Intercultural Communication in the Workplace

Now that we have covered some of the dimensions of culture as they relate to interpersonal skills in the workplace, let’s now focus on the specific skills necessary for effective communication in a diverse workplace.

Interpersonal communication is defined as communication in which parties consider one another as unique individuals (Adler, Rodman, & du Pré, 2015). Individual differences make the workplace a rich environment, but you can also expect some barriers that will need to be overcome in order to communicate effectively. Therefore, we define intercultural communication as communication between people and groups of diverse cultures (Jandt, 2015). As we gain knowledge in this area, we are able to better communicate in a global workplace.

As previously mentioned, you can expect a wide variety of people in the workplace, and we must be able to recognize similarities and differences among coworkers. A key starting point to success is to be diligent in practicing tolerance, respect, and being sensitive to differences. It is also imperative to avoid stereotypes.


Stereotypes in the Workplace

The term stereotype is a broad term that refers to negative or positive judgments made about individuals based on their belonging to a certain group (Jandt, 2013). A stereotype can also be considered a mental shortcut, which leads to misinformation.