Cultural and Language Barriers in Communication

ethnical and Language Barriers in parleyCultural and row barriers to effective clientele dialogue in manufacturing and braid industries in the city of Charlotte of uniting Carolina and ways to everyplacecome them the last decade.The strange workers in the city of Charlotte feed been expanded and they argon increasingly turn a vital luck of the community and local workforce. While numerous strange workers have assimilated into the workplace, some others make an effort to overcome ethnic and language barriers that exist. In my opinion, it is in the ruff by-line of employers to better rede and religious service bridge the cultural and language divide as more than unusual-born workers stream into the workforce. be proactive in helping break dash off these barriers washbowl reduce costly, on-the-job accidents ca white plagued by workers not fully mind safety rules or operational procedures, im evoke employers ability to recruit, hire and agree workers and annex workers productivity. consort to U.S Census way from the term Foreign-Born macrocosm in the United States the reason argues that like other metropolitan atomic number 18as nearly the country, Charlotte-Mecklenburg has experienced signifi rout outt increases in abroad-born residents and workers over the last decade. In 1990, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that approximately 3.5% of Mecklenburg Countys uncouthalitywealth was foreign-born, or rough 18,000 flock. While official 2000 Census data on the foreign-born population will not be released until late 2002, preliminary Census teaching reveals a 162% increase in Mecklenburg Countys Asian population betwixt 1990 and 2000 and a 570% increase in the Hispanic/Latino population. Together, these two population segments accounted for more than whizz-quarter (28.2%) of the countys overall population growth during the decade.Immigrants from other regions of the world argon as well rising in number, further diversifying Charlotte-Mecklenburgs population. According to the 2000 Census, approximately 21,000 non- Hispanic or Asian immigrants were living in Mecklenburg County in 2000. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools reports that over 84 languages ar now spoken within the international student population. The Census Bureau projects we will continue to see increases in our foreign-born population over the next some(prenominal) decades, particularly Hispanic/Latino residents. The number of sweet Hispanic residents is expected to increase at a rate of 10 million pot every 10 years nationwide. According to the Bureau, the western states will likely see the largest increases, followed by s placeh and southeastern states. North Carolina currently ranks 9th among all states in the number of Mexican-born residents. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2000)According to the web site www.charlotteworks.org In approximately enculturations, a social hierarchy very much exists that can create bumps in communication in the wo rkplace. For example, in legion(predicate) countries, women are subordinate to men. Working in an American business, women from these countries may looking at uncomfortable or violated in nigh way. In contrast, males with much(prenominal)(prenominal) cultural backgrounds may not set well to working equally with females or having female supervisors. (www.charlotteworks.org)This opinion indicates that there is a difference between males and females, men and women intimately the perception of roles and status that each of them can change in the workplace. This sympathiseing of interaction between sexes and roles assigned in various floricultures can be very serious for employers to draw a bead on it into account.According to the day apply article Language management in multinational companies the causality argues that remains language says a lot, but it can be interpreted otherwise in the world. For example most Americans typically signal no in shaking their base on ballss, but spate from dome countries raise their chins. (Alan J. Feely, Anne-Wil Harzing 2003, p.37)I speak out clay language is very important for the workplace to be adapted. some(prenominal) batch have polar bods of elements in body language such as shaking their heads and hands, raise their chins and excessively eye contact. Cultural differences in non-verbal behaviours are a common cite of misunderstandings and conflict in the workplace. For instance, legion(predicate) westerners like to make eye contact, interpreting it as an indication of interest and honesty. They also show friendliness through relaxed body language. If these behaviours do not happen, it can be interpreted as shiftiness, coldness and disinterest. However, in some cultures, averted eyes and non-demonstrable behaviour are a sign of courtesy and respect. Being aware of these nuances will help you to reduce negative impressions in inter-cultural communications among your staff. exclusively these rea ctions have different meanings from people who come from different cultures.According to the newspaper article International relations the ledgerist says that in many an(prenominal) cultures religion dominates life-time in a way that is often tight for Americans to understand. (Network World, p.47)I believe that is very difficult for Americans to understand religion differences that bar among cultures. For example, workers from some Muslim cultures may fate to pray three times a day in accordance with theirs values and beliefs. There may also be religious holidays on which people of certain religions are forbidden to work or need to follow certain customs. For some of them maybe is a way of life to respect all these things and also these differences need to be respected from others, and the needs associated with religious commitments understood and sensitively negotiated within the workplace. Clear communication on both sides more or less these issues is to be encouraged, w here possible and not ignored.According to the book Intercultural communication for art the author argues that hygiene and grooming, as well as attire can sidetrack from country to country and culture to culture. (Elizabeth A. Tuleja, 2005 p55)Some people may get out attire such as a headdress as part of their customs and beliefs. So, to remain true to all this tradition workers may want to continue to wear this dress in the American workplace. Employers may attitude this as inappropriate or grave but is part of their culture to dress like this and it must also be respectable from their supervisors or employers. It is particularly problematic in businesses in which workers wear uniforms. In some other example, immigrants from India, Turkey or other countries may use spices in their diets that are emitted through the body. American workers can interpret this as dirty or unhygienic. Employers have to handle these issues sensitively and proactively to avoid unnecessary conflict a nd distress. Thus, the person-to-person appearance is another factor that is very important on the workplace and entails differences among various countries and cultures.Clearly it is the responsibility of immigrant workers to gain English and adapt to the cultural norms in the American workplace. However, this can pull in ones horns time. Employers have much to pretend from helping their workers bridge the cultural divide. Too many employers expecting immigrant workers to figure things out for themselves, which doesnt work in many cases. Nor is it a wise business decision. The benefits to employers of commit time and imagings in helping immigrant workers adapt to the workplace include change magnitude productivity and performance, greater trust and truth among workers and improved safety. This can translate into higher business profits in the long run.So, human resource professionals have to offer some tips or suggestions for employers who want to strengthen and entertai n their immigrant workforce.Employers have to learn as much as they can about the culture of the people they are dealing with, particularly if they employ several people from the equivalent cultural background.According to the journal article Overcoming Cultural and Language Barriers in Facilitation and Training the author argues that getting to know a persons culture is a first step to getting to know them as case-by-cases. (Anthony Griffin, 2002, p.37)Thus, employers have to respect individual differences, abilities and personalities. Even though people may share a common language or culture, it doesnt mean they are alike, any more than all Americans are alike. Stereotyping discounts individuals and can limit options for them in the workplace.An other suggestion for employers can be to provide an orientation curriculum for new hires that addresses some of the cultural differences and language barriers. This can help head off confusing or potentially unpleasant experiences for i nternational employees. Moreover, employers can consider having confreres serve as mentors or coaches to help new workers adapt to the culture and vocabulary of the workplace. Furthermore, when employers working with immigrants, have to refrain from using dupe or slang that might not translate well. They have to subscribe words that convey the most proper(postnominal) meaning and stick to one topic at a time.According to the book Hiring and Managing a culturally Diverse Workforce the author argues that when employers have to train immigrant employees, make real they understand their educate material and why it is useful to them. (Brian K. Linhardt, 2000 p.53)Employers can use techniques such as graphics or demonstrations to illustrate points whe neer possible. Often the neglect of effective educate tools and qualified instructors can leave immigrant workers out of the training loop and limit their opportunities to enhance their skills and advance in the workplace.Also, empl oyers have to never assume that their communication with the workers with limited English-speaking abilities has been understood. It will be a good idea for them to ask for feedback or for demonstration, particularly when employers are training the workers.According to the magazine article Cultural Sensitivity Makes Good Business Sense the journalist argues that employers have to recognize the broad ethnic sort that exists within groups. (HR Magazine, p.67)These groups might be Hispanics or Asians. Employers dont have to assume that everyone shares common cultural backgrounds or languages just because they came from the same region of the world. Someone labelled Hispanic may come from the mountains of Chili, a large Central American city or a rural village in Mexico. The same is true for immigrants from the many different Asian countries where cultures and languages vary widely.In addition, employers have to be patient with their workforce. A thoughtful supervisor or co-worker ca n make all the difference in helping and close out feelings of inadequacy and embarrassment when a person cannot express him or herself clearly or fully.Moreover, employers can recruit bilingual managers and supervisors to server as the communication link between cultures and engage co-workers to serve as translators while people are learning English.Also, if there is a large number of people in need of learning English, employers can help and educate those people to learn English as a second language. The lessons can be taught during the lunch hour or other times during the day. To do so, it is important to create a safe environment for learning. Helping people learn English is a way to build trust and loyalty.According to the book Bridging Cultural Barriers for Corporate Success the author argues that employers have to help workers take care of their basic survival needs (Sondra Thiederman, 1991, p.89)For example, helping them knock theodolite to and from work can reduce fears of the unknown and build trust and loyalty with the worker. Companies can have cooperation with the city of Charlotte and make contracts to provide vanpool vans to transport a group of immigrants workers to and from work at little cost to the companies or the workers. otherwise ways to help may include assisting workers establish credit or file income tax returns, which can seem to be monumental tasks for person who doesnt know the organization.Furthermore, employers have to provide sensitivity training to native workers in the company to make them more aware of and sensitive toward the different cultural differences.Needless to say, that employers have to promote immigrants when appropriate, not only to give people more opportunities, but to show other immigrants that they can advance if they prove themselves. It is a reward for them to be promoted and also a fair system of the workforce evaluation.The first source describes and gives a demographic evaluation of the foreign work force in the city of Charlotte. The following four sources deal with the cultural and language barriers in the workplace. On the web site the factors that have been expound are roles and status. Each culture has its own social hierarchy and that shoot a line affects communication in the workplace. On the other hand the journal article describes the characteristics of body language. Body language can be interpreted differently among different cultures in the workplace. Each culture has different meanings and codes which are derived from body language. Apart from the web site and journal article, the newspaper article assert on religion. Religion is a very important part of peoples life and for some cultures is actually a way of life to depend on it, and so that has an impact to the workplace environment. The last source that has derived from the book mentions that different personal appearance has to do from various countries and cultures. So, inappropriate or unsafe attire in a workplace environment can shake the behavior of employers or supervisors.The last four sources describe the ways in which employers can help bridge the cultural and language divide in the workplace. On the journal article the author explains that employers have to respect individual differences, abilities and personalities in value to have a better idea about the persons culture and also get to know him as individual. On the other hand, according to the book Hiring and Managing a Culturally Diverse Workforce the author explains the importance of the training of immigrant employees and how must be implemented in order to understand the immigrants the training material and why it is useful for them.Apart from the journal article and the book, the magazine article rely on the ability of the employer to recognize the broad ethnic diversity that exists within groups. Employers dont have to assume that everyone shares common cultural backgrounds or languages just because they came from the same region of the world. The last source that derived from the book Bridging Cultural Barriers for Corporate Success mentions that employers have to help workers take care of their basic survival needs, such as helping them find transportation to and from work in order to feel more comfortable.The amount of information that each source describes may not be so much but the authors of each source explain the topic in depth. Each of the author mentions one characteristic that is relevant for the topic and can all be explained more with examples in every day life. Furthermore, the kind of information that each of the source contains has to do with the opinions and personal views of the authors that are derived by personal experience, research and professionalism about topics that occur in contemporary business society.I believe that the subject is very clear and is helpful to me to understand the topic, so to provide the appropriate details and explanations to cover the subject and canvas the thesis statement in order to fulfill the purpose of the topic.All language and cultural barriers may not have such direful consequences, but they can contribute to a lack of productivity, mistakes being do or general lack of trust between the employer and workers, all of which could be avoided if communication were clearer. Even if workers can speak English fairly well, the lingo, slang or jargon that is commonly used by Americans or is specific to different industries can create difficulties for foreign workers. We take it for granted that everyone knows what we are talking about. Not knowing these terms does not imply a person isnt smart or capable, but he or she only when may not have learned the words or jargon that are commonly used by others on the job or in everyday conversation.In my opinion, I believe that it depends to the employer to help the foreign workforce to adapt more easily in the new culture for them, the American culture. In addition, the foreign workforce has to try to do their best but mostly it is in the best interest of employers to better understand and help bridge the cultural and language divide as more foreign-born workers stream into the workforce.Because ethnic diversity is part of the new earth of the American workplace, it is important for the business community, workforce educators, trainers and other human resource professionals to gain a better understanding of and sensitivity to language barriers and cultural differences among workers from all backgrounds. Such understanding and sensitivity will help employers increase recruitment, hiring, retention and advancement of immigrant workers. Ultimately, it will help businesses remain competitive by maintaining a stable, productive and safe workforce.