Avoiding Cross-Cultural Miscommunication Essay

In the current era of globalization, case boundaries atomic number 18 losing center and more(prenominal) and more companies now permit their operations spread across sundry(a) countries of the globe. Multi national companies now operate across different continents and it is typical of a family to need head quarters in one plain nevertheless be present in multiple counties at the comparable time. This means that these multi national companies moderate to adapt to the horti civilization of the association they are operating in.Also, the lap up force of such companies is an amalgamation of the local plenty along with roughly distant go baders and managers so effective communication and self-possessed operations are only possible if culture is well understood. However, this is not as simple as it seems and cross heathen miscommunications are harmful. mess up ethnical miscommunication is not only detrimental to the working environment of the institution but it tidy sum also lead to a failure of the company as a whole in the society. To avoid any miscommunication, we rootage need to examine what culture is made up of.Artifacts, rituals, Stories, histories, myths, legends, jokes, and ceremonies are pagan symbols. By noticing these things and large numbers reactions to them we can figure out the cultural norms and values and can avoid transgressing any boundaries. Ethnocentrism is the belief that ones own race, culture or ethnic group is superior to the recess and the tendency to think like this is greater in MNCs. Many unusual managers or workers think in this manner and antagonize their co workers. This can be over come by encouraging inter cultural communication so that any misunderstandings or predetermined notions or stereophony types may be removed.Also, if a cooperative culture is promoted at work and people taught to appreciate/criticize ideas rather than people, this problem may be solved. We also need to examine the interrelation ship between offices, values, customs and beliefs and culture. A culture shapes the attitudes, values and beliefs of a person and the actions and preferences of the society (that are forthwith dependant upon the belief) make up the culture. Hence, this shows that in that respect is a two relationship. For instance, the Nipponese have a very serious attitude about work and they think in hard work so working meticulously is a part of their culture.Similarly, the Muslim culture is conservative so they have a negative attitude towards men and women shaking hands and the believe it to be immoral. Global companies need to adopt a glocal strategy meaning that they need to amend their global strategy accord to the local culture and norms. Before a company enters a new country, formal grocery store research should be conducted in order to make a node profile according to which the product and promotion strategies will then be designed. external companies should be flexible to minor c hanges in the product so as to meet the local demands.Pizza hut has been achieverful any(prenominal) over the world for they have catered to the local taste in every country. For instance, it is spicier in the subcontinent and in countries such as India where people avoid ticker there is large vegetarian and cheese variety. The promotion strategies should also be according to the native culture. Companies should keep in mind that International brand cannot have the same advertising everywhere due to different cultures. When companies are accounting entry a foreign culture, they should be aware of customs, traditions in general and in particular they should know about the psychology of the people.Companies should be aware of the attitude of the people towards work and the products/service the company has to offer. Understanding the local manpower is important for a company because an effective workforce is integral for success and it is crucial to design jobs, compensation pack ages and motivators that appeal to them. Attitudes toward work, leisure, time, change, family, social mobility and religion match a vital role in shaping the culture. In a collectivist culture, family is the top priority and the much of the leisure time is spent with family.In a society where family ties are weak, work and friends have a greater importance so the culture is an individualist one. In some cultures, there is greater emphasis on work and such people are hard workers by nature and their work is meticulous. The Chinese culture is a classical example of how hard work is an element of the national culture. The physical environment of a place influences the culture of that place as physical conditions such as the weather affect the life ardor of the people. The architecture of a place also reflects the culture. Moreover, it is important to understand the communicative and non verbal elements of a culture.For instance, the Arabs like to kiss on the cheeks when they meet veritable(a) during formal meetings but in a British culture, this would be exceedingly inappropriate. Similarly, maintaining eye contact is a non verbal cue, in some cultures it would be a symbol of courage while in others it will be considered insolent. Moreover education and technology are linked to the culture and this is evident by the fact that some cultures such as the Japanese enter stress on innovating and developing technology where as some have a laid back attitude. Some cultures lay stress on education and that is evident by the high literacy levels there.Lastly, media has a two focus relationship with culture mass media not only depicts the culture but it also leads to cultural change in the society. The success of any company also depends on the political and legal system of that country. In countries where there is political turbulence or the policies do not support foreign investment, survival becomes tough for the company as is the case in third base world coun tries like Bangladesh where there is a frequent change in governments that leads to changes in policies too. References Brown, A. (1995). Organizational Culture. Pitman, London.Charles M. and Yongsun, P. (2006). Managing a Global Workforce Challenges and Opportunities in International Human Resource Management. M. E . Sharpe Dong, Q. , Day, K. D. (2001). Overcoming Ethnocentrism through Developing Intercultural communication sensibility and Multi culturism. Retrieved on January 16,2009 from http//www. allacademic. com David Straker. Elements of Culture. Retrieved on January 15, 2009 From www. changingminds. org Kwintessential Cross Cultural Solutions. Cross Cultural Communications. Retrieved on January 15, 2009 from http//www. kwintessential. co. uk