Cross-Cultural Competence in Global Business Communication

Introduction: Culture and Global Communication

As noted by Baker et al. (2017), one of the most important aspects of cross-cultural communication is sensitivity to diversity. Diversity has become an important component of the modern business environment as organizations comprise people from different nationalities, races, and ethnic backgrounds. Consequently, organizations in today's business environment need to embrace cross-cultural communication in their workplaces. This requires the development of cross-cultural competence, since cross-cultural misunderstandings can have significant impacts on workplace productivity. This essentially means that global communication and cross-cultural competence are important factors in today's workplace setting and productivity. This paper examines two different micro-cases on this issue and demonstrates how each case is relevant to leadership in public and non-profit organizations.

Case One — The Handshake Introduction

The case concerns handshake introductions during the first day of class at a major university. The faculty member, Ruskin, asked students to shake hands as part of their introductions and did not anticipate that any student would be reluctant to participate. Ruskin viewed the handshake as a form of friendly interaction and incorporated it as part of an introductory exercise for new students. However, she realized that not all students embraced this idea when one student made a very negative comment at the end of the term. By requiring students to shake hands without first considering individual preferences, Ruskin was unaware of the preferences of all students and failed to demonstrate cross-cultural competence.

This case provides significant lessons regarding cross-cultural competence and global communication. It raises cultural and sub-cultural issues relating to touching in a professional setting and how these affect global business communication (Baker et al., 2017). While a handshake is traditionally viewed as an important part of introductions, it can generate challenges when cultural and sub-cultural issues relating to touching are not taken into consideration.

In terms of global business communication, this case reveals that the failure to demonstrate cross-cultural competence can create more problems than it solves. Even though a handshake is viewed as part of everyday interactions, the diverse nature of the modern business environment requires consideration of cultural and sub-cultural factors relating to physical contact. Therefore, professionals in the business setting need to familiarize themselves with different cultures as part of developing cross-cultural competence. Through such competence, professionals can develop and utilize inclusive practices for all stakeholders regardless of cultural differences.

According to Black and Mendenhall (2000), multinational corporations must operate in diverse markets with varying cultures, social systems, values, languages, and histories. This is particularly relevant because the modern business environment is increasingly diverse, a trend attributable to increased globalization and rapid technological advancements that continue to reshape modern society.

The level of diversification in the modern business environment is reflected in this case through the diversity found in the classroom. As the case illustrates, society comprises people from different cultures, languages, values, and social systems. Due to these differences, people have varying personal preferences and needs that should be taken into consideration in global business communication. Similar to multinational corporations operating across diverse markets, social settings like the classroom in this case comprise individuals from varying cultural backgrounds. Therefore, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to communication in modern society given cultural differences and varying personal preferences.

The student who was reluctant to participate in the handshake introduction should have communicated her reservations about the activity. The student's failure to express her personal preferences or needs contributed to the problem. Haidt (2012) notes that based on the ethic of autonomy, people are autonomous individuals with their own preferences, needs, and wants, and they should be free to meet these in a manner that promotes peaceful co-existence with others. While the student had personal preferences relating to touching and shaking hands, she failed to communicate them, which contributed to the misunderstanding. Communicating one's preferences, needs, and wants is essential in promoting cultural competence.

On the other hand, Ruskin had the responsibility of developing inclusive classroom exercises that cater to the needs of all students. She should have taken responsibility for building cross-cultural competence and creating exercises that promote inclusivity. This would entail providing avenues through which students can freely express their ideas and communicate their preferences. Through developing cross-cultural competence, Ruskin could create inclusive exercises and demonstrate respect for cultural customs outside her own cultural values, beliefs, and practices.

For the student who did not want to shake hands, several alternatives could have helped during the introductions. These include verbally saying hello without any physical contact, waving, giving a nod, or offering a salute. These alternatives could have provided a way for the student to participate in the introduction exercise without any physical contact.

As mentioned in the case, religious reasons are often considered the leading factor in sensitivity to handshakes. However, other reasons also contribute to this sensitivity, including health considerations. Baker et al. (2017) state that health reasons such as skin sensitivities and being germophobic can cause sensitivity to handshakes. Cultural factors also play a role, as cultures differ in their use and interpretation of body language and non-verbal communication. For example, while handshakes are common in Western cultures, non-contact greetings such as bowing dominate interactions in East Asian cultures (Katsumi et al., 2017).

A set of more inclusive instructions would have helped prevent the misunderstanding by taking into consideration the personal preferences and values of all students. By providing inclusive instructions at the outset, the student would have had an alternative option before the activity began. As previously noted, Ruskin had the responsibility of creating an inclusive classroom setting in which the individual differences and preferences of all students are considered. Equally, the student had the responsibility of communicating her personal preferences relating to physical contact and suggesting alternative actions to feel included in the activity. Such efforts would have played a critical role in preventing the cross-cultural misunderstanding that contributed to this situation.

Case Four — The Hijab and the Law Firm

The case of an ethnically dressed lawyer is an example of a situation demonstrating the communication dilemmas brought about by visual cultural messages. The woman lawyer wore a hijab every day as it was an integral part of her values and upbringing (Baker et al., 2017). The case illustrates how culture can affect communication in a professional setting.

The case centers on a cultural conflict between a client and one of the city's largest law firms. The client, Lois Rich, was concerned about the lawyer the firm assigned to represent her case. Rich believed that the young woman lawyer's hijab could negatively influence the jury, as it attested to her individual religious beliefs. This case highlights the communication problems generated by visual cultural messages (Baker et al., 2017). While the hijab did not interfere with the lawyer's professional ability, it generated communication dilemmas as a reflection of her cultural values, beliefs, and practices.

In terms of global communication, this case provides significant insights regarding the impact of visual cultural messages on professional interaction. It demonstrates that communication in a professional setting includes visual messages expressed through an individual's dress code. Therefore, individuals in a multicultural setting should consider how their visual cultural messages are likely to affect communication with others.

Conclusion

The two cases discussed in this paper demonstrate the significant role culture plays in global communication. The modern global business environment and society are characterized by numerous changes brought by globalization. As a result, social groupings and settings in today's society comprise individuals from different cultural and racial or ethnic backgrounds. As society becomes increasingly diverse, cross-cultural competence has become an essential factor in modern global business communication. The development of cross-cultural competence is critical to achieving effective communication across different settings, including the workplace. Without cross-cultural competence, numerous problems and dilemmas relating to communication emerge. Therefore, cross-cultural competence is an indispensable component of effective global business communication.