4. What makes intercultural communication so important?
Intercultural communication is a discipline that studies communication across different cultures and social groups, or how culture affects communication. It describes the wide range of communication processes and problems that naturally appear within an organization or social context made up of individuals from different religious, social, ethnic, and educational backgrounds. In this sense, it seeks to understand how people from different countries and cultures act, communicate, and perceive the world around them. Intercultural communication focuses on the recognition and respect of those with cultural differences. The goal is mutual adaptation between two or more distinct cultures which leads to biculturalism/multiculturalism rather than complete assimilation. It promotes the development of cultural sensitivity and allows for empathic understanding across different cultures
In international business, the failure to understand cultural differences can bear serious consequences. In fact, whole campaigns have had to be pulled due to a lack of prior research into cultural awareness. Last-minute redesign and reprinting can be very expensive, so it is crucial to ensure that any text and images used are culturally appropriate. It’s not surprising that intercultural understanding and communication are top priorities for international businesses today. Employees with intercultural communication competence are highly sought-after. But what is intercultural communication?
Intercultural communication studies communication across different cultures and social groups and describes the many communication processes and related issues among groups of individuals from varied cultural backgrounds.
Knowing a foreign language is just part of the parcel—the other party’s cultural background, values, and beliefs also need to be understood. This is where intercultural communication skills are indispensable. They are needed to successfully communicate with people from other cultures and social groups. And intercultural communication skills also include a willingness to be adaptable and accept that other cultures may communicate and do things differently.
