Cultural Communication Barriers in the Workplace

By Sharon Penn

Even within the same culture, communication isn't always easy. Knowing the cultural
communication barriers in the workplace is the first step to overcoming problems.
Language Barriers
Language is a very complex thing, and communication between people speaking different
languages is difficult. Language is a way of looking at the world, and even skilled translators can
find it tricky to convey complex emotions and concepts, which can lead to misunderstandings.
When you think about how often you misunderstand someone speaking your language, you can
imagine how hard it is to get the full meaning from something a person with a different cultural
background is saying to you.
Hostile Stereotypes
Inaccurate and hostile stereotypes of people from other places can be a barrier to communication
in the workplace. Stereotypes are assumptions people make about the traits of members of a
group. The danger is entertaining stereotypes is that an individual is thought to possess
characteristics that are ascribed to the group. Prejudging an individual can lead to
misconceptions and barriers to communication.
Behavior Differences
Behavioral differences between employees of different cultures can cause misunderstandings.
Every culture has guidelines about what is considered appropriate behavior. In some cultures,
looking someone in the eye when they are talking to you is considered rude, while in other
cultures refraining from doing so is considered disrespectful. Getting right to the point at a
business meeting may be considered impolite by some, who expect to have" small talk" before
the business discussion. Likewise, in some cultures, people talking to each other give each other
space, while in other cultures, they stand close. These differences can be barriers to effective
communication if they are not recognized.
Emotional Display
What is considered an appropriate display of emotion can differ from culture to culture. In some
countries, displaying anger, fear or frustration in the workplace is considered inappropriate in a
business setting. People from these cultures keep their emotions hidden and only discuss the
factual aspects of the situation. In other cultures, participants in a discussion are expected to
reveal their emotions. You can imagine what misunderstandings can arise if a businessperson
displays strong emotion in the company of employees who feel that such behavior is out of
place.
First of all, culture is a very complex and meaningful dimension of the human condition. It binds
people together through its common appeal. It separates groups through the impressive variety and
diversity of its manifestations. Each person has faced for just once in his life a person with different
religion and perspective towards life and death, with different language, rules, rituals, habits,
lifestyles, attitudes, habits, beliefs and customs.

Secondly, no one should blame or embarrass others because he/she is not on the same strength-
length with your own personal identity. Even though ones are living in democratic countries and
others in a full of conservative traditions and rules, in a business intercultural meeting or in the
workplace this differences shouldn’t be weighting at all.

This article reveal us some of the cultural communication barriers we can face. In the
multicultural workplace typical of doing business in a global economy, cultural barriers to
communication abound. Besides the obvious difficulty in understanding people whose language
is different, there are other factors that challenge people who are trying to work harmoniously
with others of a different background. People from different parts of the world have a different
frame of reference, and they may display emotions differently and display different behaviors.

I think that an effective communication is integral to the success of any organization. In a

multicultural internal environment the firms need to find out a solution to bring a clarity in
communication. Cross cultural communication where people belonging to diverse cultures being
in communication with each other needs to be effective in order to avoid disagreements and
conflicts and in turn achieve the business objectives. In order to make cross cultural
communication effective, a firm has to understand the barriers involved in cross cultural
communication process & identifying means of overcoming such barriers in order to make cross
cultural communication effective.

Not only the firms need to find solutions, also people must find solutions. People must to keep
an open mind and respect diversity: Learn about other cultures, beliefs, and customs without
judging them by their own cultural identity and unexamined biases.
In conclusion, in a workplace it is common to face barriers or challenges to effective cross-
cultural communication. It is important to understand the barriers to cross-cultural
communication and know how to overcome them.

Source: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/

https://www.immi.se/intercultural/nr43/gorbaniuk.html

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In conclusion, in a workplace it is common to face barriers or challenges to effective cross-cultural
communication. It is important to understand the barriers to cross-cultural communication and know how
to overcome them.

In the multicultural workplace typical of doing business in a global economy, cultural barriers to
communication abound. Besides the obvious difficulty in understanding people whose language
is different, there are other factors that challenge people who are trying to work harmoniously
with others of a different background. People from different parts of the world have a different
frame of reference, and they may display emotions differently and display different behaviors.

Effective communication is integral to the success of any organization. This is especially true in
smaller organizations that usually rely on a smaller workforce to produce results. Top-down,
horizontal and bottom-up communication flows are all important as every level of the small
business needs to function with consistent objectives, strategies and focus.

Multicultural meetings can be tricky to lead. “People bring their cultural baggage with them
wherever they go—and that includes the workplace,” says Jeanne M. Brett, professor of dispute
resolution and negotiations at Kellogg School of Management. Communication styles vary from
culture to culture as do notions of authority and hierarchy, which only heightens the potential for
misunderstanding and hard feelings.

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/