lOMoAR cPSD| 20364526

lOMoAR cPSD| 20364526

Critical incident analysis (CIA) is a process for analyzing circumstances or persons in

order to address problems (Kirby, 2021). It might be positive or bad. The procedure is assessed in

numerous ways, and then the instances are recorded. Such experiences are life-changing and

have a long-term impact on a person's life (Kirby, 2021). Understanding the CIA fosters not just

effective communication but also tolerance and empathy (Przybylo, 2009). The CIA is divided

into two parts: "the creation of an incident (observation, memory, and description of what

occurred;) and analysis (identifying more general meaning of the occurrence and its evaluation)"

(Przybylo, 2009). The next study will concentrate on cross-cultural misunderstanding and how

the CIA may assist to lessen it.

In this article, I will detail a cross-cultural miscommunication that happened between

myself and my coworkers at the firm where I worked. Previously, the majority of the people I

worked with were white. I was the lone Asian and the only Indian in the room. Because I am

from India, my work culture is very different from that of the United States. In India, polychronic

culture is subconsciously promoted, whereas monochronic culture is subconsciously promoted in

the United States. Executing numerous tasks at the same time is referred to as polychronic,

whereas doing a single task at a time is referred to as monochronic (Saylor Academy,2012). We

prioritize keeping excellent relationships while working, and Americans like to work within time

constraints. I discovered that everyone in the organization only completed one task at a time. On

the other side, I was able to complete numerous chores at the same time.

Let us now attempt to examine the issue by asking these questions. What events or

conditions precipitated the crucial incident (Serrat, 2010)? The most important factor, in my

opinion, that contributed to the catastrophic situation is parenting. We were both born and reared
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in separate nations. Our personalities and work ethics are the results of our various perceptions. I

can't speak for my American coworkers, but I can speak for myself. We Indians have been

educated since childhood to accomplish our tasks regardless of the time it takes. It is okay for us

to be a bit late at work or to attend a meeting.

What was agents' conduct that resulted in these critical situations (Serrat, 2010)? The

issue was a time difference between us. Several jobs within the organization could only be

completed one after the other. There were occasions when I had to wait for my colleagues to

complete their tasks faster, and other instances when my colleagues had to wait for me to begin a

procedure. If even one of us had known about the CIA, we could have addressed our problems

intelligently instead of being irritated all the time. Our main issue was that we never got a chance

to discuss our concerns with one another. We could have understood each other better if we had

spent more time communicating. In addition, we were never very adaptable in our job. We both

believed that our working approach was superior to that of others. Instead, we should have

attempted to establish a happy medium.

Edward T. Hall included three aspects in his theoretical framework: high and low context,

space, and attitude toward time (Saylor, 2012). "High and low context pertains to the manner in

which a message is delivered" (Saylor, 2012). India is a high-context country, whereas the United

States is a low-context country. When I initially started working, I was astounded by how straight

and concise my coworkers' remarks were. They were astounded by how I virtually always spoke

in an oblique manner. I chose to study their body language, while they studied my words. As a

result, we frequently had communication breakdowns.

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The desire to adjust to the difference comes first and foremost. We frequently dread

change and, as a result, become overly rigid in our ideas (Stobierski, 2019). It could only be

accomplished by studying different civilizations. In our instance, we lacked genuine dialogue.

We were both concerned that we might offend the other's feelings. This problem may have been

remedied by promoting an open-door policy. As coworkers or bosses, we should not stereotype

or assume anything. We sometimes fail to preserve our etiquette and use slang, expecting that the

other person would understand. Through our sense of culture, we presume or stereotype the

culture or values of others (Shonk, 2020). Such situations can be handled by self-awareness or by

asking appropriate questions of others.

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References:

Kirby, E. A. (2021, March 3). A conceptual model for critical incident analysis. Journal of

Critical Incident Analysis — The Journal of the Academy for Critical Incident Analysis.

https://jcia.aciajj.org/volume-1-no-1/a-conceptual-model-for-critical-incident-analysis/

Kobylenski, E. (2016, February 8). 5 easy ways to avoid multicultural miscommunication at the

office. Plytix. https://www.plytix.com/blog/5-ways-to-avoid-miscommunication

Przybylo, G. (2009). The analysis of "critical incidents" as a way to enhance intercultural

competence. Humanizing Language Teaching, 11(3). Retrieved from

http://old.hltmag.co.uk/jun09/sart09.htm

Saylor Academy (2012). International Business. This text was adapted by Saylor Academy

undera Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License

Serrat. O. (2010). The critical incident technique. Washington, DC: Asian Development Bank

Shonk, K. (2020, October 1). How to resolve cultural conflict: Overcoming cultural barriers at

the negotiation table. PON - Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School.

https://www.pon.harvard.edu/daily/conflict-resolution/a-cross-cultural-negotiation-example-

how-to-overcome-cultural-barriers/

Stobierski, T. (2019, November 12). How to improve cross-cultural communication in the

workplace. Northeastern University Graduate Programs.

https://www.northeastern.edu/graduate/blog/cross-cultural-communication/