3. Navigating Cultural Differences in the Workplace (C1-C2)
Podcast Introduction
Hello, I’m Daryush, and welcome to the Business English Hub, the podcast that helps you speak clearly and confidently at work. This podcast is for professionals, students, and job-seekers who use English in meetings, presentations, interviews, and beyond. Listen regularly to build your vocabulary, improve fluency, and feel more comfortable using English in the workplace. By the way, there is a free transcript for this episode. If you want to read along or review later, just check the link in the description.
Episode Introduction
Today’s episode is all about navigating cultural differences in the workplace. I’ll be looking at the types of cultural differences you might encounter, common challenges that arise, what these differences mean for business communication and teamwork, and some possible solutions or strategies for effective cross-cultural collaboration. This podcast is available on different platforms which offer different options. For a full free transcript or to book lessons, visit my website. To listen and read at the same time, check me out on YouTube. For audio-only listening, you can find me on Spotify and Amazon Music.
Cultural Differences at Work: Types and Examples
Most of my students are Italian corporate professionals who work in international contexts. And they’ve told me all about their cross-cultural experiences. You know, some have funny miscommunication stories, like an American manager who thought an Italian team member agreed to a deadline when he actually meant “maybe.” Others share challenges, like feeling confused by a British colleague’s subtle feedback, or an Asian client’s long silences in meetings. These anecdotes show that cultural differences are very real at work, and they can lead to misunderstandings if we’re not aware.
First, let’s clarify what “culture” means here. Culture can be thought of as the shared values, norms, and behaviors of a group of people, often shaped by their upbringing and society. In a workplace, cultural differences might come from national culture, like differences between, say, Japanese and American business culture, or from organizational culture, one company’s way of doing things vs. another’s. “Diversity” simply means variety. In the workplace context, having a diverse team means you have people with different backgrounds, whether that’s nationality, ethnicity, gender, age, etc. “Inclusion” means making sure those diverse people feel valued, respected, and included. An inclusive workplace culture is one where everyone, regardless of their background, feels they belong and can contribute. When people feel valued and included, they participate more and contribute their ideas; if they feel excluded, they’re more likely to disengage or even “quiet quit.” So understanding and bridging cultural differences isn’t just a nice thing to do, it has real impacts on teamwork and performance.
Now, what kinds of cultural differences might we encounter in the workplace? Let’s explore a few major ones: In some cultures, communication is high-context, meaning a lot is left unsaid and you’re expected to read between the lines. A simple “yes” can have multiple meanings depending on subtle cues like tone or facial expression. For example, a Japanese colleague might say “Yes, we will try” as a polite way to maintain harmony, but that “yes” might just mean “I acknowledge you” rather than a firm commitment. In contrast, low-context cultures value directness, people tend to say exactly what they mean. In a low-context culture like the United States or Germany, “yes” means yes and “no” means no, communication is explicit and straightforward. If an American manager asks, “Can you finish this by Friday?” they expect a clear yes or no. A colleague from a high-context culture might hesitate to say “no” directly, instead saying something like “We’ll do our best,” which the American might misinterpret as agreement. These different styles can obviously lead to misunderstandings. A person from a low-context, direct culture might miss the hidden “no” in a high-context response. And on the flip side, someone from a high-context culture might find a direct “no” from an American or German to sound blunt or even rude. Neither style is “wrong,” they’re just different approaches to communication.
Another big difference is how cultures build business relationships. For example, in China and many other Asian cultures, there is a concept called guanxi, which literally means personal connections or relationships. Guanxi is how things get done in China, it implies that trust and relationships often come before formal business agreements. You might need to invest time in dinners, meetings, getting to know someone’s family, etc., before any deal is made. People from guanxi-driven cultures may be hesitant to do business with someone they have no prior relationship with. By contrast, in more transaction-oriented cultures, like the U.S. or Northern Europe, business can be more impersonal, you might strike a deal with someone you just met, as long as the numbers make sense. Again, neither approach is right nor wrong; they’re just different. But if you’re unaware of this, you might rush into talking business with a new Chinese partner who actually expects a longer courting phase, or conversely, you might think an American client is being insincere because they get straight down to business without much small talk. Along with guanxi, there is the idea of reciprocal favors. If someone does you a favor, you are expected to return it eventually, a concept known as renqing in Chinese culture. This creates a continuous cycle of mutual support. Understanding these norms can help you avoid offense and build trust when working with colleagues from relationship-focused cultures.
Many cultures also differ in how they handle conflict or give feedback. In some cultures, being direct is valued, you give honest, blunt feedback and it’s taken at face value. In other cultures, maintaining harmony and “saving face” is more important. The term “face” in this context refers to a person’s reputation, dignity, or social standing. To “lose face” means to be embarrassed or lose respect in front of others. In cultures where face is crucial, for example, China, Japan, many Middle Eastern cultures, people go to great lengths to avoid embarrassing someone or causing them to lose face. Criticism might be given in a very roundabout way, or in private, or sandwiched between lots of praise. Or a subordinate might not contradict a boss openly in a meeting, because that could make the boss look bad, causing the boss to lose face. Face-saving is the act of preserving dignity, for example, declining an offer in a way that doesn’t offend, or resolving a mistake quietly so nobody is humiliated.
I’ll give a quick example: Imagine a scenario where a Chinese partner discovers a serious problem with a joint project. Instead of immediately calling out their Western counterpart’s mistake publicly, they might first discuss it discreetly or find a solution behind the scenes. This actually happened with a client case: A Chinese partner chose to work with intermediaries to fix an issue rather than directly confront the Western client, all to save face and protect the long-term relationship. The Western client, in the end, might not even realize a potential fiasco was averted, but the relationship stays intact. Understanding the importance of face means recognizing why your colleague from these cultures might shy away from saying “I don’t understand this” in a meeting, they don’t want to look stupid, or why they may prefer to discuss problems one-on-one rather than in a group. If you come from a culture where “honesty is the best policy,” this can be tricky, you might think, “Why didn’t they just tell me the issue right away?” It’s not that they’re trying to be deceptive; often, they’re trying to be polite and preserve mutual respect.
Workplace cultures also differ in attitudes toward hierarchy and authority. In some cultures, the boss is seen almost like a parental figure. Power distance, which is the acceptance of unequal power, is high. Employees may not feel comfortable questioning or disagreeing with a manager’s decisions openly. For instance, in a meeting in a high-power-distance culture, you might notice the junior staff deferring to the most senior person, who likely makes the final call. In other cultures with low power distance, it’s totally fine for a junior employee to challenge a CEO’s idea in a meeting. It wouldn’t be seen as disrespect. These differences can impact teamwork: On a multicultural team, the quieter members from hierarchical cultures might not speak up unless invited, and the more egalitarian-minded members might assume silence means agreement. It’s important to be aware that silence might actually mean hesitant agreement rather than consent.
Even things like meeting etiquette can vary. For example, in Japanese and many Asian cultures, the exchange of business cards is almost a ritual, you give and receive cards with two hands and treat the card with respect because it represents the person. If an American visitor casually shoves a freshly received business card into their back pocket, it might be seen as disrespectful. Or consider communication rhythms: In some cultures, a bit of silence during a business conversation is normal and shows you’re thoughtfully considering what was said. In fact, there’s a saying that in some Asian cultures, “silence is golden.” But someone from a talkative culture might get uncomfortable with a long silence and rush to fill it with more talk. I’ve been in meetings like that. Imagine negotiating a deal in China, you state your terms, then silence… The other side is thinking, but you start sweating, wondering if you should say something else. You have to remind myself: Stop, sip your tea, and wait. If you keep rambling to fill the void, you might talk yourself right out of the deal or say unnecessary things! Another example: Humor doesn’t always translate. British colleagues, for instance, have a very dry, subtle sense of humor. A British manager might make a sarcastic comment with a straight face. If you’re not used to it, you might not even realize it was a joke and take it literally, or laugh at the wrong moment. Conversely, a joke that’s hilarious in New York might not land well in London. So, it’s easy to step on cultural landmines if you’re unaware.
These are just a few types of cultural differences: communication styles, attitude toward relationships and hierarchy, concepts like saving face, even different attitudes about time, formality, or personal space. The key point is that there’s no single “normal” way to do things, what’s normal for you might be very odd to someone from elsewhere. As one cultural expert put it, there’s no such thing as a default culture; our perceptions are all relative to our own background. Once we accept that, we can start to manage these differences better.
Cultural differences are fascinating, but they can certainly pose challenges in a workplace. Let’s talk about some common problems that arise and why they matter for teamwork and communication:
When people operate with different communication styles or assumptions, messages can get lost in translation even when everyone’s speaking English! We already talked about how a “yes” might not always mean yes. Think of what can go wrong: A manager might assign a task and say “please try to finish by Monday.” An employee from a culture that avoids direct refusal might say “Okay, I’ll try,” even if they know it’s nearly impossible. The manager, coming from a direct culture, assumes it’s settled, Monday it is. Monday comes and the task isn’t done, and the manager is confused or angry, while the employee is stressed because in their mind they never explicitly promised Monday. These kinds of crossed wires happen frequently in global teams. Likewise, someone might be offended because they feel a colleague was rude or abrupt, when that colleague thought they were just being honest. Or an American might think a meeting went well because the Indian team nodded and said “we’ll consider it,” not realizing those were polite ways to avoid saying no. When messages are interpreted differently, teams can miss deadlines, customers can get upset, and trust can erode. It can impact business results directly, like deals falling through or projects failing, simply due to communication issues.
Another challenge is that we all have our mental shortcuts and biases. When working across cultures, it’s easy to fall into stereotypes. For example, assuming “Oh, he’s French, so he’ll be always late to meetings” or “She’s American, so she’s probably bad at foreign languages,” those generalizations can be really harmful. Even if you don’t voice them, they can affect how you treat someone. We also have something called affinity bias, which is an implicit, unconscious bias where we naturally gravitate towards people who are like ourselves. In the workplace, affinity bias might mean a manager bonds and communicates more with team members from their own culture or background, while unintentionally sidelining others. For instance, a supervisor who studied in the UK might click more with British-educated colleagues and give them more opportunities, whereas the non-British employees feel left out. This bias can also creep into hiring or promotions, you hire someone who “feels” like a good fit culturally, often meaning similar to you. In fact, a lot of companies used to emphasize “culture fit” in hiring: “Does this candidate fit our culture?” On the surface that sounds reasonable, but in practice it often translates to hiring people who look, think, or act like the existing team. That is essentially institutionalizing affinity bias! The result: you deter diversity, end up with a very homogeneous team, and miss out on candidates who could have brought fresh perspectives. Plus, people who are “different” in the organization may feel pressure to conform or hide their differences to fit in, which can be draining and stifle the unique contributions they could offer.
If cultural differences aren’t managed well, you can get cliques in a diverse team, for example, all the expats from country X stick together because they understand each other, and they might unintentionally exclude the others. Or miscommunications can breed mistrust: Imagine a small friction like this: “I thought you agreed to this, why didn’t you deliver?” “Well, I thought I told you it was hard, but you didn’t listen.” These small frictions, if unresolved, can erode team morale. People might start avoiding collaborating with those from a different culture because it feels too difficult. In the worst case, it can lead to open conflicts or blame games: Engineering team in country X thinks Sales team in country B is always lying, while Sales thinks Engineering is impossibly rigid. Clearly, that’s not good for business.
As mentioned, if people feel they don’t belong or their contributions aren’t valued due to cultural differences, they may disengage. They might not speak up with ideas, so you lose out on their insight, or they might leave the company entirely. There’s a term “code-switching,” where individuals from minority cultures constantly adjust the way they speak or act to fit the dominant culture at work. That takes effort and can be exhausting. A non-inclusive culture basically wastes the very benefits that diversity brings.
Now, it’s not all doom and gloom. In fact, when handled well, cultural diversity is a huge asset. There’s plenty of research showing that diverse companies tend to perform better financially and drive more innovation. Diverse teams can tap a wider range of ideas and perspectives, leading to creative solutions that a homogeneous team might never think of. One study found that companies with ethnically diverse executive teams were 33% more likely to outperform their peers, and organizations that excel at diversity report significantly higher revenue from innovation. So, the implication is: If you manage cultural differences well, you unlock a big competitive advantage. On the other hand, simply having diversity without inclusion can backfire. If you hire a bunch of diverse talent, but the culture expects everyone to act the same, the old “fit in or leave” mentality, those folks will either end up leaving or contributing less. In short, cultural differences can either be a source of friction or a source of strength. It all depends on how we navigate them. So, let’s talk about how to do that, how to turn those differences into an advantage rather than a problem.
Strategies for Effective Cross-Cultural Collaboration
How can we bridge cultural gaps and work together more effectively? There are several strategies and best practices that organizations and individuals can use. I’ll go through a few important ones:
The first step is simply learning about other cultures. Educate yourself and your team about the key norms and communication styles of the cultures you work with. This might mean formal training sessions on cultural competence, or informal lunch-and-learn discussions. When you learn, for instance, that in many Asian cultures people might not say “no” directly because it’s considered rude, you’ll be more alert to subtle cues of disagreement and you won’t take politeness at face value. Or knowing about concepts like guanxi, or face, or how hierarchy plays out in different places helps you interpret colleagues’ behaviors in the right light. It’s not about stereotyping; it’s about understanding common tendencies, so you have some context. This awareness goes both ways, ideally everyone gets exposure to other cultures. Maybe you could even start meetings with a short “culture share” where team members rotate sharing a fun fact about their culture or a custom.
Encourage an environment where team members feel comfortable explaining their perspectives or pointing out when something isn’t clear to them. As a manager or team leader, explicitly invite input from quieter members. You might phrase things like, “I know some of us have different approaches, I’d love to hear if this plan raises any concerns for you, even if it’s hard to say.” Make it okay to ask questions like, “Hey, I realize I might not be understanding correctly, could you tell me what you mean by X?” When people feel safe to clarify misunderstandings or talk about differences, you catch issues early. Also, if someone does something that offends you due to a cultural gap, assume positive intent and discuss it calmly. For example, “You called me by my first name in front of the client and in my culture that’s quite informal. I know you probably didn’t mean any disrespect, but could we …?” Conversations like that can clear the air. It might feel awkward, but it’s better than letting resentment build. Leaders can model this by acknowledging their own blunders, like, “I realized I might have rushed through that agenda without giving our remote colleagues a chance to weigh in. Sorry about that!” Humility and humor go a long way.
Sometimes we need to adapt our communication styles and here flexibility is key. If you know you’re dealing with a high-context culture, practice reading the air, pay extra attention to tone, pauses, and body language. If you’re working with someone from a more indirect culture, you might phrase questions in a gentler way or provide opportunities for them to give feedback in private or in writing, where they might be more comfortable voicing concerns. Conversely, if your audience is from a very direct culture, don’t be offended by blunt feedback, understand it’s usually not personal, just a business efficiency thing. And maybe adjust your own style to be a bit more straightforward with them. Essentially, be a bit of a chameleon: Clear and direct when needed, diplomatic and subtle when needed. This is a skill known as cultural agility or cultural competence, the ability to switch modes and find the communication approach that works for the given cultural context. A practical tip is: when in doubt, just ask. Like, “I’m not totally sure if that was a yes. Could you clarify if you’re okay with this plan? No offense either way, I just want to be sure we’re on the same page.” It can feel a bit odd to ask explicitly, but it’s better than assuming wrongly. Also, when giving feedback to someone from a different culture, consider their perspective. You might preface criticism with a positive note if they come from a culture where direct criticism is rare, or explicitly invite them to critique you if they’re not used to speaking up to authority. By meeting in the middle, both sides adjust a bit.
If you are a hiring manager, avoid “culture fit” hiring and aim for “culture add” or adaptability: On an organizational level, one powerful strategy is to broaden what you consider a “good hire.” Instead of hiring people who all act and think like your existing team, which is the affinity bias trap, focus on cultural adaptability and what new dimensions a candidate could add to your team. Some experts even call this hiring for “culture add” or “cultureability,” meaning the ability to adapt and be flexible in different cultural settings. In practice, this means during interviews you might ask questions like, “Tell me about a time you worked with people different from you. How did you handle it?” or “How would you approach working with a team spread across 3-4 countries?” If a candidate demonstrates curiosity, open-mindedness, and adaptability, they can probably integrate well even if they’re not a typical “fit.” This not only increases diversity, but it sends a message that we value different perspectives. And once people are in the door, make adaptability a two-way street: Existing staff should also be trained and encouraged to be flexible and welcoming. Remember, a great team isn’t one where everyone is exactly the same, but one where differences can co-exist and are leveraged.
In meetings or teamwork scenarios, be mindful of cultural tendencies regarding speaking up. A simple technique is to structure meetings so that everyone has a chance to contribute. For example, instead of a free-for-all where the loudest voice wins, which might marginalize those from polite or hierarchical cultures, the facilitator can go around and invite each person to speak, or split into small groups where quieter folks might open up more. You can also encourage written brainstorming or use collaboration tools, like shared docs or chat for input, as this sometimes bypasses spoken language or culture nuances. If you’re the boss, you might explicitly give permission to disagree with you. Some leaders literally say, “In this team, it’s not rude to debate my ideas. I won’t be upset. In fact, I value it.” This signals to someone from a deferential culture that okay, I can voice my thoughts without fear. It’s also good to clarify decision processes: For example, say “I will make the final decision, but I genuinely want all your inputs first,” or in a collaborative culture, you can say “We decide by consensus here, so please share any concerns.” Clear processes can reduce anxiety for those unsure of the “rules.”
I think we all need to embrace diversity and Inclusion as core values. This sounds fluffy, but I mean very concrete actions at the leadership level. Companies that succeed in cross-cultural collaboration treat diversity and inclusivity as must-have, not just a checkbox or public relations slogan. That can involve setting real goals and accountability. For instance, setting targets for having diverse representation in teams and leadership, and holding managers accountable for reaching those targets. It also means establishing policies and norms that celebrate differences: Maybe a mentorship program that pairs people from different backgrounds to learn from each other, or rotating meeting times to accommodate different time zones, or celebrating various cultural holidays so employees can share their traditions. The idea is to signal “it’s great that we’re all different here, and we want everyone to feel at home.” When inclusion is visibly prioritized, employees from minority cultures feel safer to bring their authentic selves to work, which in turn enhances their engagement and contributions.
And last but not least, we all need to check our biases regularly. We can’t get rid of all unconscious bias. It’s called unconscious for a reason, but we can become more aware. A tip from diversity training is: Notice moments of discomfort or snap judgment. If you meet a new colleague and something about them makes you uncomfortable, or you find yourself judging quickly, pause and reflect: Is there a bias at play? Maybe you’re assuming something about them because of their accent, or because they remind you of some stereotype. When you catch those thoughts, challenge them logically. Ask yourself, “Would I feel this way if this person were from a different background?” or “Am I expecting this person to behave in a certain way because of where they’re from?” By being mindful, you can often talk yourself out of the bias. Also, encourage discussions about bias on your team. It can be as simple as sharing articles or anecdotes about common workplace biases, like affinity bias, confirmation bias, etc. so everyone has the vocabulary and awareness. Sometimes doing an anonymous survey of your team on inclusivity can reveal issues, for example, maybe international employees feel they don’t get the same mentoring as locals. That gives you a clue what to improve. The main point is to keep bias reduction as an ongoing practice, not a one-time workshop.
So, to sum up this section I must say effective cross-cultural collaboration comes down to being aware, being respectful, and being adaptable. We all have cultural blind spots, but if we stay curious and humble, we can usually work through any misunderstandings. It’s like learning a new language, at first you might translate everything in your head, but eventually you start to think in that language. Similarly, after working with a culture for a while, you start to pick up their unspoken cues and adjust naturally. And don’t forget, it’s a two-way street: Everyone can learn and everyone can teach. Perhaps you can pair up people from different cultures to be sort of cultural buddies, exchanging tips. Over time, a team can develop its own shared culture that respects each member’s background. When that happens, cultural differences turn into an advantage. Your team can approach problems from multiple angles, avoid groupthink, and appeal to a global customer base with ease. In a world where business is increasingly global, cultural competence is as important as technical skills. It’s no longer just “nice to have,” it’s a core professional skill to be able to navigate these differences.
Before we move to our last segment, let’s quickly recap some useful terms related to our discussion, especially for those building their business English vocabulary.
Vocabulary Spotlight
In this section, I’ll explain a few useful words and phrases that came up today. These are great for intermediate to advanced English learners to know and use in workplace contexts.
Diversity: This means variety or a range of different things. In the workplace, diversity usually refers to having a workforce composed of people with different backgrounds, such as different cultures, genders, ages, etc. For example: “Our company values diversity; we have colleagues from six continents.” Diversity is about the mix of people in an organization.
Inclusivity: Inclusivity is about including people and making them feel welcome. An inclusive workplace is one where everyone feels they belong and are valued, regardless of their differences. Example: “We are fostering an inclusive culture by celebrating various cultural holidays and encouraging everyone to share their ideas.” Inclusivity is the practice of making sure diversity isn’t just a number, it’s about involvement and respect.
Cultural competence: This phrase refers to the ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people from other cultures. If you have cultural competence, you are aware of cultural differences and adjust your behavior accordingly. Example: “Working abroad really improved my cultural competence. I learned how to adjust my communication style in a Japanese business setting.” It’s like being fluent in cross-cultural interaction.
Implicit bias: Also known as unconscious bias, this is when we have attitudes or stereotypes that affect our understanding, actions, or decisions in an unconscious way. We don’t intend to be biased, but it happens based on our conditioning, as in “an implicit bias might lead a manager to assume a younger employee is less responsible, without even realizing they’re making that assumption.” Today we discussed affinity bias, which is a type of implicit bias, where we favor people who are like ourselves. It’s important to be aware of these hidden biases so we can counteract them.
Face-saving: We talked about the concept of “saving face.” Face-saving measures are actions intended to avoid embarrassment or preserve dignity, either one’s own dignity or someone else’s. Example: “When her boss gave public criticism, she responded with a face-saving joke to ease the tension.” In cross-cultural situations, you might offer a face-saving way out of a conflict, so no one feels humiliated.
Adaptability: This means the ability to adapt or adjust to new conditions. In a work context, especially cross-cultural work, adaptability is crucial. It refers to how easily you can change your approach or behavior to fit new cultural expectations or changes in environment, as in “successful expats have a high degree of adaptability. They can adjust to new business cultures quickly.” Being adaptable might mean changing your communication style or working style to suit the team you’re in.
Cross-cultural communication: This is a handy phrase for the theme of today’s talk. Cross-cultural communication means the communication that takes place between people of different cultural backgrounds, as in “misunderstandings in cross-cultural communication can occur if we aren’t aware of each other’s norms.” When we say someone is skilled at cross-cultural communication, we usually mean they can effectively exchange information with people from other cultures without misunderstandings.
So, this brings us to the end of this episode. Thank you for listening to this episode of Business English Hub. I hope you found my discussion useful and maybe even recognized some of your own experiences in what we talked about. If you have a comment or a story about cultural differences at work, I’d love to hear it. Feel free to share by commenting or sending me a message. Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform so you never miss an episode. If you’re watching on YouTube, you can like the video and turn on notifications. And if you found value in today’s episode, please consider leaving a rating or review. It really helps me reach more people.
Thanks again for joining me, and until next time, keep learning, keep practicing, and keep embracing the diverse world of business English. Have a great day at work, wherever in the world you may be! Talk to you soon!
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