“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place” (G. B. Shaw). Despite being short, this quote sums up everything that can be said about the importance of mastering communication in our human relationships. Besides, as in any other field of life, communication has also a primordial place in business. In fact, communication in a company is a double-edged sword, because it can improve the relationship with its stakeholders as it can destroy it squarely if it is not well mastered. This is why we will focus in this article on three main barriers that can block communication within the company, namely: cultural barriers, gender barriers, and goal conflicts.
What do you know about cultural barriers?
The more the company operates internationally, the greater is the probability of facing cultural issues. Cultural issues can be visible in many ways, language is one of the important factors that differentiate people and may cause misunderstandings and misinterpretations which can harm your business. The difference in language can block communication when two parties cannot speak the same language, sometimes even they speak the same language they may have different accents, dialects, and pidgin which makes communication more difficult.
Moreover, the behavior during communication is another level in culture, it varies from a country to another. Do you tend to interrupt others during the conversation? or you wait for them to finish their ideas? do you speak loudly or softly? Are you direct in your messages? or you prefer being indirect? each different attitude may seem tolerated in some countries or regions but not in others.
Another barrier concerns stereotypes, they extremely influence incoming information and how we treat people, stereotypes can be linked to different factors such as age, gender, race, appearance, etc. The more stereotypes persist in a workspace, the more we have separated teams, lower productivity, and collaborating problems.
It is highly recommended to be aware of these differences to avoid problems resulting from culture clash.
How gender can affect communication in your business?
Gender barriers seem to have become less problematic in recent years, yet there is still, for instance, the possibility for a woman to misinterpret a man’s words, or vice versa. Even in a work environment where women and men have the same stature, knowledge, and skills, differences in styles of communication can hinder their ability to work together effectively. Cross-gender barriers might be either related or inherent to gender stereotypes and the way in which both women and men are taught to behave during their childhood.
Gender can be a barrier to an organization’s success because of the different ways in which women and men deal with issues. In general, women focus on feelings, meaning, and significance. They tend to rely on instinct and intuition to find answers, unlike men who focus on what is factual, rational, and logical. They usually find answers by analyzing and understanding things.
And while not all women or men communicate similarly to their counterparts, there are several characteristics that tend to be more common in either sex that have been identified. By fully understanding these tendencies, we can create a working environment that embraces healthy and open communication amongst each and every employee.
Are you aware of goal conflicts?
“Goal conflict occurs when a goal that a person wishes to accomplish interferes with the attainment of at least one other goal that the individual simultaneously wishes to accomplish” (Robert A. Emmons). Indeed, in the same organization we can find different personal’s goals. For instance, a shareholder wants to increase the value of the company by controlling the stock price and swelling market share, the same thing for the employee who wants to get more done and boost his incomes. Whereas, the customer searches a good ratio quality/price.
There is no communication process with ego based goals. Obviously, when a person hangs on a specific goal, automatically he is destroying his link with others which means a random act. So, that can lead to personality clashes if individuals have significantly different personalities, friction can arise. These conflicts are often not motivated by malice but are the result of two very different people misunderstanding each other. Also, jealousy which is a huge problem; even if you are consciously aware of feelings of envy or jealousy, the actual reason may be buried in your unconscious and disguised by rationalizations. But left unexamined, envy and jealousy can work against you by distracting you from your own performance and you will not be able to discuss with others in order not to express your hidden bad sensations.
It is obvious that diversity is exemplary in most workplaces. Meanwhile, this could be the new standard, the probable challenges of diversity cannot be ignored. The article analyzed three barriers of communication: cultural and gender barriers also the goal conflict. So to create a work environment of inclusion rather than exclusion, it is important to acquire a knowledge of some key phrases and to use body language to create a real communication between employees, since it is impossible to learn all the languages.
Furthermore, it is necessary to find a middle ground between all employees to avoid misunderstanding and manipulation. Otherwise, it is critically important to make education gender sensitive in order to promote positive stereotypes. Regarding the goal conflict, the important thing to keep in mind, is that in many instances, finding a way to satisfy both individuals will climatically be good for the company.
To sum up, communication has always known barriers so we cannot eliminate them overnight yet we can always make an extra effort to improve it. So let’s take time to ask how to make better our communication because without it, there would be no organizations.
Authors :
- HAJAR BASSIM EL IDRISSI
- YOUSSEF ADARSSANE
- KHALID BENICHE
- ILHAM ABDERRAHIM
- IMANE ASBIK
References:
- Lainie Petersen. (February 2019). Examples of Employer & Employee Conflicts. Retrieved from: https://smallbusiness.chron.com/examples-employer-employee-conflicts-13804.html
- Vilayanur S. Ramachandran1and Baland Jalal1. (September 2017). The Evolutionary Psychology of Envy and Jealousy. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319904475_The_Evolutionary_Psychology_of_Envy_and_Jealousy
- Julia Gorges and Axel Grund. (November 2017). Aiming at a Moving Target: Theoretical and Methodological Considerations in the Study of Intraindividual Goal Conflict between Personal Goals. Retrieved from: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.02011/full
- Cailin S. Stamarski and Leanne S. Son Hing. (September 2015). Gender inequalities in the workplace: the effects of organizational structures, processes, practices, and decision makers’ sexism. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4584998/
- Hannah Borchardt. (December 2014). Gender Roles in the Workplace: How They Affect Communication. Retrieved from: https://hannahborchardt.wordpress.com/2014/12/01/17/
- Internations Organization. Global Guide for working abroad: Cultural Differences in Business. Retrieved from: https://www.internations.org/guide/global/cultural-differences-in-business-15308
- Summa Linguae Technologies. Culture and language in business. Retrieved from: https://summalinguae.com/blog/culture-and-language-in-business/
4 Comments
Hajar Baillade
Replying to this part of the article: “In general, women focus on feelings, meaning, and significance. They tend to rely on instinct and intuition to find answers, unlike men who focus on what is factual, rational, and logical. They usually find answers by analyzing and understanding things.” which I disagree with, although, I know that there are numerous research and studies that have been conducted and published about gender differences in communication styles. There have been also studies that rated women better than men on key leadership capabilities such as multitasking abilities, taking initiative, bold leadership, solving problems and analyzing issues, technical or professional expertise…
I think that women can be rational and logical, It just depends on situations and areas where they have expertise in the subject at hand.
I also believe that intuitive decision-making based on expertise may deliver better results than the analytical approach in some cases. It should be acknowledged that there are PEOPLE who do best by relying on their intuition and inner wisdom, whether a man or a woman. Leaders like Steve Jobs have been known to place great emphasis on their gut feelings, and incorporate it in most, if not all, of his decisions.