RIZAL TECHNOLOGICAL UNIVERSITY

Cities of Mandaluyong and Pasig

SESSION NO. / WEEK 3

MODULE 2: COMMUNICATION and GLOBALIZATION

1. What is Globalization?
2. Types of Globalization
3. Strategies to Become Effective Communicator
4. Ethics Across Cultures
5. Communication Approach to Intercultural Communication
6. Barriers to Intercultural Communication
7. Characteristics of Intercultural Communication

Overview

This module talks about intercultural communication and globalization. It

defines globalization and its types, the strategies to become effective communicator,
ethics across cultures, communication approach to intercultural communication,
barriers to intercultural communication, and characteristics of intercultural
communication.
Communication has since been increasingly global, blurring national
boundaries. The ability to communicate effectively in a global context, a general
understanding of the differences in conducting communication from one country to
another or from one culture to another helps avoid miscommunication.
People’s beliefs and experiences influence their view of the world and the
values, beliefs, and behavior patterns assumed to be good.

Study Guide

To carefully understand this module, you are instructed to read this

module thoroughly to be enlightened more of the discussion.
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Furthermore, an activity and an assessment are provided at the end of this

module to assess your learning.

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the module, you will be able to:

1. Explain how cultural and global issues affect communication and why ethical
communication is essential
2. Appreciate the impact of communication on society and the world.

Topic Presentation

What is Globalization?

It is the communication and assimilation among individuals, ethnicities, race,

institutions, governments of various nations supported by technology and compelled
by international trade.
Due to globalization, the more you become exposed to diversity--- the valuing
of the uniqueness of differences in gender preference, color, age, religion, affiliation,
ethnicity, education, social, economic status, and political beliefs.

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ0nFD19eT8

TYPES OF GLOBALIZATION
1. Financial Globalization
2. Economic Globalization
3. Technological Globalization
4. Political Globalization
5. Cultural Globalization
6. Sociological Globalization
7. Ecological Globalization
8. Geographical Globalization

COMMUNICATION and GLOBALIZATION

Motive Question: The world has shrunk into a global village, but have we become more
of “neighbors” or more of strangers to each other?

The notion of the world being a global village has been a hot topic ever since
the idea was brought up, especially in light of the rapid advances in technology and

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digitization. Globalization has been regarded as the key to the worldwide integration
of humanity, where there is an increased economic, political and cultural integration
and interdependence of diverse cultures. In Southeast Asia, for example, the ASEAN
Integration has been a buzzword among social communities, opening a wide array of
discussion for future collaborations.

For our part, we Filipinos have increased our awareness and acceptance of the
notion that we belong to a diverse, global community. This is not confined to
communication with people from other countries, but is inclusive of communication with
our own societies, even with minorities and the indigenous people. It is therefore
imperative that WE learn to communicate effectively with people regardless of age,
gender, race, ability, religion, sexual orientation, income, marital status, or ethnicity.

Communication in the modern world must be anchored on the concept of

diversity since effective communication and the ability to understand cultural
differences are skills that have become requisites not only for a meaningful social life
but also for a successful professional career.

Even professionals from the countries that are traditionally known for sticking
to their native tongue (e.g., Japan, Korea, Vietnam) have started to learn English, as
the internationally-recognized lingua franca, with the concept that learning English
does not make them less Japanese, Korean, or Viets.

In addition, digital technology has erased territorial boundaries among

countries and among people with varying cultures. The notion of being a “stranger” has
been revolutionized as the people whom we used to treat as strangers are now our co-
workers, classmates, or friends – albeit some only in social media.

Hence, there is a need to develop graduates and professionals who are

multiculturalists – those who are engaged with and respectful of people with different
cultures. These are not necessarily people from other countries all the time, since a
country may have varying sub-cultures among its general society. In the Philippines,
for example, there is no argument that people from Southern Tagalog have a different
culture from the Bicolanos, and those from Zamboanga have different norms and
beliefs from the Ilocanos.

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ARE YOU READY TO COMMUNICATE IN A GLOBAL AND MULTICULTURAL

ENVIRONMENT?

Assess your readiness to communicate effectively with people having different

cultures. Answer each statement with TRUE or FALSE.

1. I enjoy communicating with persons who are like me in terms of interests and
with the same socio-economic status, as much as I enjoy communicating with
those who are not “like” me.
2. I am equally sensitive to the concerns of all groups of society, and I genuinely
care about the plight and issues surrounding them.
3. I can tell when persons with different cultures do not understand me or are
confused by my actions.
4. I am not afraid of interacting with members of minority groups or with members
of a dominant culture.
5. Persons from other cultures who do not actively participate in a conversation,
debate, or any form of discussion act that way probably because of their
culture’s rules.
6. Persons from other cultures have the right to be angry at members of my own
culture.
7. How I handle conflict or disagreements with persons from other cultures
depends on the situation and on the culture, they are from.
8. My culture is not superior to other cultures.
9. I am knowledgeable of how to behave when communicating or interacting with
people having different cultures.
10. I respect the communication rules of cultures other than my own.

The greater the number of statements that are honestly true to you, the more
prepared you are to welcome the opportunity of communicating and interacting with
people from different cultures. This is a very important aspect in one’s personal life or
professional career, since avoiding intercultural communication is virtually inevitable in
any organization.

This is especially true in business organizations when products can go global

and the manner by which any product is communicated to the global market can make
or break the brand. Here are a few examples of business miscommunication in a global
setting:

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• In the past, Gerber dealt with issues in some

cultures where women have low literacy rates
such as in Africa and the Middle East. The women
in these cultures generally use pictures to tell them
what food they are buying. When Gerber started
selling their product in these countries, the women
saw the picture of the baby and believed that there
was a baby or part of one baby in the jar.

• Irish Mist is a brown whiskey produced in

Dublin, Ireland. In Germany, however,
“Mist” literally translates to “crap”.

• Joni (read as “Yoni”) is a brand of skin

product. However, “Yoni” means
“uterus” or “vagina” in Sanskrit, and is
an Indian representation of female
genitalia, especially pertaining to the
Hindu goddess Shakti.

Undoubtedly, globalization has affected the way people and companies

communicate with each other. In some cases, cultural differences have accentuated
cultural insensitivity, which is most felt in the business world. Since everyone is a
consumer of particular business products, it is important to know the issues, etiquette,
protocol, communication styles, and negotiation approaches of people from different
cultures using the business experience as an example. Here are some instances when
a lack of cultural or linguistic sensitivity in global communication severely affected
companies or products.

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• McDonald’s spent thousands on a new

TV ad to target Chinese consumers.
This featured a Chinese man kneeling
before a McDonald’s vendor and
begging him to accept his expired
discount coupon. The ad caused an
uproar over the fact that begging is
considered a shameful act in Chinese
cultures.

• Similarly, McDonald’s also unintentionally offended thousands of Muslims

when it printed an excerpt from the Koran on its throwaway (take-out)
hamburger bags. Muslims saw this as sacrilegious.

• Some staff at the African port of Stevadores saw

the supposedly internationally-recognized symbol
for “fragile” (i.e. broken wine glass). Since in their
culture, they treat the pictures printed on
packages to be a representation of what’s inside,
they thought it was a box of broken glasses and
threw all the boxes into the sea.

• The film “Hollywood Buddha” caused outrage and protest on the streets of Sri
Lanka, Malaysia, and Myanmar (Burma) when the designer of the film’s poster
decided to show the lead actor sitting on the Buddha’s head, which is an act of
clear degradation against something holy.
• Coors (beer) once had its slogan “Turn it loose.” Translated to Spanish, but it
became to mean “Suffer from diarrhea”.

All of these examples are predominantly business-related, where companies failed

to regard cultural differences in packaging and communicating their product to the
global market. However, the cost of cultural insensitivity in global communication
can be felt in everyday communication, as cultural misunderstandings often lead to
misinterpretation and unnecessary tension between people. Here are some examples
demonstrating this in a global setting:

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• Showing the sole of a shoe (by crossing one’s legs and pointing one’s shoes
to the speaker, for example) means nothing to observers in most Western and
Asian countries. In Muslim cultures (such as Saudi Arabia), however, the
gesture is perceived as insulting. Similarly, crossing one’s legs while seated is
customary for Westerners, but this is a social faux pas in Korea.
• Blinking rapidly while another person is talking is normal for most people,
especially during tense situations. For Taiwanese, this is considered impolite.
• The Japanese view the business card as an extension of their body., while
Americans view it simply as a business formality. Hence, when the Japanese
hand over their business cards with two hands and with great care, they get
insulted when the person receiving just put them away with haste.

These are just some of the instances when miscommunication and

misunderstanding can happen as a result of cultural ignorance and insensitivity in the
global environment. In order to develop more meaningful relationships and establish
productive interaction with people having different cultures, everyone should recognize
and respond to such differences and nuances. In addition, people have to be mindful
that not everyone from the same culture exhibits the same characteristics and habits
in communication, so sensitivity is key to a successful communicative situation.
In communicating in a highly global environment, the challenge that faces everyone
is to learn to understand, accept, and address cultural – and communication –
differences.

STRATEGIES TO BECOME AN EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATOR

⦿ Review communication principles.

⦿ Analyze the message receiver
⦿ Be open to accepting other’s cultures.
⦿ Learn about cultures and apply what is learned.
⦿ Consider language needs

ETHICS IN COMMUNICATION

Effective communication is ethical communication. Communication is ethical

only when it is genuine, open, cooperative, and sensitive to one’s cultural and social
beliefs and practices. If there is an intent to conceal the truth or bring damage to any
organization, group, or individual person, communication is considered unethical.
Even in situations when there is no intent to harm, but damage to a certain group is

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inevitable because of the message or the channel used to relay the message, it is
still considered unethical.

ETHICS ACROSS CULTURES (KALE, 1997)

● Ethical communicators address people of other cultures with the same respect
that they would like to receive themselves. Intercultural communicators should
not demean or belittle the cultural identity of others through verbal or non-verbal
communication.

● Ethical communicators seek to describe the world as they perceive it as

accurately as possible. What is perceived to be the truth may vary from one
culture to another, truth is socially constructed. This principle means that ethical
communicators do not deliberately mislead or deceive.

● Ethical communicators encourage people of other cultures to express

themselves in their uniqueness. This principle respects the right of people to
expression regardless of how popular or unpopular their ideas may be.

● Ethical communicators strive for identification with people of other cultures.

Intercultural communicators should emphasize the commonalities of cultural
beliefs and values rather than their differences.

COMMUNICATION APPROACH TO INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

● Personality Strength
The main personal traits that affect the intercultural communication are
self-concept, self-disclosure, self-monitoring, and social relaxation.

● Communication Skills
Individuals must be competent in verbal and non-verbal behaviors.
Intercultural communication skills require message skills, behavioral flexibility,
interaction management, and social skills.

● Psychological Adjustment
Effective Communicators must be able to acclimate to new
environments. They must be able to handle the feelings of “culture shock” such
as frustration, stress, and alienation in ambiguous situations caused by new
environments.

● Cultural Awareness
To be competent in intercultural communication, individuals must
understand the social customs and the social system of the host culture.
Understanding how people think and behave is essential for effective
communication with them.

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BARRIERS TO INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

● Anxiety
When you are anxious because of not knowing what you are expected
to do, it is only natural to focus on that feeling and not be totally present in the
communication transaction

● Assuming Similarity instead of Differences

Each culture is different and unique to some degree. Boucher (2004),
as stated by Jandt (2010), has shown how cultures differ as to whom it is
appropriate to display emotions. If you assume the display of emotions is
similar to your culture, you might see people of different cultures in certain
circumstances as lacking emotions inappropriately.

● Ethnocentrism
It is negatively judging aspects of another culture by the standards of
one’s own culture.

● Stereotyping
The term “stereotype” is the broader term commonly used to refer to
negative or positive judgments made about individuals based on any
observable or believed group membership.

● Prejudice
Prejudice refers to the irrational dislike or hatred of a particular group,
race, religion, or sexual orientation (Rothenerg, 1992). Persons in the group
are viewed not in terms of their individual merit but according to the superficial
characteristics that make them part of the group.

● Motivation
The desire to communicate successfully with strangers is an important
start. For example, people high in willingness to communicate with people
from other cultures report a greater number of friends from different
backgrounds than those who are less willing to reach out. Having the proper
motivation is important in all communication, but particularly so in intercultural
interactions because they can be quiet challenging.

● Tolerance for Ambiguity

Communicating with people from different backgrounds can be
confusing. A tolerance for ambiguity makes it possible to accept, and even
embrace, the often equivocal and sometimes downright incomprehensible
messages that characterize intercultural communication.

● Open-mindedness
Principled communicators are not likely to compromise deeply held
beliefs about what is right. At the same time, competence requires an attitude

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that recognized that people who behave differently are most likely following
rules that have governed their whole lives.

● Knowledge and Skill

Communication Theorist Charles Berger outlines three strategies for
moving forward to a more mindful, competent style of intercultural
communication: PASSIVE OBSERVATION, ACTIVE STRATEGIES, and
SELF-DISCLOSURE.

DID YOU KNOW?

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References

Agustin, Racquel, et.al. Communication in Multicultural Contexts: Meanings and

Purposes. Panday-Lahi Publishing, Inc. 2018

Wakat, Geraldine S. et.al., Purposive Communication. Lorimar Publishing, Inc.,2018

Article "Communication and Globalization- A Challenge for Public Policy" by Marc

Raboy

Eight Types of Globalization https://slideplayer.com/slide/15024256/

Video "Connected but Alone?" in TED Talk

https://www.youtube.com/results?search.query=connected+but+alone

Video “Globalization” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJ0nFD19eT8

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