Margot The Cross-cultural

communicator

Margot, the sales development manager of an online retailer in Los Angeles.

The company specializes in the sale of upscale clothing.

Margot considered herself to be multicultural beyond working well.

“Give me anybody, whatever ethnicity and race, and I’ll warm up the person”

BUT not every staff at the company agree

Summary

Derek, an African-American staff says:

“I love the lady, but sometimes I think she patronizes me. She starts almost all our conversations asking me something about professional basketball. Oh, yes, I know that the vast majority of NBA players are black, but so are almost all the doctors, scientists, and lawyers in Africa”.

Characters

Lucie, a Latina raised in Costa Rica says:

“Okay I was raised in Costa Rica. That doesn’t mean that I think about my home country every day. I am here living and working in L.A.”

Basil, the only senior working in a company says:

“To me, Margot is like a niece, but I don’t think she gets it about dealing with a senior. Margot keeps talking to me about my health, retirement planning, and how I like working with younger people in an online business. I just don’t like talking about senior concerns.”

What suggestions can you make to Margot about overcoming cross-cultural communication barriers?

Keep in mind that cross-cultural communication barriers is exist.

Challenge her cultural assumptions

Attentive to individual differences in appearance.

Trying to avoid getting too deep in to person’s personal background.

Show respect

What might be the factor or factors contributing to any errors Margot might be making in terms of cross-cultural communication?

Over confidence Stereotypes

Factors contribute to her errors

She thinks Everyone will like her She thinks she can handle anyone She thinks everyone like to be patronized She thinks she knows them

Overconfidence

Black people must play basketball? All woman love to cook? Old men only talk about retirement life? People in particular race will have the same

preferences?

“ Give me anybody, whatever ethnicity and race, and I’ll warm up the person”

Stereotype

It is good to be confidence More open-minded Look from different point of view Leave personal space

Suggestion

To what extent do you think the three staff members mentioned above are being too harsh in judging Margot’s attempts at establishing rapport? 

“I love the lady, but sometimes I think she patronizes me. She starts almost all our conversations asking me something about professional basketball. Oh, yes, I know that the vast majority of NBA players are black, but so are almost all the doctors, scientists, and lawyers in Africa. To please Margot, I make a few general comments about basketball so the conversation can proceed.”

Derek misunderstood Margot’s intention and he thought that Margot was being racist.

Derek’s Comment

“Okay, I was raised in Costa Rica. That doesn’t mean that I think about my home country every day. I am here living and working in L.A.”

Lucie is being impatient when listen to repetitive points.

Lucie does not really accepting rapport established by Margot.

Lucie’s Comment

“To me, Margot is like a niece, but I don’t think she gets it about my health, retirement planning, and how I like working with younger people in an online business. I just don’t like talking about senior concerns.”

The age difference makes Basil to judge Margot incorrectly.

Basil did not really express his interests and thoughts.

Basil’s Comment

Thank you for your attention