Intercultural Communication in the Workplace: A Case Study from Friends TV Show

This article discusses the impact of intercultural communication on workplace communication using a case study from Friends TV show. It analyzes the safe and unsafe space, body language, and tone variations in communication.

Running head: CULTURAL INNOVATION
Cultural Innovation
Name:
Institution:
Date:

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Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
1.2 Aim...................................................................................................................................2
1.3 Scope................................................................................................................................2
2.0 Summary And Observations................................................................................................3
2.1 Summary Of The Video Clip:.......................................................................................3
2.2 Observations:..................................................................................................................4
3. Analysis..................................................................................................................................5
4.0 Recommendations.........................................................................................................5
5.0 Conclusion............................................................................................................................5
6.0 References............................................................................................................................5

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Introduction
Intercultural communication plays a great role in the way communication process is handled.
It is essential in how employees communicate to each other and how a boss and a subordinate
carries out their communication. In Friends, The One They’re Going to a Party (Rachel’s
Boss Doesn’t want to lose her), Season 4 Episode 9, there is a miscommunication between
Rachael, Joanna and the other interviewing panelists. The background on this video shows
the cultural communication in an interview setting and the impact in the communication
process (Aldabas, 2017).
1.1 Background
Joanna is Rachael’s boss in the office. Rachel is undertaking an interview for promotion
which clearly shows that she will no longer be Joanna’s assistant. This is not going well with
Joanna as Rachael has been a very good assistant. She is among the panelist in the interview
and makes slanderous comments about the interview. It is clear she does not want her to get
the job despite having an impressive skill list as told by the gentleman. Joanna is sarcastic
about everything that Rachael tries to say. She gets to say that she drinks too much and is a
habitual drinker. Rachael isn’t impressed and confronts Joanna after the interview. She
admits that she was wrong and was trying just not to lose her after she gets the new job. She
says she was the best assistant she has ever had. Rachael is furious and threatens to leave
while she gets everything in from her locker. She is clearly very mad and Joanna calms her
down by telling her that she will increase her pay the next day and she will give her an
assistant. It is a comedy scene and therefore very hilarious that an assistant should get an
assistant. The scene ends when she gets a pay increase and an assistant assurance she gets
from Joana (Az Zahra, & Prasetya, 2016).
1.2 AIM
The aim of the topic is to show how intercultural capabilities and miscommunication hinders
communication. The greatest hindrance of communication is not understanding each other.
The analysis of the safe and unsafe space will need personal improvement where it is
appropriate.

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1.3 Scope
The report will focus on the video scenes where;
1. Rachael is trying to explain herself to the interviewing panelists.
2. Where Joana interjects every time to tarnish her good reputation during the interview.
3. Where Rachel confronts Joanna about the reason why she would be there sabotaging
her during her interview while she is her mentor and her boss.
4. Where Rachael confronts Joanna which makes Joanna give in to multiple demands by
Rachael
5. Where Joanna promises her salary increment and an assistant just to cool Rachael and
make her not to leave.
The communication between Joanna and Rachel depicts a safe space where the two engage
each other while also having progressive communication. The unsafe space is shown in the
scene where there is breakdown in communication between all the characters. This is entirely
shown by Joanna and Rachael who is arguably angry with the impatience and lack of
courtesy shown by Joanna during the interview session.
2.0 Summary And Observations
2.1 Summary Of The Video Clip:
Intercultural communication plays a great role in the way communication process is handled.
It is essential in how employees communicate to each other and how a boss and a subordinate
carries out their communication. In Friends, The One They’re Going to a Party (Rachel’s
Boss Doesn’t want to lose her), Season 4 Episode 9, there is a miscommunication between
Rachael, Joanna and the other interviewing panelists. The background on this video shows
the cultural communication in an interview setting and the impact in the communication
process. Joanna is Rachael’s boss in the office. Rachel is undertaking an interview for
promotion which clearly shows that she will no longer be Joanna’s assistant. This is not going
well with Joanna as Rachael has been a very good assistant. She is among the panelist in the
interview and makes slanderous comments about the interview. It is clear she does not want
her to get the job despite having an impressive skill list as told by the gentleman. Joanna is

CULTURAL INNOVATION
sarcastic about everything that Rachael tries to say. She gets to say that she drinks too much
and is a habitual drinker. Rachael isn’t impressed and confronts Joanna after the interview.
She admits that she was wrong and was trying just not to lose her after she gets the new job.
She says she was the best assistant she has ever had (Silverman, Kurtz, & Draper, 2016).
The relevant information to understand is the inter cultural communication is the safe and the
unsafe space and the intercultural communications shown in the TV show (Mead, & Byers,
2015). .
Identification of key characters
1. Rachael
2. Joanna
3. The two panelists
4. The lady assistant
2.2 Observations:
Rachael and Joan have a confrontation in the video regarding the conduct of Joanne in the
interview. It is clear that ther is signs of bad and good body language all along the video.
Scene
description
time in
sequence
Column
heading eg
Sign of
empathy
Column
heading eg
Body
language
Column
heading eg
Voice Tone
0: 13 Sign of good
communication
During the
start of the
interview
Calm tone in
voice and
communication
1: 06 Bad
communication
Joanna
constantly
interjects
during the
interview.
Aggressive tone
communication.
1: 38 Bad
communication
Rachael is
struck by
Joana
Aggressive tone
and un calm
communication.

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conduct
2;00 Sign of good
communication
Good body
language
Calm voice
2: 20 Bad
communication
Bad body
language
The two cant
engage each
other due to
lack of
understanding
3:26 Good
communication
Body
language is
also good.
.Rachael
accepts to stay
on the job
3. Analysis
In the early part of the video, Rachael, the person being interviewed shows the level of
cultural intelligence when she chooses not to engage Joanna during the interview. She adjusts
her behavior and answers the questions with calmness and an easy demeanor. Later in the
video, Rachael confronts Joanna while at her office to know why she was acting that way.
There is uncomfortable body language between Rachael and Joana. This example shows how
cultural intelligent employee engages during communication. Cultural intelligence is also
shown when during the confrontation between the two, Joanna offers Rachael a salary
increment plus an assistant to calm her down (Thomson, outram, gilligan, & levett-jones,
2015).. With that package, she actually gets to talk to her. During the communication process,
there is intercultural communication, empathy and awareness of body language.
4.0 Recommendations
In intercultural communication, the body language is either safe of unsafe in the video.
Rachael has seen what Joanna has done to her during the interview. The only way to make it
is by confronting her and knowing why she did that as she is her boss and mentor and knows

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all her ware bouts. The only way to know why Joanna acted that way is by confronting her.
She is sure she did that because she does not want her to leave.
5.0 Conclusion
A number of factors determine intercultural communications in the video. They include tonal
variations expressed by Rachael, Joanna and the panelists, language awareness and body
language. For understanding one another, the tone should be good while body language
should depict willingness to communicate.

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6.0 References
Aldabas, r. a. (2017). preparing for using augmentative and alternative communication in
classrooms: pre-service special education teachers’ perceptions. journal of studies in
education, 7(4), 105-127.
Az zahra, a., & prasetya, a. (2016). pengaruh cultural barrier terhadap komunikasi lintas
budaya dan stres kerja karyawan (studi pada karyawan pt. krakatau daedong
machinery–cilegon). jurnal administrasi bisnis, 36(1), 82-91.
Silverman, j., kurtz, s., & draper, j. (2016). teaching and learning communication skills in
medicine. crc press.
Thomson, k., outram, s., gilligan, c., & levett-jones, t. (2015). interprofessional experiences
of recent healthcare graduates: a social psychology perspective on the barriers to
effective communication, teamwork, and patient-centred care. journal of
interprofessional CARE, 29(6), 634-640.