This course is designed to help you identify how to become a better communicator in these sorts of cross-cultural situations. You will learn about barriers to successful communication that involve cultural differences.
Please note: this legacy course does not offer a certificate and may contain broken links and outdated information. Although archived, it is open for learning without registration or enrollment.
We live in an increasingly globalized world. Technology enables us to do business just as easily with our neighbors as with a businessperson thousands of miles away from us. Knowing how to navigate cultural differences is an increasingly valuable skill that will make you a more valuable employee. Encounters among members of different cultures frequently fail simply because of basic cultural differences, such as the importance of time, proper greetings, or even the use of eye contact. This course is designed to help you identify how to become a better communicator in these sorts of cross-cultural situations. You will learn about barriers to successful communication that involve cultural differences. You will also learn more about your own communication style and how it can be developed to facilitate more successful intercultural encounters. Though some of this course addresses a Western/U.S. perspective, much of the course focuses on characteristics of specific cultures and how generally one culture may adapt to another, regardless of which cultures they may be. While some information is presented from a Western perspective, the information in this course can be applied to other cultures. You should consider how your culture fits in terms of interacting with other cultures learned about in this course.
This course builds on other communication courses. You will learn to apply various skills that you have developed in other courses, including the ability to analyze an audience and the context of the communication in an intercultural encounter. Likewise, skill and insights into message development and the ways in which different groups receive and interpret messages will take on new meaning when applied in an intercultural context. Much of the information in this course will refer back to the pioneering work of Hofstede and his cultural classifications. Geert Hofstede is one of the foremost influential scholars in the discipline of cultural studies, particularly organizational culture. His pioneering work, such as the cultural dimensions theory, has been the basis for subsequent research and the growth of the field and understanding of how members of differing cultures interact.
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Compare and contrast communication styles between cultures such as African American, Latino, Indian, Middle Eastern, Native American, and Asian.
- Explain how cultural differences affect business and the workplace.
- Identify and explain the five dimensions of intercultural communication.
- Identify primary differences in communication practices of different cultures.
- Identify the benefits and challenges of intercultural relationships.
- Analyze the constraints on communication and relationships among people of different cultures.
- Articulate a set of strategies for the development of intercultural communication competence.
