Global Village Essay

Abstract: The process of creating and sharing information with one another is called communication. The world is becoming a small-intersected community for the rapid changes in technology, expansion of multinational business or activities, transportation and immigration. The sustainability of global economy largely depends on the multinational business or other activities. Therefore, it is essential to communicate effectively among the people from different cultures, nations and groups. But cultural differences stand as barrier for effective communication. Informal understandings among the people, parties from different cultures make the base of effective communication. Proper intercultural communication is the way to make the overall communication more efficient and effective. The emerging use of social media networks also making base of effective intercultural communication. Interactions among different cultural people are making them more familiar to the other cultures and resulting common and shared cultural activities. It is also making the informal understanding among different cultural people. Intercultural communication is also making people much more communicative than previous. People are improving their communication skills, competences by the grace of intercultural communication. Intercultural communications has also impacts on the social, political and cultural values. People are sharing common cultures day by day and society also holding similar values gradually. The political issues are no more for a particular group as people from different places of the world reacting simultaneously. Every major political issue is becoming a global concern. Finally each and every type of communication form has impact on intercultural communication. Verbal, non-verbal, written, visual these all types of communication are influencing intercultural communication. Contents Abstract:2 Introduction:4 The importance of Intercultural Communication in the global view of the world:5 The role of social media such as, Facebook in Intercultural  Communication6 The impact of Intercultural communication on the Communication competence7 The effect of Intercultural Communication on social, political and cultural values8 The effect of various types of communication (verbal, non-verbal, written and visual) on Intercultural Communication9 Conclusion:10 References:11 Introduction: Today the world we live in is â€Å"a global village† where no nation, group or culture can remain anonymous (Samovar & Porter, 1991). One part of the world clearly impacts on the other part of the world. And the impact is growing day by day. By the blessings of the modern technology we can easily communicate with the people from anywhere, any nations any cultures of the world. So, if we do not know that particular cultures it may be a critical task to deal with the people. Intercultural communication is a form communication among different groups of people from different cultures of the world. It is also widely known as cross-cultural communication. Some people say that intercultural communication is only communications among the people from different nations. But some disagree and say, it encompasses broader area including inter-ethnic, inter-religious, and even inter-regional communication Even they include communication among individuals of different sexual orientations are as intercultural communication. This assignment encompasses the importance of intercultural communication and the impacts of social media on it. It also covers the impacts of intercultural communication on communication competences of an individual. The impacts on various social, cultural and political aspects are also described in this assignment. Finally, it has critical assessment of the impacts of different communication types like verbal nonverbal written or visual. The importance of Intercultural Communication in the global view of the world: Intercultural Communication has great importance in the global economy, culture and politics as well. Intercultural Communication is most essential for business purpose. When a company runs its business to  different parts of the world it is necessary important to have better understanding about the cultures of different targeting groups. They have to communicate to different segments of people like the suppliers, customers, workers from totally different cultures from the different part of the world. To increase the productivity intercultural communication is also important. As an example, an apparel company produces clothing. If their production plant is located in Europe, it will take very high cost for per unit of production. Then overall productivity will go down. If they have the factory in southern Asia then it can be produced more from the same cost of production as they have low workers cost. Furthermore, in a factory there may have different people from different cultures, if they have a good interactions among them, it will also increase the overall productivity. It opens the door of innovation by teamwork. We all know that, talents are scattered to each and every corner of the world. We also know that, no big outcome is come by a single effort. Each and every radical success so far, is brought by a team work. If the team comprises of talent people from different parts of the world, it would be the best to bring a good result. But the most important issue is that, good interactions and communications among them. Intercultural communication is also important to practice team work for better result. Immigration is another important issue largely depend on intercultural communication. People from the low income country, are selling their labour to the economically stronger county. Here, both parties are getting benefited, as the stronger country is getting low paid worker, where the workers are also getting work opportunity. But, here intercultural communication is also important. We also well concerned about the internet based business in the world. Freelancing is also an emerging issue by the grace of technology. People from one part of the world are getting their jobs done from an expert from a thousand kilometres away. This business is certainly brings a positive some game for the both worker and provider. Modern organizations are composed of diverse people and managers from different culture s to operate multinational business. Intercultural communication also fosters the management skill and leadership skills. Intercultural communication has also importance on global political issues. People are becoming a community with the concern of every trivial political issue. The role of social media such as, Facebook in Intercultural Communication There is a critical role of social media in intercultural communication. Facebook, twitter, MySpace are being used by billions of people across the world. They are interacting in same platform. They are becoming friend from one part of the world to another, from one culture to another culture. Moreover, any news and updates are spreading each and every part of the world just with in a second. These interactions are making a strong base of intercultural communication. As an example, people from china may have different cultural activities and festivals which are very unfamiliar to a person from Europe. But a Chinese is spreading his festivity through the facebook to t person of Europe. Therefore, the person of Europe is getting familiar with the festivals, norms and other cultural activities of the Chinese people. Same to the Chinese one he/she is also getting familiar to the cultures of Europe. Therefore, a strong base is being built by sharing those social media networks. People are getting familiar to the cultural activities to the different parts of the world and intercultural communication is getting improved day by day. People are participating all the cultural activities beyond their own borders and cultures. Moreover, these networks are opening window of interacting informally with one another. Therese informal communication is most important for the better understanding among the people. It helps to clarify all the cultural factors and give an inner insight about a totally different culture. These social media are also helping to communicate with all forms of communication like verbal, non-verbal, written and visual as they are giving opportunity of video conversation. Therefore a strong understanding is growing up and effective intercultural communication is built. The impact of Intercultural communication on the Communication competence Communication competence is the ability to interact well with others (Spitzberg, 1988).To maximize the achievement of communication and to generate adaptive communication performances by using knowledge of self, other, context a situational ability to set realistic and appropriate goals is needed. This ability is communication competence. (Friedrich 1994). Intercultural communication has great impact on the communication  competences of an individual. These are describes as follows. Adaptability: Intercultural communication increases a person’s adaptability by opening new window of social experience, social confirmation, wit and social composure. Empathy: It also helps to increase the ability to demonstrate understanding and share emotional reactions to the situation. It creates the sense of helping each other, parallel emotions and cognitive understanding. Communication ability: It also to increase overall communication and interaction ability among the people. It also increases the flexibility, sensibility, tolerance among the people. It also makes the people to become more broad and open-minded. Interactions among different people increase the confidence in the mind and create sympathy and respect to the other cultural people as well. Therefore, this respect and make people more interactive and their competences of communication increases. People are getting motivated to work with the other cultural people more comfortably. Hence, their sense of interpersonal understanding is growing. People get concepts all informal issues of a culture and communication elements of a particular culture through intercultural communication. The effect of Intercultural Communication on social, political and cultural values Intercultural Communication has impacts on the social, political and cultural values of the people. If we see there is a social change for intercultural communication. The societies of each and different parts of the earth are becoming almost similar. Even in a nation, societies are trying to hold certain standards by following the other society. These are becoming only for the blessings of intercultural communication. Intercultural communication has also impact on the cultural values. As the people are getting familiar with the other cultures day by day it has impacts on his own culture. One example is described as follows. In Europe, Valentine’s Day is observed with a great festivity or New Year celebration is also observed in a great festivity. But by the grace of the modern world and most importantly for intermural communication these festivals are no more for Europe only. People from every part of the world, like Bangladesh is observing these festivals with a great festivity. So, it is clear that one culture is influencing to another culture and new cross-cultural activities are emerging. Popular festivals are no more for a group of  people, people are appreciating cultural activities from different cultures and including to their culture and new cultures are emerging. Cultures are becoming global as well. Finally, the political aspects are also being influenced by the intercultural communications. World politicians are not only concerned about their country only; they have to think a lot about the other parts as well. It will be clear, if we see the very recent incident of Syria. The tragic incident, made an allegation across the world. This is now becoming very common scenario now. Any national incident is no more for a group of people only. It is a concern of the whole world. The world is reacting spontaneously and simultaneously. So, there are also some radical changes for intercultural communications. The effect of various types of communication (verbal, non-verbal, written and visual) on Intercultural Communication There are different forms of communication. People communicate verbally, non-verbally, in a written way or visually. These all type of communication has impacts on interpersonal communication. Few examples will make it clear. Firstly, ‘Good Morning / evening’ are widely used in western culture. These greeting words are the part of their culture. But gradually it is growing global greetings. If we see social network page in a morning, this will be very clear. We can find lots of greetings form different cultural people of the world. What is their culture, their language do not matter actually. Even sometime words have different meaning in different languages, which may create complexity. But gradually these complexities are overcome by the grace of globalization and effective intercultural communication. Another example regarding non-verbal communication form will make the topic clearer. Thumbs up is sign of alright in particular culture but this sign has an opposite meaning in another culture. It is used as an insulting sign in particular cultural group. So, it may be problem when two persons are communicating non-verbally. But, now frequent and massive communications among different cultural groups of people are making these issues more clear. Gradually non- verbal communications are also growing with universal meaning. Similarly, in written communication, certain cultural people have some norms but while communicating to another cultural people it may create some noise. Massive intercultural communications are also reducing these problems. Visual  elements can also be a form of communication. Many pictures, colours have different meaning to different cultural groups of people. People are communicating with video conversation, sharing visual elements in social media in massive scales and these issues are also becoming identical. Conclusion: Message transmission is the main problem in intercultural communication. One person can easily encode or interpret the message from a person of similar culture as they have common values, beliefs and norms. But in cross cultural communication, messages can be encoded different way even sometimes can be interpreted with an opposite meaning. Effective intercultural communications are making these issues more issues and creating a good platform for a good communication base. And these are being built by the grace of modern technology, social media. Intercultural communication is also playing a vital role to the success of multinational organization. Practicing intercultural communication increases the communication competencies of an individual. He or she also gets motivated, confident and efficient than before while communicating proficiently to the co-workers from different cultures. All the forms of communication have also impacts on the intercultural communication. The global village will soon hold very similar culture, values and languages. Intercultural communications are making the base to make globe a borderless village. References: 1. Allwood, J., & Schroeder, R. (2000). Intercultural communication in a virtual environment. Intercultural Communication, 4, 1-15. 2. BeerE.Jennifer. (2003). High and Low Context. Communicating Across Cultures. Retrieved December 01, 2013, from http://www.culture-at-work.com/highlow.html 3. Bomadan, (2010), Importance of Intercultural Communication Retrieved January 07, 2013, from http://www.studymode.com/join.php?redirectUrl=%2Fessays%2FImportance-Of-Intercultural-Communication-To-Ist-297367.html&from=essay 4. Castells, M. (2000). Materials for an exploratory theory of the network society. British Journal of Sociology. 5. Elisabeth Harper , (2013), Interactive, Social Media Retrieved January 02 from, http://www.omnistudio.com/category/interactive/