Intercultural Competence in Business: Understanding Cross-Cultural Issues and Strategies for Employee Engagement

This report discusses intercultural competence in business, focusing on a case study of an American manager facing cross-cultural issues in India. It explains intercultural theories and provides recommendations for better understanding the situation and promoting positive engagement with employees. The report also suggests employee engagement strategies and leadership styles to adopt. Subject: Business, Course Code: N/A, Course Name: N/A, College/University: N/A.

Intercultural
Competencies and
Business

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................1
Where did Mark go wrong?.............................................................................................................1
How could Mark better understand this cross cultural problem?....................................................1
Use intercultural theories to explain it and support discussion........................................................2
What would advice to Mark?...........................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
.........................................................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
Intercultural competence is that which has the ability to function across cultures, act and
to think in appropriate manner and also communicate in different manner who are from different
cultural backgrounds.(Alon and et.al., 2018). It is a valuable asset on increasing globalised
where they have to likely interact with people who are from different culture and countries that
have shaped different values, beliefs and experiences. In this report, the following answers have
discussed on the basis of Case study 1. To highlight about the intercultural theories and cross
cultural issues that Mark who is American manger have been faced for major attainment to get
work scrutinized effectively. In addition to this suitable recommendation through theories and
framework are providing that will help Mark in order to better understand the situation relative
to cultural differences. The report will also focusing on different style of leadership that can
assist Mark in effectively managing the situation and promote positive engagement with
employees.
MAIN BODY.
Where did Mark go wrong?
As Mark has been visited in India for some business purpose and he wanted to provide
instruction to his employees about his ideas that he had invented. But due to some lack of culture
experience Mark did not understand the employees of India working style due to which he felt
that they are working with their own comfort zone(Belpoliti and Pérez., 2016). Some how, he
needs his employees contribution to arrange resources and work on his idea. The main mistake
which Mark has done that he did not understand the business culture of India for which he felt
disengaged behaviour from his employees. As he has seen innovative skills and working
outcomes from his employees but he not recognize their culture properly to make his business
outcomes generates.
How could Mark better understand this cross cultural problem?
Cross Cultural is a type of concept that recognize the differences among business people
of different nation and background along with ethnicities and the importance or bridging them.
Furthermore, globalization with cross cultural education has become critically important to
business(Gregersen-Hermans., 2015). In perspective of Case one it depicts about to recognise

the differences of culture that face by Mark to need understand for mitigate issues. The main
issues which Cross Cultural that faces by the Mark:
• Customer, Mannerism and Gestures: While doing business there are people who are
involved into the process who are from different cultural backgrounds. This includes basic
customs, mannerism and gestures(Hatoss., 2019). In this Mark need to understand individual
employees body language how they are responding effectively. Through this, it would easy for
Mark to better understand the culture of business effectively.
• Importance of Tone Language and Barriers: Through some of the countries like United
States and Germany are face common for people are speak to loudly and to be more assertive or
aggressive when sharing ideas of giving direction. It helps to interacting with peoples through
different cultural. As Mark has arrived in India on which to mitigate the cultural issues. To make
understand Mark need to use proper understanding communication style which provide actual
information to delivered in better manner.
• Technologies and time differences: While travelling form one country to another
individual must well aware about the technology or having friendly user with the specific
resources. But to culture differences time makes more complicated the situation where individual
not able to cope with the people. As in this Mark need to understand about working time
schedule along with technologies process where they would get to interacted and helped to
understand the employee’s issues effectively.
In order to for mark to solve the issues of cross culture it is necessary to understand
different types of culture within the organization. This will allow in effectively
understanding how the culture within the organization functions and how it can be altered
in order to introduce effective communication with employees. Given below are various
types of culture that mark can utilize in order to eliminate the issues relative to cross
cultural problems:
Clan culture: This type of culture is people oriented and help in establishing family-like bonds
within the organization. It allows the manager to develop optimal collaboration at the work place
and enhances communication between managers and employees. This allows establishing
harmony and positive engagement with employees.
Adhocracy culture: This type of culture focuses on innovation and adaptability in order to
develop positive relations with employees. This type of culture allows the manager to understand

the specific culture that needs to be implemented in order to develop creative and optimal ideas
which keep employees motivated.
Hierarchy culture: This type of culture helps in priotorizing hierarchy culture and provides clear
directions to employees through structured and systematic process. It allows the manager to
focus on internal organization and develop a clear chain of command and provide optimal
guidance to employees to develop positive relations with team members.
From the above type of culture it is recommended that Mark utilizes clan theory as
culture in India is abed on family values and bonds. This will allow Mark to better establish
relation with employees in an effective manner and ensure development as well as establish of
positive engagement with team members resulting in high level of productivity and performance.
Use intercultural theories to explain it and support discussion
Intercultural communication theory that determines on individual type on which
miscommunication get misconducts. Through successful intercultural communication is
theorised to operate as function of motivation. Intercultural communication uses theories within
group of people to accomplish a sense of cultural diversity. By using of Intercultural Adaptation
theory describes about how one person adjust its communication level with persons who
perceived to be form different culture based on previous experiences. There are some of stages
which would helps to leading to cultural adaptation to define process within initial cross cultural
encounter between individual. There are some of the stages that would help to adjust the
intercultural understanding in proper manner.
• Stage of Frustration : It is the stage of cultural shock which is familiar to anyone who is
living in abroad and also travel on frequent basis. On the basis of this stage, it is not proper
understand gestures, sign and language set in the miscommunication may be happing frequently.
Problem initiates with irritating and overwhelming and also fight back in such a manner by using
rude way of remarks.
• Phase of Adjustment: This is where that learn to accept the culture by individual
negative and positive attitudes. It also describe about the individual opinion and view points as
per the situation where to gain more positive outcomes (Kurpis and Hunter., 2017). For example:
manager makes policies in organisation to adjust their employees and also make them convince
about to attain more work work productivity. In discussion of given case study as Mark is an

American manager and visited towards the another region where he was not aware about that
culture. In that situation, Mark need to analyse and adjust as per the situation.
• Adaptation and Acceptance phase: This is where they will home and become involved
with that activities and might enjoy on some of the countries customs. In situation of above case
study where Mark have to accept the culture on where he currently working. As per the culture
get to understand then it create to involved the activities on some of the countries to measure
challenges and opportunities for attained more productive outcomes.
There is another theory used from Intercultural theory that is Standpoint theory, it is theory
found where some of academic discipline to used for analysing inter subjects intercourse. It is
also consider more important way of concept that an individual own perspectives are shaped
through their social and political experiences(Stockwell., 2016). In perspective of above case
study that makes more engaged through get personalised experiences to better understand the
world.
On the basis of above these intercultural theories would help to make to support the
culture that where Intercultural adaptation theory would suitable for mapping the performance
of better personalised experience to need understand by Mark.level factors in this
What would advice to Mark?
From the above scenario Mark is faced with issues that are related to differences in cross
culture along with aspects that minimize his engagement with employees. In order to solve this
issue Mark has to focus on developing an effective engagement with his employees as a manager
along with changing his leadership style as well. This will allow him to between manage
individuals and develop a positive work environment with high level of collaboration and
productivity. Given below are some employee engagement strategies along with types of
leadership that Mark can adopt:
Employee engagement strategy:
Employee survey: This employee engagement strategy will allow Mark to understand the
perspective of employees in an effective manner. This strategy will provide the opportunity to
Mark in understanding the culture of his team members and take appropriate decisions based on
the survey.

Employee activities: The introduction of activities will allow Mark to enhance his engagement
with the employees and understand their point of view relative to how they work. This strategy
will provide Mark the opportunity to develop positive relations with his employees and better
understand their culture.
Leadership styles:
Participative: This type of leadership is based on involving team members in the process of
decision making which results in improved engagement as well as motivation of employees.
Situational: This leadership style focuses on taking actions relative to the particular situation
they encounter. This helps the leader to take into account aspects such as point of vide of
employees relative to engagement with management.
Transactional: This leadership style pays emphasis on rewards, punishment and other exchange
sin order to develop engagement with employees. Moreover, it helps in improving the
productivity to employees and helps them achieve their goals and objectives.
From the above strategies and leadership style it is recommended that Mark should
utilize participative leadership style in order to improve engagement with employees. It will
allow him to effective understand cultural aspect in Indian employees. In addition to this, Mark
should implement both strategies of employee feedback and activity in order to develop high
level of employee engagement.
CONCLUSION
From above report has summarized to analyzed about the Case study elaborated to make
implemented the better culture in workplace. By highlighted different culture issues which
makes more impact on business while working in other region or country. The report also
concluded that it is crucial to understand the culture of employees and adopt an appropriate type
of culture that is well suited for the situation. In addition to this, the report was able to highlight
that various employee engagement strategy along with an appropriate leadership style relative to
the situation can help in enhancing engagement with employees and understand their culture.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Alon and et.al., 2018. Business cultural intelligence quotient: A five‐country study. Thunderbird
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Belpoliti, F. and Pérez, M. E., 2016. Giving advice in medical Spanish: Pragmatic and
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Gregersen-Hermans, J., 2015. The impact of exposure to diversity in the international university
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Hatoss, A., 2019. Linguistic landscapes: An experiential learning project for developing
intercultural competence. Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, 42(2), pp.146-170.
Kurpis, L. H. and Hunter, J., 2017. Developing students’ cultural intelligence through an
experiential learning activity: A cross-cultural consumer behavior interview. Journal of
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Stockwell, E., 2016. Using web-based exploratory tasks to develop intercultural competence in a
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Varela, O. E., 2019. Multicultural competence: an empirical comparison of intercultural
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