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Cultural Barriers to Communication in the Workplace

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Submitted By tjasmina00
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The main theme of our group project is cross-cultural communication difficulties in the workplace. The background is in relation of two female co-workers and how each woman interprets verbal and nonverbal behavior differently. Also, how a staff member could easily misinterpret the verbal and nonverbal behavior of another staff member and the adverse effect it could have on work productivity and morale. In addition, we will address, the responsibility of staff in leadership roles to promote and adapt to the different styles of communication.

The topics our group plans to address are as follow:

* Introduction * Assessment of Cross-Cultural Differences * Potential Solutions for Communication Barriers * Adapting to Cross-Cultural Differences An assessment of the issues will be addressed on the topic of misinterpretation of verbal and nonverbal behavior which includes 1) Tone: sarcasm and joking, and communication model 2) Assumptions: made by sender and made by receiver 3) Loss of clarity in the message: misinterpret differently and passive listening. In addition to cross-cultural communication differences, cultural beliefs, personality conflicts, communication styles, and passive-aggressive behavior, the probable assumptions of deeper meanings in a message will be analyzed by the way individuals convey and receive a message.

Our group paper will explain how two co-workers from different cultures can achieve effective communication and in turn help improve the morale of the team members and their working relationship, while increasing the overall efficiency of their department. Our paper will identify that small breakdowns in communications can act as a roadblock and impede upon workflows and processes. Our paper will show that by taking time to understand cultural differences, individual communication styles, and learn to speak the

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