Business Communication

Introduction

Definition of Cultural Diversity

Cultural diversity is a universal phenomenon which explains the existence of people having different races, cultural background, ethnicities religious belief etc. within a political and geographical domain. In a diversified cultural setup, every culture that exist have its own identity, people respect the cultural difference of each other and the expression of thoughts and cultural norms are considered as the right of everyone. These diversified cultural groups are empowered to contribute in social and economic aspects of society. different ethnic groups just not only tolerate each other but they celebrate their differences.  

Cultural Diversity May Have Following Faces:

Workplace: at having a team speaking different languages, people of different ages and experiences are working together, and people form different geological and ethnic backgrounds. It is difficult to balance this diversity but making policies that eliminates this discrimination of cultural diversity can create harmony at work place.

School Setting: educational institutions are the best example of a social setup. Universities are usually having students from all over the world. But they accept the cultural diversity and they are being accepted by the natives, because they have different religious practices and traditions that are being supported to celebrate. This practice supports students to share the colors of their cultures and traditions with one another (university of people, n.d.).

The Importance of Cultural Diversity

Cultural diversity has its own important for a country, workplaces, or an educational institute because it provide various cultural, racial, and ethnic groups which live together to form a setup where people interact with each other in order to learn and communicate. people can learn from one another and have a level of understanding about each other. Understanding facts about other cultures helps to understand different perspectives of life on the earth. It helps to eliminate negative stereotypes and personal biasness about different ethnic groups.

Cultural diversity helps to recognize people on the basis of ethnicity and race and it teaches to respect the way the other person because not everyone is same, even in a same house not all the brothers are same, they may have different mental approach and may have different views.

So, it is important that as we interact with people may have different thoughts and cultural norms but we have to build bridges to respect, and understanding each other across the cultures. Cultural diversity makes a country a more interesting and attractive place for others to visit. Also, people from different cultures speaking different languages contribute in learning more language skills, diversified thinking, different experiences and contribute in diversified and innovative ideas and different knowledge.

Tolerating Different Cultures

Cultural diversity is an interesting this to learn about because it provides an opportunity to learn about different cultures and traditions followed by these cultures. But it is important to understand, tolerate and support different cultures.

• Increase in understanding about other cultures simply by interacting and talking with people of other cultures help to make survival easy for them
• Every culture has its own colors and values. So, imposing the values that a culture does not contain may cause a conflict and imbalance of peace and harmony in the society. it is important to avoid imposing on others in order to avoid conflicts.
• Different people from different cultures speaking different languages can cause chaos in the society but their language barrier is not the certificate for their intellectual level. Use of appropriate and understandable language may a simple step to win heart of people.
• Inappropriate behavior is intolerable in any case so it is important to intervene in an appropriate manner observed by others because it not only hurt others but also it displays the one’s own culture.
• In order to facilitate others, it is important to listen to other, accept their views, and welcome others who are from different culture and ideologies.

Cultural Diversity Helps In:

• Deep understanding

Cultural diversity helps in understanding others within an institute and outside of it. With a diversified team in an office, the team members have the opportunity to gain more and more understanding about people and cultural backgrounds, which help them to learn to understand different ideas and thoughts. It also contributes in diversifying thoughts and perspectives of the team members that make the process of doing work more captivating and livelier.

• Growth of people 

When team members participate with other people having different cultures and languages, it provides them with more opportunity to become confident in dealing with others and learn to help them. It helps in growth of personal and interpersonal skills.

• Lead to optimism

Every work place tends to produce innovations, which is only possible by working in diversified environment where different people come up with different ideas. This diversified thought leads to future success of the team and help to in betterment of relationship of members.

• Empathetic behavior

Empathy is the soul of tolerating other cultures and people. it is important to understand the feelings and needs of others who are not of the same belief. Cultural diversity promotes the feeling of empathy which makes world the best place to live in.

Advantages Of Cultural Diversity

World is literally a multicultural place, having thousands of cultures since it was formed. Multiculturism of cultural diversity led to several benefits which are discussed as followed:

• Compassion 

Compassion is the feeling of understanding the situation of another person in which he is living or going through. Communication and understanding the differences in cultures can lead to the feeling of compassion.

• Innovation 

Different cultures and people when work together they form a diversified set of ideas which lead to innovations and new ideas. different perspectives about a phenomenon and an eye of looking at the world in a different way lead to innovative and creative thinking.

• Productivity 

When different thoughts and having different styles of working combine together to make contributions in the process of innovation. This team work and innovative thinking lead to denial of old and outdated procedures and processes. This innovation leads to increase in productivity.

• New Opportunities

If there is no diversity then the ideas are static and innovation is not possible. But with diversity blending of the ideas lead to innovations which open up new ways of thinking and new opportunities.

• Problem-Solving

Cultural diversity within an organization lead to a better problem solving (Partnership International, n.d.). As one problem is layered by the other problem so team diversity helps in solving problems more effectively. Diversity comes with bulk of opinions so, it is easy to make decision about problem solving.

Cross-Culture Communication in a Business Setting

Cross-Cultural Communications an exchange of ideas and information among people who belongs to multi cultures. It is not important that whether the process of exchange of ideas is successful or not, but if both the groups having different ideologies and cultural background are trying to negotiate then it will be called as Cross-Cultural Communication. This communication takes place with actions and signs and other common language like English, as their languages are different. The main reason for this communication is purely the exchange of knowledge, other aspects of communication are important.

The person belonging to a culture life in that culture for a life time get the qualities of that culture so the style of communication of that person greatly depends on the kind of culture he lived in. being a part of a multicultural societies every one face a situation in which he or she have to deal with co-workers having different ideologies, nationalities and cultural backgrounds. The next section of the report will discuss the situations in which people try to interact and communicate with each other (Bhasin, 2021).

Profile and Analysis of Interviewee

Case Study 1:

Profile: The first interviewee was a genitor, who aged 47 years. He worked in the company for about 13 years. His task was to take care of cleanliness and maintenance of the premises of the company. He described that he works for longest hours as he come early for dusting and sweeping and similarly, he goes at the end for the same purpose. Being a janitor do not require any big degrees. The main qualities of a janitor include lifting heavy weights, efficient, can use cleanliness appliances and supplies carefully and safely, he can manage to do small maintenance and look after the office’s property. The main feature of his work was he was multidimensional and could manage many tasks at a time. He was expected to do his job right away when it was ordered so, it was difficult for him to manage his job in limited time.

Social Behavior: it was sad to learn that he faced social discrimination every day. People don’t accept the importance of their job while they think their job is just a formality. They think a person become a janitor because he failed high school and his intellectual level is low. This social and educational discrimination is just because of lack of communication. According to him a very few people meet them wholeheartedly. But this job changed the perspective of living that its better to be janitor than to be a bagger.

Case Study 2:

Profile: The second interviewee was a disabled person, who aged 52 years. He was suffering from diabetes. He was suffering from neurological issues caused by liable diabetes and end up on a wheelchair. He was working in the company for 23 years. He was doing clerical work in the company. Although he secured his high school degree with good grades but his health condition did not let him get ahead. His job was to maintain the records and type audits. According to him, in his life long career he met a bunch of diversified people speaking different languages and having different ideologies. It was a dynamic experience to learn from them but racism is the killer of the soul of the beauty that lay in multiculturism.

Social Behavior: society have made rules and give privileges to disabled persons but watching the reality its hard to see that even a person on wheelchair who is the part of this society faced social discrimination. He was not promoted to higher ranks because he was on a wheel chair. According to him being on wheel chair never affected his efficiency and abilities. But negligence is the norm of the society.

Case Study 3

Profile: Law is mad for the women, their protection, security at work place and home is one of the top priorities of the government. Women are one of the victims of brutality of mankind. Third case study was made for a works lady. She was 22 year of age and she just started her job. She entered in the job for accountant. Her job is to maintain the accounts of the company. She said about cultural diversity that it is good thing in order to learn new things but language barriers are the hurdles.

Social Behavior: It is one of the difficult jobs at work to maintain financial statement where there is no room for mistakes. But working environment play an important role in the learning and working quality of employee. According to her co workers were corporative and helping. Sometimes customers are intolerant and have inappropriate behavior. She said laws are being made for women but it still takes time for implementing them fully, social discrimination starts right after the birth of child and it is the global social issue. No matter where you live women are discriminated in one or the other way.

Case Study 4

In this case a cook was interviewed. His job wad to prepare lunch for all the employees in the office and he was doing this job from 7 years. According to him the menu of whole week is pre decided and he have to cook whatever he is said. Two junior cooks were also working under his supervision. Cultural diversity is a deriving force of innovation at work place. We learn from each other and its interesting to learn to prepare new foods

Social Behavior: He said that his work is in a closure environment so he didn’t face any problem from officials or other staff but he said “yes this kitchen is being a part of politics by my seniors and I also suffered a lot but patience was my best weapon”. According to him his job never went in the way of his social status and never faced any discrimination. This discrimination is just due to lack of communication. If you communicate well, you can make others agree for your argument.

Conclusion

Multiculturism is a universal fact. No one can live in isolation because in today’s world dependency on other is increasing day by day. Multiculturism bring colors to a social setup, and it helps in innovation. Tolerance is one of the main components of multiculturism. It helps to promote harmony and peace in society. But with a beautiful tie that bring this multicultural system also bring some issues. The social bond of people, having different languages, ideologies and religious beliefs, is not as strong as it should be. So it is important to eliminate the social discriminations among the people and learn the only common language which speaks of love, peace and harmony.

References

(n.d.). Retrieved from university of people:

https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/what-is-cultural-diversity/

Bhasin, H. (2021, March 25). Marketing91. Retrieved from:

https://www.marketing91.com/cross-cultural-communication/

Partnership International. (n.d.). Retrieved from:

https://www.partnershipinternational.ie/why-is-cultural-diversity-important/