Intercultural scenario within an organizational context

INTERCULTURAL SCENARIO WITHIN AN ORGANIZATION
Name
Institution
Introduction
For most organizations to function effectively, the management is supposed to establish a culture that members of staff will embrace and adapt to aptly. To comprehend the concept, it is vital to know that culture includes deeds that add value to the exceptional psychological and social surrounding of an organization. Culture, especially in a business-oriented organization, signifies the standards, principle and values of members and how they conduct their activities. It is an outcome of aspects such as the type of staff members, history of the company, merchandise, technology, and market or target audience among others. Most importantly it involves a corporation’s values, customs, language, assumptions, beliefs, and habits.
According to Harrison and Carroll (2006), in a business environment, they refer to it as a corporate or company culture. It determines the function-ability of employees and the kind of dedication they will portray. If the culture enhances a friendly working environment, hard work and loyalty from staff members becomes apparent. Precisely speaking the culture of an organization shapes the way activities get conducted and determines the achievements the company is bound to attain. Due to that, it is important for organizations to establish cultures that are positive and appealing to employees because they are usually motivated and satisfied when their values and wants go hand in hand with those depicted in the organization’s culture.

In any organization, a culture is a powerful tool that shapes the environment of the workplace, relationship with other members and the processes involved. It is not tangible but can get identified through its materialization in the workplace. Culture is perceived as a character that is developed by members of an organization. It also involves experiences, interests, and habits depicted in the workplace by employees.
Douglas and Wykowski (2011) state that culture is an outcome of a faction that establishes a set of rules for working effectively in an organization. It includes all types of experiences in life that members of staff bring to work. It is important to realize that culture is influenced by founder members and the management because of the responsibilities they have during decision making and strategizing. Apparently, in such a case intercultural communication in an organization is the cultural aspect under scrutiny. It involves communication taking place among individuals from different cultures and social factions.
Intercultural communication is utilized to express a variety of communicating procedures and challenges that occur in an organization comprising of individuals from diverse ethical, educational, social and religious settings. Its main aim is to enable us to comprehend how people from different environments and ways of life behave, interact and recognize the world surrounding them. From the perception, it is correct to claim that culture is a determinant of the way people code messages, the medium for transmission, and interpreting of the messages.
In organizations, it is vital to be aware that intercultural communication provides assistance of studying circumstances whereby individuals from different backgrounds exchange information. Besides language, intercultural communication has its focus on social elements, patterns of thinking and the culture of a diverse group of individuals from various societies. The primary purpose of the concept is to comprehend diverse cultures, languages, and traditions of people from other places. It is deemed as the basis for international business because it enables people from various ethnic societies around the world to work in the same organization (Neuliep, 2006).
Since most organizations have prospects of expanding their business to an international platform they always motivate and encourage diversification within and without the organization for the purpose of achieving their goals. To understand the impact of intercultural scenario let us have a look at the environmental context. It includes an organization’s perception on the surrounding, not forgetting matters such as information provided, the privacy of members of the organization, and the organization’s point of reference to nature. Some cultures have a belief that they can tame nature and master it, others tend to exist in accord with it, while others have the notion that it suppresses them. (Allen, Flores, Orbe, and National Communication Association 2007)
A good example is a comparison of organization branches locally and across international borders. A member of an organization in the United States will find out that conditions in the organization’s branch in a country in Asia are different. For instance, a scenario whereby as a member of an international organization you decide to visit your counterpart in an Asian country and during that time the weather is hot and clammy. Upon arrival, you discover that the office setting is open and all employees are relaxed in their desks. They are dressed in light clothing because of the weather. Your counterpart eventually puts on appropriate clothing for a formal meeting.
From the scenario, it is evident that the members of the organization in Asia have decided to live in accord with the environmental conditions. Research has proved that an organization intertwines its perception on nature to its daily practices. By underlying their outlook of nature, some corporations believe that they can influence market forces and create new market opportunities. Apparently, some attempt to balance the market by trying to control it and sometimes they tend to adjust to its fluctuations. Moreover, some have a belief that the market has its influence and their responsibility is to react to it.
Additionally, some organizations believe that they are influenced by exterior forces such as the market location and nature. In such situations the inducement forums established to motivate and encourage members of staff may fail because they deem market alterations to be natural and illogical. Such notions are barriers to development, and the main objective should be providing sufficient information regarding marketing and its aspects. More to that, postulations about privacy are vital to explain the environmental context.
According to Beamer and Varner, (2008), in cultures that are collective workers prefer conducting their activities in the same physical location. In the United States, most organizations have adopted the Japanese approach of an open working setting. They claim that the concept encourages a reliable working circumstance that showcases equality. Such organizations inform their employees that privacy in the workplace is lavishness that few individuals can afford or possess. They claim that since privacy is difficult to acquire they instruct their employees to build imaginary walls surrounding them during work.
In conclusion, intercultural scenarios are necessary if an international organization aims to expand and develop tremendously. As a cultural aspect, it enables people from different societies and ethnic identities to interact effectively. Intercultural scenarios in an organization context also enhance diversification and enable employees to exchange ideas that are required to conduct activities efficiently. It promotes positive relationships and establishes reliable work environment for everybody. For instance, environmental context as an intercultural scenario is vital because it determines how employees conduct activities on a daily basis.
References
Allen, B. J., Flores, L. A., Orbe, M. P., & National Communication Association (U.S.). (2007). Communication within/across organizations. Washington, DC: National Communication Association.
Beamer, L., & Varner, I. I. (2008). “Intercultural communication in the global workplace.” Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Douglas, N., & Wykowski, T. (2011). From belief to knowledge: Achieving and sustaining an adaptive culture in organizations. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Harrison, J. R., & Carroll, G. (2006). Culture and Demography in Organizations. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press.
Neuliep, J. W. (2006). Intercultural communication: A contextual approach. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications.