Common challenges of verbal communication and how they apply to written communication in the UoPeople context. Communication is the act of conveying and interpreting meanings from one entity /person/team to another through the use of mutually understood words, signs, sounds, and symbols for purposes of informing, directing or persuading among others (Rochester, 2018). Communication can either be verbal whereby the information is exchanged through speech, or written where information is relayed through written words (Doyle, 2019). The article by Brett, Behfar, & Kern (2000) revealed that communication-related challenges are some of the multiple issues faced by multicultural teams, and identified setbacks particularly associated with verbal communication. This post examines two of them and their applicability to written communication in the UoPeople context, which involves diverse students that come from different nations, statuses, attitudes and backgrounds. It is known that the UoPeople medium of communication is English and is used for purposes of giving assignments and responding to them in form of feedback and questions, emphasizing specific points, recognizing and countering objections as well as seeking advice from instructors and fellow students. Challenges associated with Verbal communication and their applicability to Written communication in the UoPeople Context. Direct Vs Indirect Communication. Brett, Behfar, & Kern (2000) revealed that during verbal communication, multicultural teams usually experience challenges because while on one hand , some cultures especially westerners use direct communication and explicitly express the meaning and motive of the words used, on the other hand, Eastern and African cultures prefer to use indirect communication where meaning is implied. This same challenge can affect written communication. For example, in the course of my studies at Uopeole, I have realized that during peer assessment in written, discussion and group assignments, some people generally use rich and straight forward words that quickly express their ideas , while some are not precise although they have great ideas which should be appreciated and others interpret written information differently. Some people’s feedback sometimes seems to be irrelevant until one reads it with an open mind, while others don’t appreciate feedback unless it is communicated in a style that is acceptable to them. Last year in one of the discussion forums, I pointed out some grammatical errors and wrong in-text citations in some one’s post, and advised him on how to correct them. However, he became defensive and sent me several threatening private messages and sternly warned me from ever pointing out errors in his posts. I tried to explain that by appreciating and fixing the errors once and for all, he would earn stronger grades in subsequent classes but he worsened his threats until I warned him that I would report him to the instructor. While I may not have appreciated the justification for his behavior, probably the language I used was impolite, too straight forward or he had emotional intelligence challenges or both. Varying accents and fluency levels are other challenges associated with verbal communication (Brett, Behfar, & Kern, 2000). In the UoPeople context, the victims are mostly non-native English speakers whose command of the English language is hindered by limited vocabulary, and misconception due to poor translation of the language. In some cultural settings, poor command of the English language influences negative perceptions of status or competence of the “victim” whereby those with high proficiency tend to wrongly minimize the intellectual ability of those with lower levels of proficiency, and may subsequently ignore their ideas despite their seniority and expertize . This stereotyping can also happen during written communication in UoPeople context where the “weak” English writers may be mistaken as unserious and less senior, which can cause them to fear to contribute to discussions, in avoidance of being disrespected or misunderstood. The applicability of the proposed strategies to overcome these challenges in UoPeople group activities According to Brett, Behfar, & Kern (2000), there is no particularly right way to deal with the various types of multicultural challenges, but there can be a wrong way.The applicability of the four strategies as proposed by Brett, Behfar, & Kern (2000), to deal with communication problems that are multicultural in nature include; i) Adaptation (being culturally intelligent and sensitive, acknowledge cultural gaps and strategize to amicably solve them). Instead of imposing certain cultures over others in a multi-cultural situation, adaptation would enable managers and team members to acknowledge, adapt and accommodate their cultural differences in the study process (Lautman, 2017). This would be most beneficial during group projects and discussion forums where different students express their points of view using direct or indirect communication without feeling alienated. ii) Structural intervention (changing the team model and guidelines to improve their cohesion and interaction), especially in situations where the team is affected by emotional tensions caused by fluency issues or prejudice. This would imply that the multicultural teams and expertize be subdivided and mixed, in conformation with the current UoPeople practice where various groups are comprised of students from different cultural zones. However, this would not be 100% effective because the cultural differences will still exist among team members and the only solution is to make them culturally sensitive so that they appreciate and comfortably work around them. iii) Managerial intervention (pre-establishing policies and procedures or enlisting the intervention of a higher-level manager to control the situation) .This is mostly applicable in situations where hierarchy is violated and where conflict is as a result of absence of ground rules, and a higher-level manager is able and willing to intervene. While there are no hierarchies in Uopeople student groups, there are course instructors and the university administration above these groups. None the less, the student groups are guided by ground rules and university Policines and Procedures. This strategy can best apply only in isolated situations such as the ordeal I went through when a fellow classmate was harassing and threatening me. iv) Exit (removing problematic team members when other options have failed). Because Uopeople student groups are remote based and temporary, and the fact that an instructor is always part of the group, it is rare for emotions to flare beyond manageable extents. In such cases, managerial intervention by the instructor or management can be the best alternative. Therefore, exiting errant members can only be possible if their offenses exceed the acceptable university limits. Conclusion In conclusion, because communication is about both how messages are delivered and received, some of the challenges that affect verbal communication also affect written communication although in varying proportions. Ultimately, cultural challenges are manageable. In the UoPeople situation, the four strategies proposed by Brett, Behfar, & Kern (2000) are appropriate to guide smooth communication in the UoPeople student group activities that I participate in to fulfill the MBA requirements. However, the extent of their applicability depends on the enabling situational conditions that guide our operations especially the University Policies and procedures. I believe that the most applicable strategy is adaptation, which would require the university to deliberately train the students to be culturally sensitive as they communicate in course off their studies. References Brett, J., Behfar, K., & Kern, M. (2006) Managing Multicultural Teams. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://my.uopeople.edu/pluginfile.php/550270/mod_book/chapter/202504/Unit%202%20Managing%20Multicultural%20Teams.pdf Doyle, A.( 2019). Verbal Communication Skills List and Examples. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/verbal-communication-skills-list-2059698#what-are-verbal-communication-skills Jeanne Brett, Kristin Behfar, and Mary C. Kern, 2006, Managing Multicultural Teams, Retrieved from https://my.uopeople.edu/pluginfile.php/515904/mod_book/chapter/195380/Unit%202%20Managing%20Multicultural%20Teams.pdf Lautman, O. (2017). 5 Tips for Managing Culturally Diverse Teams. Retrieved from http://olm-consulting.com/5-tips-for-managing-culturally-diverse-teams/ Rochester, N.( 2018).The Seven Biggest Challenges to Effective Communication. Retrieved from https://www.strategyex.co.uk/blog/pmoperspectives/the-seven-biggest-challenges-to-effective-communication/

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Communication is the act of conveying and interpreting meanings from one entity /person/team to another through the use of mutually understood words, signs, sounds, and symbols for purposes of informing, directing or persuading among others (Rochester, 2018). Communication can either be verbal whereby the information is exchanged through speech, or written where information is relayed through written words (Doyle, 2019).

The article by Brett, Behfar, & Kern (2000) revealed that communication-related challenges are some of the multiple issues faced by multicultural teams, and identified setbacks particularly associated with verbal communication. This post examines two of them and their applicability to written communication in the UoPeople context, which involves diverse students that come from different nations, statuses, attitudes and backgrounds.  It is known that the UoPeople medium of communication is English and is used for purposes of giving assignments and responding to them in form of feedback and questions, emphasizing specific points, recognizing and countering objections as well as seeking advice from instructors and fellow students.

Challenges associated with Verbal communication and their applicability to Written communication in the UoPeople Context.

Direct Vs Indirect Communication. Brett, Behfar, & Kern (2000) revealed that during verbal communication, multicultural teams usually experience challenges because while on one hand , some cultures especially westerners use direct communication and explicitly express the meaning and motive of the words used, on the other hand, Eastern and African  cultures prefer to use indirect communication where meaning is implied. This same challenge can affect written communication. For example, in the course of my studies at Uopeole, I have realized that during peer assessment in written, discussion  and group assignments, some people generally use rich and straight forward words that quickly express their ideas , while some are not precise although they have great ideas which should be appreciated and others interpret written information differently. Some people’s feedback sometimes seems to be irrelevant until one reads it with an open mind, while others don’t appreciate feedback unless it is communicated in a style that is acceptable to them. Last year in one of the discussion forums, I pointed out some grammatical errors and wrong in-text citations in some one’s post, and advised him on how to correct them.  However, he became defensive and sent me several threatening private messages and sternly warned me from ever pointing out errors in his posts. I tried to explain that by appreciating and fixing the errors once and for all, he would earn stronger grades in subsequent classes but he worsened his threats until I warned him that I would report him to the instructor. While I may not have appreciated the justification for his behavior, probably the language I used was impolite, too straight forward or he had emotional intelligence challenges or both.

Varying accents and fluency levels are other challenges associated with verbal communication (Brett, Behfar, & Kern, 2000). In the UoPeople context, the victims are mostly non-native English speakers whose command of the English language is hindered by limited vocabulary, and misconception due to poor translation of the language. In some cultural settings, poor command of the English language influences negative perceptions of status or competence of the “victim” whereby those with high proficiency tend to wrongly minimize the intellectual ability of those with lower levels of proficiency, and may subsequently ignore their ideas despite their seniority and expertize . This stereotyping can also happen during written communication in UoPeople context where the “weak” English writers may be mistaken as unserious and less senior, which can cause them to fear to contribute to discussions, in avoidance of being disrespected or misunderstood.

The applicability of the proposed strategies to overcome these challenges in UoPeople group activities

According to Brett, Behfar, & Kern (2000), there is no particularly right way to deal with the various types of multicultural challenges, but there can be a wrong way.The applicability of the four strategies as proposed by Brett, Behfar, & Kern (2000), to deal with communication problems that are multicultural in nature include;

i)                  Adaptation (being culturally intelligent and sensitive, acknowledge cultural gaps and strategize to amicably solve them). Instead of imposing certain cultures over others in a multi-cultural situation, adaptation would enable managers and team members to acknowledge, adapt and accommodate their cultural differences in the study process (Lautman, 2017).  This would be most beneficial during group projects and discussion forums where different students express their points of view using direct or indirect communication without feeling alienated.

ii)                Structural intervention (changing the team model and guidelines to improve their cohesion and interaction), especially in situations where the team is affected by emotional tensions caused by fluency issues or prejudice. This would imply that the multicultural teams and expertize be subdivided and mixed, in conformation with the current UoPeople practice where various groups are comprised of students from different cultural zones. However, this would not be 100% effective because the cultural differences will still exist among team members and the only solution is to make them culturally sensitive so that they appreciate and comfortably work around them.

iii)             Managerial intervention (pre-establishing policies and procedures or enlisting the intervention of  a higher-level manager to control the situation) .This is  mostly applicable  in situations where hierarchy is violated and where conflict is as a result of absence of ground rules, and a higher-level manager is able and willing to intervene. While there are no hierarchies in Uopeople student groups,  there are course instructors and the university administration above these groups. None the less, the student groups are guided by ground rules and university Policines  and Procedures. This strategy can best apply only in isolated situations such as the ordeal I went through when a fellow classmate was harassing and threatening me.

iv)              Exit (removing problematic team members when other options have failed). Because Uopeople student groups are remote based and temporary, and the fact that an instructor is always part of the group, it is rare for emotions to flare beyond manageable extents. In such cases, managerial intervention by the instructor or management can be the best alternative. Therefore, exiting errant members can only be possible if their offenses exceed the acceptable university limits.

Conclusion

In conclusion, because communication is about both how messages are delivered and received, some of the challenges that affect verbal communication also affect written communication although in varying proportions. Ultimately, cultural challenges are manageable. In the UoPeople situation, the four strategies proposed by Brett, Behfar, & Kern (2000) are appropriate to guide smooth communication in the UoPeople student group activities that I participate in to fulfill the MBA requirements. However, the extent of their applicability depends on the enabling situational conditions that guide our operations especially the University Policies and procedures. I believe that the most applicable strategy is adaptation, which would require the university to deliberately train the students to be culturally sensitive as they communicate in course off their studies.

References

Brett, J., Behfar, K., & Kern, M. (2006) Managing Multicultural Teams. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://my.uopeople.edu/pluginfile.php/550270/mod_book/chapter/202504/Unit%202%20Managing%20Multicultural%20Teams.pdf

Doyle, A.( 2019). Verbal Communication Skills List and Examples. Retrieved from https://www.thebalancecareers.com/verbal-communication-skills-list-2059698#what-are-verbal-communication-skills

Jeanne Brett, Kristin Behfar, and Mary C. Kern, 2006, Managing Multicultural Teams, Retrieved from https://my.uopeople.edu/pluginfile.php/515904/mod_book/chapter/195380/Unit%202%20Managing%20Multicultural%20Teams.pdf

Lautman, O. (2017). 5 Tips for Managing Culturally Diverse Teams. Retrieved from http://olm-consulting.com/5-tips-for-managing-culturally-diverse-teams/

Rochester, N.( 2018).The Seven Biggest Challenges to Effective Communication. Retrieved from https://www.strategyex.co.uk/blog/pmoperspectives/the-seven-biggest-challenges-to-effective-communication/