MODULE 1.

1:
CULTURE &
COMMUNICATIO
N AT THE
WORKPLACE
WEEK 1: PBI 1082
ENGLISH FOR OCCUPATIONAL
PURPOSES
Lesson Overview

Introduction How does culture affect

Categories of communication?
Culture

Division of
Communication
Culture
Glossary Corporate
Culture Communication
Network
Introduction
 Around the world, there
are hundreds of cultures
being practiced.
 Look at the pictures. Do
you know who these
people are? Where are
they from? What are
some of their practices?
 Do you think these
cultures share the same
communication style?
 Cultures
 PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT NATIONALITY PRACTICE DIFFERENT
CULTURES
Putting brass rings to elongate
the neck as a sign of beauty

African tribes
People walk around towns with needles,
swords, and knives pierced in their body

Thailand
Husbands walk on burning
charcoals while carrying the wife

China
A bride is surrounded by her friends, and is
being thrown with all sorts of dirty and ugly
things like soots, paints, eggs etc

Scotland
Malaysian cultures?
 Why bother KNOWING other’s
cultures?

Exposure to Different Cultures in

general…

Means exposure to different actions

and beliefs, and respecting them
working culture

understanding colleagues’
culture/practices/beliefs
makes it easier for
workplace communication
CATEGORIES OF CULTURE:

Cultures around the world are different. Their differences can be highlighted
in five categories namely:

 Association
 Interaction
 Territoriality
 Temporality
 Learning
Association
High Context
 Relationships depend on
trust, build up slowly, are
stable.
 One distinguishes
between people inside
and people outside one's
circle.
 One's identity is rooted
in groups (family, culture,
work).
Low Context
 Relationships begin and
end quickly.
 Many people can be
inside one's circle;
circle's boundary is not
clear.
 One's identity is rooted
in oneself and one's
accomplishments.
Interaction
High Context
 High use of nonverbal
elements; voice tone, facial
expression, gestures, and
etc.
 Verbal message is implicit;
context is more important
than words.
 Verbal message is indirect.
 E.g.: The house is spacious
and well maintained. I
wonder if I would be able to
afford it.
Low Context
 Low use of nonverbal
elements. Message is
carried more by words than
by nonverbal means.
 Verbal message is explicit.
Context is less important
than words.
 Verbal message is direct;
one spells things out
exactly.
 E.g.: What would be the rent
of this house?
Learning

High Context Low Context

 Thinking is deductive,  Thinking is inductive,
proceeds from general to proceeds from specific to
specific. general. Focus is on detail.
 Learning occurs by first  Learning occurs by
observing others as they following explicit
model or demonstrate directions and
and then practicing. explanations of others.
 Groups are preferred for
 An individual orientation
learning and problem is preferred for learning
solving. and problem solving.
 Discussion:

Think of examples of how different people

of different cultures embody the categories
above. Share them with the class!
Corporate Culture
A set of values, actions, attitudes,
characteristics and beliefs of a company.

Depends on several factors such as national

cultures and traditions, economic trends,
international trade, company size and
products.
Why do companies have
corporate culture?
Communication Allows communication to take place regardless of the positions or hierarchies that are in place in the
company. Besides that, employers need to provide a space where employees can voice out their opinions.

Behavior Perspectives, characters and mindsets all determine one’s behaviors. A person’s behavior at work can be
governed by the company’s policies and cultures.

Performance A team of researchers from Warwick University have found that happiness contributes directly to
productivity. In their study, happy employees contribute 12% more in their workplace compared to unhappy
employees

Quality According to Lessonly by Seismic, quality is one of the most important reasons why corporate culture exists.
According to them, a corporate culture that allows workers to focus on the highest standards by creating
the ideal atmosphere for workers to deliver products that meet the high standards, helps to achieve customer
satisfaction.
Diversity A corporate culture that supports and celebrates diversity are deemed to be more successful compared to
companies that do not have diversity.
East vs West Corporate
Culture
East West
Relationships Stress on building trust and Short-term and more
long-term relationships professional in nature
Criticism Practices “saving face” culture Pointing out someone’s
mistakes is crucial for the
growth of the team
Punctuality Expected in some and not all Expected to be punctual
countries
Questions Not standard practice due to Standard practice
hierarchical culture
Authority Seniority is very important and Seniority is not that important
requires young ones to respect
the elder workers

Think about Malaysian corporate culture and share with your classmates.
Future of corporate culture
Shorter working
Flexibility Diversity
days and hours
• Hybrid model • 4-day • Openness and
• More options • 6-hour day borderless
• Diverse
workforce

What is the future of corporate culture in your opinion?

Issues of corporate culture
Implementation A bad implementation of corporate culture can lead to big turnover. Besides that, the aims and goals of the company
can also be affected. A clear guideline with no proper implementation and supervision can confuse the employees.

Leadership A strong and respected leader is very important in making sure corporate culture is implemented well. Employees may
have trouble following people they do not respect or taking orders from supervisors who do not appear to know what
they are doing. If leadership is weak, inconsistent, or disreputable, it can contribute to organizational culture
problems.

Employees Uninterested and unmotivated employees can also disrupt the interpretation of corporate culture. Employees who do
not see the point of the corporate culture can also be seen as a non-team player.

Investment A company that does not invest in the corporate culture is investing in a mistake instead. Investing in activities and
support help in making sure that companies can achieve their corporate culture goals. If investments are not made,
corporate culture is just philosophy written on paper.

Miscommunication Employees may not communicate well with each other and could feel uncomfortable about approaching supervisors
with ideas, suggestions, and concerns. From the top down, companies might not clearly articulate expectations and
goals, which can make staff members confused about what they are supposed to be doing.
Mental Health at the Workplace

 Mental health comprises the emotional, psychological, and social well-being

and affects how we think, feel, and act.
 It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make
choices.
 Effects of Stress
Physical Physiological
Fatigue Increased anxiety
Impaired judgment and decision Irritability
making
Exhaustion Disturbed sleep
Develop coronary heart disease Poor concentration
Develop certain types of cancer Aggressive behaviour

Anyone can experience stress at the

workplace. What do you do to deal with
stressful situations?
Common Causes of Stress at
the Workplace
Lack of control
Under-utilisation of skills
Too high workload, impossible
deadlines
Too low workload, too few
challenges
Low pay
Poor working conditions
Low interpersonal support
Common Stress Indicators
at the Workplace
Increased sick leaves
Poor performance
Poor time-keeping
Increased consumption of
caffeine, tobacco and alcohol
Frequent backaches and
headaches
Withdrawal from social context
Constant tiredness
 1 minute
What steps will you take to improve
the mental health at your workplace?
How does culture affect
communication?

In every aspect! Culture in

communication enables us to know:

 How to show politeness and respect

 How much information to give

 How to motivate people

 How loud to talk

 Culture Glossary
Affinity bias The tendency to connect with people who look and seem most like ourselves.

Behavioral diversity Relates to personal experiences that help shape our world view to be more open-minded and
accepting of others who are different than us.

Bi-cultural The condition of being oneself regarding the combination of two cultures.

Culture fit Individual attitudes, values, behaviors, and beliefs being in line with the core values and
culture of an organization.

Dominant culture A cultural practice that is dominant within a particular political, social or economic entity, in
which multiple cultures are present. It may refer to a language, religion/ritual, social value
and/or social custom.
Ethnocentrism The tendency to believe that your own ethnic group is centrally important and measure all
others using the standards and customs of your own.

Outgroup bias The tendency to view people from outside our own group as less similar and, as a result, have
negative biases against them.

Xenophobia Dislike of or prejudice against people from other countries.

 Face-to-face communication
Provide clear information
Combine verbal & non-verbal
More Tips to communication
Communicate Ask questions

Better at the Be diplomatic

No gossiping
Workplace Create personal space
Avoid controversial topics
Offer positive feedback
 VERBAL COMMUNICATION NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Pause? Interrupt? Ask? Body language

- Conversational Styles
Open position Closed position
Accepting & Defensive,
welcoming unaccepting,
uncomfortable

Eye contact
Gestures

Understatement & exaggeration Space

Division of - Certain cultures exaggerate,
while others prefer understating
- Distance between one another

things
Communication
Compliments Touch
- Is it ok to compliment someone? - Related to intimacy

Silence Spatial arrangements

- Being quiet is communicating - Size and arrangement of furniture
too related to power and position

Time and other non-verbal symbols

Communication Network

1. UPWARD
2. DOWNWARD
3. HORIZONTAL / LATERAL
4. SPIRAL / DIAGONAL
 Upward Communication

 The flow of information from lower levels to higher

levels, e.g. proposals & feedback
 Occurs less frequently than downward communication
 Information transmitted is generally inaccurate
 Tendency to highlight their accomplishments and
downplay the mistakes
 “The mum effect": Natural reluctance of a person or
group to convey bad news
 Downward Communication

 The flow of information from the superiors to

subordinates.
 I.e. messages comprise of information,
instructions, directions and orders
 E.g. A Sales Manager tells his team members on
what products they should be promoting after
going through market surveys
 Sometimes may be less accurate
 Part of the message get distorted, e.g. of message
distortion:
Written by B.O.D
100%
Received by Chairman 63%
Received by G.M
56%
Received by Team Leader 40%
Received by worker 30%
 Horizontal Communication

 Communication takes place among the members of

the same work group, or at the same level.
 E.g. Marketing Department is coordinating its efforts
with people in other departments while launching an
advertising campaign for a new product.
 Tends to be easier and friendlier
 More casual in tone & occurs more frequently
 Spiral or Diagonal Communication

 Communication flows between persons who belong to

different levels of hierarchy & who have no direct
reporting relationship.
 To quicken the info flow, improve understanding &
coordinate efforts.
 E.g. Management circulating the copy of a new bonus
& incentive scheme.
 Form a group of 4 – 5 students.
Complete ONE group discussion only and
post your thoughts or ideas on eLeap in the
Forum section, latest by Saturday 5.00 p.m.
 Group Discussion
 The office has become a melting pot stocked with people of diverse
backgrounds and cultural customs. People tend to “hang" with others
familiar to their culture or habits. When these individual groups
assemble, managers face the challenges of small group dynamics and
team communication issues.

 How do you intend to overcome this issue so that your company will be
able to maximize human resources and talents?

 Discuss in small groups and share your ideas on ELeap.

Complete Task 2 & Task 3 on
page 18 and page 19 as extra
exercise.