What are the Impacts of Cultural Diversity in Authentic Workplace Communication?
Introduction
Cultural diversity in the workplace has been on the rise over the past few years with the increased globalization in the world. It is defined as the existence of different cultures or ethnic groups in the workplace. The impact of cultural diversity in the workplace communication is the fact that when there is the existence of people with different ethnic groups, it becomes a challenge in terms of communication. Language barriers are major issues in culturally diverse workplaces. When a workplace has employees that are from different countries, and have different native languages, communication becomes a challenge. The impact of cultural diversity in workplace communication could lead to unresolved conflicts and poor productivity which is a result of lack of cooperation and teamwork.
Interpersonal communication theory is the exchange of information verbally and non-verbally, interactions, views, and opinions between individuals (Braithwaite & Schrodt 2014). In this type of communication, people communicate how they feel, their emotions, and their ideas. It also involves the use of facial expressions and body language. Interpersonal communication is the process of exchanging information between two or more people. In the workplace, it involves people relating in different circumstances for example employees and their leaders. The interpersonal communication theory in a culturally diverse workplace helps to enhance communication skills, develop interpersonal relationships between co-workers and this reduces workplace conflicts.
Interpersonal communication is a soft skill that incorporates how well a person communicates with others. This skill is also referred to as the people’s skill which is significant for success in the workplace. Other than verbally and non-verbally, communication can also take place through digital means. It is relevant in the cultural diversity communication problem in the workplace because it involves components and elements that help to work through the communication problem. It guides on how people should interact with each other to avoid conflicts and also resolve them when they arise. Culturally diverse employees bring unique skills and knowledge to the organization and having a communication skill that enables them to interact without disagreements helps to resolve workplace challenges (Larkey 1996). Interpersonal communication will enable more understanding among the employees and this will lead to increased productivity. Interpersonal communication is composed of the sender and the receiver of the information. Another component is the message and how it has been conveyed. The noise is another component which is any form of distortion that could cause any alteration between the message that has been sent and that which has been received and an example of this distortion is the language barrier. Feedback is the reaction the receiver poses to the sender of the message and this gives a clear indication to the sender on if it was interpreted the way it was supposed to. Context is the determiner of the interpretation of the message. The last component is the channel or medium which means how the message was sent and received through. Interpersonal communication is very important in the workplace because effective communication determines if a team can operate effectively and attain their business objectives. It also determines the efficacy of key business functions such as management, training, and resolving conflicts in the workplace.
The relevance of interpersonal communication in the impacts of cultural diversity in the workplace communication is that it helps in solving problems and making decisions (Dwyer, J. 2012). This way, an organization can maintain professional relationships through effective decision making and problem-solving. Through this, the team members are aligned towards a common goal which leads to the success of the organization. Interpersonal skills enhance listening, in a work environment that has different cultural groups, the listening element is very important because some of the people tend to feel inferior and not being heard. When a team has strong listening skills, every voice in the group will be heard. Assertiveness is another important element of interpersonal communication. This is the ability to influence others by being mindful of their interests and needs. In a culturally diverse workplace, this is important because when a person is willing to take responsibility and bring change it helps in the growth of the team and the organization as a whole. Negotiation is a key element in interpersonal communication because it helps in resolving conflict. In a workplace with diverse cultures, it is important because it is used to find a common ground and find shared goals that help teams and business professionals work well together.
Interpersonal communication in a diverse cultural workplace can help to enhance communication through planning and research. Gathering facts and relevant information when planning for important conversations helps to ensure clarity and accuracy. Determining an audience is also important because this way you consider a coworker’s personality and mindset before engaging in a conversation with them (Hofhuis, van der Rijt, & Vlug 2016). It is also important because it helps to find the correct communication style for the situation. This way, there is no room for conflicts or misunderstanding because the person is well thought of. In a culturally diverse workplace, it is important to understand your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to communicating with other people. As a way of understanding and accepting yourself, you should embrace honest feedback from coworkers and managers. This acts as a learning opportunity for future communications and interactions. Another way to enhance communication in a culturally diverse workplace is by monitoring expectations. Since you do not know how a person will react to a conversation, it is important not to have any assumptions or expectations so as not to be disappointed.
My knowledge about interpersonal communications in the workplace will help me ensure that communication is efficient and employees understand each other. Human beings are social creatures by nature and often need someone to talk to and share their feelings and thoughts, therefore not being able to communicate effectively can be stressful in the workplace. My knowledge about interpersonal theory will enable me to solve the communication problem by advocating for interpersonal relationships in the workplace (Mitrofan & Bulborea 2013). This will make nobody feel isolated or stressed out and it will lead to employees being more productive because this will also promote teamwork. Interpersonal relationships will allow people to feel confident and feel free to consult, share their views and opinions. This will create a culture of positivity, hence the organizational growth, a conducive working environment, and increased productivity. The knowledge of interpersonal communication will help to reduce and ultimately end confusion brought about by poor communication and language barriers. This is because the right process of communication will be used to ensure that the receiver of the message gets the correct information just as it was intended by the sender.
The culturally diverse communication problem will be resolved by the interpersonal communication theory because it will help to address the problem by ensuring that there is transparency in communication (Evans & Suklun 2017). It will help resolve the problem by improving trust and workplace communication. This will help to effectively make the employees understand the different cultures in the workplace and how to embrace each other’s cultures by comfortably interacting with each other. Interpersonal communication theory will help resolve the culturally diverse communication problem by driving more employee recognition whereby their good work will be recognized and motivated which is very important in the workplace. For managers, interpersonal communication will ensure that employee success is key because they will help their employees perform their tasks successfully.
Conclusion
Cultural diversity in the workplace has major impacts on communication due to the different ethnic groups who are from different backgrounds. It causes unresolved conflicts, poor productivity that results from poor communication, and lack of cooperation. Interpersonal communication theory is a skill that will enhance communication in a culturally diverse workplace by the use of its components and elements. It will resolve the communication problem by ensuring there is a development of interpersonal relationships which will make the co-workers share ideas and opinions, and also build trust within themselves. This will help them work better as a team ensuring increased productivity in the organization. The interpersonal theory will help to resolve the problem by creating a conducive environment where everyone including the managers feels free to interact with the other person.
References
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