SOCIAL MISCOMMUNICATION

Social Miscommunication

Social Miscommunication

Social Miscommunication

When we use language, it is also important to take into account the mindset of the person you are communicating with at any given time. It is important that one knows how to manage conflicts well, since one will be dealing with people from other societies who are quiet, shy, individualistic, private, or independent; all these different mindsets lend themselves to possible breakdowns in communication. The Austrian philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein stated that the “meaning” of a word could only be understood or elucidated in the context of how it is used.

With the advent of modern technology, especially the Internet, it is likely that there will be some degree of mis-communication between people of different societies. This is especially true with the use of short message service (SMS) and e-mail messages. For example, e-mail eliminates nuance, language tone, and body language that can result in misconstrued messages and miscommunication.

Owing to the inevitable changes between societies, breakdowns in communication are bound to occur. Such occurrences are costly to the multinational enterprise because of the resulting workplace problems and their effect on returns, revenues, and customer relationships. In addition, a firm's competitive advantage can be compromised due to barriers in inter-social communication. Three main obstacles to inter-social communication can be highlighted: language, modern technology, and mindset.

When we use language, slang and jargon hamper inter-social communication and can be insulting to people from other societies. The presence of globally known brands, products, and services does not mean that the local people possess the same level of language sophistication as the producers of advertisements for these items. Some words mean very different things in different languages.(Elaine, 1996)

An attitude that is characterized by difference in an exchange of communication between two or more people. Situations in which defensiveness can occur are from miscommunication over intended meaning or confusion over relayed information between the parties involved in formal or informal contexts. Conflict management strategies can be employed to work through the divergence, either in work or in personal situations. Interpersonal communication models focus on exploring the influences of gender, race, and class on the defensive individual, as well as the situational components that have contributed to the defensiveness mode. These tactics seek to achieve negotiation and positive decision making among the parties in conflict. Defensiveness is generally considered to be a negative mode of communication that is marked by hostility and self-protectiveness that arise ...