Literature Review
This section will initially provide the rationale on what triggers the need for individual contribution to a group. In the process of determining individual and group roles, trade-offs between personal and organizational gratification ensues and result to identify language conditions as the determinant of what will dominate. Solutions are presented but eventually the importance of self-confidence plays a significant role in solving the language barrier and addresses its adverse effects to individual and group performance.
A group is ordered and regulated through norms (a certain behavior expected, demanded and approved by the group), roles (differentiation of function), status (the associated prestige in a position), conformity (influences can be internal like shame and guilt or external like sanctions) and cohesion (degree of individual attraction) (cited in 2003 pp. 412). As there is a quantitative change in group structure, the communication system of the group undergoes some qualitative change wherein individual communication turns into group communication ( 2000). In this view, individual adaptation and participation is necessary for group formation and group performance.
Arriving in this state, Maslow believed that group affiliation is a need for love of an individual that involves both giving and receiving (cited in 2002 p. 135). When satisfied, the need for esteem is triggered (p. 136) which can be resolved from internal (achievement, adequacy, freedom and confidence) and external (reputation, attention, appreciation and importance) sources (p. 135). However, concrete insight on how group members are motivated to participate at a certain level of performance and for how long is missing. suggested that good context or hygiene wherein the job is performed is insufficient to provide positive job feelings neither result to potentially high performance levels. Rather, the job itself should be restructured for workers to achieve goals meaningfully related to the job. In view of this, individuals should have some measure of control in carrying the job to obtain job satisfaction through achievement and personal growth. This will lead to both positive feelings and improved performance (cited in 2002 p. 165).
In confirmation, indicated that if an individual is aware of the benefits and costs of doing the job, he can adjust his effort (productivity) accordingly but the decision criteria of choosing between high or low performance is embedded on the contribution of the job to his personal goals (p. 191). In the veil of communication, members of the group should not only interact or influence others but also be subjected to mutual influence in the process may it be in the way how one thinks, feels and behaves ( 2003 p. 404). As observed, the chicken and egg problem emerges in the process of reconciling the individual need to give and the need to receive benefits to/ from the group and its members. But in most cases, whose satisfaction is less gratified by the group?
It is found that speakers who have lower proficiency in using the second language contribute fewer ideas than first language speakers as well as second but fluent language speakers (cited in 2001). This condition obliterates individual requirements developed by to maximize member participation and performance. Due to the language barrier, their chance to perform, suggest and ultimately fully-motivated is undermined. In addition, the finding showed that high proficiency speakers engage in simplification strategies to coupe with less fluent speakers while low proficiency speakers engage in avoidance strategies to save face. In view of the latter, they may take less active part in the communication process. This is common in fast-paced interactive conversations where there is less time to filter the message and to participate in the communication (cited in 2001).
To solve this problem, Likert pressed leadership and other organizational processes to ensure that all interactions and all relationships should be viewed by members as supportive experiences that maintain the latter personal worth (cited in 2002 p. 361). Leadership has extremely important and influential role (p. 361). On the other hand, the approach is not simple at it is with reference to hypothesis. The language that communicators use independent of their competency can influence and change message content. In effect, bilingual speakers adjust their perceptual and thinking process to fit the language they are unfamiliar with. It is not merely speaking that is required rather mental modes because there is a need to adapt not only language but also culture and understanding of the world (cited in 2001).
In a more integrated solution to language barrier, leader and member roles should be addressed. It is when each person is a member of one or more functioning work groups that possess high degree of loyalty, skills in interaction and performance goals (cited in 2002 p. 361). The task of management is to identify or build work groups and link to overall organization (p. 361). On the other hand, members that belong to two or more work groups should exert influence on all of them. Thus, leaders and members play crucial role to develop the linking pin (p. 361). To effectively build the pin, open, two-way communication and influence is necessary. Horizontal group meetings protect the process from a restricted vertical structure, and thus, recommended. Through these efforts, overlapping group structure in the organization can create unity and capacity to deal with conflict (p. 361).
In a group, members who share at least one common goal are an important ingredient in creating energies and establishing processes (cited in 2003 p. 404). In schema theory, bilinguals choose to communicate different languages in different topics. This induces professionals to speak in English because this language is commonly used in the professional genre and taught in their training. On the other hand, in personal communications, natives prefer to choose the native language for socialization purposes. It is unlikely that professional topics would be applied with native language unless the knowledge is first registered and explained using the latter (cited in 2001).
In a study, it is found that Chinese bilinguals use communication in interactive and spiral patterns using Cantonese but linear and sequential in using English ( 1999). Thus, when people are in multi-lingual context, members of the group should determine the goal of the interaction to be able to correctly adjust their language and culture. In international business communication, (2001) suggested that there should be recognizable language-based categories or labeled zones. This will help speakers especially bilinguals to communicate using strategies and practices that fit specific zones. When the rules of communication are settled, second language user members would be less anxious and more prepared to the adverse effects of deviation from the language/ cultural norms of the majority who are using native language.
The inability to resolve language barriers in group communications result to uncertainty that subsequently intensifies anxiety (cited in ). As silence is more acceptable than talking (cited in 2004), a wrong group cohesion can build. Task cohesion refers to commitment on goals, task and activities while social cohesion refers to attraction towards and linking among group members (cited in 2003 p. 412). The downside of group cohesion, however, lies in the potential of “group thinking” where the avoidance of differences and conflict ultimately defeat crucial elements to sharpen group decisions (cited in 2003 pp. 412-413). Members cannot express their views due to the language barrier. To simplify the defect, consensus is reached through silence. However, as the group supplies its social cohesion needs, it defeats task cohesion and objectivity.
In a different and arguing perspective, communication apprehension or fear is built when a person is anxious in using his own language that leads to tenfold fear of using English (cited in 2004). And even though that person is not afraid in using his own language, the apprehension in using English would still be present. In this view, (2004) proved that environment and situation has negligible effect on interpersonal behavior. This gives rise to a conclusion that communication fear in the first language has much higher and more significant impact than the fear in the second language. In effect, situational factors like years of speaking English or living in the US are less predictor of fear than genetic nature of this cross-linguistic trait. If this holds, the intrinsic factor and native culture of bilingual speakers should be focused making group restructuring less effective.
Reflections about the Literature
The readings do not exemplary suggest that I can contribute to the team performance by merely speaking-up confidently and more often. I may have the role of listener at times when the topic is unfamiliar to me and alternatively clearer to other members. Conformity is also a basic factor to obtain an organized group. In the contrary, when the topic is clear to me, the contract goal can gain its relevance. In an extreme case, when the topic is familiar to all of the members, the relevance of the goal is doubled as it can sharpen group decisions in solving problems. However, this case is best applicable when all of us in the group share common norms and status. Thus, the language barrier is truly the root of my inability to participate and communicate freely and effectively.
Due to this, theories relevant to my contract goal are the ones that relate language barrier to individual performance in a group; namely, implications of first and second language speaker proficiencies to idea generation, hypothesis, one common goal rule, establishment of topic to create communication rules, uncertainty intensifies anxiety, silence is better than talking and genetic nature of such anxiety. This theories/ concepts are of utmost importance because they confirm that language barrier is adversely affecting individual participation, provides the framework to solve such problem and actively argues solutions that may have been initially established through organizational models. They are more specific and attached to the contract goal.
I found that leadership can aid in formalizing group processes and identify the topic of a certain undertaking. A formal structure within the group creates the atmosphere to interact in a professional manner. In this way, schema theory can apply in the group leaving the language, cultural and personality barriers deactivated. Interactions inside and outside classroom conditions varies in context, and so, formalizing inside classroom communication using certain rules of behavior within the group is necessary to maximize idea generation and expression. In addition, I have proved that my hesitance to give personal ideas and argue to other members the loopholes of their ideas is largely intrinsic in nature. This is because the Famous Five is created for academic purposes of the course. My confidence in idea sharing and ability of idea generation is now the crucial factors rather than external hindrances to organizational contribution. This admonition is the cornerstone of the last paragraph of the literature.
In view of this, learning activities should be focused on individual motivation to participate in the group. This is a more specific and focus endeavor since external factors is left behind. I can also easily provide my own analysis in the situation because the factors that are identified are based on my own assessment. Thus, strategies are personalized and there is relevance of effective learning.
The weakness of the literature can be the difference of samples used in the studies which can does not specifically study my culture against English culture or vice versa. Time frame in which the study is done is also a weakness due to influences of globalization on how people thinks and differences of cultures across borders.
Bibliography
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