Communication Issue in Workplace

Communication issues in a diverse workplace
Direct versus indirect communication.
Trouble with accents and fluency.
Different attitudes toward hierarchy and authority.
Conflicting norms for decision making.

Direct versus Indirect Communication
Communication styles in Western cultures are direct and the meaning is

seemingly obvious. Other cultures tend to be more discrete in the way
they present their message. As a result, communication between a
Westerner and a non-Westerner can result in confusion within the
workplace. This can occur during face-to-face interactions and when
communication is virtual. Needless to say, how employees of diverse
cultures respond to one another is a major determining factor towards the
cohesiveness of an organization. For example, in a Western culture, the
question might be, Is option A or option B more effective? Whereas in a
non-Western culture, employees may have to imply or suggest a particular
option without stating it directly. Oftentimes, in a Western culture, during a
board meeting, when someone nods, we tend to think they agree with the
statement. However, in other cultures, a nod doesnt necessarily mean
mutual agreement, rather, just an acknowledgement.
Trouble with Accents and Fluency
A more obvious challenge within an organizationally diverse workplace is

the language barrier among employees, including accents and fluency.
Although English is the standard language internationally for business,
many non-English speakers can feel unnoticed and unappreciated in the
workplace because they have difficulty conveying what they want to say
in their non-native language. Employees who may be subject matter
experts, may take a backseat to contributing to the team because of their
inability to get a message across in their second language. This can
sometimes cause frustration and interpersonal conflict. They may become
less engaged and motivated as a team player, and become an
impediment to the collaborative learning process as a whole. An
organization can be negatively affected and fail to see an increase in their
return on investment.
Different Attitudes toward Hierarchy and Authority
In any organization, teamwork is essential to success and profitability.

However, in some cultures, employees are treated different based on their
rank within the organization. Diversity training in the workplace should
account for negotiation tactics among different cultures. For example,
multicultural employees have different ways of presenting an idea to the

manager or CEO. In some organizations, employees must present to
higher-level team members and up the corporate ladder before reaching
the executive level. Other organizations have relatively flat hierarchical
structures where employees and leaders work as a unified team. A lack of
cultural awareness can result in a disconnected workforce and leave some
employees feeling left out and unrecognized.
Conflicting Norms for Decision Making
It isnt surprising that individual cultures have their own way of reaching
an agreement and coming to an executive decision. Cultures differ on how
long the decision making process takes, what steps must be in place
beforehand and how much effort should be put in. Unlike other cultures
that tend to withhold information until they have performed analyses and
comparisons before reaching a decision, Americans tend to be very quick
at deciding, according to the Harvard Business Review article.
Successful organizations create a culture of awareness that inspires employees to respect one
another through diversity training. This mutual understanding among managers and
employees encourages new ideas, different perspectives and collaboration, making all the
difference within an organization.
Tips for Communicating In Today's Diverse Workplace

1. Learn how the source culture best receives communications. Deborah
Valentine, of the Management Communication Department at Emory University's Goizueta
Business School in Atlanta, advises managers to analyse their audience to find the best way
to communicate a message.
People from some cultures don't trust information that comes directly from a manager, for
example, preferring that the word comes instead from a leader of the employee group, a
headman, or shop foreman.
2. Train international employees early and often. Many of the pitfalls of

misunderstanding and cultural confusion can be prevented with early and ongoing training.
"It's very important that incoming employees be taught in orientation sessions and in ongoing
training what the company's expectations are, that they be acculturated to the way that
company does things," Valentine says
3. Train the non-foreign-born, too. The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has training
programs to ensure that its employees not only understand the mission of the company, but
also the significance of diversity, both within the workplace and among clients.
"We train people to get into the shoes and the mindset of the person opposite them," says
James Lowry, vice president and director of diversity at BCG. "The biggest mistake people
make is to look at issues only through their eyes. There are major and minor cultural
differences, and we cannot be effective in our area of business if we don't understand them
and embrace them.
4. Practice open-door communicationcarefully

5. In company-wide communications, avoid jargon and slang. Employees from
outside the U.S. may have difficulty understanding company communication that uses U.S.
jargon and slang, as well as any number of culture-specific idioms.
6. Play by the rules and stick to business. Finally, the best way to create an
environment that people of all cultures and ethnicities can participate in is to ensure that the
company's mission and goals are communicated clearly and that the workplace is driven by
business requirements rather than personal preferences, says R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr., a
writer of many books on diversity, including Building a House for Diversity, and president and
founder of The American Institute for Managing Diversity in Atlanta.
"It is important that managers and the people within the mixture make decisions that are not
based on personal preferences, traditions, or conveniences, but rather on what is the
mission and vision, and what are the requirements necessary for achieving that mission and
vision," he says
Code of ethics of a diverse workplace
behave honestly and with integrity at the work environment

act with diligence in action and behaviour
treat everyone with respect and courtesy, and without harassment
comply with all applicable Indian laws irrespective of whether the person is native or not
maintain appropriate confidentiality about dealings that the employee has with any Minister
or Ministers member of staff
not provide false or misleading information in response to a request for information that is
made for official purposes in connection with the employees APS employment
not make improper use of:
o inside information; or
o the employees duties, status, power or authority; in order to gain, or seek to gain, a benefit
or advantage for the employee or for any other person
at all times behave in a way that upholds the organizational Values and Employment
Principles, and the integrity and good reputation of the organization
while on duty overseas, at all times behave in a way that upholds the good
reputation of India
In developing a code of ethics my preference is to use a values-based approach. I have previously

discussed what I call the six pillars of corporate character. Here they are:
Honesty
Do not lie or deceive stakeholders in conducting business operations
Fully disclose all the information that stakeholders have a right to know
Trustworthiness
Act in a reliable manner by exercising diligence in business decision making
Be consistent and dependable in word and deed
Fairness
Judge performance in the workplace in an unbiased manner
Act in accordance with established standards of behavior (i.e. code of conduct)
Integrity
Keep promises and carry through decisions with ethical action
Act to prevent improper behavior or to stop it once it has been detected
Responsibility
Meet obligations to stakeholders
Accept the consequences of decisions and act to improve corporate behavior
Civic virtue
Follow the laws and customs of society
Act in a socially responsible manner
In order to develop an effective code of ethics in the workplace we must first identify potential
ethical issues to be covered by such a code. Here is my list. Ive restricted the list to the top ten
ethical issues from the perspective of top management and employees in the workplace.
Misreporting the amount or number of hours worked.
Taking credit for the work of another person.
Stealing resources (i.e. cash, inventory) or falsifying financial statements.
Treating others unfairly including employees, customers, and suppliers.
Accepting gifts or other forms of payment that might cloud ones objectivity in decisionmaking.
Getting too personal with any colleague or superior in a professional setup. Sexual
harassment occurs when such actions create a hostile work environment.
Violating ones confidentiality obligation to the organization by divulging sensitive

information.
Using sensitive company information for personal gain including insider trading.
Misrepresentation of data, knowingly or unknowingly. It also involves failing to report such

misrepresentation by other employees of the organization.
Failing to disclose all the information the public has a right to know. This would include
product safety and financial information.

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Communication issues in a diverse workplace

Direct versus indirect communication.

Trouble with accents and fluency.

Different attitudes toward hierarchy and authority.

Conflicting norms for decision making.

Communication styles in Western cultures are direct and the meaning is

A more obvious challenge within an organizationally diverse workplace is

In any organization, teamwork is essential to success and profitability.

multicultural employees have different ways of presenting an idea to the

Tips for Communicating In Today's Diverse Workplace

2. Train international employees early and often. Many of the pitfalls of

4. Practice open-door communicationcarefully

behave honestly and with integrity at the work environment

In developing a code of ethics my preference is to use a values-based approach. I have previously

Do not lie or deceive stakeholders in conducting business operations

Act in a reliable manner by exercising diligence in business decision making

Be consistent and dependable in word and deed

Judge performance in the workplace in an unbiased manner

Act in accordance with established standards of behavior (i.e. code of conduct)

Keep promises and carry through decisions with ethical action

Act to prevent improper behavior or to stop it once it has been detected

Meet obligations to stakeholders

Accept the consequences of decisions and act to improve corporate behavior

Follow the laws and customs of society

Act in a socially responsible manner

Misreporting the amount or number of hours worked.

Taking credit for the work of another person.

Stealing resources (i.e. cash, inventory) or falsifying financial statements.

Treating others unfairly including employees, customers, and suppliers.

Violating ones confidentiality obligation to the organization by divulging sensitive

Misrepresentation of data, knowingly or unknowingly. It also involves failing to report such

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