Category: Communication

Introduction

In the modern world, communication plays one of the decisive roles in the functioning of many spheres of society. Global communication plays a unique role as a way to exchange information with people anywhere in the world. This is facilitated by the development of multiple innovative technologies, such as the Internet and mobile communications. Thus, this work aims to study this phenomenon and its value. The concept of global communication itself, its advantages and disadvantages, barriers to its implementation, and the importance it has for business will be considered in more detail. This is because global communication cannot be compared with communication on a personal level.

What is Global Communication?

First of all, it is necessary to gain an understanding of the phenomenon of global communication. It implies the exchange of information at the global level in various geographical and social areas. Studies also emphasize that global communication Global communication can take various forms, including global advertisements, political speeches, journalistic news stories, social media posts (What is global/international communication?, n.d., para. 1). The analysis and consideration of this phenomenon are essential since it affects all areas of activity of individuals, including business, medicine, education, culture, politics and many others. Global communication is also called international, and it is used to spread information to as large and diverse an audience as possible. Moreover, it is also vital to highlight the peculiarity of the interaction of global data exchange with various processes taking place in the world. Thus, the concept under study has interrelations with such aspects as globalization, cultural and language exchange, and state laws.

Advantages of Global Communication

Global communication has several advantages that determine its value. Thus, it promotes cohesion and the establishment of high-quality relationships between people in different parts of the world. This is due to the development of information technologies that help individuals connect at any time and in any place. This factor applies not only to personal communication but also to such areas as economics and politics and many others where the exchange of information and data is of particular value.

Therefore, it should be mentioned that international communication has a positive effect on business development and the emergence of new opportunities. The main component of this advantage is the knowledge of other peoples cultures (Masoom, 2016). Properly established communication with foreign companies can help expand the organizations staff by attracting new talented employees. Moreover, businesses have the opportunity to exchange experience to avoid possible problems and increase efficiency and profit. Furthermore, the advantage of sharing information on a global level is to expand the learning market. In other words, managers and researchers are presented with even more ways to acquire new valuable data not only about the business area but also about customers. In addition, it contributes to the emergence of innovative and unique ideas that will help accelerate business development.

Another crucial advantage of global communication is the improvement of cultural education for the entire population. Thus, when communicating with representatives of different peoples, individuals gain knowledge about other cultures, traditions, views, customs, and opinions (Kaptan, 2020). Therefore, the acquisition of this information can contribute to the further transmission of it to other generations. This process encourages the formation of cultural identity and awareness, which is critically important at the present stage of societys development.

Barriers and Disadvantages

Despite the multiple advantages of global communication, this phenomenon has some limitations. Hence, they need to be known to prevent cases of problems and to ensure an easy and efficient information exchange process. Thus, the state, linguistic, and cultural aspects are the barriers to the phenomenon under study. The first is caused by differences in the legislative and legal spheres in different countries. This can manifest itself both in the restriction of specific actions on the Internet and social networks and in varying degrees of the level of confidentiality of information. Thus, organizations and individuals should treat this aspect with special responsibility and care since its observance is critical for global communication.

The second barrier that can limit the process of international information exchange is language. The main problem is the inability to convey what people want correctly and fully to the interlocutor because of the various nuances of the language, which are sometimes known only to the native speaker. An analysis of the literature emphasized that this also affects the impairment of sensemaking in the team, which disrupts sophisticated knowledge processing activities (Tenzer et al., 2021, p. 101184). Moreover, all responsibility for the result of communication lies with its initiator, so it is vital to introduce training in the ethics of business communication if it concerns market relations. Moreover, there are many examples where even the most successful companies have made mistakes in their advertising campaigns and failed because of the language barrier. One example could be a failed Coca-Cola company advertisement in China when a global soda retailer incorrectly translated its slogan into Chinese and wrote: bite the wax tadpole (Weedmark, 2018, para. 13). This example proves the importance of understanding and knowledge of the linguistic features of other countries to establish productive global communication.

The third limiting factor is the emergence of issues related to the cultural differences of the communication participants. Underestimating this aspect can lead to severe problems and negatively affect the activities of any organization (Khojastehpour et al., 2015). One of the ways to avoid cases of unintentional offending of representatives of a particular representative of culture is through the involvement of specialists. These employees can provide advice on which features and details need to be taken into account when exchanging information with other countries. For example, as already mentioned, the United States of America and China have different privacy laws. Therefore, the excessive frankness of a representative of American culture can seriously hurt the interlocutor from China.

Henceforth, the next aspect that requires attention is the negative aspects of global or international communication. Often, there are cases when problems may arise during the exchange of information, even when achieving the set goal. That is why it is crucial to arrange all the essential aspects in advance and determine the course of communication in such a way as to avoid complications. The most outstanding and severe consequence of global communication is the possibility of intellectual property being stolen and used in other countries. To do this, it is necessary to pay special attention to the protection and confidentiality of the exchanged information.

Global Communication in Business

This research paper has repeatedly mentioned the importance of global communication for business. It plays one of the decisive roles in gaining competitiveness and productive work for the company. Thus, to conduct successful activities, companies must have awareness and a clear understanding of what the phenomenon in question is and what advantages and disadvantages it has. The condition that communication takes place at the international level also carries a certain level of responsibility and the necessary caution.

The first important step for any organization is to pay more attention to the development of cross-cultural communication between it and foreign colleagues. To do this, business leaders should make strategic changes to the business policy and introduce specialized training for employees. It should include disseminating awareness about other cultures and their peculiarities regarding verbal and nonverbal communication. All this is because it is the company that should be responsible for the activities of its employees since their actions will inevitably affect its reputation.

A special relationship, in this case, is played by language, on which the outcome of communication at the global level also depends. The research underlines that the natural tendency of humans is to communicate in their language, the most comfortable for self-expression, but also to understand others (Constantinescuv, 2015, p. 162). The usual translation of the necessary request or information is not enough, and it is necessary to make sure that the text does not have any unintentional insults and mistakes that can hurt the feelings and views of the recipient. Furthermore, this may be influenced by the initial difference in how people express themselves and think, which is sometimes difficult to convey when translated into another language.

Henceforth, another aspect that business needs to take into account when conducting global communication with other companies is the difference in perception. This feature is closely related to the concept of culture. It represents the fact that representatives of different countries have different ideas about how to conduct business correctly, communicate with colleagues, and organize the work of staff and the company as a whole (Klitmøller et al., 2015). In addition, this also applies to concepts such as ethics and values. In cases where different worldviews collide and it is difficult to come to a mutual agreement, it makes no sense to conduct lengthy negotiations, as this will only complicate the process of achieving the goal.

To anticipate and prevent the occurrence of undesirable situations, a business should conduct a preliminary study of the culture and the foreign organization itself with which it plans to interact. This includes eliminating possible emerging prejudices and prejudices against representatives of other peoples and increasing cultural awareness of all parties involved in the process. An effective way to do this is to create a separate department, which does not necessarily have to be large, but it must have time to carry out information collection activities. Finally, the involvement of employees with different points of view can help to gain a balanced opinion and view of the negotiations and business correspondence and also help to increase the chances of getting better results.

Conclusion

This work considered the value of such a concept as global communication for both society and business. It has several advantages, such as improving cultural awareness and providing easier access to information exchange. However, some barriers to global communication were also highlighted, including the language barrier, cultural differences, and the legislative aspect. Despite this, a business can have many benefits with the correct implementation of the phenomenon under study in its practice and ensuring the proper level of education of employees.

References

Constantinescuv, G. C. (2015). Vocation of language for international communication- A prediction tool for future evolutions in global communication. Cross-Cultural Management Journal, 17(2), 161-174.

Kaptan, Y. (2020). Global communication and culture. Global communication: A multicultural perspective.

Khojastehpour, M., Ferdous, A.S., & Polonsky, M. (2015). Addressing the complexities of managing domestic and multinational corporate brands. Corporate Communications: An International Journal, 20(1), 48-62. Web.

Klitmøller, A., Schneider, S.C., & Jonsen, K. (2015). Speaking of global virtual teams: language differences, social categorization and media choice, Personnel Review, 44(2), 270-285. Web.

Masoom, M.R., Islam, J., & Taimur, A. (2016). One dimensional social values in the globalized world: Empirical evidence from Netherland, Singapore, Zimbabwe and Rwanda. Management Dynamics in the Knowledge Economy, 4(3), 357-383.

What is global/international communication? What can you do with a masters in global communication?. (n.d.). Masters in Communication. Web.

Tenzer, H., Pudelko, M., & Zellmer-Bruhn, M. (2021). The impact of language barriers on knowledge processing in multinational teams. Journal of World Business, 56(2), 101184. Web.

Weedmark, D. (2018). A Definition of Global Communication. Biz Fluent. Web.

Ash, T. (2019). The advantages & disadvantages of computerization on globalization. Biz Fluent. Web.

Privacy Across Culture

Intellectual communication is the process of communicating between two cultures. Intellectual communication involves an interpretive, contextual, symbolic, and transactional process where individuals from different cultural backgrounds create and share meanings during interactions (Grothe, 2020). Privacy across culture is one of the essential concepts that enable people to develop a conducive social environment with respect to personal boundaries. To effectively communicate with people from other cultures, one must understand their culture to avoid misunderstandings during social interactions (Grothe, 2020). Therefore, understanding other peoples cultures eliminates behavior and attitude barriers in communication. Privacy across cultures employs nonverbal communication skills that enable them to appreciate others as a sign of respect and appreciation. For instance, American residents have a habit of giving a tour to their guests as a sign of welcoming them to their house, even though the guest did not ask (Grothe, 2020). I can apply privacy across cultures in a business environment to improve employee performance. For example, encouraging employees to develop customer-friendly behavior such as greeting, smiling, and marinating eye contact promotes a customer satisfaction experience.

Cultural Space

Cultural space is another concept of intellectual communication that uses nonverbal communication to understand our environment. An individuals environment determines the effectiveness of communication between two individuals from different cultures; this helps one develop topics of conversations or the type of products a community uses by predicting their response (Grothe, 2020). For instance, Wal-Mart is an international organization that operates across different cultures but has not been successful in Asia (Grothe, 2020). Asian communities consume different products from America and China, creating a low demand for Wal-Mart products. I can also use cultural space to develop employee training programs in a business environment. As a good manager, understanding the cultures of subordinates will help create training programs such as seminars and workshops to improve their skills. It will also contribute to understanding the types of products a culture uses by learning their likes and dislikes. Hence, I will implement appropriate advertisement strategies that will not offend consumers cultural beliefs and norms by predicting their reactions.

Reference

Grothe, T. (2020). 5: Nonverbal Processes in Intercultural Communication. LibreTexts. Web.

Introduction

A summary of diffusion of innovations by Robinson Les. The diffusion of innovations is a broad topic that tries to find out how innovations are taken up in a population. Innovation is a behavior, a new idea, or an object that seems to be new to its audience. In other words, diffusion of intonations is a supposition that tries to find out why, how, and at which rate these new concepts are taken up and spread through different cultures.

Diffusion of innovation presents many important insights into the practice of social change that include the significance of peer networks and peer-to-peer conversations, qualities that make the spread of innovation success, and understanding the requirements of varied user segments (Robinson, 2009)¹.

The theory was popularized by a professor of rural socialization named Rogers Everett in his book named Diffusion of Innovations from which he defines diffusion as a method by which innovation is communicated in certain ways over a given period among members of a social system. This paper is going to focus on different models of mass communication, communication networks, and opinion leadership with a keen look at monomorphic and polymorphic opinion leadership.

The hypodermic needle model by Underwood Mick

There exist two models of mass communication flows, which are the hypodermic needle model and the two step flow model. The first model is experienced when a mass media has an immediate or direct effect on its mass audience. In this model, the mass audience wholly receives and accepts the message intended for them (Underwood, 2010)².

The two-step flow of communication by Ashley Mowbray

On the other hand, the two-step theory asserts that the media effects are indirect and are established through the personal influence of opinion leaders (Mowbray, 2011)³. People are influenced more by face to face contact. Most of the people in this model are not directly influenced by the media, which comes second through the personal influence of opinion leaders.

Diffusion Network by Wirijadinata

There exist homophily and heterophily communication networks. Looking at the hemophilic network, the exchange of concepts mostly occurs between people who are alike and is considered more effective though it is thought to be a barrier to diffusion because of the trickledown effect from the elites in the system to the non elites is nonexistent within the system. Heterophilic in the contrary asserts that the exchange of concepts occurs between different people and is considered ineffective (Wirijadinata, 2011)⁴.

Opinion leader by the executive fast track

An opinion leader is a person who is able to manipulate and persuade another persons behavior to conform to his or her preferences. He or she is considered to be influential and has the capability to informally change peoples attitudes and behaviors. Opinion leadership is attained through a leaders procedural competency, conformity with social systems norms and values and social skills. It is also sustained through the same (The Executive Fast Track, 2011)⁵. In this type of opinion leadership, followers of opinion leaders tend to admire and try to look like their leaders. In most cases in the followers perception, opinion leaders are more exposed to many activities and relationships.

Opinion leadership and self monitoring by Asugman et al

Opinion leaders play an important role in the society due to their influential abilities and exposure. They play a big role in spreading of new concepts, beliefs and values (Asugman, 1994)⁶. There are two types of opinion leadership which are monomorphic and polymorphic. Monomorphic opinion leadership is seen when the leaders influence is narrowed to one particular subject. This style is thought to be favored in modern industrial societies and is illustrated by roles specialization and labor division. On the hand, polymorphic opinion leadership is seen when a leaders influence covers a wider range of topics (Rogers 2003, 314)⁷. It is thought to be conservative and mostly found in traditional societies.

Bibliography

Asugman, Gulden, Borak, Eser and Bodur, Muzaffer. Opinion leadership and self-monitoring: Evidence for the two-way flow of communications. Acrwebsite, 1994. Web.

Mowbray, Ashley. The Two-step flow model of communication. Blackpool media. 2011. 

Robinson, Les. A summary of diffusion of innovations. Enabling change. 2009. 

Rogers, Everett. Diffusion of innovations. New York. Simon and Schuster, 2003.

The Executive Fast Track. Opinion Leader. Manage.com. 2011. Web.

Underwood, Mick. The hypodermic needle model. Cultsock. 2010. Web.

Wirijadinata, Jat. Diffusion Network. WordPress. 2011. 

Footnotes

1. Les, Robinson. A summary of the diffusion of innovations. 2009. Web.
2. Mick, Underwood. The hypodermic needle model. 2010. Web.
3. Ashley Mowbray. The Two-step flow model of communication. 2011. Web.
4. Jat, Wirijadinata. Diffusion Network. 2011. Web.
5. The Executive Fast Track. Opinion Leader. 2011. Web.
6. Asugman, Gulden, Borak, Eser and Bodur, Muzaffer. Opinion leadership and self-monitoring: Evidence for the two-way flow of communications. 1994. Web.
7. Everett, Rogers. Diffusion of innovations. New York. Simon and Schuster, 2003.

Introduction

The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) teaches children that by transmitting the desired image or pointing a sequence of images to another person, they can get what they want. PECS is an alternative communication card exchange system initially created for children with an autism spectrum disorder (Putri et al., 2018). But as it turned out, it is suitable for absolutely all children who have difficulties with speech.

The training usually occurs in a childs natural environment, classroom, or home during typical daily activities. The main methods of teaching communication using PECS cards are based on the principles of applied behavior analysis. With the help of the PECS system, kids learn to exchange photographs of the objects they need for the things themselves (Ganz et al., 2005). PECS images are easy to use, can always be taken with, and can describe in detail everything in the childs environment. The system helps to teach kids to formulate a request in a whole sentence, ask for several things at once, tell how the day went, talk, etc. This article will focus more on the impact of PECS on children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder who have problems with speech and communication. Despite certain drawbacks, it is believed that this system can significantly facilitate childrens interaction with speech problems with others.

Alternative Communication Systems

Various alternative systems and methods of communication are popular in the world. The types of alternative communication include the use of sign language, symbols, and the system (Crowe et al., 2021). They assume the likelihood of transmitting important information if natural ways of delivery are not available for any reason. Alternative communication is how a child can interact with people around him without using spoken language. At a particular stage of growing up children, their intellectual development must not stop. Such alternative communication paths can reduce the impact of cognitive disabilities on the childs socialization process (Ali et al., 2011). PECS does not slow down the improvement of spoken language but, on the contrary, accelerates it  by parrying verbal and visual stimuli in the exchange process.

Benefits of Using the System

Training is Carried out Step by Step

Breaking the process down into steps can help relieve pressure feelings that children may face. The meaning of such a strategy is that people begin to solve the final goal only when several intermediate ones are reached. This system has several stages based on the science of verbal behavior (Sulzer-Azaroff et al., 2009). This field of applied behavior analysis deals with all types of verbal behavior, including text, spoken language, and all forms of communication. The system includes separate stages for teaching various skills, including expressing a request using a picture and distinguishing one image from another. At all these stages, it simulates spoken language and encourages its development.

Maintaining Motivation among Students

The system is designed in such a way that it helps the child to remain motivated throughout the entire period of study. It includes strategies to encourage and develop verbal communication abilities (Dogoe et al., 2010). Some children naturally stop using PECS when they improve their speaking skills, so speaking is easier and more effective. In addition, the system provides for the established beginning of solving the problem and the result of efforts. Therefore, the child will have no difficulty understanding what purpose adults are pursuing when they offer him to interact with the system. The illustrations explain where to start the process and how the chain of the childs actions should end.

Ease of Perception and the Possibility of Expanding the Scope of Use

This system is easy to use, and its scope of use can be expanded without any difficulties. Some peoples sign language and spoken language can be challenging to follow, leading to situations when the person is not understood. At the same time, the visual information is easily perceived by the people, and the colorfulness and sketchiness of the pictures only simplify the process of understanding their meaning. This circumstance makes communication successful and effective in different places and conditions, which encourages further development of communication (Alsayedhassan et al., 2019). Within the framework of the system, the childs communication expands when he is taught to use not one card but a board where the whole sentence is written. As a result, he can describe the items he asks for and then comments on what is happening.

Groups of People Suitable for Using PECS

The most preferred form of communication for most people is speech. It makes it possible to fully express ones thoughts and interact with the maximum number of communicative partners. Unfortunately, many children cannot learn to speak easily on their own, including most adolescents with autism. For example, a recent study has demonstrated that the use of PECS has led to significant improvements in communication among children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Gilroy et al., 2018). PECS can facilitate interaction with others and loved ones for children with down syndrome who need additional or enhanced communication systems (Barbosa et al., 2018). Moreover, teaching through visual data helps kids who have difficulty learning a foreign language; in the study conducted, it was English (Zohoorian et al., 2021).

Alternative communication with PECS cards is not age-limited and can be effectively used for children and adults with cognitive impairments. Experts practicing in this field recognized the PECS method as the best among programs developing autists communication skills (Flippin et al., 2010). However, there are still some conditions  the patient must be ready to transfer information to another person. The Picture Exchange Communication System itself is designed primarily for the non-verbal category of people. However, it is beneficial for teaching patients with poor vocabulary and slurred speech and for patients with echolalia, whose verbal contacts consist of repetitions of other peoples words.

Disadvantages of the System

The PECS system has certain drawbacks, but they cannot be considered significant. To ensure the continuity of communication, the child must always have photographs or pictures of the necessary objects at hand. However, due to various circumstances, they can be torn or lost. If parents lose photos from the set, they will need to buy a new collection or spend time making pictures by hand, which can be time-consuming. It is worth mentioning that the system itself aims to reduce aggression, and it has been shown in a recent study that the use of PECS pictures leads to a decrease in anger and anxiety (Hu & Lee, 2019). The loss of images occurred can provoke childrens aggression or a gloomy mood, which is unacceptable. This drawback is not so critical since what is needed is to be more careful when using the system and ensure that all the necessary images are included.

Commercial and DIY PECS System

This system is not expensive; one can make their own picture cards. It has become even easier to find suitable images on the Internet or take photos with a mobile phone in todays environment. The advantage of a homemade system is a greater adaptation to the needs of a particular child. Individual selection of pictures for each patient creates the most visual communication, not reducing contact to simple requests and visualizing objects. However, it should be noted that the application of self-made pictures for teaching carries the risk of misuse of the system by parents at home in general, which can negatively affect the improvement of childrens communication skills. The higher overall quality characterizes models purchased from manufacturers. Moreover, commercial models provide a parenting guide to help them avoid mistakes. Among the systems to assist in communication, a less expensive RECS system may become an alternative to expensive high-performance speech-generating devices (Lorah et al., 2018). When deciding whether to buy a system, one should be guided by both the family budget and the childs specific needs.

Conclusion

Research proves the effectiveness of using the system for the acquisition and development of rhea skills. If the child can speak, the use of PECS cards will only accelerate the emergence of verbal requests and the process of mastering speech. Gaining communication skills using the analyzed system will be an excellent foundation for children to master their vocal abilities in the future. The existing shortcomings of the PECS are not significant and are not a reason to refuse to use it. At the same time, the advantages of this method of alternative communication, including the ability to choose from two types of systems, indicate the need for its use.

References

Ali, E., MacFarland, S., & Umbreit, J. (2011). Effectiveness of combining tangible symbols with the Picture Exchange Communication System to teach requesting skills to children with multiple disabilities including visual impairment. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 46(3), 425-435.

Alsayedhassan, Batool & Lee, Jaehoon & Banda, Devender & Kim, Youngmin & Griffin-Shirley, Nora. (2019). Practitioners perceptions of the picture exchange communication system for children with autism. Disability and Rehabilitation, 43, 1-6.

Barbosa, R., de Oliveira, A., de Lima Antão, J., Crocetta, T. B., Guarnieri, R., Antunes, T., Arab, C., Massetti, T., Bezerra, I., de Mello Monteiro, C. B., & de Abreu, L. C. (2018). Augmentative and alternative communication in children with Downs syndrome: A systematic review. BMC pediatrics, 18(1), 160.

Crowe, B., Machalicek, W., Wei, Q., Drew, C., & Ganz, J. (2021). Augmentative and alternative communication for children with intellectual and developmental disability: A mega-review of the literature. Journal of developmental and physical disabilities, 142. Advance online publication.

Dogoe, M., Banda, D., & Lock, R. (2010). Acquisition and generalization of the Picture Exchange Communication System behaviors across settings, persons, and stimulus classes with three students with autism. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 45(2), 216-229.

Flippin, M., Reszka, S., & Watson, L. R. (2010). Effectiveness of the Picture Exchange Communi-cation System (PECS) on communication and speech for children with autism spectrum disorders: A meta-analysis. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 19, 178195.

Ganz, J., Cook, K., Corbin-Newsome, J., Bourgeois, B., & Flores, M. (2005). Variations on the use of a pictorial alternative communication system with a child with autism and developmental delays. Teaching Exceptional Children Plus, 1(6), 1-14.

Gilroy, S. P., Leader, G., & McCleery, J. P. (2018). A pilot community-based randomized comparison of speech generating devices and the picture exchange communication system for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Official Journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 11(12), 17011711. Web.

Hu, X., & Lee, G. (2019). Effects of PECS on the emergence of vocal mands and the reduction of aggressive behavior across settings for a child with autism. Behavioral Disorders, 44(4), 215226.

Lorah, E., Tincani, M., & Parnell, A. (2018). Current trends in the use of handheld technology as a speech-generating device for children with autism. Behavior Analysis Research and Practice, 18(3), 1-11.

Putri, C., & Hastuti, W. D. & Adi, E. (2018). The influence the picture exchange communication system method toward the communication ability of autistic child. Journal of ICSAR, 2(2), 180-185.

Sulzer-Azaroff, B., Hoffman, A. O., Horton, C. B., Bondy, A., & Frost, L. (2009). The Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS): What do the data say? Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, 24(2), 89103.

Zohoorian, Z., Zeraatpishe, M., & Matin, N. (2021). Effectiveness of the picture exchange communication system in teaching English vocabulary in children with autism spectrum disorders: A single-subject study. Cogent Education, 8, 1-16.

Analysis of the Issue Faced by the Leader in the Scenario

In the Riverbend City scenario, I was chosen to work in charge of the Leadership Team that was created for the provision of the emergency response of a flood disaster in Riverbend City. The team is comprised of several people who have very different communication styles. As a result, as a team leader, I must quickly identify the communication styles used by my team members and establish effective communication. The productivity of the entire team, as well as all of its functions and the completion of tasks, will depend on my choices of leadership and communication styles for the team. Due to the disaster, the citys water supply has suffered some adverse impacts and is currently lost. The people remaining in the territory of Riverbend City have already spent 24 hours without running water.

The mission of our team is to address the situation with the citys water supply. In that way, the Leadership Team must work fast and in a complete agreement so that we could provide Riverbend City with one of the essential resources necessary for the survival and wellbeing of its residents. The complexity of the situation faced by me as a team leader is based on the fact that I was not the one who assembled my team and I am unfamiliar with its members. Moreover, the team is rather diverse which means that each of the members will require an individual approach from communication and leadership. Practically, my role as a leader is to analyze my teammates and quickly find understanding with each of them to enable productive and harmonious teamwork.

In the scenario, the first issue occurred right at the initial stage of communication when the team had to gather for the first time and have a meeting. Structure-oriented team members are willing to stick to protocols while impulse-oriented people wish for more flexibility in the group. The meeting has to happen, and the area that is supposed to serve as the location for the meeting according to the protocol is difficult to reach for some of the team members. The leader is to help the team decision as to whether the meeting should be held via Skype, in person, in the protocol location, or an alternative place.

The Leadership Styles That Will Stimulate Effective Team Work

Since the members of the Leadership Team have a variety of different communication styles, the leader of this team could apply several leadership styles to enable productive communication. First of all, authoritative or autocratic style may not work well for all members of the team because practicing it the leader would have to assume the dominant position and make decisions without taking into consideration the views of team members (Amanchukwu, Stanley, & Ololube, 2015). At the same time, it may be used in very urgent situations when a quick decision has to be made, and there is no time for discussions. Democratic leadership style could be more appropriate as it is rather participative and allows all the members of the team to express their opinions before attempting to reach a compromise (Amanchukwu et al., 2015; Winkler, 2012). However, such an inhomogeneous group of members is likely to experience clashes and arguments while trying to figure out which decision is the most practical.

Style and behavior theory is one of the most suitable leadership theories applicable to the present situation. The main argument of this theory states that different followers are likely to have different communication styles (Ahmed, Nawaz, & Khan, 2016). As a result, according to style and behavior theory, the leader is to select several leadership styles to enable effective communication with different followers. In the case of our Leadership Team, this could work well because each of the members is in charge of different sets of activities and tasks and that is why the leader will have to alternate between various styles of leadership and communication to teach all the necessary goals successfully.

Another leadership theory suitable in this situation is the contingency or situational theory according to which a leader is to take into consideration the conditions that impact their interaction with the followers and choose the styles of communication and leadership accordingly (Ahmed et al., 2016). At the same time, a laissez-faire leadership style that is supported by several different theories (such as process theory, situational theory, and style and behavior theory) should not be used in this particular group of individuals up to the time when some form of agreement is reached and when the members are more familiar with one anothers peculiarities. However, the laissez-faire leadership style that allows the followers to perform independently could be quite beneficial for this team because it is comprised of strong leaders who are excellent in their respective fields and do not require much coordination when fulfilling their professional tasks (Goodnight, 2004).

Communication and Listening Styles That Are Best Suited for This Scenario

Gamble and Gamble (2013) outlined four main listening styles  people-centered, content-centered, action-centered, and time-centered. Taking into account the urgency of the present emergency, it could be reasonable to focus on action and time-centered communication styles thus making effective performance the most important element of teamwork. The group members will likely understand and appreciate this choice. Analyzing the example of communication between group members presented in the scenario, it is possible to notice that trying to come up with a reasonable time and location solutions for the group meeting the members got carried away into an unproductive argument that also could produce a destructive impact on the inner atmosphere of the team. In that way, the most proactive solution would be for the leader to establish the weight of each of the problems and persuade the members of the team to agree to avoid arguments and focus on reaching a consensus instead.

Given the differences in the engaged personalities, it can be predicted that at the initial stages of group work clashes and arguments are inevitable. That is why it is necessary to focus on getting the work done. Along the way, it would be possible for the team members to get to know one another and develop more tolerance to various styles of communication. At the moment, Brad Nygard and Matthew Chu seem to face conflict due to their expressive and aggressive communication styles. Practically, the two members seem to be the exact opposites of one another in terms of personalities, and that is why they require a common focus to be able to work alongside each other. In that way, the best listening styles for the team are action- and time-centered ones; and the most suitable communication style is assertive that encourages the members to selected words carefully, communicate their opinions more clearly, and be aware of their emotional expressions (Newton, 2017).

The Role of Social Networking and Technology Communications

During the very first interaction of the group, there appeared the idea that digital technology could be used to conduct a meeting with all the members regardless of the presence of the extreme conditions preventing some of them from traveling to the physical location of the meeting. One of the members proposed that the meeting should be held via Skype. This is a smart and practical idea; however, as it can be seen from the initial email conversation, some of the members do not get along, and distance communication does not seem to work. This highly diverse group full of strong personalities requires some team-building that could be accomplished via a personal meeting more effectively than via Skype.

At the same time, the mission is urgent, and people in the city require water as soon as possible. Consequently, it is necessary to eliminate time-consuming activities such as lengthy traveling to the protocol meeting location. Since all group members are in charge of different aspects of the provision of water supply to the city, and, most likely, will have to travel to different parts of the city to fulfill their duties, it makes sense to hold a Skype meeting and assign tasks first. Otherwise, if a physical meeting is held in a protocol location, it may take too much time for the members to reach the location and then go back to various parts of the city and complete their goals. Practically, the role of technology communication and social networking is to provide a faster form of communication thus increasing the efficiency of the team.

The Most Important Areas of Focus

High Importance to the Leader, Low Importance to Followers

• Team organization
• Choice of leadership and communication styles

Low Importance to the Leader, High Importance to Followers

• Self-expression
• Establishment of personal authority

Low Importance to the Leader, Low Importance to Followers

• Arguments and clashes
• The loss of time

High Importance to the Leader, High Importance to Followers

• The completion of a group mission
• Successful communication
• Fast and productive work

How Interpersonal and Organizational Effectiveness Will Be Achieved

My leadership action and communication strategies will be focused on the elimination of unnecessary activities and the unification of all the members under one goal. To help the members get along, I will assign each of them with a clear set of tasks so that they are busy working instead of arguing. I will encourage brief, fast, and proactive communication between members to avoid excessive discussions and provide positive feedback and appraisal for an excellent performance. Also, I will make sure to communicate the objectives of the team and the importance of our mission clearly to ensure that all the members agree about the common goals.

The Role of Communication in Resolving the Issue

Communication is a key aspect of group work. It keeps the group coordinated and organized. At the same time, it may serve as the source of conflict. The role of the leader is to transform the passionate attitudes of the followers into active work and help the members with different personalities communicate effectively. The leader is to supervise team communication and help direct and guide it so that it is used for the achievement of common goals and mutual appreciation f the members.

References

Ahmed, Z., Nawaz, A., & Khan, I. U. (2016). Leadership Theories and Styles: A literature review. Journal of Resources Development and Management, 16, 1-7.

Amanchukwu, R. N., Stanley, G. J., & Ololube, N. P. (2015). A review of leadership theories, principles and styles and their relevance to educational management. Management, 5(1), 6-14.

Gamble, T. K., & Gamble, M. W. (2013). Leading with communication: A practical approach to leadership communication. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Goodnight, R. (2004). Encyclopedia of leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Newton, C. (2017). The five communication styles.

Winkler, I. (2012). Contemporary leadership theories: Enhancing the understanding of the complexity, subjectivity and dynamic of leadership. New York, NY: Physica.

Introduction

Communication is a day-to-day aspect of the human being. People need to communicate in order to share thoughts, opinions or coordinate activities. Technological advancement, advancement in means of transport and communication, and globalization have allowed more intercultural interactions. Intercultural communication is essential as people interact in colleges, businesses, workplaces or tourism activities.

Despite cultural differences, people need to share information and opinions, negotiate, discuss or chat for leisure. Of all other forms of communication, verbal and non-verbal communication remains the most important even in intercultural communication. People from different cultures need to use oral communication and watch unspoken signs during communication. Verbal and non-verbal communication has a very important role in intercultural communication.

Verbal and Non-verbal Communication and intercultural communication

Verbal communication is the most common and natural form of communication. Communication mainly takes place by sharing information or thoughts using word of mouth. On the other hand, it is estimated that about 75% of information is sent through body language (Hopkins, 2010, par 5). Although other forms of communication such as written communication are used, verbal communication remains the most natural and widely used. Modern forms of communication such as the use of emails are important but cannot completely substitute verbal communication. Despite innovations in other forms of communication many people often opt for conventional methods such as one-to-one communication and the use of telephones.

Verbal and non-verbal communication is very important in communication between individuals of different cultures. Although other forms of communication such as written communication can be used, they cannot be able to have the same effect as verbal and non-verbal communication.

For example, verbal communication allows for direct feedback that may not be possible in other forms of communication. On the other hand, nonverbal communication allows subtle messages that cannot be expressed verbally to be communicated. Some contexts necessitate the use of verbal communication. In a class or lecture room, educators and lecturers have to use verbal communication to explain concepts. Effect intercultural verbal and non-verbal communication is, thus, necessary to ensure communication in a diverse cultured learning environment.

Effective verbal and nonverbal communication is a major determinant of success in a global business environment (Gupta, 1998, p. 107). In business negotiations, businesspersons from different cultural backgrounds have to use verbal and nonverbal skills. In some cases, negotiators have to use interpreters to facilitate intercultural communication. Apart from using verbal means, interpretation of body language is important in intercultural business negotiations. Interpretation of communicated verbal messages separate from body signs that accompany them may lead to miscommunication (Novinger, 2001, p. 64).

Apart from business negotiations, most workplaces are increasingly becoming multicultural. Effective verbal and non-verbal communication is essential for diverse workers to work together. Written communication such as the use of emails or memos and, other forms of communication cannot be effective in communications where immediate response or clarification is required.

Verbal and non-verbal communication experience various challenges in intercultural communication. People from different cultural backgrounds usually have different frames of reference in communication. Apart from different frames of reference, language barriers become a major challenge in intercultural communication. Communication is usually defined as the exchange of information, ideas or opinion between two or more parties. For effective communication, there must be consistency between sent and received message. The receiver must be able to decode the message and be able to make the right interpretation (Liamputtong, 2010, 78).

Although effective communication is not guaranteed even in a common culture, it is compromised by cultural differences. Individuals from different cultures may have different ways of verbal and nonverbal communication. The difference in how different cultures send and interpret verbal and nonverbal messages makes effective intercultural communication not easy to achieve.

Verbal communication is highly cultured. Individuals from different cultural backgrounds may exhibit differences in language, jargon or accents. They may produce different sounds when speaking or use words differently. Through culture, individuals have assigned different meanings to some words. It is possible for a word to have a completely different meaning depending on the people using it (Wierzbicka, 2010, p. 13).

Culture also influences the way in which individuals choose words for sentences. Even when using a common language such as English, individuals from the different cultural backgrounds will construct their sentences differently. The meaning of the word may also differ depending on the culture. Words such as yes and no may be assigned different meanings depending on the culture of an individual. Pace, tone and usage of silence are also used differently depending on cultural background. While some cultures may encourage silence as a form of communication, others may view it as a sign of weakness.

Differences in tone and pace in verbal communication may lead to miscommunication in intercultural communication. The use of direct or indirect approaches in verbal communication differs with culture. For example, people Chinese and Korean cultures tend to use implied messages (Balsmeier, & Heck, 1994, p. 124).

Differences in the usage of body language lead to miscommunication in intercultural communication. Different cultures have varying meanings to body language. Differences in the use of facial expression, eye gaze, gestures, use of distance and posture may hinder communication (LeBaron, 2003, par 4). For example, there is a great difference in the use of gestures between people from Asian countries and those in the west. Misinterpretation of gestures while interacting may lead to miscommunication. The use of contacts and space is highly influenced by cultures. 75% of the message in interpersonal communication is delivered through body languages. Understanding the usage of non-verbal communication in people of different cultures can promote effective intercultural communication.

Improving verbal and nonverbal communication is very important in enabling effective intercultural communication. One of the best ways of improving intercultural verbal and non-verbal communication is intercultural training (Knott, 2009, p. 76). Miscommunication in cross-cultural verbal and nonverbal communication results from the inability to interpret messages from individuals of different cultures. Intercultural training provides individuals with information about cultures and enables easier interaction. Through intercultural training, individuals can be able to communicate or interpret messages in the context of the other individual(s).

Through intercultural training individuals from different cultures can be able to use and interpret non-verbal communication in a way that promotes communication. Learning language is paramount in ensuring effective verbal and nonverbal communication. With knowledge of the language, interpreters will not be required. The use of interpreters as intermediaries disrupts communication and may distort the meaning of a message.

Conclusion

Globalization has increased interactions between people of different cultures. Effective verbal and nonverbal communication is necessary for communication between individuals of different cultures. Verbal and non-verbal communication has roles that cannot be substituted by other forms of communication. Immediate feedback and ability to get clarification to make verbal communication appropriate for discussion and negotiations. A cross-cultured environment requires effective intercultural verbal and nonverbal communication. Although effective intercultural communication is not completely possible to achieve, it can be improved through intercultural training and learning language.

Reference List

Balsmeier, P. & Heck, A. 1994. Cross-cultural communication. Cross Cultural MaCross-cultural 2.

Gupta, N. 1998. Cross cultural communication: global perspective. Concept Publishing Company, New Delhi.

Hopkins, L. 2010. Non-verbal communication-An overview. Web.

Knott, C. 2009. Improving Non-verbal Communication with Cross-cultural cultural exercises. Web.

LeBaron, M. 2003. Cross-cultural communication. Web.

Liamputtong, P. 2010. Performing Qualitative Cross-cultural Research. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

Novinger, T. 2001. Intercultural communication: a practical guide. University of Texas Press, Austin.

Wierzbicka, A. 2010. Cross-cultural communication and miscommunication: The role of cultural keywords. Intercultural Pragmatics. Vol. 7 No.1 pp. 1-23.

Appendix Essay Plan

Introduction

The introductory part of the essay gives a short description that asserts that communication is a daily activity for people all over the world. People communicate in order to exchange their thoughts, ideas, and in order to pass messages and information from one person to the other. Communication is essential for accomplishing everyday activities like enabling learning processes to go on smoothly in schools and other informal learning setups and facilitating various business activities. Both verbal and non-verbal forms of communication are also widely used in starting and sustaining social relationships.

Many social relationships like friendship and marriages begin with some form of communication and the possibility of such a relationship remaining stable largely depends on the nature of communicators between the parties involved.

People also use different means to communicate, this means includes speech (verbal communication) and symbolic communication (non-verbal communication) which involves the use of signals and interpretation of peoples behavior. The introductory part goes ahead to explain that in the past twenty years or so, there has been increased contact between people of different cultures due to increased international travel for purposes like business, education and even tourism activities. The introduction ends with the thesis statement of the essay, which states that intercultural communication has become an important area of focus by communication theorists and that communication will remain an important tool in enabling effective intercultural communication.

Communication and cross-cultural communication (Body)

In this part, the paper discusses the difficulties of verbal and nonverbal communication in an intercultural context. The main aim of cross-cultural communication is to create understanding and minimize miscommunication between people of different cultures.

The main challenges encountered when using verbal communication in intercultural communication range from different interpretations of words, the inability to understand the language being used for communication, the different ways in which people combine words to create different meanings, different pronunciations and accents. All these aspects are influenced by the persons culture which makes it likely that they will judge their communication with other people based on their cultural background.

The paper proceeds to discuss how nonverbal communication influences the way people from different cultural backgrounds react and communicate. There is a particular reference on how nonverbal communication differs in high contact cultures and low contact cultures as well. The body of the paper ends by asserting that more emphasis should be directed to helping people to understand the nonverbal aspects of different cultures since most of the communication between people occurs through this means and has a greater impact compared to verbal communication.

Conclusion (end)

The paper concludes that globalization has led to an increase in the intensity and frequency of contact between people from different cultures across the world. The paper also concludes that effective intercultural communication can be achieved if people who come into contact with foreign cultures like tourists, businessmen and international students strive to build their cultural competence. One of the best ways of becoming culturally competent is to learn a lot about the verbal and nonverbal communication aspects of different cultures so that it becomes easy to make correct interpretations of the different communication norms and styles.

Non-verbal communication occurs through eye contact, posture, movements, appearance, body language, and voice alterations. My strongest form of non-verbal interaction is eye contact, facial expressions, and smiling. They have helped me develop a healthy relationships with other people. My unique quality of nonverbal communication has always been the smile. People have commented on how my smiling gives them confidence and a sense of belonging when they are with me. Through my smile, and also being friendly and caring, I am always sure I win peoples trust, which has earned me many friends in return.

For a long time, my non-verbal communication has been having positive outcomes. I found that such successful interaction helps people understand each other well. Thus, instead of using words, people can interact with expressions, as well as speech tone, which modifies the voice and helps to connect more with other individuals. At work, colleagues communicate with each other in both verbal and non-verbal modes of interaction. Effective communication is essential for managers to bring in the company, as their engagement with workers demonstrates how employees perform their respective duties (Tabalan, 2016). In the business environment, positive engagement promotes constructive business partnerships, thereby creating a conducive environment for all.

Non-verbal contact has a significant role to play in everyones life. It is known to enhance an individuals ability to interact, develop and contribute to intimate collaboration, which they have every day. Through this mode of communication, business people can establish meaningful relationships with their clients. Positive commitments help to improve the efficiency of individuals at work. Non-verbal communication will create trust with ones end customers, or even business partners (Tabalan, 2016). It is because this form of communication exposes much about a person. For instance, the eyes are like the windows to ones mind. They show primary emotions such as surprise, disappointment, fear, excitement, rage, and love. Constant eye contact indicates that an individual is optimistic, interested, and at ease. Therefore, people should learn how to effectively use their physical expressions when communicating.

In conclusion, it is evident that non-verbal engagement is important, if not crucial, in peoples everyday lives, and has many positive impacts. When a person becomes older, his or her facial expressions, movements, eye contact, and even voice tone help them deliver messages to the receiver. Therefore, after analyzing all of the above mentioned, one can conclude that non-verbal dialogue is of equal value to the verbal one.

Reference

Tabalan, D. (2016). Common verbal and non-verbal communication practices in the workplace of multi-national companies. IARJSET, 3(5), 157-162.

Disabled people are a special group in need of socio-cultural and psychological support. However, any person wants to feel on an equal footing with other people; this applies in particular to the disabled. Therefore, during communication with a person with disabilities, any careless word can offend them and forever discourage them from communicating (Smeltzer et al., 2017). While contacting a disabled person, it is important not to put them in an awkward position. It is desirable to clarify with the accompanying persons what are the real possibilities of the individual. For example, many people with cerebral palsy understand perfectly well what they are told. However, they cannot move their arms or legs. And if one talks to them loudly and too articulately, like with little children, then this can offend them. If a person with disabilities knows how to do something on their own, one should not immediately offer them help.

When working with people with disabilities, it is important to understand the following. Usually, the first thing that is displayed on the faces of healthy people when a disabled person appears in the room is fear and confusion. At such moments, individuals most often shyly lower their eyes. However, the worst thing that can be done for a disabled person is to once again remind them that they are somehow not like that. It is best to pretend that everything is in order, and for this, one needs not to be afraid to look at a person with a disability and actively engage with them (Smeltzer et al., 2017). The conversation should always be polite and business-like, without familiarity, condescension, or underlined patronage. One should not hesitate to ask the disabled person how to properly help.

Reference

Smeltzer, S. C., Mariani, B., & Meakim, C. (2017). Communicating with people with disabilities. National League for Nursing. Web.

Introduction

Communication is a mechanism by which the existence and development of human relations becomes possible. It includes facial expressions, gestures, tone of voice, writing, printing, telegraph, telephone and the latest achievements in the conquest of space and time. In the life of any person, communication occupies one of the first places in importance. Communication is an important condition of human existence and the foundation of joint human activity. At all times, a persons satisfaction of their needs occurred, as a rule, with the use of communication. Therefore, it is essential to determine how people in the modern world would do without online communication and what impact it has on society.

The Role of Communication

Communication is primarily an exchange of information, and, therefore, it is an integral part of the life of the modern world and modern society as a whole. Communication allows an unlimited number of people to receive various information, using it for their personal or economic purposes. At the same time, Internet communication allows people to transmit text, sound, image, video. Humanity is accumulating information at an ever-increasing pace, the bulk of data already accumulated has exceeded the volume amenable to simple human perception (Putri, and Irwansyah, 2020). Arrays of newly created information are transmitted so quickly that a person cannot and does not have time to perceive and process them. Mass communication today covers all spheres of human activity and social relations: starting from communication between relatives and friends, ending with the management of large enterprises (Deuze, 2021). Communication plays an important role in the lives of citizens. For many years, humanity has been striving to accelerate and increase the volume of conveyed information, and each new stage has become a new milestone in the development of communication and human history.

Development of Society

At the earliest stage of the development of society, man used various means of communication. Man, as a social being, constantly sought to interact with other people. To intensify the sphere of communications, it was necessary to travel long distances and he had to look for means of transportation used to establish message with people located at a certain distance. Perhaps the horse was the very first most actively and effectively exploited means contributing to the faster establishment of mass communications. The rider, overcoming relatively long distances, established communications with a much larger number of people. The invention of the wheel and its application in the construction of the cart allowed to increase the number of subjects seeking to establish external public services (Deuze, 2021). The desire to improve the means of communication has led to the creation of all kinds of vehicles, aircraft, including space systems.

The Intensification of Communications

Subsequently, the intensification of communications required the invention of means of it that would allow the required communications to be carried out without public contact. So, through a system of sign signals (flags, bonfires  within sight; sound signals  within hearing), communications began to be carried out at a distance (Dadelo, 2020). To increase the distance within which it is necessary to establish targeted one-time communications, such individual means of it as a messenger, a messenger were used. In order to expand the spheres of remote message and turn them into mass communications, postal communication was invented, which provided a sufficiently mass address communication between the communicating elements of the public system. The telegraph, invented in the XIX century, marked the beginning of a new era of mass communications (Deuze, 2021). With the creation of a system of telegraphic communications, the speed of it has increased a thousandfold, and most importantly, the number of participants in outgoing relationships  communicants has sharply increased.

The Global Communication Network

With the invention of radio and its introduction into the global communication network, the speed of information transmission in the communicative exchange reached the speed of light. Information and this means of communication became mass: Increasing the mobile properties (unsteadiness, wireless devices) of telephone sets at least another 5-6 times increases this possibility. Television, immediately becoming a mass phenomenon, made a new breakthrough in increasing the speed of information transmission to the mass audience and the bandwidth of the communication channel by 550 thousand times compared to the telegraph (Trenholm, 2020). The volume of information transmitted from the source of communication to the recipients of the communication system has increased dramatically. Feedback from the recipient to the source of information is carried out through a system of letters, telegrams, telephone calls, faxes received on television.

The First Failure

Interactive television has turned this information transmission channel into a full-fledged network of two-way intensive communications. This stage of human development marks the end of the Gutenberg era (Freelon and Chris, 2020). Although in all subsequent periods of human growth, printing continues to play a huge role in the development of human culture. Audiovisual message (especially in its non-interactive stage) is fraught with many dangers, violations and obstacles that arise in any link of such a communicative system and sometimes leads to extraordinary consequences. The tragedy that the Americans experienced at Pearl Harbor in 1941 due to a failure in the communication system could possibly have been avoided, if not two disruptions in the information transmission system (Trenholm, 2020). The first failure occurred when intercepting the message Winds, which reported a planned attack. However, the top military leadership did not pay attention to the intercepted information.

The Introduction of the Internet

Until recently, computers were a personal means of processing and analyzing information. Today, with the inclusion of the Internet in the global information network, computers have become the most powerful tool for inclusion in the mass communications system. The introduction of the Internet opens a new era in the development of communication. The world information web today has neither physical, nor geographical, nor administrative-state, nor censorship borders (Trenholm, 2020). The information space is overwhelmed by the fourth wave, which simultaneously increases the intensity of communications and begins to limit interpersonal communications and transfer them to the virtual plane.

Conclusion

Thus, communications have a significant potential for society, which is due to both the development of public communication systems and the improvement of technologies for the transmission and dissemination of information. Now the effectiveness of communications is ensured only if they are complex and integrated. That is why in the future its development will be conditioned by the complication and increase in the amount of information, as well as its structuring and reliability requirements. In addition, cross-border message for society means the opportunity to contact and exchange information between representatives of different peoples. At the same time, increasing responsibility for the disseminated data will reduce the possibility of misleading social groups or society as a whole, as well as engaging in harassment while on the other side of the screen.

Reference List

Dadelo, Stanislav. (2020) The analysis of sports and their communication in the context of creative industries. Creativity studies 13.2, 246-256. Web.

Deuze, Mark. (2021) Challenges and opportunities for the future of media and mass communication theory and research: Positionality, integrative research, and public scholarship. Central European journal of communication 14.28, 5-26. Web.

Freelon, Deen, and Chris Wells. (2020) Disinformation as political communication. Political communication 37.2, 145-156. Web.

Putri, Andhita Vidya, and Irwansyah Irwansyah. (2020) Communication patterns and media technology role in organization and society during pandemic. The Journal of Society and Media 4.2, 228-261. Web.

Trenholm, S. (2020). Thinking through communication: An introduction to the study of human communication. Routledge.

Objectives

The aim is to study modern contacts between representatives of different cultures, arising both within the same and different states, and whether they carry problems, misunderstandings, or conflicts in communication. Establish whether they are associated with stereotypes and prejudices. And also, to identify ways to reduce conflicts in international communities that arise based on stereotypes and prejudices.

Method

The methods of study are the analysis of scientific works related to the topic of stereotypes and prejudices, which include modern scientific articles and publications, listed in the references section. Definition of the concepts of prejudice and stereotype. Consideration of specific cases of conflicts in international communities that have arisen due to the presence of stereotypes and/or prejudices on one or both sides. Also, an important methodology is identifying the causes of such phenomena to identify their positive and negative functions.

Results

As a result of the study, the connection between conflicts that arise in multinational communities with the presence of stereotypes and prejudices was found. Ways and methods for eliminating such phenomena are identified, and, as a result, a way of reducing the number of conflicts within multinational companies or organizations is found.

Conclusions

Stereotypes and prejudices change very slowly and with difficulty. Individuals tend to remember information that supports prejudice and ignore information that contradicts them. If individuals ever learn stereotypes and prejudices, they manifest for a long time. Therefore, analyzing stereotypes and prejudices is a prerequisite for successful intercultural communication.

Implications

The study results provide an opportunity to reduce the number of conflicts in a multinational community with the help of social technologies, mass media, awareness raising, and other methods.

References

Barlow F. K., Sibley C. G. (2018). The Cambridge handbook of the Psychology of Prejudice: Concise student edition. Cambridge University Press.

Berry, J. W. Grigoryev, D., Grigoryan, L., Zabrodskaja, A. & Susan T. Fiske. (2021). Stereotypes and intercultural relations: Interdisciplinary integration, new approaches, and new contexts. Frontiers Media SA.

Soule S. A., Drabkin D., Mackenzie L. N., (2019). The stereotypes in MBA case studies. Harward Business Review. Web.

Tileaga C., Augoustinos M., Durrheim K. (2021) The Routledge international handbook of discrimination, prejudice and stereotyping. Routledge.