Why Culture Matters.Challenges of a Diverse Team through the Lens of Intercultural Theories

Seminar paper from the year 2017 in the subject Communications - Intercultural Communication, grade: 1,0, LMU Munich (Institut für Kommunikationswissenschaft- und Medienforschung (IfKW)), course: Intercultural Competence, language: English, abstract: "Culture" has become so broad a term that it is almost impossible to find the right angle or an allencompassing example to begin this article with. Although, Hall stated that "culture is a word that has so many meanings already that one more can do it no harm" it is not the aim of this article to contribute yet another "meaning". Rather than adding to the vast amount of research on what "culture" is and where it comes from this article aims at making the case for why culture matters and how it can be properly analysed. The view put forth in this vein suggests that the analysis of cultural issues which lies at the heart of intercultural communication is one of the most important scientific endeavours of contemporary times. Prior to elaborating on the details of this endeavour it is necessary to address two crucial facts that emphasize the relevance of the applied approach as well as of intercultural communication in general. First, as numerous researchers and scholars have repeatedly pointed out the globalisation is expected to continue at even faster rate than before. As a result of immigration that comes along with the process of globalisation - and that will continue to come along despite current efforts to restrict it - Western societies will undergo severe changes. Evolving concepts such as "super" or "hyper diversity" acknowledge this development and will contest the way societies and nations are perceived. It is beyond doubt, that a more sophisticated understanding of cultures is essential the more the globalisation shapes every aspect of modern life. If an increasingly diverse world will eventually lead to a "clash of civilizations" or to their ultimate "fusion" has to remain unanswered. What both outlooks have in common, however, is that they rely on intercultural competence in some ways. Whether to avoid cultural conflicts or to contribute to a so-called "supra- culture" intercultural competence is the key to unlock the potentials of diversity. To sum up, the more the globalisation - and in particular its cultural by-products - impact virtual all levels of societies the more cross-cultural cooperation and therefore intercultural competence is needed. In order to succeed in building up this competence, however, knowledge has to be acquired through the meticulous analysis of cultural issues. This article is an attempt to fulfil that ambition.