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

peoples should conduct business the American way. Conducting business in the global community requires new interpersonal skills in a new environment. This tends to present a challenge because familiar activities will become unfamiliar. In extreme cases, one might try to hide one’s insecurity when interacting with the other person. When this occurs, no human understanding can be present and no genuine interaction can take place.

According to Pells (2002), Americans have created “cultural imperialism,” which has caused dislike for the U.S. In addition, since September 11, newspaper and magazine columnists and television pundits have said that it is not only the economic power of the U. S. or the Bush administration’s “unilaterist” foreign policy that has resulted in global anti-Americanism. To a large extent, there is a lack of understanding of other cultures.

Also, other countries are experiencing emotional challenges. The fear that to globalize is to Americanize exists. Thus, national identities, cultures, heritages and the distinctiveness of nationalities are challenged and threatened with extinction. On the other hand, something that is worse than being “exiled” from one’s native culture and identity is that of being held a prisoner by it, hence becoming provincial, insular, and perhaps, extinct (Ibid.).

Many countries are fearful of the hazards of the borderless world and the spread of infectious diseases such as AIDS, SARS, Mad Cow, and West Nile virus. In addition, the need to train or retrain for the highly technical jobs exists.

With the rapid transportation and communication systems, globalization has also challenged old standards, values, and morals, which are being “pressurized.” These systems are moving so rapidly that the social, economic, political and ethical standards are shaken, at times so shattered that comparisons with the previous years are made. In order to decide which standard is better, time will be the determinant. However, it is worthwhile to reiterate the thought that globalization must be managed with equitable, just and ethical policies (Bhagwati, 2004).