Intercultural Competence in Business

This report explores the challenges of intercultural communication in business, focusing on a case study of Anna and her Chinese employees. It discusses the reasons behind communication difficulties, intercultural theories, and ways in which Anna can overcome these challenges. The report emphasizes the importance of understanding cultural differences and implementing strategies to improve communication and build strong relationships with a diverse workforce.

Intercultural Competence in
Business

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Case Study 2....................................................................................................................................3
Anna’s decision and strategy go wrong.......................................................................................3
Cross cultural problems...............................................................................................................4
Intercultural theories....................................................................................................................6
Ways in which Anna overcome from challenges related to Chinese workforce.........................7
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9

INTRODUCTION
Intercultural can be referred in which different people interact, communicate and connect
with each other. Case study of Anna and employees from china has communication difference
which analyses in report. Workforce do not give input in decision as well as not give positive
feedback which effect growth of firm and management of firm. Report highlight Anna’s strategy
that are effecting from workers behaviour and it also explain intercultural issues that arises in
organisation as well as its model help to analyse problem as per the various dimension. Conflict
theory also discusses in report and ways in which challenges can solve by Anna discusses in end.
Case Study 2
Anna facing problem in communication and it become difficult to take out their ideas and
suggestion on table in meetings. In the starting phase they were friendly and polite to her because
of down to earth and charm. After certain time she is not able to know thoughts and view of her
and even negative statements by them on discussion de motivate her and it become necessary to
frame a strategy so that she will able to handle them effectively and increase, quality, efficiency
and productivity of work. Anna can overcome these problems by implementing models and
theories of intercultural competence.
Anna’s decision and strategy go wrong
There might be many reason where Anna not able to build strong relation. Firstly Chinese
people resistant to change such as they are conservatives and their upbringing are difficult from
Anna, who belongs to Germany and hence cultural difference can be one of the reason
(Strazovska and Sulikova, 2018). In china employees and human being do not treat like that of
other western countries. For example: they have to work hard and no flexible working as well as
employers use Autocratic leadership which they are addicted and hence humble nature of Anna
might be not they accept easily. In the beginning she fail to analyse organisation structure,
culture, communication etc. and hence which effect on administration as well as on operation. It
is observed that Chinese people are not welcome foreign bosses which can be another reason for
making better communication channel. She might not have use intercultural models which can
help in connecting all and creating diverse environment. Leadership style may not effective in
dealing employees belongs to china such as she used transformational or democratic leadership
style which used in western as well European country but Ana’s employees welcome more
autocratic nature so that they can work on time and listen bosses rather than give their own ideas.
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Before taking control over management, manager has to check background, experience,
communication etc. that are established in by firm and can take help of person which was
manager or also take who has able to handle workforce and impact on growth of firm in
changing business (Semedo, 2018). Changing culture of a firm in a day is not possible and hence
understanding and then implements strategy and uses various theories and model can be
impactful. Anna has potential to tackle working in modern but sometimes it’s good to learn and
then use various types of channels of communication at work station which can help in gaining
confidence of workers and hence building a team which can help in achieving goals. It also
increase efficiency, quality and productivity of work which support firm in gaining competitive
advantage in time of modernisation. Chinese people behaviour changes can be only possible
when they have will get proper atmosphere for it. She can use transformational leadership.
Cross cultural problems
There are number cross cultural issues that arise when diverse workforces are employed
at workplace which create number of problems and it become difficult to tackle it. Anna and her
Chinese workers belong to different communities and countries and it leads to various types of
challenges that started in firm.
It becomes difficult to adopt diversified work culture because of different communication
styles of workers. People ways and pronounce things in different manner such as some speaks
slowly while other might be fast and hence clarity which decrease understanding between each
other and build communication group. Accent of one country always differ from other and hence
employees in firm fail to communicate properly and create confusing relating to information
which affect work and hence decrease efficiency, quality and productivity of work. Non verbal
expression become another reason for the incomplete conversation,
Anna and her employees belong to different places and hence not same accent which
becomes barrier in communication. In china people will communicate in short words with
nonverbal expression while in Germans people use long sentence to clear the meaning of
information and focus on verbal communication. Anna has to build understating that Chinese
ways of speaking and expressing are differently and she has to encourage them in
communication rather than thinking about non-verbal expression she will not understand.
Intercultural Model
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It helps to understand why Anna that comes from German background fail to
communicate effectively with Chinese workers. It explains different ways in which
communication gaps between people increases and hence effect on transferring information
between each other (Baldwin and Hunt, 2002).
Interpersonal dimension
There are number of understanding factors which influence communication between
different people. In the beginning of any communication people usefully analyse about
demography of a person (male, female etc.), after that think sociological (German, Chinese)
aspect of person that will participate in conversation and in end emphasizes on personal
prediction which is related to memory. It can be reason of break in communication between
Anna and Chinese worker for example: Chinese is male dominated country and accepting female
as a senior in firm.
Intergroup dimension
It is another factor which affects communication in intercultural as well as interracial
people. Social identity theory people distinguish themselves from other on the bases of group
and hence do not interact much. By case study it can be analyse that Anna’s employees are
Chinese and form a group which remain separated from German manager and hence block
communication channels.
Intercultural communication
It helps in communicating effectively at workstation and explains the way in which
people fails to communication as well as guide a way to improve it. It emphasizes on increasing
communication between different people such that they feel part of same culture as well as
country (Rozkwitalska, Sułkowski and Magala, 2017). It includes verbal as well as nonverbal
form of communication between peoples. Language is not the one way of interaction and way of
representation also affects transferring of information. Some researches show that 93% of
communication in routine life is of nonverbal form and people express themselves by attitude,
tone of speech, postures, facial expression etc. Anna and Chinese workers have differences
accent as well as style of speaking which can become challenges in effective communication.
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Intercultural theories
Intercultural theories are of different types which help in analysing various types of
positive negative points that arise when diverse workforce interact which other at workstation
and it impact on efficiency, quality and productivity of work.
Conflict theory
It states that conflict between people in organisation arises because of number of reasons
such as not equal distribution of power, status, resource etc. It also emphasizes that social
statues also plays important role in it and elements related to it are race, gender, sexuality,
culture, religion etc. It was developed from Karl max works (Chasovschi, 2016). Author has
emphasizes on different which plays important part in increasing differences between people
such as bourgeoisie and proletariat. In every society population is distributed according class,
caste, religion etc. and people with less power dominated by Powerful social classes in the
society. Social economy conditions in different area of globe are not same for example: in India
only few people maximum economy of country in hand and hence uses their power to exploit
others. In United Kingdom people again divided on the bases of class such as rich and poor,
upper and lower etc. Unequal distribution of economy can easily be seen in country which
increases difference between people and they do not involve with others in diverse culture for
example: people with lower class feel scared in group of rich classes and vice versa.
Anna’s and Chinese workers has large number of difference which might arises conflict
and hence employees do not like to interacts which create difficulty for her to take feedback as
well as input during meeting and hence it impact on growth firm. She belongs to economical
advance as well as developed countries and it can be another reason as they feel inferior in front
of her and hence created a group which do not participate in communication as well as building
health relationship (Basinska, 2017). Hitler’s exploitation to Jews are well known around the
world which might be a point in breaking information changes and positive interaction for
example: Anna might be compare to management exploitation that comes during German
warfare and expansion and hence it block conversation between group. She reached to manager
post because of effective skills as well as strong education might background which created her
as a part of elite group and hence create a barrier in interaction as verbal exchanges which can be
understand from case study. China is male dominated society while German believes in equal
opportunities for all which can be classify as modern ideology and it can create difference
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between manager and employees as per the study For example: Anna is a female and have
modern thought which might not be accepted by others which arises conflict.
Ways in which Anna overcome from challenges related to Chinese workforce
There are number of ways in which Anna will be able to handle position and gain loyalty
of employees which increase efficiency, quality and productivity of work and hence support in
growth of firm in changing business (Chang, 2017). She has to analyse behaviour of workforce
why they are not participating in communication. Evolution of past history of organisation and
employees culture can be helpful for Anna to build strong employees relation. She has to take
confidence of workers by using intercultural theories as well as model. Managers in various also
faces same types of challenges and taking help of them can be profitable. Personal growth of
employees and Human Resource Management involvement can highly profitable for her.
Diversify work practices as well as communication training and development programs can
again help in increasing involvement for different types of task and hence support in growth of
firm. Reward, award, incentives, increment, promotion etc. can be helpful for Anna to take
confidence of workers.
Transformational leadership
Chinese workers can become participate in decision making and policy framing when
they will be given autonomy at workplace by Anna. It also increases efficiency, quality and
productivity of employees as well as increase innovation as well as creativity which are
necessary for changing business. Liberty at work is one of the powerful tools which help in
gaining loyalty of workers. Anna has to take feedback, opinion, suggestion, feedback etc. before
framing any policies and procedure at work station which decrease resistance to different types
of activities that will be start by her.
Personality-Job Fit theory
It helps in building a personality that is most suitable at workplace by analysing various
factors which can influence workers. Anna modern changes can be easily implemented but in the
beginning she have to be like ex-manager and when people start interacting and able to gain little
confidence then make subsequent changes and hence modification in personality such as from
autocratic manager to transformative (Kegeyan, 2016).
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CONCLUSION
It can be understand from the report that intercultural issue impact on management as
well as performance of workers as explain in Anna and Chinese workers in case study. It also
explains where manager fail to take confidence and loyalty of workers such as improper
communication channel. Report also discusses about intercultural problem such as
communication style differences. Conflict theory helps to understand issue that rise at work
station such as male dominate society do not accept female on higher post. In the end discusses
ways in Anna can effectively handle issue for example: transformational leadership
implementation which increases involvement of workforce.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Strazovska, L. and Sulikova, R., 2018. Intercultural Work Environment and Leadership Style.
HAGENBERG| LINZ| STEYR| WELS.385.
Semedo, V.D.R., 2018. Determinants of intercultural adjustment: emotional and social aspects
on work and non-work environment (Doctoral dissertation).
Rozkwitalska, M., Sułkowski, Ł. and Magala, S., 2017. Intercultural Interactions in the
Multicultural Workplace. New York: Springer.
Chasovschi, C., 2016. Perspectives on work ethic. An intercultural approach. The USV Annals
of Economics and Public Administration.16.(3).pp.93-98.
Basinska, B.A., 2017. Individual resources and intercultural interactions. In Intercultural
Interactions in the Multicultural Workplace (pp. 97-107). Springer, Cham.
Chang, W.W., 2017. Approaches for developing intercultural competence: An extended learning
model with implications from cultural neuroscience. Human Resource Development Review.16.
(2).pp.158-175.
Kegeyan, S.E., 2016. Intercultural communication in the workplace and the role of
communication in an organization. International Journal of Professional Science, (2).
Baldwin, J. R., & Hunt, S. K. (2002). Information seeking behavior in intercultural and
intergroup communication. Human Communication Research, 28, 272-286. Note: This is a
contribution to a special issue on information seeking, although it was still blind reviewed and
competitively selected.
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