Intercultural communication in transnational work

When culture is the basis of the conflict, then it is the cultural behaviour of at least one of the counterparts which makes the other feel uncomfortable, irritated and even hurt, thereby causing emotional reactions (Barmeyer, 2012, 34).

Intercultural conflict “is defined […] as the perceived and/or actual incompatibility of values, expectation, processes, or outcomes between two or more parties from two or more cultures over substantive and/or relational issues” (Ting-Toomey, 1994, 360). Not all situations of intercultural miscommunication lead necessarily to a conflict. However if misunderstandings remain unclarified in the long run they can evolve into an interpersonal conflict (Ting-Toomey, 1994, 360). According to Barmeyer (2012, 34), in contrast to intracultural conflicts, intercultural conflicts often are characterized (at least originally) by the will and readiness of the parties involved to communicate. This means that involved parties do not avoid communication. On the contrary, the involved parties often communicate, but this happens “intuitively”, according to the own communicative habits and unaware of the elements that may lead to a conflict in an intercultural communication situation.

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