case study of interpersonal communication

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Interpersonal Communication →

• 04 Oct 2024
• In Practice

Research-Based Advice for the Seasonally Overwhelmed and Schedule Challenged

With summer over and the year's end approaching, it's easy to let thoughts of unfinished projects and unmet goals spiral. Joseph Fuller, Christina Wallace, and Kathleen McGinn recommend these research-based approaches to help people balance their personal and professional demands.

• 09 May 2024
• Research & Ideas

Called Back to the Office? How You Benefit from Ideas You Didn't Know You Were Missing

As companies continue to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of remote work, a study of how knowledge flows among academic researchers by Karim Lakhani, Eamon Duede, and colleagues offers lessons for hybrid workplaces. Does in-person work provide more opportunities for innovation than people realize?

• 06 May 2024

The Critical Minutes After a Virtual Meeting That Can Build Up or Tear Down Teams

Weak communication and misunderstandings during virtual meetings can give way to resentment and rifts when the cameras turn off. Research by Leslie Perlow probes the nuances of digital communication. She offers advice for improving remote teamwork.

• 16 Feb 2024

Is Your Workplace Biased Against Introverts?

Extroverts are more likely to express their passion outwardly, giving them a leg up when it comes to raises and promotions, according to research by Jon Jachimowicz. Introverts are just as motivated and excited about their work, but show it differently. How can managers challenge their assumptions?

• 06 Nov 2023

Did You Hear What I Said? How to Listen Better

People who seem like they're paying attention often aren't—even when they're smiling and nodding toward the speaker. Research by Alison Wood Brooks, Hanne Collins, and colleagues reveals just how prone the mind is to wandering, and sheds light on ways to stay tuned in to the conversation.

• 10 Jan 2023

How to Live Happier in 2023: Diversify Your Social Circle

People need all kinds of relationships to thrive: partners, acquaintances, colleagues, and family. Research by Michael Norton and Alison Wood Brooks offers new reasons to pick up the phone and reconnect with that old friend from home.

• 03 Nov 2022

Feeling Separation Anxiety at Your Startup? 5 Tips to Soothe These Growing Pains

As startups mature and introduce more managers, early employees may lose the easy closeness they once had with founders. However, with transparency and healthy boundaries, entrepreneurs can help employees weather this transition and build trust, says Julia Austin.

• 23 Jun 2022

All Those Zoom Meetings May Boost Connection and Curb Loneliness

Zoom fatigue became a thing during the height of the pandemic, but research by Amit Goldenberg shows how virtual interactions can provide a salve for isolation. What does this mean for remote and hybrid workplaces?

• 13 Jun 2022

Extroverts, Your Colleagues Wish You Would Just Shut Up and Listen

Extroverts may be the life of the party, but at work, they're often viewed as phony and self-centered, says research by Julian Zlatev and colleagues. Here's how extroverts can show others that they're listening, without muting themselves.

• 16 Feb 2021
• Working Paper Summaries

Information Avoidance and Image Concerns

People avoid information that might compel them to behave more generously. While many people avoid information due to concerns about their self-image, there is a substantial role for other reasons, such as inattention and confusion.

• 29 Sep 2020
• Cold Call Podcast

Employee Performance vs. Company Values: A Manager’s Dilemma

The Cold Call podcast celebrate its five-year anniversary with a classic case study. Harvard Business School Dean Nitin Nohria discusses the dilemma of how to treat a brilliant individual performer who can't work with colleagues. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 28 Sep 2020

How Leaders Can Navigate Politicized Conversations and Inspire Collaboration

Francesca Gino discusses the psychology of conversation in politicized workplaces and how managers can improve their conversation styles to create high-quality collaboration. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 20 Feb 2020

Love in the Office Is Wonderful. Except for CEOs.

Finding love among your office colleagues can be a wonderful thing, and not inevitably career ending. Unless, of course, you are the CEO. Advice to the corporate lovelorn from Regina Herzlinger. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 10 Feb 2020

Fostering Perceptions of Authenticity via Sensitive Self-Disclosure

By making sensitive self-disclosures, leaders can enhance how authentic their followers perceive them to be, leading to positive interpersonal outcomes and potentially organizational ones as well. Aside from the obvious costs of disclosing weaknesses, leaders may also reap surprising benefits from doing so.

• 14 Jan 2020

Engineering Serendipity: The Role of Cognitive Similarity in Knowledge Sharing and Knowledge Production

By creating opportunities for cross-disciplinary scientists to meet and talk as part of a natural field experiment, this study analyzes and finds evidence for a systematic relationship between knowledge sharing and knowledge production in the sciences. Findings may extend to similar types of cross-disciplinary knowledge-sharing opportunities in other settings.

• 02 Dec 2019
• What Do You Think?

How Does a Company like Boeing Respond to Intense Competitive Pressure?

SUMMING UP: Playing out in real time, Boeing's misguided responses to competitive pressure illustrate organizational "gaps" suffered by many organizations. James Heskett's readers discuss solutions. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 17 Sep 2019

How a New Leader Broke Through a Culture of Accuse, Blame, and Criticize

Children’s Hospital & Clinics COO Julie Morath sets out to change the culture by instituting a policy of blameless reporting, which encourages employees to report anything that goes wrong or seems substandard, without fear of reprisal. Professor Amy Edmondson discusses getting an organization into the “High Performance Zone.” Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 02 May 2019
• Sharpening Your Skills

How To Ask Better Questions

To make the best decisions, managers must ask the right questions. This collection of past studies by Harvard Business School researchers will help you gather the critical information needed to prepare for action. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

• 26 Mar 2019

Mitigating the Negative Effects of Customer Anxiety Through Access to Human Contact

Firms increasingly deploy self-service technologies (SSTs) to manage customer interfaces that are inherently stressful. For example, patients may be asked to use kiosks to check themselves into hospitals. This study finds that customer anxiety during SST transactions can reduce customers’ trust in the service provider. Operational design choices may help.

• 11 Feb 2019

Gender Stereotypes in Deliberation and Team Decisions

Professional success requires the ability to contribute ideas, and receive credit for them. This paper explores gender differences in how men and women communicate and reward each other in team decision-making problems. We find that women are recognized less often for their contributions in male-typed domains.

Case Study: Interpersonal Communication in the Workplace-HRM

Case Study: Interpersonal Communication in the Workplace

Introduction, case details.

• Team Alpha consists of five members: John (Team Lead), Sarah (Developer), Mike (Tester), Emma (Marketing Specialist), and David (Sales Manager).
• Lack of Clarity: Team meetings often lack clear agendas, leading to confusion and misunderstandings about project priorities and individual responsibilities.
• Ineffective Feedback: Team members are hesitant to provide constructive feedback, resulting in unresolved issues and repetitive mistakes.
• Cultural Differences: Emma and David, who come from different cultural backgrounds, face challenges in understanding each other’s communication styles.
• Technological Barriers: With remote work becoming more prevalent, the team struggles with using communication tools effectively, leading to missed messages and delayed responses.
• Project deadlines are frequently missed.
• Team morale is low due to frustration and misunderstandings.
• Customer satisfaction has decreased due to delays in product delivery.
• Setting Clear Agendas: John, the team lead, can improve meeting efficiency by setting clear agendas and objectives for each meeting.
• Encouraging Open Feedback: Creating a safe environment for providing and receiving feedback can help resolve issues promptly and improve team performance.
• Cultural Sensitivity Training: Providing training on cultural sensitivity can help team members understand and respect each other’s communication styles.
• Utilizing Communication Tools: Ensuring all team members are proficient in using communication tools like Slack, Zoom, and email can enhance remote communication.
• Clear Agendas: When John started using clear agendas, meetings became more focused, and team members were more prepared and aligned on project goals.
• Open Feedback: Sarah initiated a bi-weekly feedback session where team members could openly discuss challenges and suggest improvements. This practice helped in resolving conflicts and fostering a collaborative environment.
• Cultural Sensitivity: Emma and David attended a workshop on cultural communication, which significantly improved their understanding and reduced miscommunication.
• Tech Training: The team underwent a training session on effective use of communication tools, leading to faster and more reliable remote communication.

Discussion Questions

• Key Points: Lack of clarity, ineffective feedback, cultural differences, technological barriers.
• Key Points: Focused discussions, better preparation, aligned goals.
• Key Points: Issue resolution, continuous improvement, enhanced collaboration.
• Key Points: Understanding diverse perspectives, reducing misunderstandings, fostering respect.
• Key Points: Improved message delivery, timely responses, reduced technological barriers.
• https://www.communicationstudy.com/interpersonal-communication-guide
• https://www.hbr.org/2019/10/the-importance-of-feedback-in-the-workplace
• https://www.mindtools.com/cultural-sensitivity
• https://www.techrepublic.com/effective-remote-communication-tools

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Master of Advanced Studies in INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

Case Studies in Intercultural Communication

Welcome to the MIC Case Studies page.

Here you will find more than fifty different case studies, developed by our former participants from the Master of Advanced Studies in Intercultural Communication. The richness of this material is that it contains real-life experiences in intercultural communication problems in various settings, such as war, family, negotiations, inter-religious conflicts, business, workplace, and others. 

Cases also include renowned organizations and global institutions, such as the United Nations, Multinationals companies, Non-Governmental Organisations, Worldwide Events, European, African, Asian and North and South America Governments and others.

Intercultural situations are characterized by encounters, mutual respect and the valorization of diversity by individuals or groups of individuals identifying with different cultures. By making the most of the cultural differences, we can improve intercultural communication in civil society, in public institutions and the business world.

How can these Case Studies help you?

These case studies were made during the classes at the Master of Advanced Studies in Intercultural Communication. Therefore, they used the most updated skills, tools, theories and best practices available.   They were created by participants working in the field of public administration; international organizations; non-governmental organizations; development and cooperation organizations; the business world (production, trade, tourism, etc.); the media; educational institutions; and religious institutions. Through these case studies, you will be able to learn through real-life stories, how practitioners apply intercultural communication skills in multicultural situations.

Why are we opening our "Treasure Chest" for you?

We believe that Intercultural Communication has a growing role in the lives of organizations, companies and governments relationship with the public, between and within organizations. There are many advanced tools available to access, analyze and practice intercultural communication at a professional level.  Moreover, professionals are demanded to have an advanced cross-cultural background or experience to deal efficiently with their environment. International organizations are requiring workers who are competent, flexible, and able to adjust and apply their skills with the tact and sensitivity that will enhance business success internationally. Intercultural communication means the sharing of information across diverse cultures and social groups, comprising individuals with distinct religious, social, ethnic, and educational backgrounds. It attempts to understand the differences in how people from a diversity of cultures act, communicate and perceive the world around them. For this reason, we are sharing our knowledge chest with you, to improve and enlarge intercultural communication practice, awareness, and education.

We promise you that our case studies, which are now also yours, will delight, entertain, teach, and amaze you. It will reinforce or change the way you see intercultural communication practice, and how it can be part of your life today. Take your time to read them; you don't need to read all at once, they are rather small and very easy to read. The cases will always be here waiting for you. Therefore, we wish you an insightful and pleasant reading.

These cases represent the raw material developed by the students as part of their certification project. MIC master students are coming from all over the world and often had to write the case in a non-native language. No material can be reproduced without permission. ©   Master of Advanced Studies in Intercultural Communication , Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland.

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