Working in a multicultural team: how to get around cultural shocks and face miscommunication problems

by David Godos Valencia

If you are reading this post then you might be working in a foreign laboratory, or perhaps you are in your own country but have problems finding your place among your new international colleagues, or maybe you just find this topic interesting.  In any case, you are welcome to this space where I will try to shed some light on this topic by sharing my experiences on different occasions of working with people from around the world! Nowadays, science has benefited from new communication technologies, which allow faster and farther connections, and it is more common to be part of international collaborations of any size. Also, it is easier to travel around the world for research stays with your collaborators, thanks to initiatives like IReNA, that promote exchange of knowledge and skills. Without any distinction, theoreticians and experimental scientists/students could find themselves moving to new countries for their jobs. It could be for a short time, due to a workshop or conference, or for longer due to a postdoc or a permanent position at a laboratory/university. Unavoidably, during these trips, academics will interact with people from different backgrounds who are also at different stages of their careers. In that case, wouldn’t it be a great idea to take the initiative to understand the kind of issues that might arise during these interactions and how to mitigate them in order to create a healthy work environment for everyone?

Thanks to my trajectory, I have been fortunate to team up with people from Latin America, Europe, and the US at different times while visiting other countries like Romania, Spain, France, Italy, and Colombia. Sometimes you will be lucky to be in a very similar culture to the one you are from, but more often than not you will end up in a completely different society. You could still feel quite lost with even slight differences from what you are used to. In my opinion, two of the main problems that arise when working with people from different backgrounds are miscommunication problems and cultural shocks. The latter, according to C. Ward (1998), is described as an occupational disease and it is related to fear, anxiety, anger, and feelings of helplessness by people who suddenly find themselves living abroad [1]. Both phenomena, I think, have the same origin: the other person's reaction or interpretation of what we have said/done does not match our expectations or intentions.  

On one hand, it is easy to misunderstand other people even in our native language; let alone when two people from different states or even countries try to communicate with each other. This miscommunication could be due to the different accents, different usages of some words, and different ways of expressing themselves. As an example, there have been many times when talking with a foreign teammate, where at the end of the conversation we realized we were talking about completely different topics. In my experience, the best way to resolve such misunderstandings is to go all the way back to the beginning of the conversation and repeat, using more simple words, what you want to express. In that way, you can track your way in the conversation to the point where both of you agree on the meaning and move forward to the part that created the disconnect. As a result, you will build, little by little, a common context that will help avoid future misunderstandings. 

Cultural shocks are commonly encountered when visiting or living in a different country, even if their cultural differences are minimal. During my first trip to Spain, despite Spanish being my native language, I was somehow confused by the usage of the language there. While in Spain they are used to direct speech, which at first seemed rude to me, in Mexico we are not so straightforward. It took me a while to distinguish between when a person was really angry from their usual mood while socializing. I guess that it is hard to realize that the things that we take for granted in our homes are not commonly found in other places. 

Cultural adaptation may have different stages, which vary according to the demographic of the one experiencing it. Let me give you an example: you may have heard about the U-curve of cultural adjustment that says the adaptation process is composed of 4 phases: the honeymoon, the culture shock, the recovery, and the adjustment [2]. But, according to a study by C. Dailey-Strand (2021) [3], the process is more like a J-curve for foreign students, who do not experience the honeymoon stage, but rather face the cultural challenges first (see Figure 1). However, early social activities seeking integration into the host culture at the beginning of the stay are quite helpful in overcoming this first stage. So, if your team has gained a new member, a little guidance and understanding could make a huge difference in their experience. In case you are the new member, you should avoid isolation and try to look for social events where you can meet other international students at first. Furthermore, do not be afraid to try new activities or get deeper into the host society which will help you to know more people. The good news for you is that, after each time, it becomes a little bit easier to integrate into a new culture.

Figure 1.- Comparison of the top) U-curve and bottom) J-curve of cultural adjustment.
Images adapted from [2,3].

To summarize, you will face multiple challenges within your multicultural team mainly related to miscommunication and lack of a sense of belonging. While facing communication misunderstandings, a good way to resolve this problem is to create a common context within the team. As your time working as a group increases, your context will grow, and miscommunication will decrease over time. While dealing with cultural shocks can be difficult, you will benefit from being open-minded and trying new things. And although it is difficult to preserve your cultural identity in a new place, it should not stop you from trying new things and adopting local traditions from people you meet in your new life. This will enrich your point of view and expand your horizons.

I hope reading about these brief experiences will help you when working abroad or when a new member joins your work team! If you have experiences of your own where you have faced similar problems, and you want to share them, I would like to hear from you.


​References
[1] C. Ward, Y. Okura, A. Kennedy, and T. Kojima, Int. J. Intercultural Rel. 22 No 3, pages 277-291 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0147-1767(98)00008-X 
[2] B. Alamri, ELT 11 No 12 (2018). https://doi.org/10.5539/elt.v11n12p77
[3] C. Dailey-Strand, H. Collins, and D. Callaghan, JCIHE 13 Issue 4, pages 73-84 (2021). http://www.doi.org/10.32674/jcihe.v13i4.3267