MGT 500 Chapter 11: Cultural barriers

• School: Ball State University
• Department: Management
• Course: MGT 500
• Professor: Ronda Smith

Document Summary

A lot of problems are related to difficulties in language in cross-cultural communications. These words mean different things to different people, especially if they are from different national cultures. A second barrier are barriers caused by word connotations. Words may imply different things when looked at in a different language. A third are barriers caused by tone difference. Some cultures have language that is informal, while others have language that is more formal. In some cultures, the tone of your language depends on the context of the message. Using personal, informal style of communication when you need a more formal style can be seen as inappropriate. Fourth are differences in tolerance for conflict and methods for resolving conflicts. People from individualistic cultures are more comfortable with conflict that is direct and make overt sources of their disagreements. Collectivists are more likely to acknowledge conflict implicitly and avoid disputes that are more emotionally charged.