Barriers to Intercultural Communication Essay Example

between individuals exists because people are being brought up differently. The types of values and principles instilled to them when they were young shape the culture they adopt today. Cultural difference between organisations exists when one firm practises differently from another. For example, employees of a Singapore firm normally knock off from work punctually while employees of a Japanese firm would often stay back and work longer hours than they are required.

This is due to the different levels of attitude they possessed in their Jobs. The Japanese tend to show more commitment to their Jobs as compared to the locals. However, when one has no information about a new culture, it might make sense to assume that there are no differences and to behave like how he behaves in his home country. Nonetheless, each culture is different and unique to a certain extent (Sagepub 2003). Therefore, it is always better to ask than to assume. The third barrier is ethnocentrism.

It can also be defined as Judging another culture y one's own culture's standards. When a person makes ethnocentric Judgements, he believes that his culture is better than those of others and strongly believes in the superiority of his own culture. Everything in a culture makes sense if one understands it. In contrast, the extreme can take place if individuals were to experience "culture shock" (Sagepub 2003). This means that when they are exposed be worse than their own culture and hence cannot agree or conform to it.

Taking the same scenario as the one used for the Japanese firm, assuming that a particular mployee who used to work with an employer that is

people-oriented were to switch to working with a Japanese boss who is demanding and task-oriented, will this employee be likely to adapt to the new culture? He may be required to work overtime everyday and this may be unacceptable to him as he may have other commitments like spending time with his family and kids. The fourth barrier to effective intercultural communication is stereotypes and prejudices.

This is one of the most dangerous barriers nowadays and is used to judge unfair and differential treatment. In present society, stereotypes and prejudices may occur between different races, religions and beliefs. This includes stereotypes between Muslims and Christians in country like Indonesia. In the past, there are prejudices against females. Many believe that females are less capable than men in most areas especially in the area of having both a successful career and family. However, this prejudice is no longer apparent in todays society.

People's perception has changed and the phenomenon of more females stepping into the workforce and becoming more successful than men has risen. They have proven to be as capable as men as they too can Juggle between both work and family lives. Some are in fact more capable due to the higher level of education they pursued. This has in turn made them more knowledgeable and affluent. The fifth barrier is nonverbal misinterpretation. People interpret nonverbal signs and symbols through the frame of reference of their own culture. This can lead to misunderstanding when the signs or symbols are interpreted differently from the initial meaning.

For instance, Asians are generally more conservative as compared to Westerners. A typical Chinese worker who has never for

once been exposed to a western culture may find it outrageous for her new western boss to hug and kiss her on the cheek upon their first meeting. She will perceive that this act is too intimidating and will naturally think that her boss wants to take advantage of her thus putting her in an uncomfortable spot. The sixth barrier is language. Although, in a business context, the English language dominates, this barrier is common in many workplaces. The three main components of language are slang, dialects and accents.