! The Importance of Cultural Competence in the Workplace

Question: GREETINGS Like handshakes, greeting rituals also vary from culture to culture. Japanese women bow differently from Japanese men. Could you describe how the bow is done by the Japanese and the German as illustrated in the drawings below? The German bow which is termed as diener means a bow to and in recognition of an authority. Thus, when a person bows, he/she is actually sending the message "at your service." SOURCES OF MISUNDERSTANDING Kaur (2016) cites the following as the sources misunderstanding: of 1. Ambiguity- lack of explicitness on the part of the speaker in the form of problematic reference and ambiguous semantics in which an utterance is open to different interpretations. 2. Performance-related misunderstanding - slips of the tongue and mishearing which may be due to utterances spoken quickly and unclearly. 3. Language-related misunderstanding - ungrammaticality of sentences. 4. Gaps in world knowledge gaps in content rather than language. 5. Local context turns and the turns within sequences. produced by the participants themselves, and the orientation of the participants as well as the repair moves that follow the displayed understanding (p. 147). APPROACHES TO STUDYING INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION Why is there a need to understand intercultural communication? It is easy to say that people belong to diverse cultures, hence the need to understand others. But it is easier said than done. Some people take it for granted to read about and study first a country's culture before they go and travel to the place. There is a need to be aware or conscious of other cultures especially those that you will visit so you can avoid offending people. Due to misinterpretations, miscommunication occurs. Likewise, it is suggested that you become aware of cultural identities and backgrounds as it will broaden your horizon. All cultures are equal and though sometimes difficult to understand, you need to understand that no culture is superior or inferior to another. It is only through awareness that you get to compare other cultures with your own and appreciate cultural diversities and learn to live with them. People have different languages, lifestyles, and ways of thinking, speaking, and behaving. This is the essence of cultural diversity. Make me a PowerPoint for this topic