Communicating Across Cultures - Essay Example

Goodman (2009) defined culture as the concept of shared beliefs and values of people belonging to a specific region. People from different cultures tend to behave and react in different ways; the presence of different origins and perceptions in a single workplace or organization makes the managers learn the skills of dealing with multiculturalism. The multicultural nature of the prevailing workplaces proves to become a major hindrance in communication if the diversity is not managed in an effective manner.

Upon the adoption of ineffective strategies and techniques, cultural diversity can have hazardous effects for the productivity of any business, rather than providing benefits. Effective communication is one of the most challenging aspects to achieve in the presence of multiculturalism in the workplace. Following are some of the barriers in communicating across cultures: It has been witnessed that cultures tend to have differing social hierarchies; women are considered to be subordinates to men in some regions of the world.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Workforce Development Board (2002) stated that these kinds of cultures do not appreciate extensive interactions with the opposite gender and expect the women to maintain introvert behavior in the workplace in the presence of men. The men from such cultures also do not prefer working equally with their female coworkers and do not even favor having female managers to monitor their performance. Different cultures follow different types of gestures to convey their meaning; however the same gestures might have contrasting meanings in different regions.

Erupting Mind Education (2011) stated that an OK sign signifies something good or fine in US and England, while the same gesture is taken as an insult in France. Similarly, the gesture of thumbs up signifies something good and commendable in US and numerous parts of Europe while it is considered offensive in Asian countries. Eye contact is