ABSTRACT
This chapter accepts the challenge of providing a macro perspective on intercultural communication. It also addresses the imperative of diversity, overview intercultural communication theories, and present specific tools for situations in which cultural differences complicate the problem-solving process. The evolution of approaches in public management can be traced from legal-centered perspectives preventing discrimination to broader concerns diversity and cultural competence. Three perspectives that help in understanding a culture's impact on communication behavior are Individualism, high context, and Hofstede's Cultural Value Dimensions. Culture is more than superficial differences about attire, food choices, or how close people stand to one another. The dimensions of how disagreement is expressed and how emotions are displayed join to form four styles of intercultural conflict: discussant, engagement, dynamic, and accommodation. The in-group of a workplace may divide along racial, gender, class, or ethnic lines or an in-group may form across organizational functions-field workers versus management.
