HR250: Overcoming Cross-Cultural Challenges in International Business

This essay delves into the complexities of managing across cultures, particularly within the context of international operations. It addresses the challenges faced by expatriate managers like Robert, who struggle with communication and integration due to language barriers and cultural differences. The essay analyzes the root causes of misunderstandings, drawing upon cross-cultural theories to suggest strategies for conflict resolution, improved communication, and fostering cultural intelligence. It also examines the experiences of individuals like Sharon, who face difficulties adapting to diverse cultural environments, and proposes ways to enhance intercultural competence and promote effective teamwork within multicultural workforces. The essay emphasizes the importance of common language, inclusive decision-making processes, and cultural awareness in mitigating conflicts and fostering a harmonious and productive work environment.

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Working across Cultures
Name
Institution
Different people originate from diverse cultures. These people have different ideas of handling
issues according to their culture. They are therefore different in terms of knowledge, and
everybody applies his or her knowledge based on their culture. However, there are usually
challenges which are experienced when dealing with people from diverse cultures. The managers
change their way of handling things, while the workers sometimes quite ort rather find it difficult
to cope with the culture, which is dominant in a company (Akkerman & Bakker, 2011 PG 150).
Company managers work their best to ensure that the workers are satisfied with what they are
doing. However, when the workers are of diverse cultures, they are usually not in good terms,
and may choose to handle things according to their know-how, not depending on the original
knowledge of the company. To end conflict in a company, it is usually advisable to make sure
that the workers get trained first, so as to make it easy for them to understand and come into
good terms with their opponents in the work place.
According to the case study it is difficult to interact with people from diverse cultures. Though
sign language is recommended whenever such challenges occur in a company, not all people will
have the knowledge, or rhea interest of learning sign language (Eid & Larsen, 2008 NP). Some
people will choose to ignore the sign language and opt to handle things with their own
knowledge. For a company to move on there must be team work, which will lead to increased
end products and success at the end. However, when each employee wants their solution to be
put in place, there will be misunderstanding and the company will automatically fail though there

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are people who are usually fast in learning foreign culture, they must take a period of time
(Jenkins, & Deuze, 2008, NP). They are however different in terms of understanding. Those who
have been born in certain place and have never interacted with people and are used to one culture
and language finds it difficult to interact with people of diverse cultures. They therefore opt to
stay away from the other people, and other still get to a point of asking for transfer. These kinds
of people have challenges when it comes to understanding foreign culture, and may take weeks
or months before they learn a single world from a diver culture. However, the people who are
quick learners take this as an added advantage since they have interacted with diverse cultures
before (Blustein, 2013, NP). According to them, these people of different cultures will add value
in their lives, since they will borrow words from them and come up with a rich language, will be
the basic language in the company. These people are usually create, since creating interest in a
diverse culture means that one is curious, eager and concerned with the other cultures.
Managers however find the toughest moments ever when it comes to the issue of handling issues
with people from diverse cultures (Peterson, 2011, NP). Managers are forced to understand
almost each and every language that these people use when communicating or when in their
daily activities. New managers teed to find it difficult to interact with these kinds of people.
However, with time, they come to learn about different ways of interacting freely with people of
diverse cultures. They include:
Having a common language
Common language makes it easy for a manager to bring workers together. Managers need to
make sure that in accompany, there is a common language, which does not favor any of the
diverse cultures, which will be used in the company (Hammer & Bennett, 2009, PG 210). The

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people will use that language whenever they enter to work. No other language should be used in
the work place, and should be taken seriously since these will discourange social evils such as
ethnicity, gender, origin and race.
Decision making
Before handling a job that needs resolution, the workers have to come together, with their
manager, sit down and discuss the matter at hand. They then will take the opportunity to listen to
the views of each worker (Stahl, Maznevski, Voigt, & Jonsen, 2010. Pg 700). The members will
then be allowed to give ether resolutions, after that, the secretary of the group of workers will
analyze all the resolutions, and each member will be asked to give their views on their
resolutions. The views will then be evaluated by the secretary then weighed. They will therefore
come up with one strong resolution which will be used to the work in that day. This is rather only
way that cross cultural conflict can be solved, and matters handled without contributing to social
evils, which have become a threat in today’s society.
Robert is having a challenge in his interaction with the workers in the company. He is not able
to freely interact with the employees, yet he has to instruct them on what to do. He was not
briefed n what to do by the prior manager, and this is one of the reasons behind his challenges.
Robert cannot communicate with the other managers or the employees in his sector, since he has
not leant of their ways of communication (Wiek, Withycombe &Redman, 2011, PG 210). Since
there must be a common language, which is the culture of all companies, Robert had not leant of
the common language. He was therefore afraid of losing his work; or rather making the company
start to acquire loses. Robert is therefore concerned on how he should handle issues in his
company. One way that Robert should do to less his challenges is accompanying the other

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managers in their places of operations and watch what they do to make sure that their employees
are working well. Secondly, by observing, Robert will come to know that there is a common
language that the workers use during their work, which the managers do not even understand
(Ungar, 2008 pg 230). He should not be concerned about that, since he is a manager, not a
worker. Thirdly, Robert should make sure that he makes good friends from diverse cultures who
will teach him how they handle things in their cultures. It is therefore the high time for Robert to
let go his fear and interact freely with his employees until he makes a good relationship with
them. Factors causing misunderstanding amongst the workforce in china and Robert include
Language barrier
There is no way Robert can come into good terms with the workforce without using a common
language. People from diverse cultures are people filled with knowledge, and therefore need to
come together, to apply their different skills, to make success (Wise, 2009 pg 40). Their
decisions, solutions and views are the highway to success in their companies of operation.
However, without a common language, these people cannot understand one another, and will
always be in conflict whenever they are working. If there is no common language, many workers
may opt to quit, while others will get bored and perform their duties poorly. Companies are
therefore supposed to have a common language which everybody in it understands, to ease
communication.
Diverse cultures
Different cultures contribute to the challenges which Robert is facing. Suppose the workforce
contained all workers from the same culture, then Robert would be sure of safety, since the

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communication in that company would be easy. He would be moving on well and no barriers
would be hindering him from getting to his goals. However, each worker must be addressed
differently, to make sure that they are in good terms with their manager (Machery, 2010 pg 102).
They therefore need attention too, to make sure that they do the right thing whenever send out
there to perform their duties. Robert should therefore be patient enough to ensure that he
understands at least all the diverse cultures, one after the other. Though it might take long, he
must start from what he knows to what he does not now. Secondly, he should create interest in
learning the diverse culture, since this will be an added advantage incase he secures a job in
another similar company.
Sharon is facing the challenge of being a person familiar with one culture. Therefore, her stay is
boring in her place of work she finds it difficult to freely interact with the rest of the managers
and workers. Sharon will not be able to learn the diverse cultures easily (Lipnack & Stamps,
2008 Np). She will have to take time to learn one culture after the other. She should however be
careful that the male employees do not take advantage of her weakness to misuse her. She should
stick to her duties and consult whenever possible, to avoid bringing losses in the company
Diverse cultures are what we are dealing with today in the world. We found ourselves into them
and we should therefore make sure that we deal with them up to the end. We should not let the
separate us, but should take advantage of them by making as many friends as possible. This will
make it easy for us to interact freely in the society. This will be done by intermarriage, accepting
scholarships, and also trading with these people. The worlds will come to have a common
language one day, which will be an added advantage.

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References
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Jenkins, H. and Deuze, M., 2008. Convergence culture.
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Wise, A., 2009. Everyday multiculturalism: Transversal crossings and working class
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