Telecommunications

Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. Prepares for Cultural Diversity

Vrenda Machelle Campbell

Enikimberly Avery

James Dickey

Amy Domberger

Damion Moser

University of Phoenix

COMM/215

Robert Hughes

April 18, 2005

Abstract

Worldwide Telecommunication, Incorporated (Inc.) is a growing telecommunications company that has an international workforce which changes continuously. As the company's international personnel base expands, the needs of the employees will vary and become more diverse. As new employees come aboard, the organization will see that not all workers have the same requirements or requests. Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. must be able to fulfill the needs of staff at all levels regardless of any potential cultural barriers. Whether the employees' needs are basic or complex, Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. is positioning itself for the challenge.

Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. Prepares for Cultural Diversity

Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. is an innovative company which offers communication solutions to customers all over the world. Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. provides long-distance service and equipment, cellular phones, satellite TV, computers, pagers, calling cards, email, voicemail, wireless services, web services, and more. Due to global availability of the offered products and services, the company has determined the need to employ a universal workforce. Multicultural workforce will allow Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. to effectively operate and service all customers both locally and internationally. As an equal opportunity-employer, the company employs individuals regardless of their ethnicity, creed, gender, or social class. However, the common element of all employees is that they possess the required skills, knowledge, and experience to carry out the job requirements. As a result, the mixture of multicultural barriers does affect teamwork and communication within our large company. The culturally connected obstacles range from language barriers to individual selective perception. Throughout the course of this paper, we will analyze these barriers and conclude how Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. will benefit from a diverse workforce.

Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. is an amazing company in which to pursue a lifelong career. The organization is profitable and business focused, yet still understands the special needs of its employees and customers. "Successful, expanding organizations often face the threat of losing the strong and unique cultures that made them attractive to their employees, investors, and their customers" (Gayeski, 1998) . The corporation realizes in order to accomplish the company's objective, which is to drive revenue for a more profitable company; there must be core values in place. These core values include quality customer service, teamwork, employee respect, dignity, integrity, and innovation. Without everyone upholding the company's core values, Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. understands accomplishing the company objectives would be a mission impossible. Although Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. currently enjoys a culture of effective communication, employee alliance, teamwork, and collaboration, the corporation has faced many challenges reaching this point. The old company's atmosphere consisted of poor communication skills and inconsistent teamwork, which eventually led to low employee morale. The distasteful company culture was rooted in favoritism, prejudices, and preferential treatment for a selected group of employees. After enormous revenue and employee losses, the company sought to improve its habits, beliefs, attitudes, and expectations.

"The workplace setting is fertile breeding ground for conflicts because of the dynamics and interdependency of the employee-to-employee, customer-to-employee, and employee-to-outside vendor relationships" (Rau-Foster, 2000). Recognizing and addressing the factors that give rise to the potential for conflict can have a positive impact on workplace and the productivity in the workplace. At Worldwide Telecommunications, Inc., there are many diverse barriers that will affect teamwork and communication. Age, race, color, beliefs, gender, sexual preference, culture and physical and mental differences combined together could cause huge problems, but even as few as two of these differences could cause significant issues. These barriers are going to cause differences between people but will be dealt within a professional manner.

Some of the possible disadvantages of poor teamwork and poor communication at Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc. are limitless. Poor teamwork and poor communication can destroy a company. Deadlines not being met on time, important documents will being lost, and important messages will not reaching the correct person are just a few of the operational fallouts that may occur. The corporation will have numerous issues without effective teamwork. No one man can run a company. Corporate success takes several people. Proper communication ensures workers are directed to complete the right tasks, ensures that the right people will receive their messages, and ensures that someone informs the board of directors about any problems that may arise. Then the board can inform human resources of fire and hire-issues that need to be dealt with. Good teamwork along with excellent communication is essential basic skills that need to be taught from the beginning of employment to be successful. Good communication skills begin with excellent listening skills which will ensure success.

The language barrier is an area that needs special attention. Many different languages are spoken here at Worldwide Telecommunication, Inc., and we have an obligation to respect everyone's differences. It is very imperative that a point is made very clearly when speaking to someone who obviously does not understand ones language that well. If the person being spoken to misinterpret what was being requested and a task is not completed or the person completes it wrong, we then have to determine where the lines of communication failed.