BITM Semester 1 – English I – Unit 1: Cross-cultural Communication

Read the following case carefully and answer the questions that follow:Amit has been with Black Clay, one of the project management companies based in the UK. However, he is leaving today; and, he felt a tinge of sadness. He will be taking the morning flight to India the next week. It was an assignment which was supposed to have lasted for 18 months, but there he was, leaving at the end of just six months. He was being sent because of "discipline" issues. He was not sure if he really deserved the punishment or if he was victim of racism.Language and accent were not the only issues. Amit used to bring his own lunch which be heated in the common kitchen. The strong aroma of Indian food brought forth many comments from the clients. Most would appreciate the aroma but many would hurriedly excuse themselves from the kitchen. Inevitably, Amit could sense that there was something wrong, as none of the clients on his floor would accompany him at lunch. Amit also became aware that some people actually avoided him were bit reluctant to help him out with project issues. Maybe, it took long time understanding or maybe, they just did not like talking to him. There was a particular group who made their dislike for him obvious. Once he found them discussing cricket and Amit could not stop himself from joining the discussion. To his dismay, while he was talking the topic of their discussion to rugby. Amit was left wondering if he had said something wrong.Things reached a boil when one of the employees of Black Clay, Simon Blake, spoke to Amit in a singularly derogatory way. It was raining heavily that day and Amit had brought his trusted pink umbrella to work. As he was about to leave for home, he noticed a group of people chatting and laughing. He could sense that the joke was about him. As he passed them, Simon remarked in jest, "It seems you Indians have a peculiar taste when it comes to colour. Only sissies use umbrellas in our country." This was the last straw. Amit literally exploded. He called Simon a 'racist pig' and threatened to sue the company.Next morning, this was a big news. Andrew Russel, the manager, was very upset that Amit had used such language. He called Amit and asked why he said what he did and also why he was kept in the dark if Amit had issues with the team members. The matter was escalated to the HR head of Black Clay in the UK. The decision was swift. Amit should leave under the new rule where the whole issue was over. This was major discipline issue which could not be tolerated. Amit felt victimized. It was not just the racism at the workplace which bothered him; his own company's lack of empathy shocked him.Questions:a. What communication issue(s) does the situation highlight? Individual or team or both? How?b. What kind of barriers/obstacles to effective communication do you identify in the given situation? Precisely categorize them.c. What would you do in Amit's place? Explain your choice(s)?d. What would you do in this case if you were the HR head of Black Clay? Explain your view.