Communicating with People from Different Groups and Cultural Backgrounds

Many people speak loudly to deaf people, blind people, and to those who speak another native tongue. Based on the information presented in this unit, what mistakes are these people making? Give examples how you would communicate and have a greater appreciation for cultural differences with any of these groups. APA Guidelines are to be used for your in-text citations and sources.

UNIT IV STUDY GUIDE Cross-Cultural Relations and Diversity and Resolving Conflict with Others

Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:

1.    Determine who fits under the diversity umbrella.

2.    Describe the major values accounting for cultural differences.

3.    Explain cross-cultural communication barriers and cross-cultural relations.

4.    Explain interpersonal conflict in organizations.

5.    Assess methods of resolving conflict.

6.    Identify the five styles of handling conflict.

7.    Describe effective techniques for resolving conflict and negotiations.

8.    Explain ways to combat sexual harassment in the workplace.

9.    Identify key leadership traits for personal development.

10.    Determine your team leadership skills, and how you can develop your leadership potential.

Written Lecture

Unit IV provides the student with insight into, and skills for, relating effectively to people from other cultures. Relating effectively to diverse people within one's own culture or from other cultures requires similar knowledge and skills. As is well known, today's workplace is diverse. Cultural diversity is also reflected in the increasing internationalization of business. To succeed in today's workplace one must be able to relate effectively to people from different cultural groups from within and outside his or her country. The unit continues with a discussion on insights and skills into resolving interpersonal conflict in the workplace. Sexual harassment receives special attention because of its prevalence as a type of job conflict.

The unit explains, to appreciate diversity, a person must go beyond tolerating and treating people fairly from different racial and ethnic groups. The true meaning of valuing diversity is to respect and enjoy a wide range of cultural and individual differences. To be diverse, is to be different in some measurable way even if the difference is not apparent on the surface. The diversity umbrella is supposed to include everybody in an organization. To value diversity is to appreciate individual differences among people.

Understanding cultural differences is included in this unit. The groundwork for developing effective cross-cultural relations is to understand cultural differences. Eight key values most directly related to interpersonal skills are also discussed in this unit.

Overcoming cross-cultural communication barriers is covered in the unit. Cross-cultural differences can create communication barriers. To minimize the problem, the unit presents seven guidelines to overcome these barriers.

Training programs and techniques for improving cross-cultural relations are presented in the unit. Many training programs have been developed to improve cross-cultural relations and to help employee's value diversity.

The unit continues with a discussion of interpersonal conflict in organizations. A conflict is a situation in which two or more goals, values, or events are incompatible or mutually exclusive. A conflict is also a strife, quarrel, or battle. Understanding the sources, or causes, of conflict can help resolve the present conflict and help prevent a similar occurrence. All conflict includes the underlying theme of incompatibility between one's goals, values, or events and those of another person. A classification of conflict management styles based on different combinations of satisfying one's concerns (assertiveness) and satisfying the concerns of others (cooperativeness) are discussed.

Guidelines and techniques for resolving conflicts are based somewhat on the underlying philosophy of win-win, and the unit covers confrontation and problem solving, constructive handling of criticism, reframing and negotiating and bargaining. Conflicts can be considered situations calling for negotiating, or conferring with another person to resolve a problem. A new perspective on negotiation is that people are not jut negotiating for the economic value of the negotiation, but for intangibles, such as feeling good about the negotiation process and themselves. The unit includes six useful negotiating tactics. A major theme running through the various approaches to conflict resolution, including negotiating and bargaining, is that cooperating with the other side is usually preferable to competing.

Combating sexual harassment is discussed. Sexual harassment is generally defined as unwanted sexually-oriented behavior in the workplace that results in discomfort and/or interference with the job. It can include an action as violent as rape or as subtle as a sexually-oriented comment about a person's body or appearance. The unit discusses the types and frequency of harassment, the adverse effects of sexual harassment, and guidelines for preventing and dealing with harassment. Behaviors that might be interpreted as environmental harassment are included in this discussion. Several actions by management are the most critical in preventing and dealing with harassment. A building block is to create and widely disseminate a policy about harassment. Zero tolerance should be emphasized, and the company should have an open-door policy about sexual harassment. Frequent discussion about the problem is helpful. Two key strategies for the sexual harassment victim are to use either a formal complaint procedure or to resolve the problem on his or her own. Text Exhibit 8-4 provides the details.

Learning Activities (Non-Graded)

For a review of the Key Terms of the unit, click here to access the interactive Unit IV Flashcards in PowerPoint form. (Click here to access a PDF version.)

To further develop your understanding of the concepts presented in Unit IV, it is suggested that you complete the Case Studies for Chapters 7 and 8, located on pages 148-149 and 174-175 of your textbook.

To further explore the interpersonal skills discussed in Unit IV, it is suggested that you complete the Self-Assessment Quizzes on pages 132, 138, 154-155, and 165 of your textbook.

These are non-graded activities, so you do not need to submit them.