Global interconnectivity has made intercultural communication critical for any organization. Intercultural communication takes place with people of different cultures discussing and communicating. Businesses intending to operate globally should invest in intercultural training for their staff to enjoy the immense benefits. Effective intercultural communication produces benefits such as employee productivity and teamwork.
Productivity and Proficiency
Intercultural communication helps employees from different ethnic backgrounds to communicate effectively with one another. It also guides the management competencies to design policies that incorporate the diversity in the team, allowing every member to be productive and proficient in their tasks. Since employees are well trained in intercultural communication, it eliminates misunderstanding and dissatisfaction that may arise if employees’ needs are not put into consideration while developing policies, planning for meetings, and designing incentive schemes. Satisfied employees are able to focus on their duties, thereby increasing productivity.
Teamwork
Intercultural communication fosters teamwork in an organization. It helps staff to understand each other’s cultural differences, and to communicate effectively without misunderstanding. With successful intercultural communication, employees understand the influence of culture on peoples' behavior and communication tendencies. This enhances teamwork, as colleagues respect one another’s cultural background, unique talents and capabilities, which is key to the smooth running of business. Since employees are aware of their colleagues’ cultural influences, intercultural communication eliminates stereotyping -- a danger to effective communication and team work.
Global Business Edge
Successful intercultural communication gives an organization a global business edge. Training employees in intercultural communication gives an organization successful negotiation skills in the global market of diverse cultures. A company venturing its business in Africa will have a receptive welcome if it understands important cultural factors crucial to business transactions. Some cultural traits important to transacting business in Africa are time, religion, handshakes, communication tactics and respect towards seniors. A company that understands the importance of cross-cultural communication has advantages in launching its business globally over a company that has not invested in it.
Effective Leadership
Intercultural communication also fosters effective leadership in an organization. Modern organizations are composed of diverse people, and managers are expected to lead their teams by creating understanding of the company’s policies while accommodating the diverse views of his team. A company that equips its leadership team in intercultural training enables them to motivate their teams, regardless of their cultural background. Intercultural training builds effective communication, which is a step toward effective leadership.
