Transcending Culture: An Intercultural Perspective

Abstract

Over the past couple of decades, with the mushrooming of Information and Technology, the marketplace has become global. Anything that happens in any part of the world, no matter how minor, affects the entire marketplace. In the workplace, it is common for employees to work within various scenarios across cultural, societal, and national norms. As such, it is likely that American workers will encounter someone in their workplace from another culture, or partner with a co-worker half a world away. Thus, in today's workplace, it is imperative to understand cultural differences. Understanding differences in culture can reduce conflict by eliminating frustration and increase productivity. The central question and the problem to be examined, in this thesis is: How do we learn to work in such a fluid workplace? This thesis will approach the problem by: first, understanding the intercultural environment in which we live and work, and the dimensions of culture that each individual brings to the relationship; next, discuss intercultural communication and competence; and, finally, discuss strategies for mitigating intercultural conflict.