Question 1:
Non-verbal behaviour is prone to being wrongly interpreted in intercultural encounters (Guirdham, 1999). Therefore, using a level of assertiveness which is suitable in one culture will probably be seen as an aggression or a lack of assertion in another.
(a) According to Guirdham (1999), assertiveness might be misinterpreted in intercultural encounters. Using examples, discuss any five non-verbal communication differentiations that may result in misinterpretation.
(b) If the Manager of a multinational had to challenge Guirdham (1999), he would come up with some advice during induction with his multi-cultural employees to avoid inter-cultural misinterpretations. Using instances discuss and explain five ways to prevent inter-cultural misinterpretations.
Question 2:
Both encoding and decoding of messages lay traps for the unwary intercultural communicators (Hall, 1959 – The Silent Language). Using suitable instances discuss and explain this statement by contrasting any high-context culture and low-context culture of your choice.
Question 3:
(a) Illustrate the term ‘effective communication’ in an inter-cultural context;
(b) Identify and elaborate on any four merits of effective communication. Support with instances.