Intercultural communication (Porter, Samovar, and Penington) Essay

Intercultural parley (Porter, Samovar, and Penington) - Essay ExampleIt was a friendly dig at each others culture.Culture is the way we live, the air we breathe, the thoughts we think, the clothes we put on, the glasses we wear and look through (Monippally 2001, p 44-45). Culture is what shapes our perception. It is defined as the composite system of values, traits, morals and customs shargond by a society.From 1967 to 1973, while working at IBM as a psychologist, collected and analyzed data from over 100,000 individuals from 50 countries and 3 regions. From the initial results, Hofstede developed a model that identifies four primary dimensions to assist in differentiating cultures Power Distance1, Individualism2, Masculinity3 and Uncertainty Avoidance4. Hofstede added a fifth belongings after conducting an additional international study with a survey instrument developed with Chinese employees and managers. That dimension, based on Confucian dynamism, is Long-Term Orientation5 a nd was applied to 23 countries. These five Hofstede Dimensions finish also be found to correlate with other country (See figure 1) and cultural paradigms (Geert Hofstede, 2003).people communicate varies widely between, and even within, cultures. mavin aspect of communication style is language usage. Across cultures, some words and phrases are used in different ways. For example, even in countries that share the slope language, the meaning of yes varies from maybe, Ill consider it to definitely so, with many shades in between. Another major aspect of communication style is the degree of importance given to non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication includes not only facial expressions and gestures it also involves seating arrangements, personal distance, and sense of time. In addition, different norms regarding the appropriate degree of assertiveness in communicating can add to cultural misunderstandings. For instance, some white Americans typically consider raised voices to be a sign that a fight has begun, while some black, Judaic and Italian Americans often feel that an increase in volume is a sign of an exciting conversation among friends. Thus, some white Americans may react with greater alarm to a loud discussion than would members of some American ethnic or non-white racial groups.2. Different Attitudes Towards Conflict Some cultures view conflict as a positive thing, while others view it as something to be avoided. In the U.S., conflict is not usually desirable but people often are encouraged to