Paper Example on Language and Cross-Cultural Communication

Introduction

Language and communication have always been presented as the foundation of qualitative inquiry. Hence, language is considered as a fundamental tool which acts as a component of understanding the way human behavior relates to social processes as well as cultural meanings (Richards and Schmidt, 2014; Samovar, McDaniel, Porter, and Roy, 2015). Qualitative researchers seek to understand this concept regarding the issues involved in language and communication in a wider complex. These processes are often carried out through the assistance of interpreters or translators. However, various factors such as methodological, epistemological and practical difficulties have been encountered when attempting to carry out cross-cultural research. This paper aims at examining the intercultural conflicts that are commonly experienced nowadays. Furthermore, the gathered information will assist in looking at how language and intercultural communication can help in addressing the management of these conflicts.

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Conflict may be defined as the competition that exists among certain individuals or groups due to various factors such as limited resources, and incompatible goals among others. Usually, this kind of competition can also be determined by different perceptions of individuals regarding their goals, resources, and power. Culture is considered as one of the determinants of perception which induces conflict. Hence, a conflict that exists among different cultural boundaries tends to occur as a result of cognitive and perceptual boundaries. Moreover, this may lead to misinterpretation of intercultural communication thus creating problems. Also, the impact of cultural difference is best understood regarding the argument that exists within the conflicts that may arise from an ethnic or nationalist perspective.

The Nature of Conflict

Human societies tend to experience conflict in general. As a result, this feature is usually regarded as an aspect related to all kinds of social relationships. Despite the ideas that have been generated by its causes, causes of conflict differ in a wider aspect (Arbatli, Ashraf, and Galor, 2015). The methods that are used to determine how to resolve or manage a conflict depending on how one conceives the concept. As individuals or groups continue to compete for the inevitable goals and resources, the struggle to attain power is always increasing to meet these demands. Hence, to reach those goals or control of the available resources, others will experience denial of the opportunities.

The complexity of conflict and conflict resolution is best understood regarding the insight that many involved parties do not engage in an unbridled mentality. Furthermore, cooperation must be highly beneficial as well as seeking out a solution. Therefore, to achieve a coherent agreement, the parties involved should consider a more advanced conflict resolution mechanism or approach. That is, engaging in a more realist thinking by looking for alternative means of problem-solving such as compromising on the notional midpoint. This process can often be done by looking at both perspectives on joint gains and respective losses.

Intercultural Conflicts

In most cases, task conflict in the workplace tends to occur between employees with different cultural values. As a result, they tend to disagree in matters concerning problem-solving as well as management issues. As such, culture may be regarded valuable in comparison to other external differences in language, dress, and culinary customs (Rahim, 2017). Culture may also consist of various internal factors such as the way people tend to think about a particular subject. Furthermore, this can also be related to problem-solving measures, authority's respect as well as the different styles of communication among others. In most cases, these factors make it difficult for an individual to identify and communicate without any form of training regarding its specialization.

On the other hand, intercultural conflict may also exist in the form of relationship conflict. For instance, interpersonal animosities and tensions can arise between different groups of individuals which in turn would impact a lot of negative emotions. Furthermore, this conflict tends to occur due to the presence of poor communication or miscommunication. The presence of differentiation within a particular team limits the cooperation and cohesion in workgroups. Hence, inequality may be commonly experienced as a result. Also, lack of motivation for employees and poor team performance can generate a negative impact towards skill management.

For relationship conflict to be managed properly, team self-assembly, social networks as well as workgroups must be enhanced accordingly. In turn, this will ensure that the basic unit which exists within a particular accomplishment can be achieved (Busch, 2016). Moreover, the focus needs to be on the team rather than the individuals to enable the shift of consequences. Also, increasing collaborative solutions can accommodate a room for improvement such as substituting technological advancements for employees who are involved in low-skill labor. In turn, this process will encourage individuals to display high concerns about the team's performance rather than concentrating on one person.

Diversity nowadays can be presented as a normal occurrence within a particular workplace. Intercultural conflict often consists of different approaches in the form of negotiations, decision-making techniques as well as opinions and views regarding a particular subject (Yu and Zellmer-Bruhn, 2018). For instance, culture is considered to be an important part of conflict and conflict resolution. Furthermore, it attempts to equip one with different messages which in turn shape the way individuals shape their perceptions, attributions, and judgments among others. Although culture exists on an unconscious level, it still has the power to impact the way conflict occurs as well as attempting to find viable ways to resolve it.

Fundamental Patterns of Cultural Differences

Communication Styles

People tend to communicate with different variables according to their associated cultures. In turn, this interactive process often generates different meanings by each. Hence, this type of communication style is commonly referred as language usage. The reason for this is because different words carry different meanings across different cultures. Furthermore, the degree of importance in communication also plays a profound role, especially where verbal and non-verbal communication is involved (Adler and Graham, 2017). Gestures and facial expressions are not only commonly used in non-verbal communication but also other components such as seating arrangements, sense of time, and personal distance among others.

Attitudes towards Conflicts

Conflict can have different perceptions according to different cultures. For instance, some may view it positively while others may consider it to be more unrealistic. In most cases, conflicts tend to arise when individuals have different opinions towards a certain aspect or opinion (Adler and Graham, 2017). This can often lead to uncompromising confrontations which in turn may offer limited solutions. When engaging in meaningful interaction, conflict can best be managed or controlled more healthily and peacefully while considering the right approaches.

Approaches towards Completing the Tasks

This concept may often vary across different cultures. The reason for this is because there are different judgments according to the rewards which are given when completing a certain task. Furthermore, the notions that exist on a different basis as well as acquiring the available resources also play a profound role on the judgmental basis (Adler and Graham, 2017). For example, the Asian culture is commonly known to develop relationships while giving them utmost importance. Moreover, this unique culture tends to associate itself more on valuing the completion of the task in comparison to other cultures.

Different Attitudes towards Disclosure

Various cultures often tend to have different perceptions about opening about emotions, personal feelings, information, and misunderstanding among others. As a result, attempting to work with others can often be difficult at times. The reason for this is due to the kind of questions that may arise such as the cause of the conflict or what role should one play to resolve such an issue (Adler and Graham, 2017). When dealing with a particular conflict, it's best to consider taking a rational approach towards being mindful and understanding that individuals often tend to differ in various ways. Also, the variation that exists within different cultures must be considered thoughtfully especially when assessing a conclusion.

Different Approaches to Knowing

Common differences are often experienced especially among different cultural groups. For instance, European culture tends to acquire information through cognitive means including counting and measuring. Furthermore, this kind of perception tends to be compared to other cultures such as that of African (Adler and Graham, 2017). On the contrary, African cultures usually prefer to know things through effective measures such as rhythm and symbolic imagery. On the other hand, Asian cultures tend to emphasize the knowledge acquired through validation. That is, they value the knowledge gained as a means of achieving transcendence.

Challenges of Intercultural Communication

Communication tends to vary across different cultures. The extent to which people communicate depends on the type of individuals who are involved within a specific social circle. For instance, culture shock can be experienced as a result of failing to identify various cultural issues as well as taking considerable action (Neuliep, 2017). This can often lead to experiencing problems such as isolation, anxiety, and a decline in performance among others. Also, culture shock can come as a result of misjudgment among cultural values, beliefs, behaviors as well as specific norms. Most individuals tend to ineffectively use their interpretation, judgment, and behavior according to their culture. This may exist within a collectivist or individualist societies.

Individuals from collectivist societies may interpret independence according to their organizational structure. Furthermore, they tend to place greater value towards the particular behaviors as well as their goals. This interpretation may occur as a result of disrespect towards the social group. On the other hand, individualist societies tend to consider a more mature approach towards that particular behavior (Triandis, 2018). Culture shock is commonly experienced by individuals due to the inefficient knowledge regarding the system of rewards and punishment. For instance, verbal and non-verbal behaviors may be associated with this kind of perception.

Also, culture shock is usually regarded as a transitional experience. This is often experienced regarding transitioning from low self-esteem and cultural awareness to that of increased self-awareness from a cultural perspective. Socio-psychological etiology is mostly concerned with the feeling of well-being towards the host culture. This type of etiology tends to cause culture shock due to an individual's adjustment or adaptation towards a particular culture both socially as well as psychological welfare. On the other hand, phenomenological etiology is connected with various aspects such as politeness as a main component of self-identity. Social rules tend to vary from different cultures thus an individual may experience limited validation and conveyance.

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