Cultural Communication Barriers

Columbia Southern University

The world today has become a much smaller place, the advances in methods of communication and transportation, have made other cultures more accessible. We are able at any time of the day to communicate with someone across the globe. With boundaries disappearing, people of all ethnicities are migrating to different parts of the world, introducing new cultural influences.
When cultures intertwine there is bound to be areas of miscommunication and conflict. In the business world dealing with language barriers is very important, not only verbal communication but non-verbal communication also. It is necessary to have knowledge of the culture and understand the differences (Guffey & Loewy, 2015).
Spoken language is the first barrier most cultures face when interacting with each other. Those barriers do not have to be between people from different countries, there can be language barriers between people who live in the same country or have the same cultural background. The Spanish language is one example, there are different words for the same object or a word that means one thing in one Latino language may mean something inappropriate in another (Kosur, 2015). Their culture and spoken language differs depending on which area they live and the outside influences on the culture. Even within our own boundaries we see this.
In order to do business in today’s world, it is important to be aware of differences between cultures. Having opportunities to share cultural differences between employees helps build stronger working relationships and can change misconceptions of other cultures. Understanding these difference within an organization benefit employees later when they must do business with someone from another culture (Duggan, n.d).
Communities with diverse populations have found it necessary to