Building Intercultural

Workplace Skills

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Curbing Ethnocentrism and Stereotyping

The belief in the superiority of one’s own cul-

ture is known as ethnocentrism. This natu-
ral attitude is found in all cultures. Ethno-
centrism causes us to judge others by our
own values.

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Stereotypes

A stereotype is an oversimplified perception of a

behavioral pattern or characteristic applied to
entire groups.

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 Tolerance

• Tolerance means learning about beliefs &

practices different from our own & appreciating
them.
It means being openminded & receptive to new
experiences.
• One of the best ways to develop tolerance is to prac-
tice empathy, defined as trying to see the world
through another’s eyes.
• It means being less judgmental and more eager to
seek common ground. 4
Successful Oral Communication With
Intercultural Audiences
1.Use simple English
2.Speak slowly & enunciate clearly
3.Encourage accurate feedback

4.Check frequently for comprehension

5.Observe eye messages
6.Accept blame
7.Listen without interrupting
8.Smile when appropriate
9.Follow up in writing

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• Successful Written Communication With
Intercultural Audiences
1. Consider local styles & conventions
2. Hire a translator
3. Use short sentences & short paragraphs
4. Avoid ambiguous wording
5. Cite numbers carefully

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Globalization & Workplace Diversity
 Diversity has many dimensions—race, ethnicity,
age, religion, gender, national origin, physical
ability, sexual orientation, and other qualities.
 Your job may require you to interact with
colleagues & customers from around the world.
 You will need to cooperate with individuals &
teams.
 What’s more, your coworkers may differ from you
in race, ethnicity, gender, age, and other ways. 7
Benefits of Diverse Workforce
 Theo Fletcher, a vice president at IBM, agrees "It is
important that we have a supply base that looks like our
employee base and that looks like the market we are
trying to attract.”
 Successful communication among the various identity
groups brings distinct advantages. Customers want to
deal with companies that respect their values.
 A diverse staff is better able to respond to the
increasingly diverse customer base in local and world
markets.
 Diversity is a critical bottom-line business strategy to
improve employee relationships and to increase productivity. 8
Tips for Communicating With Diverse Audiences on the Job.

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Seek Training
Understand the value of differences
Learn about your cultural self
Make fewer assumptions
Build on similarities

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