Avoiding acting on stereotypes is key to successful communication. There are some useful tools to help avoid stereotyping in the global workplace.
Find common ground. If you can find things that you have in common with your coworkers, you can increase the odds of discovering overlapping experiences. This can increase your understanding of one another.
Be empathetic. Try to put yourself in the other person’s position. Empathy takes practice, but is well worth the effort.
Build trust. You can build trust by asking questions, doing what you say you will do, and reciprocating trust in others.
Remind yourself and others that everyone has value. If negativity arises, avoid a rush to judgment. Think about the value of the individual, listen carefully, express yourself honestly, then continue to listen (Adler et al., 2015).
Avoid making assumptions. Although you can assume another person is well-meaning and look for common ground, it is not safe to assume you know about a culture with which you have had little contact. Assuming similarity denies cultural, ethnic, racial, background, and socioeconomic differences. Assuming similarities that do not exist is not valuable and not insightful.
As you avoid acting on stereotypes in the workplace, as a key to being an effective communicator, constantly evaluate the way you view your coworkers. Stereotypes can lay the foundation for racism and prejudice. Take inventory of your ideas and attitudes on a regular basis.
Racism and Prejudice
Prejudice can be described as a negative judgment or opinion that guides conduct or social behavior (McLean, 2007). A relevant example might include a hostile situation that exposes a coworker’s prejudice against another, such as mocking their accent, their cultural traditions, the food they eat, or the music they enjoy.
Racism is defined as negative attitudes and feelings of superiority associated with biases and judgments toward a racial group other than one’s own (Dodd, 1998). A workplace example of racism might be a person of a certain race being passed over for promotion, even though they have higher qualifications and better performance evaluations than the person who actually got the promotion.
Ethnocentrism is a barrier to intercultural communication. We define ethnocentrism as the belief in the superiority of one’s own culture (Jandt, 2013). Imagine a workplace where employees speak multiple languages. English is Employee A’s first language. Employee A, however, makes a false assumption that Employee B, for whom English as a second language, is far less intelligent than him because it takes more time for Employee B to understand oral communication. Employee A is assuming that English speakers are the more intelligent group and is demonstrating ethnocentrism.
One positive approach to combating racism, prejudice, and ethnocentrism is to establish cultural norms (Jandt, 2013). It is important to note that communication can either spread racism and prejudice or slow, if not stop, the spread of racism and prejudice altogether.
Take responsibility. Be the communicator in your workplace who slows or stops the spread of racism and prejudice. If you hear someone making a negative remark that seems inappropriate, refuse to repeat that information. Rather, establish a norm. For example, you might say, “I do not appreciate that type of negativity. I feel it is inappropriate to speak that way with anyone else in our organization again.” Be courteous, yet firm.
Take action. If you have a coworker who is perpetuating racism and prejudice, talk to them about it. Also, go to your superior, or go to Human Resources. Most organizations have a communication path for reporting these kinds of incidents.
Be informed. Often, companies have training involving racism and prejudice. Take the time to complete the training, and take it seriously.
Know the law. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits racial discrimination in the workplace.
Regional Differences
Even within people groups in a nation, there are regional differences. Within regions of a nation, accents, attitudes, and values can differ. If you can wrap your mind around this, it should reinforce how ineffective and misleading stereotyping can be. As we communicate in a global workplace, it is important to remember that communication styles differ among nations and regions within the nation. For example, Dodd (1998) provides a list of communication styles that may differ by region.
Is the communicator rude, brash, or abrupt; or do they just get right to the point?
Is the communicator careless and in a hurry; or is a fast-paced speech delivery part of their cultural norm?
Does the communicator stall, or is it a common speech pattern for their culture to use several reiterations, introductions, or “flowery” language before getting to the point?
Is the communicator overtly formal or informal or is their delivery par for the course in their culture?
Does the communicator show warmth or openness?
Is the communicator animated or not? How might that relate to their cultural norms?
Does the communicator appear confident or overconfident? How does that relate to their cultural norms?
Is the communicator conscientious? How does that relate to their cultural norms?
As you reflect on the communication styles of your coworkers, try not to jump to conclusions about what that style “says” about the individual. For example, if someone talks slowly, do not assume that they are not intelligent. Their speed or cadence could simply be part of their culture. It would be a waste of your time and resources to make assumptions about people based on their communication style. As you reflect on the questions listed above, keep in mind that regional differences can silently keep people apart (Dodd, 1998); but this does not have to be the case. Awareness of individual differences can help you listen and send messages in a sensitive way.
Rural and Urban Culture
Whether the physical workplace is located in an urban or rural area, understanding the local culture is imperative to successful business communication. Residents of the community have a motivation to support businesses that preserve or promote their culture. Not all rural and urban cultures are alike, of course, and it is important to keep this in mind as we discuss some possible similarities and differences (Jandt, 2013).
A rural culture is in or relating to the characteristics of the countryside rather than the towns or cities. Rural cultures are often smaller and more independent than urban ones. A rural town is defined as any town with 50,000 or fewer inhabitants and covers over 97% of the nation's area (Prakish, 2020). Rural businesses might include farming, manufacturing, or service industries. Consider some of the possible differences among rural cultures:
Rural cultures often value personal relationships very highly; friendship and friendliness are important. For example, in a rural area, coffee shop employees take the time to get to know their customers as they visit the establishment. Both the customer and the employee might value the relationship over speed of service.
Some rural cultures value skills of doing rather than being or knowing. In other words, actions speak louder than words. For example, in a rural area, a local farmer might value the fact that the feed store always has his special blend of horse feed available, even if the feed store employees are not particularly communicative when the farmer comes in to make the purchase.
Many rural cultures are very traditional, while other rural cultures are focused on innovation, growth, and change.
If your business takes you to a rural community, do your best to try to understand the culture. Remember that communication styles can differ. For example, are the stories involving friends and family, reflective of relationships, or are they blunt and to the point? You will want to keep this in mind as you deliver and receive messages. Find a contact within the community to ask honest questions about the history and culture of the location.