University Communication: Incident Analysis and Reflection Report

This report examines the importance of effective communication in various organizational and interpersonal contexts. It begins by emphasizing communication's role in information sharing and relationship building, then proceeds to a personal reflection on a miscommunication incident within a multinational company in Japan. The incident involved a cultural clash due to differing greetings between the student and a Japanese colleague, highlighting the impact of intercultural differences. The report analyzes the causes of miscommunication, including monochronic and polychronic cultural orientations, and details steps taken to resolve the issue, such as learning about Japanese culture and fostering mutual respect. The conclusion underscores the necessity of understanding cultural differences for effective intercultural communication and maintaining harmonious relationships.

Running head: EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Effective Communication
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
Table of Contents
1. Introduction on effectiveness of communication........................................................................2
2. Reflection on incident on miscommunication.............................................................................2
3. Reflection on the incident related to communication..................................................................3
4. Steps taken to handle such issues................................................................................................4
5. Conclusion...................................................................................................................................4
References........................................................................................................................................5

2EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION
1. Introduction on effectiveness of communication
Communication is essential, as this is the heart of the different organizations. In different
organizations as well as in human life, communication is the process of receiving and sending
different information among the individuals (Mak, Brown and Wadey 2014). Communication is
essential in nature as this helps in spreading knowledge as well as information among people.
For instance- the teachers in the school share the different experience of their lives with the
students and the co-workers and the different friends discuss their ideas (Jandt 2017).
The companies exchange the different information with the customers and subsidiaries.
Furthermore, communication is the foundation of all relationships between the different human
beings and communicating helps in expressing the different emotions and ideas in a more
effective manner (Koester and Lustig 2015). Communication helps in spreading knowledge as
well as information among people and this will help in developing affection along with thoughts
for other individuals (Martin 2015).
2. Reflection on incident on miscommunication
Previously, I used to work with a multinational organization that was based in Tokyo,
Japan. I had few problems in the beginning and there were issues relating to greeting the other
fellow colleagues in the workplace. On the first day of my joining in the workplace, when I tried
to greet my fellow colleague who was sitting just beside me, I tried shaking hands with him, but
there was a different response from the other end as he was bowing and I could not connect with
it at once. We both felt a bit awkward and he started laughing at my gesture.

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I was furious on the reaction that has been shown by the other fellow colleague and I
shouted at the employee as well. The employee got shocked and there was an intercultural clash
between that particular employee and me. Since I did not have much knowledge relating to the
culture of Japanese, this made me feel bad and there was a huge clash between us. Furthermore,
the manager of the company arrived, he made us understand about the situation, and he made the
Japanese employee understand that there is a difference in different cultures.
Furthermore, the Japanese employee was embarrassed and he apologized to me as well.
The boss made him understood about the different values of the cultures, this helped him
understood, and presently we have a great and mutual respect for each other as well.
3. Reflection on the incident related to communication
There were different reasons for the miscommunication that has been occurred is as
follows:
Monochronic is the kind of culture wherein one thing is performed at a particular time.
These individuals are the ones with full of commitments. The monochromic individuals
show great deal of respect and they follow the different rules and regulations in an
effective manner (Samovar et al. 2014).
Polychronic is the kind of culture wherein the individuals like to perform multiple tasks
within a specified time. The offices of different managers are polychronic in nature, as
they have to perform different tasks at a similar point of time. These individuals build
relationships according to the willingness of the individuals (Neuliep 2017).
The incident that has happened with me in the organization was due to the
Monochronic culture wherein the boss has helped in solving the entire matter with proper

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application of different strategies. This helped in solving such issues in an effective manner
and this helped me in getting huge deal of respect as well.
4. Steps taken to handle such issues
I started to learn different knowledge on the Japanese culture and this helped me to deal
with such situations
I made my colleague understood about the different cultures and the respect that has to be
shown for the different cultures as well
Communication is essential in nature as this will help in handling the different issues that
has to be properly adopted by the different individuals for different cultures
Lastly, the cultural factors has to be understood and analyzed as this will help in solving
the intercultural communication issues in the workplace and in daily life as well
5. Conclusion
Therefore, it can be concluded that proper communication is essential in nature, as this
will help in showing respect for different cultures in the entire world. Proper intercultural
communication is essential in nature as this helps in understanding the differences between the
Monochronic and polychronic cultures. The respect for the cultures is required as all the cultures
differ from one another and this is essential to understand the different cultures in an effective
manner.

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References
Jandt, F.E., 2017. An introduction to intercultural communication: Identities in a global
community. Sage Publications.
Koester, J. and Lustig, M.W., 2015. Intercultural communication competence: Theory,
measurement, and application. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 48, pp.20-21.
Mak, A.S., Brown, P.M. and Wadey, D., 2014. Contact and attitudes toward international
students in Australia: Intergroup anxiety and intercultural communication emotions as
mediators. Journal of cross-cultural psychology, 45(3), pp.491-504.
Martin, J.N., 2015. Revisiting intercultural communication competence: Where to go from
here. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 48, pp.6-8.
Neuliep, J.W., 2017. Intercultural communication: A contextual approach. Sage
Publications.
Samovar, L.A., Porter, R.E., McDaniel, E.R. and Roy, C.S., 2014. Intercultural
communication: A reader. Cengage Learning.