Intercultural Communication in the Workplace

Essay by reneehobgoodUniversity, Bachelor'sA+, August 2009

download word file, 4 pages 5.0

The workplace is a diverse arena where people of different cultures are forced to coexist and cooperate in order for a company to become successful. In some cases people from different backgrounds and cultures can learn from one another and will then make the group stronger. In other cases, however, the cultures can clash due to each other's ignorance. The key to establishing a solid foundation of cultural understanding is to be open-minded, educated and aware of diversity.

Communication IssueSome employees would say that the clash between two coworkers occurred on a May afternoon but truly the squabble had been brewing for years. The two coworkers, Jimmy and Pablo, had been working at the same Peak Fitness for about three years. Peak Fitness is a privately owned chain of fitness centers in the Carolinas. They offer the lowest cost, full-service facilities in the region. The facilities include front desk staff, sales consultants and person trainers.

This particular clash of cultures occurred between a trainer and a sales consultant.

The duo of Jimmy and Pablo had never seen eye to eye. Most people would say that the reason for the rift was due to a difference in nationalities and cultures. Pablo is a 35-year-old man from Costa Rica. He moved to the United States about 10 years ago and his English is very broken. Jimmy is a 45-year-old personal trainer from the inner city of Los Angeles. As one can infer from his or her respective backgrounds, Jimmy and Pablo do not have a great deal in common other than the same employer.

The rift that ended in a visit from the police peaked on an afternoon in May 2009. Pablo had called the police on Jimmy for a few reasons. First, Pablo grew tired of Jimmy parking in a designated...