Report on Intercultural Communication Issues at Primark Retail

This report delves into the intercultural communication challenges faced by Primark, a prominent fashion retailer, operating within a globalized environment. It explores the issues arising from interactions among individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds, exacerbated by the company's expansion and sourcing practices. The report highlights specific instances of communication barriers, such as language differences and misinterpretations, that impact teamwork, consumer perception, and overall operational efficiency. It examines Primark's efforts to address these issues through the implementation of communication models like Schramm's and Berlo's models, and Baldwin's Model of Intercultural Communication, along with training programs designed to enhance communication skills among employees. Furthermore, the report analyzes Primark's sustainability initiatives, including its commitment to ethical fashion and corporate social responsibility, as well as the impact of ethical considerations on the company's business practices. The report also discusses the importance of business ethics and the Primark Code of Conduct in ensuring sustainable growth and mitigating intercultural communication problems. The report concludes with recommendations for Primark to improve intercultural communication, promote ethical practices, and enhance sustainability across its operations.

BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
CASE STUDY.................................................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
RECOMMENDATIONS...............................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................12

INTRODUCTION
Intercultural communication issues can be defined as a problem which arises at the time
of communication taking place between people coming from different cultures. Because of
globalization there has been increase in number of people going to other countries in search of
jobs and this is the main reason for intercultural issues (Holliday, Kullman and Hyde, 2016). The
present report is based on the company Primark. This is a fashion retailer which is headquartered
in Dublin. This company was founded in June 1969 by Arthur Ryan. The report will majorly
focus on the intercultural issues faced by company and ways to resolve them.
MAIN BODY
CASE STUDY
This case study is related to intercultural communication issues within the Primark. It is
the largest Irish fashion retail store. Company is well-known for their lower prices and offering
high value. Due to fast fashion is not sustainable and certainly not ethically made in sprite of
retail success of Primark that has been struggling to decrease pre-fixed notion of consumers.
Selected company tighten their programme of structural surveys in Bangladesh to measure the
structural incorporation of the factories from that it source from. Over 80 experts of team of
Primark dedicated to sustainability, ethical fashion and employees training as part of their Ethical
Trade Team at the moment (A closer look at Primark’s stance on responsible fashion
Primark: “Sustainability is not a marketing campaign for us, 2017). Primark has comparatively
quiet in relation to sustainability in terms of lack of intercultural communication, ethics and
labour rights. In order to that, company has decided to become more vocal focusing their
seriousness to produce responsible fashion. Therefore, company has worked with Self-Employed
Women's Association to support over 11000 female cotton farmers in India. Also, they raise the
consumer interest which involves their sustainable and ethical activities of Primark.
Intercultural Communication:
It is also called as cross-cultural communication which is disciplined which studies
interaction across different culture and social groups or ways of cultures impact on
communication. Some barrier, people have ineffective communication with people. In order to
that, company faced many issues by lack of intercultural communication such as ineffective team
work, decrease consumers attraction and so on. Also, issues of intercultural communication such

as misinterpretation, unfamiliar phrase, incorrect assumptions and so on (Intercultural
Communication Problems in the Workplace, 2017). These kinds of issues influences on the
overall management and operations of Primark. It is the largest problem which is faced by the
firm. Communication is the important aspect for all people who are working in the firm.
In this context, company has applied the strategies or approaches for improving the
intercultural communication between team members in terms of sustainability which can effect
on achievement of objectives and goals of Primark. Ineffective communication is highly
influenced on work and activity of employees at the workplace. Also, company has taken ethical
and sustainable initiatives in terms of improving intercultural communication within the
workplace. In order to that, Primark follow the different theories and models which are related to
solve communication and intercultural issues at the workplace. This can help to effective
communication among the team members and also accomplishing the objectives of Primark.
Models and theories are involved such as:
Schramm's Model of Communication:
In this model, sender and receiver take turns playing duty of encoder and decoder when
it comes to interaction. The original source encodes communication in order to direct that to their
needed destination through some programmes in that information is normally acquired in terms
of decoded. The form is based on the abilities of communicating with group. Communication can
be looked as procedures of information transmission regulated by three levels of semiotic rules
such as syntactic, pragmatic and semantic (Neuliep, 2017). Through this model, Primark can
improve the intercultural communication issues at the workplace. This can help to effective
communication among the team members and also accomplishing the objectives of Primark.
Also, company needs to make sure that sustainability in relation to intercultural communication
within the organization.
Berlo's Model of Communication:
It is the linear model of communication and make the sender-mesage-channel-receiver
model of communication. It is procedure and easy application for person-to-person interaction
that involve source of communication, encoder, message and channel, decoder and receiver of
interaction. Different factors effect on procedure of interaction among two people. Factors
involves communication abilities, awareness level, social, cultural system and behaviour.

Various people working company who have different cultures, so that this happens intercultural
communication issue faced by the Primark in terms of sustainability (Piller, 2017). Through this
model, Primark can improve the intercultural communication issues at the workplace. This can
help to effective communication among the team members and also accomplishing the objectives
of Primark. Also, company needs to make sure that sustainability in relation to intercultural
communication within the organization.
Baldwin's Model of Intercultural Communication:
There are mainly three points are involved such as Interpersonal dimension, intergroup
dimension and intercultural dimension. These kinds of factors influence on communication
among different cultures of people at the workplace.
 Interpersonal Dimension: This attribute relates to the level to that company interact
with people based on personal understanding of them.
 Intergroup Dimension: This attribute relates to the level to which firm look people in
terms of groups (Oetzel, 2017). In this dimension, social identity theory which can
recommend that firm look themselves and other in terms of team to which they belong
(Baldwin’s Model of Intercultural Communication, 2019). There are high level of
intergroup dimensions.
 Intercultural Dimension: This attribute relates to real culture difference that can range
from minimum to very great.
Therefore, it is difficult to communicate among the team members because they belong to
different culture. Ineffective communication can impact on the performance and behaviour of
team members within the organization. Through this model, Primark can improve the
intercultural communication issues at the workplace (Petersons and Khalimzoda, 2016). This can
help to effective communication among the team members and also accomplishing the objectives
of Primark. Also, the company needs to make sure that sustainability in relation to intercultural
communication within the organization.
In addition to that, company also follow ways such as training and development
programmes such as management game, conferences and so on. With the help of it, leaders and
managers develop skills and competencies which includes communication, decision-making and

so on (Finne and Grönroos, 2017). Effective communication skill can aid to remove the cultural
differences among the people so that, there is no issue happened through intercultural
communication at the Primark. Therefore, leaders and managers make efforts to improve the
communication, collaborative and management skills to people which can aid to solve any kind
of issue of the firm.
Sustainability- it can be defined as an ability or thought of someone to exist constantly. It can
also be defined as a system where in people try to maintain the environment in a balanced way so
that the direction of investment, exploitation of resources, institutional changes, technological
developments are all in a balanced way.
In perspective of business, sustainability can be referred to as promoting coordination and
managing the environmental and social demands of the society so that it can ensure and maintain
ethical and continuous success for the business so that the business can be running successfully
throughout its whole life. For measuring the sustainability of any business or organization there
are mainly three parameters which are environmental, economic and social. All these three
factors can be used in order to measure the sustainability of the business.
The environmental factors include the fact that whether the business is taking care of the
environmental issues or not, whether the company is optimally using the natural resources or not,
whether it protects the environment from the effluents produced by the company etc. are part of
environmental issues. Similarly, the society includes factors like fulfilling Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) which is a practice of taking care of the society as a whole. The parameter
is the economic factor that is all the data relating to the company. It may include all the cost and
revenues of the business. If the cost will be more than the revenues then the company cannot
have a sustainability. On the other hand if the revenues are more than the cost than there may be
chances of sustainable development (Henderson, Barker and Mak, 2016).
According to the findings of article Can Primark really claim to be sustainalbe, (2019) it
found out that the Primark has been shortlisted out of five companies for the best contribution to
Corporate Social responsibility for its sustainable program of cotton which held at the Chartered
Institute of Procurement (CIP) Supplt Management award (Liu and Fang, 2017). Also, with the
help of this same secondary source it was found that Primark in association with Self Employed

Women Association (SEWA) has started introducing newer sustainable techniques for farmers
and small female cotton farmers. This is a practice of sustainability by taking care of society and
fulfilling the Corporate Social Responsibility.
In accordance with the findings of How sustainable is Primark, (2017), it was concluded
that Primark is given a 'label D' in the sustainability criteria. In their opinion the company has
taken measures for sustainable development and growth but then also it needs to put in a lot of
efforts for sustainable and ethical development and growth.
Ethics- this may be defined as the principle that effects or influences the behaviour of a person
that is whether he is wrong or right while it is conducting any activity or is performing any task.
It can also be defined as the fact that what is right or wrong attitude or course of action relating
to any situation. This is a major principle which guides the behaviour of any person or business
in doing the work (Bin - Tahir, Bugis and Tasiana, 2017). If the business works on ethical
principles that is it deals with all the aspects of business in morally correct manner than it will
have more chances of being a sustainable business. In contrast, if the business uses wrong
practices of conducting the business then it may decrease the life of the business that is the
sustainability will be lowered.
So for maintaining and running the business Primark has to follow the business ethics.
The term business ethics can be defined as the code of conduct or the moral principles which the
company has to follow by default if it needs to have a sustainable growth and development. The
business ethics can also be defined as the level of knowledge that businessmen must have that is
it must be able to choose that what is wrong and what is right while doing business in a fair way.
According to a report, The Primark code of conduct, (2019), has set some standards in its
own name that is Primark Code of Conduct and every employee and every branch all over the
world has to abide by these code of conduct made by the company. In its code of conduct the
most important standard is that no employee will be forced to work and also they do not have to
make any deposit with the employer, and they are free to leave the job any time by giving a
reasonable notice to the employer.
Intercultural communication issues

Since many people go to different countries in search of job and because of that there
arises many types of issues relating to communication within different cultures. Some issues
relating to inter culture are as follows-
Language- this is the major and most common type of issue which people coming from
different culture faces (Ladegaard and Jenks, 2015). This is majorly because of the reason that
people coming from different countries use different languages. It is not at all necessary that
every individual is fluent and have knowledge of all the information. So this poses an issue while
communicating with people of different cultures.
Cultural difference- this is yet another issue in intercultural communication because all
the countries follow different types of cultures and uses different style of working. So if two
employees are from different countries, and they have to communicate with one another then it
will create much problem for both of them.
For improving the intercultural communication
For a business to be successful it is very necessary that the communication within the
company is very fluent and good. So for improving the intercultural communication it is very
necessary that company takes the following measures.
Collaborative skills
Collaboration refers to as working with somebody else with intention of producing and
creating something. It is very crucial and necessary to have good collaborative skills. In words of
De La Garza and Ono, (2015), this is because of the reason that no person can do any work in
isolation rather they have to work with some or the other person to accomplish its goals and
objectives. If the employees within the company have good collaborative skills then they can
work very effectively and efficiently. In the opinion of Lieberman and Gamst, (2015), for a
collaboration to be successful it is very necessary that all the employees should have mutual
respect for one another and also have cooperative spirit among them. For a collaborative working
it is very essential that the employees clearly defines the role which all the collaborators will
perform and must communicate all the related information with one another.
But Eguchi and Asante, (2015), articulated that the collaborative skills can of many types.
The first and foremost collaborative skill is communication. This is majorly because of the
reason that without communication not a single work can be done. Since collaboration is
between two or more employees, and they work together as a team. So Crowther and De Costa,

(2017), suggests that it is of utmost importance that there is proper flow of communication
among them. Communication involves communicating without any errors so that the receiver of
message is able to understand the message in the same way as intended by sender.
In the views of Logan, Steel and Hunt, (2015), another important collaborative skill for
improving intercultural communication is respecting the diversity of different cultures which
different employees follows who work in collaboration with each other. If two employees works
in collaboration with each other and if they are from different culture then for better work it is
very necessary that they respect each others culture. If they respect the culture of others then it
will develop a feeling of respect for the other one.
In contrast, Wang, Miao and Mattila, (2015), says that delegation is also a good
collaborative skill. This is majorly because of the reason that if the employee will work alone
and will not collaborate or share work with others then it is not at all possible for that person to
work productively.
Philip, Manias and Woodward ‐ Kron, (2015), argued that time management is also a
good technique of collaborative skills. This can be evident from fact that if people work in
collaboration with people living in another country then time can pose a problem. In this
globalized era, every company works on a global level, so they have to deal with many
international companies. Now there might be possibility that because of time differences
between countries can hamper the communication.
Young, Handford and Schartner, (2017), illustrated with help of example that a company
wants to conduct meeting with its partner in morning but the partner is in another country which
is 8 hours ahead in time. So in other country it would be night and that country will not be in
state of communicating with the partner. So here the time management technique is used by
employees so that they can go for ethical and sustainable work.
Impression management
In words of Hall, Covarrubias and Kirschbaum, (2017), this is yet another measure in
improving the intercultural communication. This method is a combination of either a conscious
or subconscious process which tries to influence the thoughts and perceptions of people relating
to any other person, event, religion or thought by way of controlling and regulating all the
information relating to society and different cultures. The major principle underlying this method

is that a person tries to change or influence the thoughts and views of other person in order to
accomplish its goals.
On the other hand, Oetzel, Pant and Rao, (2016), said that for example Primark have
employees form Southern America who are working in East American branch of Primark. So
there will be major difference in the culture of both the places. So with help of impression
management technique or method the company can change the view points or the thoughts or
perception of employees in favour of company in which they are working.
This method is generally used by company in order to change the perception of people
regarding the cultural norms which determines the behaviour of an individual that how it deals
with certain things relating to their culture and religion and their beliefs.
CONCLUSION
With the study of the above report it was analysed that communication plays a vital and
necessary role in the successfulness of the business because communication is the only source
through which a person can share its ideas and thoughts with other people. In business
communication is must because company needs to attain and accomplish its objectives and goals
and to improve the efficiency and profitability of business. The study firstly outlined the case
study of Primark and some problems arising after the blast of Rana Plaza.
With the study it was find that intercultural communication is very necessary to maintain
within the company as there are many employees coming from different cultures and
backgrounds. Because of these intercultural communication there have been some issues find out
like cultural differences, language barriers hampers the intercultural communication. Also, the
report outlined some measures through which the problem of intercultural communication can be
resolved. Some measures are like use of collaborative skills like proper communication, time
management, delegation and many other practices can be used for developing collaborative
skills.
RECOMMENDATIONS
For improving the sustainability in an ethical way and to improve the intercultural
communication some recommendations and suggestions are as follows-
For improving the communication the main thing which Primark can use is the
implementation of principles of effective communication. For this the company can use 7 C' s of

communication which are helpful in improving the level of communication so that the
communication is done in a clear and efficient way. The 7 C' s of communication are clarity,
correctness, completeness, conciseness, concreteness, courtesy and consideration. If these
principles will be followed by the company then the communication will be much effective.
Another thing which Primark can use in order to improve the sustainability of the
business is that before taking any decision the company must first take the suggestions and
opinions of its employees so that the employees feels that their suggestions and
recommendations are of value to the company. This develops a feeling of belongingness among
employees and because of this they will not leave the job.
One more suggestion can be that Primark should start using some eco- friendly measures
relating to society and environment. Also, the company must promote the habit of recycling the
wastes and reuse the clothes in some or the other way. If company follows this practice then it
will make a huge difference in the eyes of society and this will improve the goodwill and market
position of the company.
A suggestion to improve the ethical code of conduct within Primark is to set some
standards and quality of work which all the employees all over the world branches of Primark
has to follow and abide by those standards. Also, there should be a provision that if these code of
conduct is not followed then the employees will be punished or will kicked out of the job.
Also another thing that Primark can adopt is to set up a support department which will
help the employees if they are stuck in some confusing situation or in situation of dilemma where
they cannot figure out that what is correct and what is not correct then they can take help from
these support departments.
One more suggestion can be that Primark, must conduct a time- to- time survey in order
to keep a check that all the employees are following the ethical code of conduct or not. And if
they are not following the ethical code of conduct then some corrective actions must be taken.

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