Read the below case study and answer the following questions (approximately 300 words total). This mini case study illustrates how cultural screens work on interpersonal communication.

1. In which way culturally mediated cognition has impacted Roos Dekkers assumption about Javier Gutirrez and South America in composing her message?
2. How could Dekker do better if she understood how cultural differences may influence intercultural communication?

Case Study:

Roos Dekker, Global Healthcare Roos Dekker works in Rotterdam, Netherlands, for Global Healthcare, a major global leader in home and business healthcare electronics. Her responsibilities include coordinating global logistics for the companys healthcare products, including supplies and product deliveries. In this regard, she must coordinate her efforts with other logistics managers around the world, including Javier Gutirrez. Gutirrez works in Buenos Aires for Global Health Argentina (GHA), which represents the manufacturing, import and export, and distribution operations of Global Healthcare throughout South America. Operating through about a dozen plants in the region (mostly Brazil and Argentina), GHA makes components and products specialising in consumer electronics, small appliances, lighting equipment, and electronic medical equipment, which are then distributed and sold under the Global Healthcare brand.

Although Dekker and Gutirrez are both logistics coordinators, they report to different supervisors in different divisions of the company, Global Healthcare and GHA. Organisationally, they are on the same level in the company hierarchy. Still, they must coordinate their efforts and work together to achieve maximum results for the entire enterprise. Dekker and Gutirrez both speak fluent English, and have worked together several times, although they have never met in person and each knows very little about the other.

Recently, Roos Dekker was given an assignment involving major product deliveries from South America to the European Union. For reasons she did not know, these deliveries arrived in Europe at a slower pace than was scheduled, and she was under considerable pressure to catch up. Her point of contact for this problem was Javier Gutirrez. Dekker tried several times to contact Gutirrez, mostly by e-mail, but failed to get any definitive response regarding the late shipments.

Finally, out of desperation, Dekker sat down at her computer and wrote one more email to Gutirrez expressing her frustration. When she finished writing the message, she realised that she had to cool off a bit before sending it, and put the message away for one hour. When she returned, she decided that she should edit the message so it was just the facts. Still, she needed to express her sense of urgency. She edited her message as follows and sent it to Gutirrez:

To: Javier Gutirrez, GHA, Argentina From: Roos, Global Healthcare, Netherlands Re: Recent shipments to Global Healthcare-Europe

Dear Javier, I just had a conversation with Mr. Van den Berg (my boss) about the late shipments from Argentina and Brazil. He is concerned that this delay may have significant impact on our division results as we are losing sales. He blames us for these delays and asked me to provide a report justifying the delays as soon as possible. I need the following information from you today:

- A full explanation for the cause of the shipment delays, - A detailed timetable with a realistic forecast of when the shipment will arrive, - A specific plan of action to get GHA back on track and avoid these delays in the future.

From now on, I would like to receive a copy of all shipment reports coming out of Brazil and Argentina.

Regards, Roos Dekker

The next day, Gutirrez sent his response to Dekker:

To: Roos Dekker, Global Healthcare, Netherlands From: Javier Gutirrez, Global Healthcare Argentina c/c: Antonio Rodriguez, Global Healthcare Argentina Re: Shipments to Global Healthcare-Europe

Dear Ms. Dekker: I am not surprised that your boss is upset. However, I think you may have misunderstood the situation. I do not wish to be rude here, but you leave me no choice but to be frank. I am the logistics coordinator here, not the boss. The management of GHA schedules both production and deliveries, and several people are involved in these decisions, including the labour unions. If we push the workers too hard, they will shut down entire plants and this helps no one, as you would agree.

In addition, GHA has many recipients within Global Healthcare, not just your division, and to make matters more complicated, our Asian markets are growing faster than those in the EU and they, too, are demanding more product. And you know of all the customs issues we had in the last few weeks due to the new regulations regarding medical equipment and the additional paperwork required to satisfy safety requirements that came at a time in which we are short staffed. And should I remind you that this particular order is a special order that was outside the original forecast and has been accommodated as a special case.

I dont understand how you can blame me for the delays? Cant you see that this just makes things worse? And how can you expect me to provide you with information that I dont have? I cant provide you with the information that you requested until I hear from the production and legal departments. We work for an international firm and should work together to resolve issues, not just blame others for our problems. That is what I most believe.

I am sending a copy of this message to Mr. Antonio Rodriguez (my boss) as it is important that we all become aware of what is happening. I suggest you inform your boss that he needs to be patient and learn to respect his colleagues and partners in other countries.

Sincerely, Javier Gutirrez