Cross-Cultural Communication: Styles, Stereotypes, and More

This essay provides a comprehensive overview of cross-cultural communication, examining its significance in international business and the benefits it offers. The essay explores key barriers to effective communication, such as poor management styles, and suggests solutions like utilizing non-verbal codes. It differentiates between high and low context cultures, using Australia as an example of a low-context culture. The essay also delves into the concepts of stereotyping and ethnocentrism, emphasizing the importance of focusing on individual understanding rather than cultural generalizations. It further discusses the interplay between culture and profession, highlighting how cultural backgrounds shape individual behaviors and attitudes in professional settings. A comparison of communication styles between a collectivistic hometown and individualistic Australia is provided, alongside an analysis of cultural differences and the potential for misunderstandings in the workforce. The essay concludes by addressing how cultural norms and values impact communication and the importance of cultural understanding to mitigate misunderstandings. The essay includes references to relevant academic sources to support the arguments presented.

RUNNING HEAD: CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Title: Cross-Cultural Communication
Name of Student:
Name of University:
Author Note:

1CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Benefits of Cross-cultural Communication on Business:
Various organizations, for the sake of profit have been spreading their wings
internationally and thus, arises the need of cross-cultural communication. Culture is a very
essential point of communication because the term culture is inclusive of the sum total of the
values, beliefs, languages and the practices shared by a large group of people (Gudykunst, 2013).
The cross cultural communications thus helps an international business to explore the resources
and ideas from various culture and thereby having a competitive advantage because they have
the chance of devoting themselves on the exploration of resources from across the world and
have to give less time in managing the external or internal; communication problems. Cross
cultural communication also benefits the members of an organization to gain insights from the
variety of experiences of different people from different cultures ( Okoro, 2012).
Overcoming the barriers in Cross Cultural Communication:
According to the author, the key barriers for the establishment of an effective cross
cultural barriers are the poor management styles, lick of understandings within the organizational
culture and the prevalent power distance. Since diversity in present times is a typical
phenomenon these barriers needs to be overcome. The author has suggested that, the most
effective measure for overcoming the barriers is to use the non-verbal codes for communication.
The use of gestures, Para language, facial expressions, and body language can be more effective
in the establishment of communication in the context of cross cultures. The members of an
organization must be flexible enough to be curious of learning about different cultures.

2CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION
High and Low Context Culture:
The high context culture is generally referred to the cultural setup where there is explicit
usage of nonverbal cues and implicit communications rather than direct nonverbal cues. In such
context of culture, the communications cannot be done unless there is a great deal of background
knowledge available to the communicator about the culture of the place. On the other hand, by
using the term Low context culture, the author points towards those culture that are more focused
on the explicit use of verbal communications. Here much of the information required in
communications are distinctly spelled out and defined. (Valentine, 2014)
Australia is a country where the social structure is decentralized and within the
individuals are rooted their own identity. Moreover, they can be explicit enough about other’s
behavior. Thus, Australia is a country of Low Context culture. (Lvina, 2015)
Stereotyping and ethnocentrism:
The notion of ethnocentrism refers to the tendency of people of evaluating the people of a
particular culture based on the preconceptions originating from the standards and customs of a
person’s own originating culture. People generally tend to characterize others collectively and
more than often unfairly in a negative manner. This generalization is often based on the previous
experiences faced or shared by a few people from the group (Thomas,2015). On the other,
Stereotyping can be referred to the pejorative and uncritical affirmation of the generalized view
to an individual or group. According to the author stereotyping is an extension of ethnocentrism,
By this, the author puts forward the view that this stereotyping essentially comes from the notion
of participant from one culture that their culture is the most suitable and logical one, superior

3CROSS CULTURAL COMMUNICATION
than others. This is essentially the base of ethnocentrism. The act of comparisons among cultures
on the basis of some preconceived notions leads to the stereotyping.
Focus on Individuality:
The author is of the view that in the context of the cross-cultural relations in an
organization, the organizations must focus primarily on the understanding of the individuals
rather than viewing them as a collective whole or a part of nation. While in the cross cultural
relationship, the understanding of the nation or culture is essential, it is more beneficial to
understand the individual capability or their bent of min d in order to focus on the innovations.
The knowledge about the culture will make an organization interact with the individual easily,
however, focusing on the individuality will lead them to understand more on their structure of
mind and capability and will let them know what type of task suits them most (Martin &
Nakayama, 2013). Moreover, in the era of globalization an individual is no longer the component
of a single nation only. They too, are shaped and influenced by various external factors. Thus by
properly incorporating the training and development programmes the organization can
effectively use their individual talents in innovation.
Culture and Profession:
The term culture is the accumulation of the experience, knowledge, view, beliefs, values
meanings, attitudes, religion, spatial relations, material objects and possessions acquired by a
group of people and is cultivated over generations and are socially transmitted (Luthans & Doh,
2012). According to the author, the culture is something that is reflected in the behavior and the
attitude of the people. It is an integration of how an individual responds to a certain phenomenon,

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how they emotionally feel and even the materialistic aspects of what they eat. The integration of
all these make a human. It is often noted that the culture is responsible for an individual I being
open, honest, integrated, isolated etc. The integration of all these factors are inherited and
incorporated within the individual in a manner of cognitive framework. Thus, culture is a main
factor of interaction between an individual and his environment (Kinloch & Metge, 2014).
Professional space of the individual falls under the environment where the person will
necessarily interact or make a relationship. Moreover culture is the primary vehicle for the
person to communicate and create an idea about the environment. Thus, the author is of the
notion that professional sphere cannot be separated from culture.
Comparison of Communicational Styles:
My hometown is considered to be a collectivistic society where there is manifestation of
close long term commitment among the group members. I have grown up observing the close
bond between the family as well as the extend families where beliefs and loyalty were of utmost
importance. Our society also fosters a strong relationship where everyone has to take some or the
other responsibilities. Australia on the other hand seems to be an individualistic society where
the societal bonds are loosely knit and people are concerned about their immediate families. In
the professional sector employees are self reliant and display initiatives (Bochner, 2013). The
communication between the member in our society are based on the hierarchical structure and
there is a strong sense of hierarchy in the family matrix as well as organizational matrix. In
Australia, the hierarchy is set up only when need arises. However, the similarity that is found in
both the places is the openness of communication where people are not reluctant to mix with
people from different cultures.

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Differences in the manifestation of Group Characteristics:
The author in the article argues that the formation of the sense of culture is a socially
transmitted process which is crafted within the cognitive understanding of an individually and
are manifested both consciously as well as unconsciously. However, it is to be taken into
account that in the era of globalization, the characteristic of individual cannot be shaped by the
influence of a particular culture alone (Asante, Miike, & Yin, 2014). The idea of the otherness
and the acknowledgement of the differences are responsible for structuring the characteristic of
an individual in a diverse way. Moreover, ascribing a particular aspect to every individual of a
particular culture is again the stereotyping of the ethnic dimensions.
Example of Cross-Cultural Stereotypes:
In our hometown, Australians are perceived as the culture who are always self-centred who are
only concerned with the well being of their owns selves and their immediate family. Owing to
the individualistic nature of the Australians, they are perceived to have no emotional ties with the
extended families. In Australia however, people consider individuals from our hometown to be
those who are too much dependent on their parents and families. Though to some extent the
perceptions are right, it is not true as a whole. While there, I have seen various people in
Australia doing their duties religiously towards their community, on the other hand I, myself is
the example who is independent in taking the decisions and studying abroad.

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Cultural difference and Misunderstanding:
In the workforce, when the diverse norms and values come under the same roof,
misunderstanding is an inevitable thing. In any communication, the steps involves the working of
the two ends- the sender and the receiver. The message is sent in an encoded process where the
receiver has to decode it. In the verbal communications, the tone and the way of speaking largely
influence the understanding and interpreting the message. The posture and body language of the
sender also is responsible for the interpretations. Culture to a large extent influence these verbal
and non verbal cues. A proper understanding of the culture from both the sides can however,
lessen the amount of misunderstanding.

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Reference list:
Asante, M. K., Miike, Y., & Yin, J. (Eds.). (2014). The global intercultural communication
reader (pp. 1-16). New York, NY: Routledge.
Bochner, S. (Ed.). (2013). Cultures in contact: Studies in cross-cultural interaction (Vol. 1).
Elsevier.
Gudykunst, W. B. (2013). Cross-cultural and intercultural communication. Sage.
Kinloch, P., & Metge, J. (2014). Talking past each other: problems of cross cultural
communication. Victoria University Pres
Luthans, F., & Doh, J. P. (2012). International management: Culture, strategy, and behavior.
New York: McGraw-Hill.
Lvina, E. (2015). The Role of Cross-Cultural Communication Competence: Effective
Transformational Leadership Across Cultures. Jurnal Ilmiah Peuradeun, 3(1), 1-18.
Martin, J. N., & Nakayama, T. K. (2013). Intercultural communication in contexts. New York,
NY: McGraw-Hill.
Okoro, E. (2012). Cross-cultural etiquette and communication in global business: Toward a
strategic framework for managing corporate expansion. International journal of business
and management, 7(16), 130.
Padhi, P. K. (2016). The rising importance of cross cultural communication in global business
scenario. Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Science, 4(1), 20-26.
Thomas, D. C. (2015). Cultural intelligence. Wiley Encyclopedia of Management, 1-3.

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Valentine, S. R. D. (2014). Guide to cross-cultural communication (Vol. 26). Upper Saddle
River, NJ: Prentice Hai1.