The risk of cultural issues in written communications - Essay Example

Essay, Management The Risk of Cultural Issues in Written Communications Introduction In the interaction among partners from different geographical locations, the risk of miscommunication and misinterpretation is inevitable. This is because of the different expressions of the communicated words, which can be mistaken for rudeness. This becomes worse in written communication because the originator of the communication does not have an opportunity to clarify his or her points. If not treated carefully, miscommunication of such nature can lead to insubordination or even prosecution.2. Causes and Effects of Cross-cultural Differences2.1. CausesMiscommunication takes place when there is a disconnection between the speaker’s intended meaning and the receiver’s interpretation of the communication.

A good example is given by Tannen & Saville-Troika (1982, p. 41), about an Egyptian pilot called a traffic controller of Greek origin, asking if it was safe for the plane to land in Cyprus. The controller responded with a silence to mean refusal but the Egyptian interpreted that as acceptance and proceeded with the trip to Cyprus, only to be fired at by the Greeks in Cyprus while approaching the run way.Another cause is the complete language barrier between non related languages such as Russian and English, unlike the case between French and English whereby many words and closely related in spelling and pronunciation.

Most of the Russians do not understand or speak English at all (Gudykunst 2003, p. 62). Likewise, Many English speakers do not understand Russian. In such a scenario, if a speech is presented in Russian, an English man will lose some important points.2.2. EffectsAs mentioned before, in a miscommunication and misunderstanding in cross-cultural interaction, people lose the exact meaning of the communication and may respond in undesired ways. In cross cultural conversation, participants may decide to deliberately mislead the hearers, and convince them with false information.

For example, Reynolds (2004, p. 38) argues that a participant may masquerade as being of greater social status than his or her true position in the society is. In a written communication, this can be more misleading because apart from just hearing wrongly, the reading itself may be wrong from the onset.The second and most tragic effect is that a participant may fail in a very important interview and possibly loose an opportunity of a lifetime, for lack of communication.3. Remedial actions to Cross-Cultural Miscommunication3.1. ApologyOnce a misunderstanding has occurred from cross-cultural communication, there should be a quick way to resolve and clarify on the specific errors.

For example, it is a good practice to apologize and make possible clarification as suggested by Pride (1985, p. 62). With apology, the hearer’s may not be able to take offence.3.2. RepetitionThe speaker ought to avoid vocabularies and jargons. When the speaker notices a sign of miscommunication, he or she can repeat the same conversation in simpler terms. 3.3. Use of Interpreters Where possible, the communication between different cultures ought to be interpreted by trusted experts, who understand both languages.

Even though the interpreter has the potential to make errors, the errors are minimal. Interpreters make the communication more comfortable but can only be used where confidentiality is not a priority factor.4. ConclusionIn the age of globalization, cross-cultural communication is essential in spite of the challenges of misunderstanding and miscommunication. People cannot exist without writing and talking to others of different cultures. This demands that people should decide on the most appropriate way to resolve the issues and risks that affect communication.

ReferencesTannen D & Saville-Troika M 1985, Perspectives on Silence, Norwood, NJ: Ablex, p. 41.Gudykunst WB 2003, Cross-cultural and Intercultural Communication Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, California, p. 62.Pride JB 1985, Cross-cultural Encounters: Communication and mis-communication, River Seine Publications, Melbourne, p. 42.Reynolds S 2004, Guide to Cross-cultural Communication, Pearson Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, p. 38.