Importance of Effective Communication in Culinary Industry

This report analyses the importance of effective communication in culinary industry which nurture a culturally diverse work-force. The report recommends importance of effective negotiation along with interpersonal communication skills in order create a win-win situation for both the parties and thereby helping to increase the overall productivity and turn-over of the organisation.

COMMUNICATION IN ORGANISATION

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Abstract
Communication is an important factor for success of an organisation. The following report
aims to analyse the importance pf effective communication in culinary industry which nurture
a culturally diverse work-force. The main method under taken for achievement of the aim of
the report is conduction of interview with open-ended questionnaire with a Srilankan
restaurant owner. The findings of the interview highlighted that the X (owner of Srilankan
restaurant) has a culturally diverse work-force with whom he serves culturally diverse
customers and also conductsweekly face-face meetings for the sharing of both positive and
negative feedbacks. The analysis of the interview highlighted the importance of workplace
diversity and how interpersonal communication helps in exchange of negative feedbacks in a
sporting way. At the end, the reports recommends importance of effective negotiation along
with interpersonal communication skills in order create a win-win situation for both the
parties and thereby helping to increase the overall productivity and turn-over of the
organisation.

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................3
Methods......................................................................................................................................3
Findings......................................................................................................................................4
Intercultural communication..................................................................................................4
Meetings in groups.................................................................................................................4
Conflict resolution and trust development.............................................................................4
Meetings and its importance..................................................................................................4
Trust building.........................................................................................................................5
Discussions.................................................................................................................................5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................6
Recommendation........................................................................................................................7
References..................................................................................................................................8
Appendix....................................................................................................................................9

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Introduction
Proper workplace communication is crucial for the success of a particular
organisation as it enables the organisation to be productive and operative effectively.
Effective communication skills displayed by the team leaders or managers or higher authority
of an organisation help to increase the morale, commitment and productivity of the
employees. The following report is based on the analysis of the importance of communication
and workplace diversity. The analysis will be derived from an interview conducted with X
(name changed) who is the owner of a Srilankan restaurant named restaurant S.
Methods
The assignment was based on the organisational communication. Managers or owners
of any organization are the best person to understand the importance of the communication
skills (Den Hartog et al. 2013). Keeping this importance of managerial communication into
consideration and subject discipline, I opted for the selection of a Srilankan restaurant owner.
The concept of relationship is based on influence and persuasion and not on authority
(Griffin 2006). So to encourage him to participate in the interview process, I initially
established a friendly relationship. I explained him the reason for interview conduction and
why it is important. My honesty and friendly attitude influenced him, make him willing to
participate process. I also used my intra-cultural communication skills like “taking
responsibility of communication”, and “learning to deal with the individual (avoiding
stereotyping). These two factors further helped me to persuade the interviewer. However, the
interview was not forced to participate in the interview (Jamshed 2014).
The main interview technique, which was applied, is the selection of the open-ended
questionnaire. The interview was scheduled as per the time and location convenience of the

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interview. This further helped to increase the comfort level of the interview. An audio
recorder was used to record the interview. The generated interview transcript was verified
via the interviewee in order to reduce the bias output. The main interview approach was
interpretive perspective, which is based on meaningful interaction of information that is
generated via exchange of views (Coopman 2000).
Findings
Intercultural communication
The main findings of the interview is, X, the owner of a Srilankan restaurant has a
culturally diverse team of seven including him. His family-based restaurant greets culturally
diverse customers and his culturally diverse team helps him to handle the culturally diverse
customers.
Meetings in groups
He holds tool box meetings in every two weeks where they discuss issues that they
are facing with the team and the possible scope of improvement.
Conflict resolution and trust development
The weekly meetings help to reduce the confusion among the employees. He thinks
listening to employees and taking into account of their feedback helps to increase the trust of
the employees.
Meetings and its importance
He openly greets all types of suggestions in the weekly meetings. He also shares both
positive and negative feedback in order to motivate his team members while helping to work
on their service gaps. He is acknowledging the hard work of his team with monetary rewards

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so that they feel positive and serve the customer's in more refined and in a culturally diverse
ways.
Trust building
One of the important skills that he wants to get reflected within each and every
member of his team is honesty. He also feels defining roles and responsibilities among the
members of the team via taking weekly meetings help them to perform better.
Discussions
Cultural diversity within the workplace benefits the company in different ways and
thereby contributing overall efficacy of organisation, creating competitive advantage (Hogan
2012). In case of X, having a culturally diverse team helped him to attain a culturally diverse
group of customers. According to Hogan (2012), if the employees are managed well under a
cross-cultural atmosphere, employees feel validated and considered themselves important
irrespective of their cultural difference. This helps to boost their morale and thereby helping
them to work with positive energy. X is of the opinion that after every two weeks he
undertakes tool box meetings where he listen and acknowledges the views of each of his team
members, this enables them to feel important within the system and thereby helping them to
work in unison. Patrick and Kumar (2012) is of the opinion that when people from diverse
backgrounds and cultures work together, they are exposed to different view-points and this
helps the culturally diverse to brainstorm a wide variety of ideas on board based on their
different experiences. In case of X, this culturally diverse team helped them to handle
culturally diverse customers. As per the statement of X, if an Indian customers arrive at
restaurant, who is not well-versed in English, then the Indian girl who works as a waitress in
his retardant assistant in communication. Under the context of community relations, Patrick
and Kumar (2012) are of the opinion that customers also prefer to deal with companies,

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which employs people who are culturally identical to them. This helps in increase the profit
margin of the company.
Theory of applied interpersonal communication is a process by which people
exchange information either verbally or via the use of non-verbal messages. It is a form of
face-to-face communication. Interpersonal communication is not just about what is actually
said rather it depends on how it has been said, the facial gestures and the body language (De
Janasz et al. 2015). X, here applies the theory of interpersonal communication in while
communicating negative feedbacks. His facial expression, gestures and the body posture
change the overall approach of the negative feedback and thereby helping his team mates to
take negative feedbacks sportingly and simultaneously working on it to improve their service
quality.
The communication skills as shared by X reflect the style of integrative bargain.
Under integrative bargain, both the parties feel that they have gained something and this help
in building long-term relationships as opposed to distributive bargaining. Via integrative
bargain skill, Mr. X listen to the grievances of all his employees and considers all their
complains which create a win-win situation. This kind of bargain leaves no one as a looser
and creates a healthy working atmosphere. Integrative negotiations are mostly preferable to
distributive negotiations. This is because, as both parties who are involved in communication
feel that they have gained something. This is opposed to distributive bargaining, which leaves
either of the one party as a looser, and restricting to create long-term healthy relationships.
However, integrative bargaining is more to achieve in the short term. This is because it
assumes that two parties communicate with each other with a frank approach and are more
sensitive towards trusting each other (De Janasz et al. 2015).

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Conclusion
Thus from the above discussion, it can be concluded that cultural diversity in
workplace helps in attending culturally diverse customers and at the same time helps in the
generation of different innovative ideas. The analysis of the interview also helped in the
identification of the importance of the applied interpersonal communications which helps in
sharing the negative feedbacks without inviting in any controversies of emotional set-backs
within the workforce.
Recommendation
In terms of effective communication in an organisation, X must work on his skills of
effective negotiation. Improving the skills of effective negotiation will help X to contribute
significantly to the overall business success and at the same time will help him to build better
relationships with his team members (Robbins & Hunsaker2011).

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References
Coopman, S.J., 2000, Conducting the Information Interview viewed 30 May 2018,
<http://www.roguecom.com/interview/>
De Janasz, S, Dowd, K and Schneider, B 2015, Chapter 9: ‘Negotiation’, in M Witsel (ed.)
2015, Communication in Organisations, 6th edn, McGraw-Hill Custom Publishing, Sydney
Den Hartog, D.N., Boon, C., Verburg, R.M. and Croon, M.A., 2013. HRM, communication,
satisfaction, and perceived performance: A cross-level test. Journal of management, 39(6),
pp.1637-1665.
Griffin, E.M., 2006. A first look at communication theory.McGraw-Hill.
Hogan, M., 2012. The four skills of cultural diversity competence.Cengage Learning.
Jamshed, S., 2014. Qualitative research method-interviewing and observation. Journal of
basic and clinical pharmacy, 5(4), p.87.
Patrick, H.A. and Kumar, V.R., 2012. Managing workplace diversity: Issues and
challenges. Sage Open, 2(2), p.2158244012444615.
Robbins, S.P. and Hunsaker, P.L., 2011. Training in interpersonal skills: Tips for managing
people at work.Pearson Higher Ed.

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Appendix