ACADEMY LANGUAGE OF STUDIES

BACHELOR OF LANGUAGE STUDIES (Hons.) ENGLISH FOR PROFESSIONAL

EPC510
CROSS-CULTURAL INTERACTION

ASSESSMENT 1
INDIVIDUAL ARTICLE ANALYSIS (30%)

PREPARED BY:
NUR AMEERA HUSNA BINTI MAHFIZAN (2023150001)

LECTURER’S NAME:
SIR AMIR LUKMAN ABD RAHMAN

SUBMISSION:
2024
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

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ARTICLE

How To Account For Cultural Differences In The Workplace

By Andrej Jonovic - November 3, 2023

“No.” It's one of the most commonly used words in any language, but people’s willingness to
openly voice disagreement varies by the cultural norms of their backgrounds. These differences
matter because, with the rise of remote work, our workplaces are more cross-cultural than ever.
If leaders don't tinker with their "settings" and communicate at a level that truly gets through to
other cultures, they will end up wasting time, and productivity will suffer.

One survey of employees across 90 countries found that 89% of remote teams had at least two
cultures represented, and more than one-third included four or more. Of those respondents,
78% cited candid discussion of problems as one of the most acute cultural challenges facing
their teams. In this context, the small word “no” has oversized implications: For one person, “no”
may be too confrontational; for another, it is a healthy assertion.

Re-tuning an organization’s communication strategy to create mutual understanding in the face

Here is what I have learned from leading a workplace scattered across the world.

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The Importance Of Recognizing Cultural Differences

I am largely based in the U.S. but have worked with people from many different European and
Asian cultures. In that time, I have seen challenges arise when people are not aware of cultural
differences or are aware but choose to ignore them. Alternatively, people may think their cultural
approach takes precedence. In the latter case, people risk coming off as arrogant if they
assume everyone will adapt to their way of working.

Leaders can avoid such insensitivity by tailoring communications based on the cultures they are
working with. For my Asian colleagues, while globalization is challenging existing norms,
interactions are generally mediated by social hierarchies. In their cultural milieu, those hard
“no's” are rare. I’ve also found that North Americans and Europeans tend to be more open about
disagreement, but even here, there are nuances. In my experience, North Americans exercise a
greater degree of mobility between jobs, and their material disagreement is sometimes not
expressed in words as much as it is in changing jobs, whereas Europeans are less likely to
change jobs but are more likely to exercise vocal disagreement. Still, I generally find that among
these two geographies, the culture of the organization, less so than social norms, is what tends
to dictate interactions.

Differences also play out in how people from different cultures delegate job duties and
communicate with their teams. When we integrate the best elements of each culture’s approach
to communication, we can leverage these differences as a huge asset because they allow us to
create a dynamic workplace and make progress with people across cultures—instead of treating
diversity as an impediment to growth.

Found In Translation: The Upsides Of Differences

A Harvard Business Review study of 804 remote international teams found that scholarship on
cross-cultural communication has overwhelmingly tended to focus on the negative effects of
differences. While it's true that failure to adapt can hinder progress, the upside to diversity is
significant and obvious.

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We live in a complex, interconnected world, and having diverse opinions rooted in cultural
differences is a dimension that leaders will want to have at their disposal when making
decisions. This is especially relevant for global markets because what works in the U.S. may not
work elsewhere—and unless leaders are aware of these differences and have the right input,
they may go down the wrong path.

There are other differences that need to be recognized for their role in influencing productivity
and morale. For instance, work structures in the U.S. tend to be the most demanding, least
risk-averse and most open to new ideas. The U.S. also has a very positive outlook on upward
mobility, while highly entrepreneurial Asian nations, including India, are less upwardly mobile
and more hierarchical, leading to more of a rigid view of upward mobility. That said, there is also
tremendous variability among individuals from similar backgrounds, so we must always be wary
of pushing people into limited descriptions of their cultures.

How To Create Friendly Cross-Cultural Environments

The global virtual teams’ survey revealed people felt their colleagues’ lack of collaboration was
another major cross-cultural challenge. Team members may want to participate in discussions
but may not always know the culturally appropriate way to speak up. Here are some of the steps
leaders and managers can take to give everyone a voice.

● Notice the common cross-cultural differences and be conscious of the tacit assumptions
and tendencies that can lead to misunderstandings.

● Practice active listening and take turns speaking.

● Offer opportunities for free and friendly exchange of ideas.

● Provide cross-cultural training for different groups to get familiar with each other’s
communication styles, etiquette and body language.

● As the HBR authors suggest, ask people who affiliate with multiple cultures to serve as a
bridge on cross-cultural teams.

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 ● Use forums and discussions as an opportunity to understand different approaches to
feedback while working through disagreements.

Although diverse teams are more creative and better resourced at solving problems, geographic
diversity adds another layer of complexity for remote teams. So, regardless of how leaders
approach cross-cultural communications, adapting to working with different cultures is not a
one-off event.

Unity In Diversity: A Powerful Approach To Progress

It is only through daily exposure to different perspectives that open-minded leaders will learn
how to tune their settings and make communications universally understood. This includes
creating a safe environment where people can disagree and make their “no” heard. But
remember, cultural differences are a double-edged sword depending on how leaders treat
them—as a positive point or a difficulty. We are not aiming just to avoid conflict but to use
differences as a powerful method of making progress for our organizations.

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TASK 1 - Analyse the content and language of the article and determine the author’s
attitude and beliefs towards the cultural influence in relation to the theories you have
learned

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TASK 2 - Write a response to the article/letter

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TASK 3 - Write and discuss your thoughts on the attitudes and beliefs portrayed in your
response

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TASK 4 - Explain the factors that contributed towards the development of each of your
attitudes and beliefs

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REFERENCES

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