Chapter 2

Team and Intercultural

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Communication
 Team and Intercultural
Communication

Team
Collaborative
Communicatio
Writing
n

Intercultural
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Communicatio Diversity
n

2
 Team and Intercultural
Communication

Team
Collaborative
Communicatio
Writing
n

Intercultural
Communicatio Diversity
Copyright © 2015 Cengage Learning

3
 Variables of Group
Communication
• Is greatly misunderstood and often avoided
Conflict • Should focus on issues, not personalities

• Means agreement to ideas, rules, or principles.

Conformit • Can result in groupthink, when people think
y
too similarly

• Represents group support for a decision even

if some members have reservations.
Consensus • Is not required for every decision—only
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important ones

Team Communication | Collaborative Writing | Intercultural | 4

Diversity
 How Can Conflict Be Constructive?

● Makes us more aware of

problems

● Encourages change
● Makes life more interesting
● Increases the quality of
decision making
© YURI ARCURS/SHUTTERSTOCK

When have you ● Helps us understand

experienced
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ourselves better
constructive conflict on
a team? How was it ● Increases our self-confidence
resolved?
Team Communication | Collaborative Writing | Intercultural |
Diversity
 Discuss in Initial Team Meetings

What if someone
misses a deliverable or What if someone
team meeting? How needs help completing
should he or she notify a task? How should he
the team? What will or she handle this?
be the consequences?

What if two team Which decisions will be

members are having a most important for our
conflict? How should team? How should we
it be resolved? make those decisions?
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Team Communication | Collaborative Writing | Intercultural | 6

Diversity
 How to Give Feedback

Be descriptive

Avoid labels

Don’t exaggerate

©NOTARYES/SHUTTERSTOCK

Speak for yourself

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Use “I” statements

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Diversity
 Effectively Using “I” Statements

“When you . . .”
Describe the behavior “I feel . . .”
without judgment or Tell how the behavior
exaggeration. State affects you.
the facts specifically.

“Because I . . .” Listen to example

Describe why you are 1
affected and connect
facts with your
feelings. Listen to example
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Team Communication | Collaborative Writing | Intercultural | 8

Diversity
 Team and Intercultural
Communication

Team
Collaborative
Communicatio
Writing
n

Intercultural
Communicatio Diversity
Copyright © 2015 Cengage Learning

9
 Strategies for Team Writing
Identify
Project Create a Draft the Revise the Finalize the
Requirement Project Plan Writing Writing Project
s
Allow enough Have
time for everyone
Determine Divide work Begin with an
editing the proofread the
project goals fairly outline
draft final
document

Provide
Identify feedback
Create a Agree on a Be clear about
project
project plan writing style delivery
components
Make sure you
have a single
“voice” in the
Decide how
Share project
you'll share
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information
information
Have each
team member
review the
entire draft
Team Communication | Collaborative Writing | Intercultural | 10
Diversity
 Simple Project Plan

Writing a Business Plan

Who Task By When
Student A Create wiki. April 20
Student B Draft an outline for the business plan. April 22
Draft company overview section
Student C April 24
(mission, vision, etc.).
Student D Draft management profiles. April 24
Research local ice cream shops and
Student E other businesses for competitive April 30
analysis section.
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[To be
continued]

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Diversity
 Commenting on Peers’ Writing

Read first for meaning.

Assume the role of reader—not instructor.

Point out sections that you liked and those you disliked.

Use “I” language (not “You need to make this clearer”

but “I was confused here”).

Comment helpfully—but sparingly.

Emphasize the writer when giving positive feedback

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and the text when giving negative feedback.

Avoid taking over the text.
Team Communication | Collaborative Writing | Intercultural |
Diversity
 Wikis Improve Work in Teams

• Improved work
processes
• Better collaboration
• More contributions
• Better work outcomes
• Improved knowledge
management
• Less email
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• Fewer meetings

Team Communication | Collaborative Writing | Intercultural |

Diversity
 Team and Intercultural
Communication

Team
Collaborative
Communicatio
Writing
n

Intercultural
Communicatio Diversity
Copyright © 2015 Cengage Learning

14
 Cultural Differences

● High-Context Cultures:
rely less on words used and
more on subtle actions and
reactions of
communicators.

● Low-Context Cultures:
rely on more explicit
communication—the words
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people use.

Team Communication | Collaborative Writing | Intercultural |

Diversity
 Terms

● Intercultural Communication (Cross-cultural

communication): takes place between people from
different cultures when a message is created by
someone from one culture to be understood by
someone from another culture.

● Multiculturalism: appreciating diversity among

people, typically beyond differences in countries of
origin.
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McDonald’s ADS different countries - Yo

uTube

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Diversity
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Team Communication | Collaborative Writing | Intercultural |

Diversity
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Copyright © 2015 Cengage Learning
 Understanding Cultural Values
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Team Communication | Collaborative Writing | Intercultural | 20

Diversity
 Understanding Cultural Values

• Individualism
• Time Orientation
• Power Distance
• Uncertainty Avoidance
• Formality
• Materialism
• Context Sensitivity
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R. GINO SANTA MARIA/SHUTTERSTOCK

Team Communication | Collaborative Writing | Intercultural | 21

Diversity
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Comparing Cultures
 Communicating Across Cultures

Maintain Show Communicat

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Formality Respect e Clearly

STEVEN COBURN/SHUTTERSTOCK JEREMY WOODHOUSE/BLEND IMAGES/JUPITER IMAGES ANDRESR/SHUTTERSTOCK

Team Communication | Collaborative Writing | Intercultural |

Diversity
 Team and Intercultural
Communication

Team
Collaborative
Communicatio
Writing
n

Intercultural
Communicatio Diversity
Copyright © 2015 Cengage Learning

24
 Gender Communication Patterns

Women Men

• Communicate to build • Communicate to preserve

rapport independence and status
• Interrupt to agree with or to • Interrupt to dominate a
support what another person conversation or to change a
is saying subject
• Talk out solutions with • Tend to be directive in their
another person conversation
• Emphasize politeness • Call attention to own work
• Don’t call attention to own • Dominate discussions during
work meetings
• Externalize success and • Internalize success and
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internalize failures externalize failures

• Speak differently to other • Speak differently to other
women than they do to men men than they do to women

Team Communication | Collaborative Writing | Intercultural |

Diversity
 What Are Better Ways To Write…

● If an employee is scheduled to work on a

holiday, he’ll receive double time.
• An employee scheduled to work on a holiday will
receive double time. OR
• Employees scheduled to work a holiday will
receive double time.
● If he/she doesn’t finish his/her part of a
project, he/she will be replaced.
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• If someone doesn’t finish an assigned part of a

project, that person will be replaced.

Team Communication | Collaborative Writing | Intercultural |

Diversity