Description

Intercultural Communication in the Workplace (Q1133) assessments

Q1133: MODULE ASSESSMENTS 

 Assessment

	UNSEEN EXAM (UEX)	Learning outcomes 1,2,3	1.5 hours	End of year assessment period	50%
CWK	POF	Learnings outcomes 1,2,3,4	1,500 words	End of Year assessment period	50%

 

1. Unseen Exam (50% assessment weighting)

This is a timed exam that will involve reading at least one text or scenario related to some aspects of intercultural communication and writing one or more extended responses to questions on the text or scenario.

2. Business Portfolio (1500 words) (50% assessment weighting)

This is a written portfolio that will be presented in a report format as one document. This portfolio should include the following:

Section One (500 words / 40% weighting): Write an article review of one of the academic texts listed in the Further Reading section of the Module Reading List or an academic text of your choice which is approved by your tutor. The review should include a summary of the key idea(s) presented in the text and an evaluation of how the content (e.g. theories, methods etc.) can be relevant to the analysis of the local business discussed in Section Two. 

Section Two (1000 words / 60% weighting): Write a business report that presents an evaluation of a local business in terms of its intercultural awareness. The report should include a brief overview of the business and a detailed analysis of the interculturality of specific business practices using relevant theories introduced in the module.

The choice of business should meet the following criteria:

1. It must be from one of these categories:
   • a charity shop (e.g. Age UK, Cat’s Protection)
   • vintage or speciality clothing shop (e.g. shops in North Laine etc.)
   • independent art studio or gallery
   • health services (e.g. yoga, martial arts, local pharmacy etc.)
   • musical venue / musical instrument shop
   • Brighton-based letting agency
   • relocation business (e.g. moving company, international shipping services)
2. It must have a physical location that you can visit in person; online presence is optional
3. It must be based in / near Brighton area. If it is located outside Brighton you must seek approval from your tutor.
4. It must NOT be a multinational corporation (e.g. Tesco, Waterstones, Boots etc.). If you are unsure, ask your tutor for guidance.

 N.B. Your choice of business must be approved in writing by your tutor

 

Solution

Part 1: article review

Grusovnik, R. & Jelovac, D. (2014) ‘The impact of managerial multicultural competencies on company’s competitive advantage in global economy.’ Innovative Issues and Approaches in Social Sciences. 7(3), pp. 58-89.

Summary of the key findings

The purpose of this article was to gain an understanding of how multicultural competences of the management can influence the company’s competitive advantage in the globalized marketplace. The authors, Grusovnik and Jelovoc offer an empirical account on intercultural differences management as a managerial dilemma in the global economy. By interviewing 28 managers across Slovenia on how intercultural competences among managers impacts everyday business activities found that in the modern globalized economy, businesses are increasingly information and communication technology as a mean of communicating with their target customers. This article finds that the choice of information and communication as a tool of communication is based on advantages such as cost efficient and the fact that it is not physically limited. This article also found that whilst businesses are enjoying such benefits, some important communication elements such as personal contact is being lost. The use of non-verbal cue is also limited. To this end, this article indicates that in the age of information and communication technology, managers are increasingly being presented by a new challenge. This challenge is understanding that now, it is not only crucial what a person is saying, but also how they say. Communication, regardless of the language used, need to be easily understood particularly in a culturally diverse environment. The article also finds that the awareness of the diversity in a certain business environment is important for successful communication between the company and the customers. The authors argue that one of the main problem in communication is the issue of discrepancy between coding and decoding which is caused by the differences between the transmitter of a message and the recipient’s perception. This means that due to cultural differences, people are more likely to interpret communications differently. As such, managers operating in internal business contexts need to have multicultural competences that would to a very large extent positively influence the effectiveness of their companies, particularly in respect to communicating with customers in the global economy.

The theories of intercultural communication, including the changing paradigm of communication towards adopting information and communication technology in the global economy are important in understanding how a company such as SPACE Yoga Studio in Brighton is managing its intercultural communication with its customers through social media and its website. The above article implies that one of the main problem in communication is the issue of discrepancy between coding and decoding which is caused by the differences between the transmitter of a message and the recipient’s perception and that business managers need to be aware of these differences for effective intercultural communication management. As such, the findings of this article sets a foundation for analyzing how well SPACE Yoga studio is managing its intercultural communication when communicating with its target customers across Brighton and Hove particularly with regard to the use of information and communication technology such as website and social media platforms.

Part 2: Space Yoga studio intercultural awareness

Introduction

Space Yoga studio, located in St. Augustine’s Centre, Brighton is a new yoga studio which was open to help Brighton and Hove residents attain wellness. The space Yoga studio was opened at the heart of the St. Augustine’s Centre along the Stanford Avenue following a stunning renovation of a church that was dedicated to both arts and wellbeing (Space Yoga, 2020). The Space Yoga studio represents a place where Brighton and Hove residents can go and connect with themselves by practicing Yoga and meditation. Due to Covid-19 pandemic, Space Yoga studio is opened for 18 weekly online LIVE ZOOM classes for Brighton and Hove residents (Space Yoga, 2020).

This report investigates the overall interculturality of the Space Yoga studio.

Analysis of Interculturality of Space Yoga

The term interculturality means the underlying relations which exists in a society amongst cultural diverse individuals. According to Dervin and Jackson (2018), the term interculturality is an umbrella term which means that it does not only relate to culture of the individuals in a given society, but also their diversity in terms of languages, nationalities and/or religious denominations. Interculturality defines the relationships and interactions among people from different cultures as a way of promoting dialogue, mutual respect and promoting the need for preserving the cultural identity of all the people involved in such interactions (Spencer-Oatey, 2020). It is imperative to note that interculturality does not only mean interactions between people from different cultures and nationalities but also individuals in the same community such as Brighton who have different characteristic including social and ethnicity (Sparks and Callan, 1992). Space Yoga studio operates in a community that has high degree of interculturality. Brighton city is known for its cosmopolitan appeal but most importantly for its cultural diversity. It has 89.08% British, 4.13% Asians, and 3.81% mixed race, 1.53% black and 0.80% Arabs (Brighton, 2020). Additionally, 42.90% are Christians, 42.42% are non-religious, 2.23% are Muslims, 1% Buddhist and 0.98% are Jewish (Brighton, 2020). Space Yoga studio seems to have low cultural awareness of its environ given that despite marketing itself as a safe and nurturing environment, it choose to open the studio in a Church which makes it appeal to Christians whilst alienating other people………………….Please click the button ABOVE to purchase full solution at $10