N 2014, pp. 92- 103).
This proves that Fabian needs to be well aware of the use of nonverbal gestures to
communicate more effectively with Derek and especially Lazada's Vietnamese staff.
In addition, The power distance dimension is also considered in this situation and it is
understood to be an expression of grievances posted based on power, wealth and social
status(Koc, E, 2013, pp. 3681- 3696). ABC (Riyana, M and et al, 2013) has discussed that
decentralization and inequality often emerge as cultural groups from Asia. For example,
during meetings, Derek and his Vietnamese colleagues often attach importance to the
hierarchy and thus show strong attention and acceptance to the comments from their
superiors because of their respect for seniority of superior which proves that there is
decentralization in the organization in Asian cultures. Comparison with Fabiand comes from
a culture of clear equality, where social status and wealth are not important. Many times
Fabian laughs at the meeting and expresses strong opposition to his boss. This is considered
disrespectful in Asian countries. Though, sometimes Derek is comfortable with Fabian's
jokes. I realize that the differences between cultures come from many different perspectives,
such as life, experience and tradition, and to accept that difference we need to understand the
values clearly and knowledge of that culture to build an effective communication process.

Individual difference in workplace.

Individual differences are determined by differences in emotion and personality, which can
be a major barrier to communication and building relationships in the workplace(Ivanov, M
and D. Wemer, P, 2010, pp. 19-23). Emotion is one of the major influences on
communication. In addition, the level of courtesy of an individual is also reflected in the
mood (Marc, M and Klaus, S 2015, pp. 798- 811). Quang is a typical example in Lazada, he
is known to have negative tone, judgment and even criticism. ABC says that the lack of
emotional restraint can have a profound effect on relationships. Although, the results of the
work can make Quang unhappy, but Quang's negative emotions can make the team members
feel anxious and scared. The frequent conflict between individuals or groups will cause fear,
anxiety and hatred among members, and the main cause is demographic differences. These
things greatly affect communication and workplace relationships. This proves that all
members of the group are anxious to communicate with Quang. His anger and lack of control
his emotions lead to conflicts between relationships with group members. There is always a
gap between the different generations as difference in attitudes and emotions, which leads to
negative issues in communication and relationship in workplace . In contrast to Quang, Gener
is a comfortable person in the work environment, but it creates superficiality and lack of
focus on his work and that affects Quang's emotions. People who are able to feel and control
their emotions as well as capture the emotions of others, are emotional intelligent person
(McKeown, A and Bate, J 1979, pp. 462-485). Quang is a group leader but Quang lacks of
intelligent emotions. He usually does not accept and care about the feelings of the group
members. For example, Quang is often separated from his teammates because of his lack of
emotional control. Intelligent emotions are an important aspect in the positive development of
interpersonal behavior and contribute to building effective relationships.

According to E. Fretwell and et al (2013, pp. 57-62), Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is
used to identify individuals and behaviors of individuals to assess differences in personality
of the person and it is divided into four main areas:
● Extraversion- Introversion: These person wants to the average capacity and attention
● Sensing-Intuition: reflects individuals getting information about their surroundings
● Thinking-Feeling: Prefer to make decisions and process information.
● Judging-Perceiving: Prefer to organize and navigate to the outside world.

I observed that Gener is an extrovert. He easily gains energy from the outside and he often
shares his stories and rewards with cheerful attitude and emotions, showing his enthusiasm.
In addition, he tends to share ideas to solve together when working in groups. Compared to
Quang, who is an introvert, loves quiet and careful in every detail. Therefore, he often thinks
and works carefully to achieve high performance in his work. He also tends to listen well,
observe and meet meeting requirements. Hence, differing personalities are not only tell the
difference between personality but also it is differences in status, communication style and
relationship building.

Recommendation
● To communicate effectively with people with disabilities, we need to show patience,
trying to repeat sentences or words that they do not understand. In communication try
to use more gestures as well as body language to ensure full information transfer for
the disabled. National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth (2005)
also suggests that self-disclosure helps to fill the gap with the disabled, increases the
chance of believing in them and helps them feel more comfortable communicating
and building relationships in organization.
● To identify cultural differences, all members should join different groups and clubs to
interact with the members of the organization. They should explore and explore
different cultures to minimize communication distortions. Employees need to
carefully consider communication actions such as gestures, body language, and
behavior to suit the multicultural environment. Cultural training also needs to be
considered in the organization, which helps people better adapt to different cultures.
● For the issue of individual differences within an organization,Fox-Hines, R, &
Bowersock, R. B. (1995, pp. 3-8) recommends that organizations need staff for the
implementation of the Myers Brigg Type Indicator test to determine their individual
characteristics and inclination. In the group. In addition, it helps assess the strengths
and weaknesses of members. Through the test, they can perceive and understand each
other to minimize communication barriers
Conclusion

This report analyzes the issues of cultural diversity in the organization. Eastern culture and
western culture make a big difference. Asian countries tend towards the High culture context
where power distance is promoted, respect for harmony, social status and wealth. It also
shows the inequity and inequality in the organization. Whereas western culture is a low
culture context which expresses fairness, openness and freedom in communication and
relationships.The discussion of individual differences indicates relevant aspects such as
emotions, personality differences, and it is also the main cause of the impact on positive
communication and the building of relationships in organization. In addition, it analyzes the
problems people with disabilities face in the organization and demonstrates that they are also
able to communicate well and are capable of working if given the opportunity by the
organization and colleagues. Therefore, people need to determine the best way to promote a
positive communication environment and build relationships whether they experience
disability, difference emotional and personality or cultural diversity.
Refference:
Fox-Hines, R and Bowersock, R. B, 1995, ‘ ISFJ, ENTP, MBTI; What’s it all about’. Business and
Economic Review, issue. 41, no. 2, pp. 3-8.

Ali, A, King, M, Strydon, A and Hassiotis, A, 2015, ‘Self-reported stigma and its association
with socio-demographic factors and physical disability in people with intellectual
disabilities: results from a cross-sectional study in England’, Social Psychiatry and
Psychiatric Epidemiology, issue. 3, no. 51, pp. 465- 474, <https://link-springer-
com.access.library.unisa.edu.au/article/10.1007/s00127-015-1133-z>.
Education Council 2016, Nationally Consistent Collection of Data, School Student With Disability,
viewed 29 April 2017, <https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/20160223_-
_2016_nccd_guidelines_-_final.pdf>.

University of Queenland 2015, Disability Action Plan, Human Resources Division, viewed 29
April 2017, <https://www.uq.edu.au/equity//filething/get/505/31215-Disability%20Action%20Plan
%202016-2018.pdf>.
Department for Communities and Social Inclusion 2017, Enable People to Maintain the
Maximum Possible Level of Indipendence, Government of South Australia, viewed 28 April 2017,
<http://www.dcsi.sa.gov.au/services/disability-services/dignity-in-care-principles-home/enable-
people-to-maintain-independence,-choice-and-control-principle-4>.

Minh, V, 2013, Inclusion of People with Dissabilities in Viet Nam, International Labor
Organization, viewed 25 April 2017, <http://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/---
ifp_skills/documents/publication/wcms_112407.pdf>.

E. Austin and Sweller, N 2014, ‘Presentation and Production: The Role of Gesture in Spatial
Communication’, Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, vol. 122, pp. 92-103,
<http://www.sciencedirect.com.access.library.unisa.edu.au/science/article/pii/
S0022096513002713>.

Koc, E 2013, ‘Power distance and its implications for upward communication and
empowerment: crisis management and recovery in hospitality services’, The International
Journal of Human Resource Management, vol. 24, no. 19, pp. 3681- 3696,
<http://www.tandfonline.com.access.library.unisa.edu.au/doi/abs/10.1080/09585192.2013.77
8319>.

E. Fretwell, Lewis, C and Hannay, M, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, A/B Personality

Types, and Locus of Control: Where Do They Intersect?, Troy University,
viewed 27 April 2017,
<http://t.www.na-businesspress.com/AJM/FretwellCE_Web13_3_.pdf>.