Business Communication Assignment # 2

Name: Usman Ahmed Cheema (MBA2Y22-W) ID: 70131086

Questions #1, How Culture and Language can play a major role in Business
Communication?

Business Communication:

Business communication specifically refers to the act of giving and/or receiving

information within or outside a business for the benefit of the business. This exchange of
information can occur between workers, managers, customers, potential customers, vendors and
anyone else with whom a business communicates. i

Cultural and Lingual Influence/effect on the business communication:

All international communication is influenced by cultural differences. Each culture has set
rules and values that its members take for granted. People from different cultures bring different
set of assumptions about appropriate ways to coordinate and communicate in a company.

A diverse workforce poses various communication challenges to a company. Diverse working

groups can often experience problems with misunderstandings and miscommunication and
inaccuracies. Communication breakdowns occur when members often assume that the other party
understands the message when in fact they do not. Even when the same language is used people
often interpret the information differently (Samovar et al. 2009).

The factors that most often create misunderstanding in a multicultural team are:

1. Stereotypes- People tend to make conclusions and judge others based on the kinds of
experiences they have had before. These experiences directly relate to ability to
communicate.
2. Language/ Accent- Another factor creating problems in communication as some people
react negatively to different accents.
3. Differences in communication styles and non-verbal communication can also affect the
workforce experiences

We can differentiate two types of culture groups and in the literature:

  High-context and low-context cultures. High-context cultures (African, Arab, Asian,
Latin American, Mediterranean) leave much of the message unspecified, to be understood
through context, nonverbal cues, and between-the-lines interpretation of what is actually
said. In body language, in the silences and pauses, in relationships and empathy.
 Low-context cultures (most Germanic and English-speaking countries) expect messages
to be explicit and specific. The emphasis here is on sending and receiving accurate
messages directly, usually by articulating words. ii

Question #2, Does knowing the Language of a particular culture or country would have any
impact in your communication or business affairs.?

Learning a language isn’t just going to help you to travel or watch original movies without
subtitles. When you speak two, three, or more languages, you’ll have access to better job
opportunities, improve your brain’s function and become a happier person! Learning a language
can even make you a better leader, as well. Let’s find out how.

 You Improve Your Communication Skills

When you learn a second language, you become better at communicating in your mother tongue
as well. This is because you learn to analyze your first language from different angles, as you
discover differences and similarities with the new language.

(Geoffrey Willans) used to say, “You can never understand one language until you understand at
least two.” When you learn about grammar, conjugation and syntax in the foreign language, you
become more aware of these elements in your own language.

 Learning a Language Increases Your Ability to Switch Tasks

As a leader, in many cases, you must switch from one topic to another in short time, with little
breathing space for organizing your ideas. When you’re a bilingual, task switching comes
naturally, so you’ll flip from one activity to another with little or no effort.

 Learning a Language Helps You Make Better Decisions

Learning a language opens new perspectives. It gives you access to a wide range of information,
as it reveals you a new culture. You become more perceptive, as well. This is because you learn to
separate relevant information from fluff and remain focused on the tasks that really matter.
Thanks to these skills, you’ll find new ways to analyze problems, and have a higher chance of
finding innovative solutions for any challenges. This is an essential quality of a good leader.

 You Build Strong International Connections

Multilinguals can talk with natives in their local languages, exchanging information with little or
no effort. This opens up the possibility of communicating with people who aren’t confident in your
language.

Many of today’s great leaders are bilinguals or multilinguals. Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO
of Facebook, speaks English and Chinese. Marissa Mayer, former president of Yahoo!, speaks
English and German.

 Learning a Language Makes You Intelligent and Creative

According to scientists at Penn State University, learning a language makes your brain stronger,
as your networks become more flexible. You get to make connections faster, which means you
open yourself up to a wealth of knowledge.

Every new language you learn opens up your world, allowing you to recognize and understand
new meanings and concepts. In the long run, you’ll become a better person, who can handle all
personal and professional responsibilities.iii

References

i
(Campus, n.d.)
ii
(Sokolova, n.d.)
iii
(Translations, n.d.)

Campus, A. H. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ahaworldcampus.com/b/how-does-culture-affect-

business-communication

Sokolova, S. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-culture-diversity-impacts-

business-communication-siyana-sokolova

Translations, C. W. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://clearwordstranslations.com/language/en/learning-a-

language-better-leader/