Although I have never been a regular viewer of ‘Star Trek’ and thus would not con¬sider myself a “Trekkie”, I have chosen this quotation as a starting point as it very well ex¬presses the problem I will deal with in the following paper: being different in terms of culture, language, education, or social status.
I have also chosen the above quotation because of its second line as it suggests a produc¬tive way of dealing with the difficulty of being different. Be it in a thousand years or in the present time, we have to find solutions to the problems that arise when people coming from totally different cultural or social backgrounds meet and have to live together.
In the course of my studies at the University of Salzburg, I have come across a broad variety of topics related to the field of Linguistics. Among others, I dealt with the linguistic terminology at the beginning of our studies, some varieties of English, their main features, with Psycholinguistics, or with language acquisition but to name a few. However, one main topic of Linguistics that has always had a special attraction to me was the field of Sociolin-guistics. It has been interesting to hear how speakers’ cultural or social background, age, gen-der, or education, have an influence on their register. Furthermore, it is also important that language always represents a certain status or the membership to a certain ethnic group and/or minority. Normally, people who speak a certain dialect are proud of that and it means more to them than just speaking it. It represents heritage, tradition, and sometimes nationalism for them. They simply want to be different in order to dissociate themselves from other ethnic groups with different dialects.
Table of Contents
Part One: Definitions And Basic Concepts
1) Introduction
2) Towards A Clear Definition Of The Terms “Intercultural“ And “Multicultural“
3) Intercultural Encounters – Not A New Phenomenon
4) What Is Culture?
4.1) Features Of Culture
4.2) The Stabilizing of Culture Patterns
5) From Language To Intercultural Communication
5.1) What Is Language?
5.2) What Is Communication?
5.3) What Is Intercultural Communication?
5.4) Gudykunst/Kim: A Model About The Communication With Strangers
5.4.1) Encoding Of Messages
5.4.2) Cultural Influences
5.4.3) Sociocultural Influences
5.4.4) Psychocultural Influences
5.4.5) Environmental Influences
6) Hofstede’s Dimensions Of Cultural Variability
6.1) Individualism-Collectivism
6.2) Power Distance
6.3) Uncertainty Avoidance
6.4) Masculinity-Femininity
6.5) Hall’s Low-And High-Context Communication
7) The Relationship Between Culture And Language
8) Summary And Outlook On Part Two
Part Two: Practical Concepts In Use
9) Applying Hofstede’s Dimensions
9.1) Individualism-Collectivism
9.2) Power Distance
9.3) Uncertainty Avoidance
9.4) Masculinity-Femininity
10) Other Cultural Dimensions
10.1) Participation After Thomas
10.2) Particularism-Universalism
11) Nonverbal Communication
11.1) Facial Play
11.2) Gestures
11.3) Paralinguistics
12) Values, Norms And Rules
12.1) Values
12.1.1) Cross-Cultural Differences In Values
12.2) Cultural Norms And Rules
12.2.1) Cultural Differences In Norms And Rules
13) Generalizations And Stereotypes
13.1) Linguistic Characteristics Of Stereotypes
13.2) Stereotypes In The German-Finnish Business Communication
13.2.1) The Topos Of “The Small Finland”
13.2.2) Explicit Dealing And Correction Of Negative Stereotypes
13.2.3) Implicit Dealing And Correction Of Negative Stereotypes
13.2.4) Explicit Dealing Of Positive Stereotypes
14) Summary And Outlook On Part Three
Part Three: Intercultural Difficulties At Work
15) Mexico And The USA
15.1) Two Letters
15.1.1) A Letter From Mr. Smith
15.1.2) A Letter From Mr. Gonzalez
16) A Comparative Study
16.1) Cultural Traits: Mexico vs. America
16.1.1) Family
16.1.2) Religion
16.1.3) Nationalism
16.1.4) Etiquette
16.1.5) Status
16.2) Management Styles
16.2.1) Work/Leisure
16.2.2) Direction/Supervision
16.2.3) Staffing
16.2.4) Competition
17) Two More Letters
18) Denmark And Germany
18.1) Trade Barriers On The Way To Germany
18.1.1) The Communicational Barrier
18.1.2) The Mental Barrier
18.1.3) The Organizational Barrier
18.1.4) Stereotypes
19) Summary And Outlook On Part Four
Part Four: Prevention Of Intercultural Problems At Work
20) The Need For A Functioning Communication In MNOs
20.1) Reasons For Cultural Diversity Training
20.1.1) Demographic Trends
20.1.2) The Cost Of Not Having Intercultural Training
20.1.3) Variety And Complexity Of Intercultural Contacts
20.2) Reasons For The Lack Of Intercultural Training In MNOs
20.2.1) Lack Of Awareness Of The Effect Of Cultural Differences
20.2.2) Lack Of Understanding Of The Experience Of the Cultural Minority Person
20.2.3) Lack Of Knowledge About Intercultural Training
21) The Development Of Intercultural Competence
21.1) The Perception Of Intercultural Competence
21.2) The Learning Of Intercultural Competence
22) The Selection Of Suitable Employees
23) The Selection Of Employees At The Example Of Siemens
23.1) The Assessment “Ausland”
23.2) A Questionnaire
24) The Preparation Of Selected Candidates
24.1) Information-Oriented Preparation
24.2) Culture-Oriented Preparation
24.3) Interaction-Oriented Preparation
24.4) Comprehension-Oriented Preparation
25) The Preparation Of Employees At The Example Of Henkel
25.1) First Talks
25.2) Professional Preparation
25.3) Intercultural Preparation
25.4) Organizational Preparation
25.5 Preparations Concerning The Contract
26) Preparation In Switzerland – ITES
27) Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This thesis examines the challenges of communication within multinational organizations caused by cultural diversity. The primary objective is to analyze how different cultural backgrounds, linguistic differences, and management styles contribute to misunderstandings, while providing practical suggestions and strategies for companies to improve intercultural competence and working environments.
- Theoretical foundations of culture, language, and communication.
- Application of cultural dimensions (Hofstede) in business environments.
- Analysis of intercultural conflicts using specific country case studies (Mexico, USA, Germany, Denmark).
- Evaluation of company-specific strategies for selecting and preparing employees for international assignments.
Excerpt from the Book
15.1.1) A Letter From Mr. Smith
Dear Bob, Now that I have been in Mexico for half a year, I thought it was about time to drop you a note and let you know how things are going. Unfortunately, “Not Good” is about the best I can say, though things didn’t start off too badly. My new finance manager, Mr. Gonzalez, seemed very amenable to my outline of new control procedures, so I decided immediately to use him as my interpreter. From my office I noticed that it was well past 9:00 A.M. before the office staff arrived, although working hours were 9:00 to 6:00. So I made a note to add “punctuality” to the agenda for the first staff meeting, which was scheduled for a little later in the morning. […] Afterwards, I toured the plant with the production manager and Gonzalez, who pointed out some of the most pressing problems. They both seemed overly anxious for me to meet the key plant supervisors, but I felt there were more pressing matters to deal with first. Both appeared somewhat disappointed but made no further comment. […] However, things seemed to go from bad to worse. One day I was on a routine tour of the plant when I encountered a supervisor demonstrating to a worker a procedure which was completely incorrect and would have resulted in a faulty product. I immediately pointed out what was wrong and reprimanded the supervisor. The other workers seemed to enjoy the show because they all stopped their work to watch. […] Next came the problem of one of our telephone lines not functioning. Despite repeated calls and repeated promises that a repairman would arrive, it took one month to get the telephone repaired. It’s no wonder I’m getting an ulcer. […]
Summary of Chapters
Part One: Definitions And Basic Concepts: This section establishes the theoretical framework by defining culture and communication, highlighting the influence of social background on language and behavior, and introducing models to explain intercultural interactions.
Part Two: Practical Concepts In Use: This chapter bridges theory and practice by applying Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and exploring concepts like nonverbal communication and stereotypes to explain business-related behavior.
Part Three: Intercultural Difficulties At Work: This part presents case studies of Mexico-USA and Denmark-Germany cooperation to illustrate how differing cultural traits and expectations lead to misunderstandings and conflicts in professional settings.
Part Four: Prevention Of Intercultural Problems At Work: The final section focuses on organizational strategies, such as employee selection and specialized training, to prevent intercultural problems and foster effective communication in multinational enterprises.
Keywords
Intercultural Communication, Multicultural Companies, Cultural Dimensions, Hofstede, Sociolinguistics, Management Styles, Cross-Cultural Training, Stereotypes, Nonverbal Communication, Global Workforce, Employee Selection, Organizational Culture, Mexico, USA, Siemens.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
The thesis explores the communication problems that frequently arise within multicultural organizations due to the diverse cultural backgrounds of their employees.
What are the central themes discussed in this work?
The key themes include definitions of culture and communication, the impact of cultural dimensions on management, the role of language, the use of stereotypes, and strategies for intercultural training and preparation.
What is the primary objective of the research?
The goal is to provide a sociolinguistic and cultural understanding of why conflicts occur in multinational workplaces and to offer guidance for managers and employees to improve cooperation.
Which scientific methods are employed in this study?
The author utilizes a comprehensive literature review of linguistic and management theories, coupled with practical case studies and fictional scenarios to illustrate real-world application.
What is covered in the main body of the text?
The body covers theoretical concepts (like Hofstede’s dimensions), practical applications (such as nonverbal communication and stereotypes), and in-depth analysis of specific national business cultures.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Intercultural Communication, Multicultural Companies, Cultural Dimensions, Cross-Cultural Training, and Organizational Management.
How does the author analyze the Mexico-USA business relationship?
The author uses fictionalized letters between an American manager and a Mexican counterpart to demonstrate how differences in values like punctuality, authority, and family priority create mutual misunderstanding and frustration.
What specific training programs are highlighted for multinational companies?
The thesis analyzes real-world initiatives such as the Siemens “Ausland” assessment and the “International Training and Evaluation Seminar” (ITES) at Schweizerischer Bankverein as models for preparing employees for international assignments.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Herbert Reichl (Autor:in), 2002, Communication Problems in Multicultural Companies, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/10330
