M2: Learner Manual

As humans, we grow with a certain mindset and have an understanding of the world around us. Itis mostly our surroundings and the people we surround ourselves with that teach us their thoughts and beliefs. Therefore, people have different ways of thinking and understanding, owing to their cultural influences. It can give rise to communication barriers between people from different cultures. As it is one's culture that gives rise to the communicational barrier, they are known as cultural barriers of communication.

There are six main factors that lead to communicational barriers:

• Ethnocentrism: The belief that one's culture is superior to another's.
• Stereotyping: preconceived notions about others.
• Psychological barriers: the way we subconsciously react to a situation.
• Language barriers: Not being able to fluently speak and understand a team's language.
• Geographical distance: Building a connection within the team becomes. strenuous when the members are only connected virtually.
• Conflicting values: Communication between people can become strenuous when one's values and practices are disturbed.[1]