Reading Response Three

Managing Intercultural Conflicts

"Conflict permeates all social relationships. Just as relationship development occurs at different levels, so too does conflict. At the individual level, conflict occurs between two (or several) persons when they are disagreeing with each other, or competing for something (often scarce resources); such conflict is defined as interpersonal conflict."


conflict
noun con·flict \ˈkän-ˌflikt\
   : a struggle for power, property, etc.

   : strong disagreement between people, groups, etc., that results in often angry argument

   : a difference that prevents agreement : disagreement between ideas, feelings, etc.



As the quotation above from the assigned reading states, "Conflict permeates all social relationships." It is important that in the workplace, we keep conflict controlled and at a minimum. Allowing conflict to arise a midst a workplace, allows the efficiency of the workplace to fail. A workplace with good communication and few conflicts, is a workplace with higher efficiency.

"Although conflict is pervasive in all societies, our view of conflict and our conflict management styles are culture-bound. Individuals from different cultural groups bring with them diverse and complex value assumptions, expectations, and verbal and nonverbal communication rules and norms that govern the conflict process. Similarly, communities with different cultural patterns and belief systems create their own distinctive norms governing their behaviour. Hence intercultural conflict involves perceptions filtered through our cultural lenses. The pervasiveness of conflicts and the importance of managing them constructively make the study of intercultural conflict of great significance."


pervasive
adjective per·va·sive \pər-ˈvā-siv, -ziv\

   : existing in or spreading through every part of something


Communication styles vary throughout different cultural areas. Because we know this to be true, we can be sure that communication involving conflict also varies based on the cultural area. It is likely that the office manager in a San Diego office would handle conflict differently than the office manager in a Tokyo office. Just because the styles of handling conflict vary based on the country, doesn't mean that they ineffective. We don't have to look at different continents to see a difference in conflict communication styles. The difference between an office manager in North Dakota and an office manager in Ohio could vary greatly.

"Whether communication is cooperative or competitive depends on what is shared, perceived, and experienced between the communicators-- individuals, groups or organizations, and so forth. Cooperative behaviour builds a sense of trust and leads to the sharing of beliefs and attitudes and a desire for both sides to be satisfied in the relationship or interaction. However, when the communication space shrinks or even closes because of perceived or real differences in beliefs and values; incompatible goals; bias and prejudice; ethnic and racial prejudice; historical grievances and hatred; and political, territorial and economic disputes."

As was discussed in the quote about conflict management styles, it is important to keep it in the forefront of our minds that management styles vary every place we go and we need to keep an open mind to the different styles. Just because it's different from other methods we may be used to, doesn't mean that it doesn't work.

Communication Across Cultures

"All human beings conform to a culturally determined reality. Our culture shapes the way we "see" reality. Often we are unaware of our cultural assumptions until we come into contact with people whose cultural biases differ from ours. If we come from a culture where cows and pigs are raised to be food, for example, that may seem normal until we meet people whose cultures consider these animals sacred, or unclean, or people who consider raising any animal for consumption to be cruel and barbaric. Regardless of our cultural convictions, our ability to communicate flexibly and sensitively with others is a standard for success. Moreover, multicultural acuity makes sound economic, ethical, and legal sense."

The quote above states that our culture shapes the way we "see" reality. Our culture shapes how we view communication and conflict management. Because we are often so submerged within our own cultures, it can be difficult to accept a new style of management or communication. This quote points out that having the ability to communicate flexibly and sensitively with those we work with and those who surround us is a standard for success. We need to remember this as we go into the workplace and as we go out into the world. Communicating with others on their own level is the key to success.

Botched Communication

"The word 'translation' comes, etymologically, from the Latin for 'bearing across'. Having been borne across the world, we are translated men. It is normally supposed that something always gets lost in translation; I cling, obstinately to the notion that something can also be gained." -Salman Rushdie, Imaginary Homelands: Essays and Criticism 1981-1991

People in countries around the globe use various forms of communication on a daily basis. There is non-verbal communication, hand gestures, written language, and spoken language. While each of these forms of communication may work exceptionally well within our own communities while we're surrounded by people of our own culture, once we take these communication forms outside of our native culture, we may begin to run into problems.

As we can see in the video above, hand gestures that mean something in the American culture can mean something entirely different as well as something offensive in other cultures around the world. Hand gestures do not translate well 100% of the time; similarly, words are often poorly translated cross-culturally. One area that suffers greatly from poor translation is cross-cultural advertising. Below are several examples of poor translation as written in an article by Mike Fromowitz.

Advertising is not the only example we see of poor translation. While researching translation errors, a popular search result that I came across was sign translations within international airports. By looking at these examples we get a good sense of how easily translations can be lost to error. One can get a good sense of how difficult it is to translate across two very different languages. As a native-born English speaker, I can admit that I cannot fluently speak a second language; however, by seeing how flawed an English translation can become in an Asian-to-English translation, it allows me to see how flawed and Asian translation might be in an English-to-Asian translation.

A poor understanding of language and a poor sense of research of language are two large issues when it comes to translation. Seeing the English translation found on signs within international airports makes me wonder what other areas of translation might not be up to par. Understandably, a sign in an airport is not of utmost importance and may be in and of itself an answer as to whether or not other English translation are done as poorly as these signs. But it does make me stop and wonder how many of our English translations of ancient Greek and Old English text are actually botched up translations.

coherent

adjective co·her·ent \kō-ˈhir-ənt, -ˈher-\

   : logical and well-organized : easy to understand

   : able to talk or express yourself in a clear way that can be easily understood

   : working closely and well together

1   a : logically or aesthetically ordered or integrated : consistent

     b : having clarity or intelligibility : understandable


One key characteristic that is lacking greatly in the examples shown above is coherence. The definition of coherence includes characteristics such as logic, organization, clarity, intelligibility, and understanding. In a scholarly article written by Cristina Valdes and Adrian Fuentes Luque the issue of coherence in translation is discussed. Valdes and Fuentes Luque point out that, "the intended meaning of the text is successfully delivered to viewers only if the elements that constitute the target text are cohesively and coherently intertwined."

"It goes without saying that when textual cohesion fails, the intended meaning (message) is miscommunicated." -Cristina Valdes and Adrian Fuentes Luque

intertextuality

noun in·ter·tex·tu·al·i·ty \-ˌteks-chə-ˈwa-lə-tē\

   : the complex interrelationship between a text and other texts taken as basic to the creation or interpretation of the text


Intertextuality is another keyword that we need to look at when talking about translations. Wikipedia defines Intertextuality as "the shaping of a text's meaning by another text." This term is also connected to the term Recontextualisation. Recontextualisation is defined by Google as "a process that extracts text, signs or meaning from its original context (decontextualisation) in order to introduce it into another context. Since the meaning of texts and signs depend on their context, recontextualisation implies a change of meaning, and often of the communicative purpose too."

A solution to avoiding poor advertisement translation is research. After reading through examples of mistake made by brands who did cross-cultural translations of their brands and slogans it seems that most of these mistake could have been easily avoided by researching the translations being used as well as cross-checking with a variety of sources.


Sources:

Lost in Translation
Cultural Blunders: Brands Gone Wrong
Coherence in Translated Television Commercials

Reading Response Two

"We must learn to speak a foreign culture in the same way that we must learn to speak a foreign language." -Edward T. Hall

The second group of reading material for Intercultural Communications focuses on poor communication between different cultures based on the differences in language between cultures. One issue that is highlighted in the readings was stereotyping other cultures and making assumptions about others with different backgrounds from ones own.

"The term stereotype was coined by social scientist Walter Lippmann in 1921 when he wrote about why people so readily imagine how other people are, or why they behave as they do, even in the face of ready evidence to the contrary. In his landmark book Public Opinion he tells us that to stereotype is to ascribe to all members of a group or class those characteristics or behaviors observed in just one or a few members."

"It is human nature to think that all people are just like us. We often assume we are similar rather than different and expect that others will think the same way, perceive the same way, and behave the same way we do. While this is a natural assumption, this way of thinking is actually a form of ethnocentrism." 

Both of the previous quotes from Intercultural Communication for Business by Elizabeth A. Tuleja express the importance of recognizing the stereotyping that happens in business settings. The second quote specifically talks about ethnocentrism. Below you will find the full definition of ethnocentric as it is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary. A straight-forward way to define it, however, would be to say that ethnocentrism is the natural way of thinking that one's own culture is the best.

Ethnocentrism is a natural instinct; however, it is also ingrained into the thoughts of most people through nationalism. Nationalism is defined as a belief, creed or political ideology that involves an individual identifying with, or becoming attached to, one's nation. People groups from around the world come forward every four years to show public displays of nationalism to cheer on their country at the Olympics. It's a commonly accepted concept, but we don't often think about the negative effects this concept can have on the communication between cultures.

ethnocentric
adjective eth·no·cen·tric \ˌeth-nō-ˈsen-trik\

: having or based on the idea that your own group or culture is better or more important than others

: characterized by or based on the attitude that one's own group is superior
   eth-no-cen-tric-i-ty      \-sen-ˈtri-sə-tē\ noun
   eth-no-cen-trism          \-ˈsen-ˌtri-zəm\ noun


"We cannot talk about audience these days without including the significant problems involved in writing for non-native speakers of English."

"Most of the "principles of clear writing" were developed through research conducted with native speakers of American English. The influential work of Joseph Williams interpreted research results from the fields of psychology and reading for writers and teachers of workplace English. However, I have been able to find little evidence of the effects of these principles on readers whose native language is something other than English and whose English may be less than completely fluent."

The previous quotes, found in A Study of Plain English Vocabulary and International Audiences by Emily A. Thrush, point out the problem with many business settings and communication principles being tailored to work best for native, English-speaking people. Because of the variety of cultures found within a single country, it is not adequate to assume that language that works well for one group of people will work equally well for a different group of people.

"To begin to answer these questions about the universal clarity of Plain English, we need to study two areas: 1) Whether the principles advocated by proponents of Plain English make documents more readable for people whose native language is not English. 2) Whether the kinds of "simplification" that writers do for English speaking audiences are the appropriate ones for international audiences."

"Plain English is clear, straightforward expression, using only as many words as are necessary. It is language that avoids obscurity, inflated vocabulary and convoluted sentence construction. It is not baby talk, nor is it a simplified version of the English language." -Google Definitions

It is important to keep different cultures in the forefront of our mind when communicating in different settings. A Study of Plain English Vocabulary and International Audiences talks about whether Plain English is adequate for multicultural communication and what we need to look at to determine whether Plain English can adequately and appropriately meet the standards of cross-cultural communication in a business setting.

"No one when he uses a word has in mind exactly the same thing that another has, and the difference, however tiny, sends its tremors throughout language... All understanding, therefore is always at the same time a misunderstanding... and all agreement of feelings and thoughts is at the same time a means for growing apart." -Wilhelm von Humboldt

Communication in the Workplace

“Effective workplace communication is based on interpersonal, professional relationships that are developed through a keen awareness of courtesy, attentive listening, active participation and situation appropriate body language.”

 According to an article published by the Houston Chronicle, effective workplace communication depends on the qualities listed in the afore mentioned quotation. Courtesy, attentive listening, active participation and situation appropriate body language. These qualities are necessary to keep in the forefront of our minds as we look at workplace communication.

Tone and Formality are key tools in communication within the workplace. What is formality? This is a question that is explained through a bulleted list published on May 01, 2010 on the Scribd website. The list begins with a short paragraph explaining that, “Formality is the nature of relationship between people and one’s attitude to the conduct of things around him or her.” The bulleted list explaining the characteristics of formality continues as follows:

• Formality shows the level of seriousness in communication.
• It maintains the standard of respect in a communication.
• Formality helps determine the choice of vocabulary in a communication event.
• It helps to determine the way we use elements of communication (channel or way of exchange).
• It determines the expected way an individual is to conduct him or herself.
• Formality helps to maintain the order in a hierarchy.
• It helps us to plan well for events.
• It determines the nature of us to other people (one's character).
• The level of formality of an event sometimes determines one's dress code.

Over the past seven years, I have worked at three different jobs and the level of formality and style of communication in each of those jobs has varied. My first, and only, job in high school was at a small family-owned diner called The Country Café. The level of formality was very low-key. Most of the communication took place face-to-face during shifts. On occasion, communication would take place over the telephone, but most was in person and very informal.

My second job was a work study position on the Dakota State University campus. I spent a summer working for the Physical Plant doing lawn care. This job involved working with several levels of supervision. Communication in this job more formal than it had been at The Country Café; however, it still was not overly formal. The more formal communication at the Physical Plant such as scheduling, took place in the office. Most of the communication while doing lawn care involves on-the-job, in-person communication. Formality was thrown out the window and communication consisted of higher-ups using vocal communication to assign tasks.

The job title that I currently hold is Library Assistant at the Madison Public Library. While the communication style at the library is not what I would consider to be overly formal, it is the most formal of the three jobs I’ve had. Because we are a small-town organization, most of the communication between employees is in person. However, written and typed notes are also common occurrences.

The paper communication consists of everything from calendars and schedules, to task assignments and requests. On occasion, I have experienced workplace communication at the library through telephone calls, e-mails, and text messaging. But the most common forms of communication are through paper and vocal communication. Below are a few examples of paper communication that takes place at the library. For privacy purposes, all names have been blurred.

January 2015 Calendar

Desk Schedule

Notes from a staff meeting

Each of the three jobs that I’ve worked at during the last seven years, have all been located in the same small-town with a population of 6,500. I believe this has a significant impact on the communication formality and tone that takes place within businesses and organizations. From what knowledge I have gathered in my experiences, there are two determining factors that determine what level of formality is used within a workplace.

The first factor is the population of the town or city. I believe that the higher the population is, the higher the level of formality will be. In addition to that, the size of the business or organization will also play a large part in how formal the communication style will be. The larger the business is, the more likely it is that the communication styles will be more formal.

Sources:
What is Effective Workplace Communication?
What is Formality

Reading Response One

"The fact is that you can never tell who someone is or where their ancestors came from just by looking at them. Identity is complex.Its roots lie beneath the surface. It's a product of events that we don't know about ourselves."  Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

In our first reading of the semester Intercultural Communication Competence, we learn about different metaphors used to describe the mixing of different cultures. The begins with a focus on the United States and how cultures came together. A common metaphor used for this meshing of cultures is to call America the melting pot. The reading continues to explain that this metaphor sets up America to be like a giant container that withstands extreme heat and is able to "melt, mix and ultimately fuse together metals or other substances." The next page of this reading turns the table and explains the inaccuracy of the melting pot metaphor.

"Dynamic as the melting pot metaphor has been in the United States, it has never been an accurate description.The tendency for diverse cultures to melt together and assimilate their unique heritages into a single cultural entity has never really existed. Rather, the many cultural groups within the United States have continuously adapted to one another as they have accommodated and perhaps adopted some of the practices and preferences of other groups while maintaining their own unique and distinctive heritages."

This quote directly from the reading, explains how cultures, rather than mixing, adapt and sometimes adopt the practices of other groups. The reading then goes on to explain some other metaphors are perhaps better suited for the meshing of cultures in America. One of those metaphors is the tributaries metaphor.

This metaphor states that "America, according to this image, is like a huge cultural watershed, providing numerous paths in which the many tributary cultures can flow. The tributaries maintain their unique identities as they surge toward their common destination."


In our second reading Corporate Web Design, we look at how cultures mix on the web. One thing that was stated at the beginning of the reading was that English is currently the dominant language on the internet. While I had never thought otherwise, I learned that other languages are beginning to rise in dominance on the web. Among those languages German, Chinese, Japanese, and Slavic are on the rise.

This article states that "Culture can be defined as a shared set of values that influence societal perceptions, attitudes, preferences, and responses." We often can agree that this is true of groups of people as a whole; however, I believe this also clearly points out that, based on this statement, many different "cultural" groups can be found within a single culture.

Just looking at America, we could agree that for the most part, we are a single culture based on the common laws that we recognize. But if we look closer at the values that are specific to different groups of people, we see that a culture as a whole is also divided into different cultures.

The Corporate Web Design reading soon breaks into different terms that are related to culture and the web. One of those terms was 'power distance'. Power distance defined by the reading is "the extent to which less powerful members of a society accept and expect that power is distributed unequally. In large power distance cultures, there are strong dependency relationships between parents and children, bosses and subordinates, professors and students. In small power distance cultures, children are raised to be independent at a young age." 

While we might not use this term in our everyday language, most people could probably recognize this power structure in our lives. Most people have dealt closely with a societal power that so-to-speak "rules over us." It can be said of most individuals that during the first part of their lives, the role of child, subordinate, or student apply directly to their lives. While oftentimes the later part of an individual's life takes on the role of either parent, boss, or professor. Sometimes all three of those upper-level roles can apply to a single being.