The Importance Of Intercultural Communication

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As of the latest database of year 2016 laid by the government of Malaysia, has clearly stated that Malaysia inhabits about 2.1 million registered foreign workers, and illegal foreign workers summing up to about 1 million. As, Malaysia is the largest net importer of labor in Asia for its relatively well-developed economy, full employment and wages that exceeds most countries in the region, hence, we are likely to expect more foreigners with adverse culture background to reside in Malaysia (Minter, 2016). Malaysia, being a home for massive foreign occupants demands the knowledge of understanding intercultural communication as it deems crucial for this phenomenon. Intercultural communication is defined as the communication between people whose…show more content…
There are numerous challenges that further explicate the obstructions in intercultural communication namely; ethnocentrism, stereotypes, fear, cultural differences, over attribution and violation of cultural rules. Ethnocentrism is an impulse challenge and justified that in the intercultural interaction, the belief of one’s culture and ethnic is much superior that to another’s culture. Individuals with high ethnocentricity will experience a greater communication barriers with those who are different from them. Highly ethnocentric individuals may feel suspicious and defensive towards people whose differing from them (McKeiver, 2013). Intercultural communication apprehension is partially due to stereotyping which creates self-fulfilling prophecies and it is inevitable. Stereotyping is defined as one self’s mental interpretation and feelings towards a member of another group. Stereotyping could lead to a multiple negative implications that may result in communication ineffectiveness and inaccuracy cognitive judgement that may lead to misunderstanding (Zhang,…show more content…
Example, the Muslim community in Malaysia is restricted from eating non-halal food that involves ultimately pork. The Indian community in Malaysia, is restricted from eating beef, hence at this condition of cultural differences and believes, we should learn to respect and not going beyond the point that may violate their respective cultural
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