Intercultural Competence in Business: A Case Study

This case study explores the challenges of intercultural communication in business through a corporate attorney's experience. It discusses where the attorney and the company went wrong, how to better understand cross-cultural problems, and the use of intercultural theories. Advice is provided on improving intercultural competence.

Case study

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Where did Hannah and the company go wrong?........................................................................1
How could you help Hannah and the company better understand this cross-cultural problem? 1
Use intercultural theories to explain it and support your discussion..........................................3
What would be your advice to Hannah and the company?.........................................................4
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................5
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Intercultural competence in business is much needed and with this it is needed to
maintain the effective balance in between the different prospect of all the individuals get shared
and transferred in effective manner. The intercultural communication defines the interaction of
individual that belongs from different culture and with this have try to make appropriate
connection by which the information is translated in systematic format (Benčiková, 2019). It
consist of verbal and non-verbal communication in which the information is shared in between
the people of different background. The following report is based on corporate attorney of
Frankfurt department store that is responsible to negotiate leases for their outlet board. The
report consist of different cultural frameworks that is applied in suitable business situations.
MAIN BODY
Where did Hannah and the company go wrong?
Hannah Muller is the corporate attorney of the department store that is operated in
German as a chain form thus they have maintain the various responsibility to perform the
negotiation that is based on the abroad outlet lease. She operate the business in Europe and
enjoys the continuous success and able to attain long terms sustainability. In addition to this she
has been look forward to create better opportunities in Japan and that is by making agreement on
lease i.e. of shopping mall. Thus in this intercultural communication is processed in which the
Hannah Muller make interaction with the Japan's client and in this they have need the mediator
that assist to complete the interaction by which the standardised information is processed. While
making communication with the individual's it is needed that both the parties have equally
understand the information and its basis that is required while transferring the ideas, thoughts,
views etc. Hannah and the company went wrong while making an agreement with the others and
with this have try to transmit the effective values but it is not easy to accept each other culture
and communication in easiest manner (de Hei, 2020).
How could you help Hannah and the company better understand this cross-cultural problem?
The cross-cultural problem defines the various issues that is generated as in between the
communication or interaction of different individual's that belongs from different culture and
doesn't having similar values and attributes. These issues has been arise when both the parties
doesn't able to understand each other ideas and thoughts as they have belong from different
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belief. These problem resist the workings and the performance as well by which it is hard for the
company to manage the effective sustainability while creating communication. The
communication is processed as by verbal and non verbal as in verbal it is processed while
talking or using some language while in non verbal it is processed by using symbols, gestures,
signs (Holubnycha, 2019). But it adverse if communication is not proceeding with this they the
various problems have generated. In this it is essential that Hannah understand cross-cultural and
that is done with the support of following factors as define below as:
 Assure mannerly and broad communication: If the communication in between the
parties is performed in mannered way that it reduce the complexities and redundancy by
which better accountability is prepared.
 Learning about diverse culture: The diverse culture promote the surround which is
based on an individual that are as from various place, culture, belief, religion etc. In this
the employee get learned and easily accept the working values and ethics of other in
suitable manner by which working also get processed in formative manner.
The Hannah and company also follows some of cultural frameworks that is in order to
remove or reduce the various issues in adequate manner and define below as:
Iceberg intercultural frameworks: It is a cultural frameworks that reflect what and why
of intercultural communication. In this for what the behaviour of individual is notices that is
changes within timely basis or as per the work load of business. It must get observed by the
company and with this it is needed to maintain balanced in all the situations. Whereas as
comparison to why it reflect the attitude, belief, values, expectations, assumptions which are
intangible but having huge impact of communication. Thus it is needed that it is being managed
and controlled by which the balance is maintained in between what are the requirements of
individual and why it is being required.
Online intercultural frameworks: It is a frameworks that reflect the different layer as of
onion and in this the outer one reflect the flags, traditional, clothing, symbols then the inner one
provide the heroes which reflect the personality of an individual (Pikhart, 2018). After that
rituals that is needed to followed is processed and at the most inner side values of an employee is
reflects that all collectively shows the various practices under which the balanced level of
communication is achieved.
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Edward hall intercultural frameworks: Edward is the father of intercultural
communication and he state that the human being having different perspective and with this they
have argue with others. It is needed that the human will share and patterned the culture as a
sensory apparatus with this make difference in between the cultures which is based on
proximity, gestures etc.
Use intercultural theories to explain it and support your discussion.
Intercultural communication include the different theories that is needed to managed and
implement by the Hannah and its company by which they have overcome from different
consequences in easiest and flexible manner. These theories are as explained below as:
Cultural identity theory: It is a theory in which the interaction and communication is
processed as while making certain level of connection with the others. The identification of
culture is based on the behavioural, sociological, psychological forms by which the continuous
development and growth is progressed in effective manner (Pikhart, 2018). The theory promotes
the better relation which is needed to construct while transferring the values and belief
accordingly. This for this Hannah must have manage the communication as with the support of
symbols, expressions and also ensure that economic, social and political factors is controlled that
imparts more trust in between the employees and enhance as well as improvise the working
conditions. Cross-cultural communication: It is a theory that defines that individual having
different thinking and ability and as per that their working operation and functions also get
varied. To advance the level of communication it is needed that the employee have learn about
each others culture by which it is easy for them to accept the change and perception of others.
The individual is differentiate on the basis of race, gender, ethnicity, working age, nationality
and many others factor as well. Thus while considering this it is needed that the individual must
have make better belongingness and connection with other and enhance both communication as
like verbal or non-verbal. Thus Hannah must have collect the feedback of all the employees and
with this probability of redundancy and complexities is reduces.
Identify management theory: The theory is based on the time and space which is
perceives by an individual while making certain level of communication. All the individual is
having an image which reflect the smooth interaction because it gets changes as per the social
changes (Savicki, 2020). It consist of the modification communication is processed as per the
relation of two individual as if better understanding is there then it is easy to make interaction
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and thoughts get understand in easiest manner. In addition the relational identities as like the face
impression is also be the major factor of communication and aid to circulate better emotions and
thinking ability as well. Thus Hannah ensure that individual must have make better involvement
towards each other and with this collective changes in thoughts is addressed that develops the
productivity of business.
What would be your advice to Hannah and the company?
Hannah and company is advised that they must have promote the vast working culture
and accept equality and diversity under which make appropriate modification within the
business. In this they have collaborate with the employee that belong from different religion,
culture, belief and many other factors as well (Wolff, 2018). In this it is easy for business to
make an agreement with the people of different culture because better level of communication is
processed by which working capability and capacity is enlarged.
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CONCLUSION
As from the above report it is concluded that the intercultural communication is most
needed aspect and under this the better level of interaction is processed by which the effective
communication is processed in systematic level. It is required by the Hannah and company that
they must have promote the better culture under which the perfection among the working is
processed that aid to make positive changes and success in business.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Benčiková, D. and et. al, 2019. Intercultural competences in slovak business environment.
de Hei, M. and et. al., 2020. Developing intercultural competence through collaborative learning
in international higher education. Journal of Studies in International Education. 24(2).
pp.190-211.
Holubnycha, L. and et. al., 2019. Developing Students' Intercultural Competence at the Tertiary
Level. Romanian Journal for Multidimensional Education/Revista Romaneasca pentru
Educatie Multidimensionala. 11(3).
Pikhart, M., 2018, August. Technology enhanced learning experience in intercultural business
communication course: a case study. In International Symposium on Emerging
Technologies for Education (pp. 41-45). Springer, Cham.
Pikhart, M., 2018, September. Multilingual and intercultural competence for ICT: accessing and
assessing electronic information in the global world. In International Conference on
Multimedia and Network Information System (pp. 273-278). Springer, Cham.
Savicki, V. ed., 2020. Developing intercultural competence and transformation: Theory,
research, and application in international education. Stylus Publishing, LLC.
Wolff, F. and Borzikowsky, C., 2018. Intercultural competence by international experiences? An
investigation of the impact of educational stays abroad on intercultural competence and
its facets. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology. 49(3). pp.488-514.
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