Peter J. Miley
Professor Joseph Gillen
Unit 3 Leadership and Groups
Individual Assignment
April 8, 2004
Introduction
Communication and the differences in the way people communicate and understand each other may differ from country to country. Understanding and respecting the differences in culture and ethnic background may play a large part to the success of effective communication between people that reside in the different parts of the world. The growth of global competition and co-operation has made it important for us to understand the dynamics of cross-cultural communication.
(i) Leaders face differences in cultural and ethnic backgrounds that may influence the way a person makes decisions. Misinterpretation among the different ethnic groups and they way they decipher communication, read body language and the level of context in communication processes are all differences a leader may encounter that may affect the way a person will make a decision. Upbringing and the way people are raised will also contribute to the decision making process. Leaders must understand that not all people even from the same culture behave the same way all the time. Cultural values play a significant role for the decision maker and how they ultimately make their decision.
