The Impact Of Effective Communication Skills On Career Growth Introduction Importance of Communication
In a survey conducted by the Katz business school at the University of Pittsburgh, organizations rated communication skills as the most important factor used in selecting their management staff. The study found that oral and written communication skills were important in predicting job success, as was the ability to communicate well with others in the workplace. If you can communicate well, you can get your message across to others in an effective way and they have then accurate instructions to complete their assigned tasks. If you are not able to communicate well, the massages you send get lost in translation. Communication breakdowns result in barriers against one’s ability to develop both professionally and personally. Even though communication skills are so important to success in the workplace, there are many individuals who find these skills to be a stumbling block to their progress. They struggle to convey their thoughts and ideas in in an accurate manner, making it difficult to progress and nearly impossible to lead well. What Is Communication?
Communication involves getting information from one person to the other person. It is the art and process of creating and sharing ideas. Effective communication depends on the richness of those ideas. What Are Communication Skills?
Communication skills are the tools that we used to remove the barriers to effective communication. Communication is a two- Way Street; the person on the other side of those barriers will also try to send sen d messages back to you. Your Yo ur ability to understand un derstand the m clearly and could be left to a dependence on their ability to use communication skills. To be successful at communicating, it’s important important to recognize that barriers to communication can occur at multiple points in the communication process. The Communication Process
The communication process is composed of several stages, each of which offers potential barriers to successful communication. These are:
Source
Message
Encoding
Channel
Decoding
Receiver
Feedback
Context
Source Message
Message
E n c o d in
Receiver Context
Message
Message
Decoding
Channel Message
The communication process Source
The source of communication is the sender. In order to be a good source, one has to be clear about the message that is being sent. The sender must know why the communication is necessary and what result is needed. Message
The source of the message is sender. The message is simply the information which one wants to communicate. Without a message there is no cause for communicating. The sender must know why the communication is necessary and what result is needed.
Encoding
Encoding is the process of taking message and transferring it into the proper format for sharing it with the audience. It requires knowing about the audience and ensuring that the message provides all of the information that they need. One should use simple language so that the audience could understand also the context they are familiar with. Channel
The channel is the method or methods that one uses to convey information. Channels include face to face conversations, by telephone or video conferences and written communications like emails and memos. Decoding
It is the process of receiving the message accurately and requires that the audience has the means to understand the information that is being shared. Receiver
Receiver is a person for whom the message is intended or aimed. The degree to which the decoder understands the message is dependent upon various factors such as knowledge of recipient, their responsiveness to the message, and the reliance of encoder or decoder. Feedback
Feedback lets us gauge how successful one was at communicating. It also offers a chance to adjust ones communication process for the future. Context
Context involves things such as sender relationship with audience, the culture of sender organization and general environment of a sender.
Perspectives in communication Introduction
We all come to each communication exchange with our own filter through which we s the world, the person we are communicating with, and the situation or topic we are communicating about. These filters mean that we don’t always start with the same perspectives as the person we are communicating with.
Language
The different perspectives we experience can be with the language. The same words can have very different meanings depending on how we interpret them. Larry Barker said: “Effective listeners remember that ‘words have no meaning, people have meaning.’ “The assignment of meaning to a term is an internal process; meaning comes from inside us. And although our experiences, knowledge and attitudes differ, we often misinterpret each other’s messages while under the illusion that a common understanding has been achieved.” Environment
All of us communicate differently in different environment. Recognizing how the environment might be affecting others you communicate with is a skill that can come in handy, particularly when one perceive that the environment is having a negative impact on one’s ability to communicate effectively with someone. “Precision of communication is important, more important than ever, in our era of hair trigger balances, when a false or misunderstood word may create as much disaster as a sudden thoughtless act.” -
James Thurber
Prejudices
We all have prejudices. They occur when we take our past experiences with a person and assume that the same type of experiences will happen with all people who are similar to the first. Prejudices are partly due to culture and partly due to personal experiences or preferences.
Background This research study defines communication barriers; a school administrator has no greater responsibility than to develop effective communication (Pauley, 2010). Why then does communication break down? On the surface, the answer is relatively simple. I have identified the elements of communication as the sender, the encoding, the message, the medium, the decoding, the receiver, and the feedback. If noise exists in these elements in any way, complete clarity of meaning and understanding does not occur. The author, George Bernard Shaw wrote, “The greatest problem with communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished” (Shaw, 2011). The barrier which I will focus in my report will be the language barrier. Social psychology teaches us that individuals use social categories to order their social environment and reduce the complexities of the world (Gudykunst and Smith, 1988). They derive part of their individual
identity from the social groups of which they form a part. Social identity is defined as “that part of an individual’s self -concept which derives from his [or her] knowledge of his [or her] membership in a social group (or groups) together with the values and emotional significance attached to that membership” (Tajfel, 1978, p. 63). Linguists Giles and Johnson (1981) assert that language is one of the major factors used to categorize others, possibly more important than ethnicity as it is an acquired characteristic and hence provides a more powerful indication of a person’s identity. They are joined by Jean-Claude Usunier, one of the most prominent French writers in intercultural communication, who argues that: “In the universal process of cultural homogenization, the role of language will remain intact as a key cultural differentiator, while other sources of cultural differentiation will progressively disappear.” (Usunier, 1998, p. 167) The use of social categories and the importance of social identity have clear implications for intergroup relationships. When social identities are salient, groups are likely to interact with each other in terms of stereotypes and are less likely to be tolerant of mistakes or violations of their social rules (Gallois and Callan, 1995). According to Gudykunst’s Anxiety and Uncertainty Management theory (1995) the degree of uncertainty in interpersonal interaction will be inversely correlated with language competence and will increase the tendency to over-estimate the importance of group membership on behavior. He further argues that this uncertainty leads to a lack of trust and to increased anxiety, which in turn leads to avoiding interaction with members from different groups. Language barriers are therefore likely to play a key role in any multilingual group relationship. However, perhaps the most pronounced manifestation of the language barrier at work can be found in the relationship between a multinational parent company and its network of international subsidiaries, a relationship characterized by several distinguishing features: ·Often, and especially in relationships born out of acquisitions, the language competence of the second language users is at neither extreme of the language barrier. Typically, the second language users will have some proficiency, but not enough to be totally relaxed and effective in the communication. ·Generally, the communications are not interpersonal in nature, but more typically are encounters between language groups: a parent company management team and the corresponding management team of the subsidiary. Frequently, the lines of communication are distorted by the presence of expatriate personnel in the subsidiary organization, who intervene in the communication process to bypass the formal reporting chain. Increasingly, as non-English speaking companies adopt English as their corporate language, the relationships are imbalanced when it is the parent company management rather than the subsidiary management that is compelled to work in its second language. ·Finally, the parent subsidiary relationship, like any other business situation, contains a degree of tension and divergent goals. The parent wishes to exercise control and direction while the subsidiary seeks autonomy and an escape from central control. Each of these factors contributes to the
difficulty of achieving and sustaining effective communications, and a productive, collaborative relationship.
Statement of the Problem Increased globalization is forcing a growing number of business managers and employees to interact across linguistic boundaries (Lauring, 2008). Since language affects almost all aspects of everyday life, there needs more of a focus on communication barriers by researchers and practitioners engaged in international business and management (Henderson, 2005). The issue of language barriers is particularly critical during intercultural service encounters. Intercultural service encounters, where the customer and the service provider are from different cultures, is very common in the service sector. Such intercultural service encounters may be influenced not only by cultural differences but also by language barriers. Customers may find it difficult to communicate or even get necessary information regarding products or services. Despite its importance, the effects of language barriers on ESL (English as a Second Language) customers’ service experiences have been largely neglected in academic research. Language is not only a medium of communication, but also linked to an individual’s identity (Lauring, 2008) therefore these barriers may influence various aspects of the service experience. Applying this notion to the U.S. restaurant context, this study aims to investigate the impact of language barrier on ESL customers’ dining experiences in the U.S
The intention is to explore the current issues that affect language barrier in US restaurant and ideas relating to practice It is also an attempt to identify some possible solutions and to suggest further research pathways that may yield outcome.
LITERATURE REVIEW Language is the key to a person’s self -identity. It enables the person to express emotions, share feelings, tell stories, and convey complex messages and knowledge. Language is our greatest mediator that allows us to relate and understand each other (Imberti, 2007). It can be defined as a system of conceptual symbols that allows us to communicate. It also provides us with a significant frame of reference and a relational context that sustains our identities (Imberti, 2007). The social identity theory (Tajfel, 1974; Tajfel & Turner, 1979) focuses on the understanding of psychological processes driving intergroup discrimination. The categorization of in-groups versus out-groups can be generated when customers recognize certain cues, such as language, that delineate cultural differences (Brickson, 2000; Nkomo and Cox, 1996). Not being able to identify with other cultural groups may lead to negative attitudes towards such groups (Bartel, 2001). A sense of ignorance due to such differences can prevent ESL customers from interacting with domestic servers (Baker & Haretl, 2004). Consequently, the understanding of the link between language and social identity patterns is of great importance to the international business community. Surprisingly, literature is silent regarding the effects of language barriers on ESL
customers. However, literature on intercultural service encounters and low literate consumers may be relevant Literature on intercultural services marketing seems to run counter to the notion of the social identification theory. While the social identification theory suggests that not being able to identify with other cultural groups leads to negative consequences, studies on intercultural services argue that customers adjust their service evaluation standards and tend to be more understanding in intercultural service encounters. For example, Strauss and Mang (1999) state that customers do not perceive inter-cultural encounters to be more problematic than intracultural encounters. Warden et al. (2003) agree with this notion and states that customers are more forgiving of service failures in the context of intercultural encounters. However, it is noteworthy that these studies do not examine the emotional and cognitive mechanisms that customers may go through when interacting with inter-cultural service providers. ESL consumers can also be perceived as low literate customers in terms of their English skills. They struggle not only with reading and writing but also with listening and speaking English. Low literacy levels are associated with a range of negative market outcomes. Adkins and Ozanne (1998) identified problems encountered by low literate consumers ranging from choosing the wrong product to misunderstanding pricing information. Similarly, Viswanathan, et al. (2003) found that low literate consumers experience difficulties with effort versus accuracy trade-offs when making purchase decisions. Overall, previous studies suggest that language is more than just a communication tool (Imberti, 2007; Lauring, 2008) and can influence different aspects of the service encounter for ESL customers. Accordingly, it is essential to better understand how language barriers affect ESL customers’ service experience.
Methods of study As I have chosen the language barrier in US restaurants then I will go with a secondary method to explore my research.
LIMITATIONS AND FUTURE STUDIES English is a unique language. Especially for those countries who focus more on their national language. For example in Korea English is a mandatory subject and if we see Asian countries they also prefer to speak in English. Future studies can observe how cultural factors affect the impact of language barrier by comparing Korean customers to other different cultural background customers.
References 1. Adkin, N. R., & Ozanne, J. L. (2005). The Low Literate Consumer. Journal of Consumer Research, 32 , 93-105. 2. Barker, S., & Haertel, C. E. J. (2004). Intercultural service encounters: exploratory study of customer experiences. Cross Cultural Management, 11 (1), 3-14.
3. Mind tools. com. Communication Skills articles, various. Retrieved May 1, 2010.http://www.mindtools.com/page8. html
