Read the passage and answer in your own words the questions that follow:
The workplace has changed dramatically in recent years. Globalization has brought people from different parts of the world and with different skills together. Markets all over the world offer international products and services. Outsourcing is the buzzword in today’s business world. This global dimension to business has brought about a multiculturally diverse workforce, catering to culture, language, religion, gender and nationality. So, handling diversity at the workplace becomes an important factor in successful business. A certain businessman let’s call him Mr. X often travels across the world to learn about latest trends in environment-friendly lighting systems. Even when his hosts speak English, there are cultural variations that make all the difference to the nature of this experience. The challenge of communicating across cultures – even through a shared language – can hardly be overemphasized. It is important to be able to understand the significance of culture in communication and develop skills to handle such situations suitably.
Clearly, communication is not just about speaking the same language. The ‘human element’ has a very important role to play at all levels of interpersonal dealings. After all, it is people who are engaged in business dealings, or communication, and not machines.
In business dealings, the buyer and seller, service provider and client, or a manager and his/her junior, need to understand each other enough to be able to make sense of the sender’s message. Building trust for successful transactions depends on this clarity of the communication channel. This also ensures a high degree of commitment between the parties involved.
Communication is a dynamic process which takes place verbally and nonverbally. The message communicated or sent may not necessarily be the message received.
We generally tend to believe that communication largely depends on the words used to convey the message. But it is not so. About 7 percent of the message depends on the verbal part; the remaining 93 per cent depends on the nonverbal. When a senior responds to our greetings with a stern face and a curt tone, we know something is wrong. So our social behaviour, our gestures, our tone, our body language, all play a very important role in communication. It is this social behaviour of a person which ‘speaks volume’ to the person receiving the message. This social behaviour is learnt from culture.
1a How has the workplace changed dramatically in recent years? Discuss.
1b “Clearly, communication is not just about speaking the same language.” statement from the passage (para 2) and comment on it.
1c Is communication only a verbal process? Discuss.
1d Give an incidence from your own life where non-verbal communication had a big impact in the communication process.
1e Make sentences of your own with the following words/phrases from the passage:
| i | changed dramatically | vi | diverse |
|---|---|---|---|
| ii | outsourcing | vii | environment-friendly |
| iii | buzzword | viii | make sense |
| iv | multicultural | ix | ensures |
| v | catering | x | curt |
1a. The workplace has changed dramatically in recent years due to globalization, which has brought people from different parts of the world with different skills together. This has led to a multiculturally diverse workforce, catering to various aspects such as culture, language, religion, gender, and nationality. Markets worldwide now offer international products and services, and outsourcing has become a prominent practice in today's business world.
1b. The statement "Clearly, communication is not just about speaking the same language" emphasizes the importance of understanding cultural differences in communication. It suggests that effective communication goes beyond language and requires an understanding of cultural nuances, gestures, and social behaviors to convey messages accurately.
1c. No, communication is not only a verbal process. It also involves nonverbal elements such as gestures, tone of voice, body language, and facial expressions. These nonverbal cues play a significant role in conveying meaning and are essential for effective communication.
1d. One incidence where non-verbal communication had a big impact was during a job interview. Despite answering the questions confidently, the interviewer seemed unimpressed. Later, I realized that my body language, including fidgeting and avoiding eye contact, might have conveyed a lack of confidence, which could have influenced the interviewer's perception of me.
1e.
i. The workplace has changed dramatically with the introduction of new technologies.
ii. Outsourcing has become a buzzword in the business world.
iii. The company has a diverse workforce with employees from different cultural backgrounds.
iv. The company is catering to the needs of a multicultural customer base.
v. The company is committed to using environment-friendly practices.
vi. The new policy ensures that all employees understand and adhere to the guidelines.
vii. The new lighting system is both cost-effective and environment-friendly.
viii. Understanding cultural differences helps to make sense of various behaviors.
ix. Effective communication ensures that messages are conveyed accurately.
x. The manager's curt response indicated that he was busy.