Cross-Cultural Communication: Concepts, Cases and Challenges By ...

Because the Indian workday begins when the American workday ends, companies can conduct labor-intensive activities such as software testing at home and abroad, and save time by having the work continue around the clock. Although all educated Indians speak English fluently, a legacy of British colonialism, and are familiar with the American culture, misunderstandings still exist and must be confronted. Managers must be prepared to handle cultural differences, such as the importance of weddings in the Indian culture. During the three months perceived as the most auspicious time for weddings, up to half of the staff is expected to be out of the office (Meisler, 2004).

Diversity in the Workplace

There is a growing awareness that diversity in the workplace relates not just to gender and race but includes diversity associated with age, social class, regional differences, sexual orientation, and physical disabilities. Assisting each employee in reaching his or her potential requires more flexibility from managers as well as more knowledge about intercultural communication.

The last 15 years have seen a growing emphasis on diversity. The media reports that more women and people of color are joining the U.S. workforce. In fact, people outside mainstream cultures and power structures have always worked. For most of the country’s history, hard working minorities were relegated to low-paying and low-status positions. Even after World War II when men from working-class families began to obtain college degrees in large numbers, and large numbers of women and minorities entered the professions in the 1960s and 1970s, few minorities made it into management. According to Clark (2000), U.S. businesses now realize that barriers to promotion not only harm employees but impede organizational success as well.

Research by Tyler (1990) shows that 40 million Americans (17% of the U.S. population) have disabilities making this the largest minority group in the United States. Disabled individuals are those who have difficulty thinking, moving, sensing, or emotionally coping. The following are suggestions when communicating with people who have disabilities: