A Critical Examination of a Culturally Diverse Workplace in a Global Business World - Literature review Example

A Critical Examination of a Culturally Diverse Workplace in a Global Business world In this age of globalization, there is much controversy on the coming together of all kinds of people for achieving a common purpose. In an environment with people from different cultures who work together, one needs to understand the background and behaviors that one is associated with, which is essential if harmony within the workplace is to be achieved. But what is the culture being referred to within the context of the workplace? In short, Culture is defined as “the collective programming of the mind which distinguished the members of one human group from another… Culture, in this sense, includes systems of values; and values are among the building blocks of culture” (Hofstede, 1994, p.19). From this definition, two things come to the forefront. Firstly, culture is a social cast in which an individual evolves to such an extent that this cast appears to influence every major activity, thinking and decision making of the individual. Secondly, culture clearly demarcates certain boundaries that allow a person to behave properly and in an acceptable manner thus helping coexist with colleagues and people around. As such, one can easily gauge the extent of influence that culture has on people. However, a clash of cultures takes place when people from different backgrounds meet. Individuals begin to experience phenomena such as ‘Culture Shocks’, wherein they begin to experience things and events from colleagues that are unexpected and sometimes beyond the comfort zone of the individual. Such an experience is constantly felt in an international environment. If people are considerate and understanding of other cultures, and provided people have prior knowledge of other cultures and have secured a perspective on the things to expect from alien cultures, then cooperation and getting accustomed to new work environments by making the necessary adjustments is easier and can be done with the earnest cooperation of others. On the other hand, if the individual persists towards insisting on things to be done according to a cultural backdrop of their preference and expect others to heed to it, regardless of whether it is agreeable to others or not, then it can be surmised that sooner or later, the personal relationships will deteriorate and situations within the workplace are bound to encounter major conflicts and friction. Such a conclusion is rather generalized and logical, but it goes without saying that there is more to it than meets the eye. The cultural theory put forward by Hofstede has focused on the ideology of the cultural differences which exist and usually come to the forefront in a culturally diverse environment at a workplace. The eminent cultural researcher Hofstede has specifically stated the fact that it is at times difficult to come to terms with these differences and frustration creeps into the related dynamics at the workplace. Work does not get completed and cohesiveness amongst the culturally diverse employees seems to be a difficult thing to have (Hofstede, 1997). Consider the classic case of the east meets the west. A number of highly skilled Indian professionals have for long looked towards the United Sates as one of the most prominent destination offering them a better chance to excel in life as well as professionally. One of the first issues that they encounter when they migrate is the case where they find it hard to communicate with native Americans in their accent, apart from certain basic differences in the way they conduct themselves at the workplace. While Indians are known to work in teams, which rely heavily on interpersonal bonding, a western workplace is highly individualistic in nature and personal attachment is relatively lower. Many professionals find it difficult to adapt to such an environment, especially in cases where they have been working in a totally different cultural set up (Jan McDaniel, 2004). Cultural managers and leaders know about these predicaments at the workplace and they should be exercising their part in a more effective and proactive manner. Their role is of utmost significance within the related context of things. The fact that they are more focused on the short term goals suggests that there are serious issues which need to be corrected within the shortest time possible (Hofstede & Hofstede, 2005). Hofstede’s cultural dimensions thus touch the very foundations of cultural behavior as far as the employees falling short on the premise of organizational expectations are concerned. The amount of skepticism that the leaders and managers have of these employees is something that must be understood from Hofstede’s theory in essence (Hofstede, 2001). The concept of diversity has been broadened to include all “individuals who bring unique perspectives or outlooks to the organization” (Schakelford, 2004, p.53). That means, it not only includes the traditional categories of race and gender, but also people with disabilities, gays and lesbians, and other non-traditional categories considered having “diversity of thought” or those from different disciplines, college degrees, socio-economic backgrounds, etc. This premise has become important due to two major reasons. Firstly, globalization and the rapid expansion of companies on a global scale has necessitated a rapid redistribution of millions of professionals, thus leading to relocation of such volumes that have never been witnessed even until the preceding 3 decades. Secondly, interaction among people from different cultural segments has increased to high levels that it has prompted companies to formally define a universal policy of acceptance of all cultures that has in a way worked towards reaffirming an employee on their expected behaviours and traits within a working environment. Some of the earliest efforts in this direction resulted from the painstaking efforts of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. who inspired the concept of diversity when he advocated that people should be judged by their character, not by the color of their skin. This propelled lawmakers to come up with laws that provide equal opportunity to all (Mor Barak, 2000). These laws have been designed protect anyone from being discriminated against by reason of sex, marital status, ethnic or national origin, color, race, nationality, age, disability, religion, and differing terms of employment, including pay for jobs of equal value. “Equal opportunity” is a means by which a person receives equal access in society. “Equal opportunities approach” is premised on the principle that all people can avail of certain rights or privileges such as education, employment, health care or other welfare services without any discrimination or any preference whatsoever. Different organizations now apply various equal opportunity practices, which consist of a number of means used to provide fair conditions for all their members in the process of employment and work (Equal Opportunities, 2006). Top management is the most influential factor for such diverse workforce employees. It enacts policies which may make the task easier, as far as the employees are concerned. The hiring, recruiting and firing policies are devised in such a manner that there are absolutely no issues of ill-will or nepotism for the culturally diverse workforce. There is proper methodology in place and each and every employee who forms up as a part of the organizational philosophy knows beforehand what he can expect from such an organization in the long run and what he needs to give in, with respect to his inputs, training regimes and a host of other endeavors which he has to undertake on a consistent and proactive basis. A culturally diverse workplace is filled with positive energies and people know beforehand that they can expect encouragement when they are at their workplaces. This indeed is a very motivating feeling and one which can bring instant rewards as far as the organizational profits and environment building measures are concerned (Gibson, 2000). This current trend of the embracing of diversity has given birth to the concept of “the inclusive workplace”. Mor Barak (2000) defines it as one that: “values and uses individual and intergroup differences within its work force; cooperates with and contributes to its surrounding community; alleviates the needs of disadvantaged groups in its wider environment; and collaborates with individuals, groups, and organizations across national and cultural boundaries” (pp. 339-340). The success of the workforce comes about due to collective efforts on the local as well as the global levels. There is a dire need to understand that the global message must be one – unity must remain supreme at the end of the day (Adler, 2001). This relevant attitude within the workforce, coming from the ranks of global business domains is something held by the masses. The manner in which different issues see the light of the day is taken in both a positive as well as a negative tone by the people for whom the global business world is of paramount importance. The collision of cultures within a workplace setting is also an important phenomenon to understand. One must understand that managing diversity within a workplace setting is an equally difficult yet enduring process in the long run (Lewis, 1999). This is because an organization is eventually the shelter for all the employees and they seek solace from this home under situations which can only be remarked as tough and trying. A culturally diverse workforce is difficult to handle because it does not have the necessary training within its regimes. There is lack of authority and communication amongst the members and the fact that all of these individuals belong from different cultural backgrounds makes the task even more difficult. This aspect of managing diversity is used as an example in the wake of different employees coming into the fore of the organization, for their benefits as well as for the sake of the organizational success. However the role of human resources within the organizational domains is one of a quintessential one. This is because it has to devise ways and means through which these culturally diverse individuals have to get on one platform and work for the betterment and long term prosperity of the company. Marx (1999) asserts that cultural shock needs to be broken within the midst of an organization in order to produce solid and long-lasting results. Hofstede and Peterson assert that “collectivism implies a link between the individual’s self-identity and a collective, whereas individualism implies that the two are more fully distinct” (2000, p.408). It must be noted, however, that the individualist sees the distinction between self and other as the defining characteristic of social interaction, whereas the collectivist sees the distinction between in-group and out-group as paramount in social interaction. This results in the notion that collectivists do not believe that social interaction is fundamentally universal in nature; there is always a self (in-group in the collectivist’s case) and an other (out-group) that allow an individual in any type of society to identify more closely with some (Hofstede and Bond, 2000). A lot has to do with the personality and cultural upbringing of the conflicting parties. Strong personalities usually dominate and crush the conflict into oblivion by claiming their stake. More cooperative parties integrate their ideas and compromise for a “win-win” solution to the problem. Some subservient ones just oblige in spite of their own opinion to avoid conflict. Another cause of disharmony in the highly diverse setting is uncertainty avoidance. Uncertainty avoidance describes the reaction of a group to that which is different or unfamiliar (Hofstede and Peterson, 2000). Typically, those cultures that are allowed more freedom to define themselves as individuals experience a lower level of uncertainty avoidance, whereas cultures that stress conformity tend to experience higher levels of uncertainty avoidance. Culture and group formation themselves are the result of a desire to reduce uncertainty, as membership in a particular group defines value systems and provides a framework for behavior. Whatever mediation business people use to minimize conflicts in a diversified organization, it is important to accept that there will always be differences among people involved in the organization. Instead of focusing on its possible liability, why not extract its strengths and its possible contribution to the interests of the organization? The element of cultural perception is something that needs to be delved into by the people who want to bring out solid results at the end (Fisher, 1997). In essence, this will build on to the paradigm of having a culturally diverse workplace to the next level – making these employees to work at the highest positions and thus allow them to show their true skills and abilities in a combined and collective fashion. This indeed will reign in success and accomplishment for the company’s sake from all angles, and not just from a single perspective. Creating an inclusive environment involves organisation culture and culture change (Young, 2007). It takes re-evaluation of long-held beliefs and practices to accommodate such change. For instance, power distance may intimidate some minority groups from being participatory in the organisation. In a typical hierarchal organisation, the dominant groups control the resources and hold the power to set rules. Organizational change shortens the power distance form the top to the bottom of the pyramid (Young, 2007). In essence, the advantages of a culturally diverse workplace in a global business world are manifold. The employees get to know each other better and thus experience the highs and lows of business whilst working hand in hand with one another. Cohen (1997) suggests that employees get to a negotiating state once they understand the domains of one another in an easy, free-flowing way. They also get acquainted with the working ethos whilst in line with the local market scenarios and the ever-changing global dynamics of things. There is a lot of learning going on behind the scenes and rest assured, the advantages easily outnumber the pitfalls. Then again, one needs to realize that the culturally diverse workplace depends tremendously on the shoulders of the top management and the policies which it enacts every now and so often. A culturally diverse workplace helps promote the notion of equality and helps the staff to better their interpersonal as well as professional skills owing to a greater incidence of cultural interaction. Most medium and large corporations in the modern day face huge challenges and invest heavily in terms of effort, resources and money to do everything that can help overcome all cultural barriers. It has been noted that enhancing the culturally diverse workplace can work a long way in providing better customer service. Cultural competencies are sometimes valuable assets for the company and helps deal with customers from a set of different backgrounds. Consider the Maersk group, which is the largest shipping company in the world, with operations in over 120 countries worldwide. the company believes in a policy of rotating its employees, especially within its employees at the trainee levels. Thus, an employee undergoing training to become a management expert is made to work in different locations so as to enable them to understand the different ways in which people and firms work in different parts of the world. By investing in these cultural incentives, especially in its employees and torchbearers of the future, the company is investing smartly in a way that will provide a very conducive working environment that would help make the workplace better for newer employees (Philip B. Schary, Tage Skjott-Larsen, 2001). Having a better understanding of local traditions helps improve service delivery and is looked upon as a value added tool to the skill set of the staff. An example in this case arises in situations involving meeting between people from Japan and other parts of the world. During exchanges of business cards, it is customary for Japanese people to bow to the recipient and exchange cards in such a manner that projects the utmost respect for the other person. Merely taking a card and putting in into a pocket is looked upon as an act of insult and a lack of regard. Simply having knowledge of these little aspects and adhering to them can go a long way in providing the added advantages thus contributing to the business (Michael L. Gerlach, 1997). Allowing people and staff to get exposed to different cultures allows them to come up with new ideas that can tackle a larger audience and this can also be attributed to the added knowledge and insight gained into the several ways of doing things and taking decisions. This approach could work a long way in helping a company like Dell post healthy profits in Western markets apart from simultaneously leading to more employment to workers in Chinese production facilities and allowing support personnel in India to provide better assistance to customers. In areas and situations where shortages are experienced, a culturally rich company is better places in mobilizing people and personnel to the required places, thus helping plug the deficiency. A culturally diverse company is also possessed with the strength to obtain better access to new overseas markets as professionals are more competent at identifying neighboring markets thus helping the company gain a foothold into new customer regions. Such an approach is the reason behind the success of modern technology firms such as Vodafone and Verizon, which have expanded worldwide in a stepwise and gradual manner. one of the main reasons behind this success has been the positive identification of lucrative expansion and export opportunities of goods and services. A culturally diverse workplace would mean a highly inclusive environment that embraces the preferences and attitudes of individuals and provides numerous opportunities to staff to strive to their fullest potential. Take a stroll down Microsoft’s campus is Redmond, and the highly informal nature within the campus is often attributed to be the reason that allows professionals from 105 different countries to come together to produce some of the trailblazing software tools and applications that we use today. This has been possible as staff have been encouraged to work in their areas that allows them to live to their strengths and capabilities, makes them feel happier and content and thereby allows them to be more productive and encourages them to forge a lasting alliance with the workplace. As such, it can be easily seen that productive diversity helps generate the much needed good sense within the work environment where local diversity and the interconnectivity that needs to be established on a global scale, both come together to play a decisive role in the prospects of the company and the overall global economy (Randall E. Stross, 2005). From the foregoing literature, guidelines in managing diversity in the workplace and motivating these diverse workers in the performance of their tasks in the organisation may be summarized. First is to value the exchange of alternative points of view. This fosters thinking “out of the box” and brings fresh perspectives into the organizational thinking. Another guideline is to tolerate uncertainty in group processes. This may even strengthen the bond of the members as they strive to pursue best options together and cooperating to come up with a group decision is key. Still another one is to respect each other’s experiences and share one’s own, as this enriches each other’s knowledge and possibly increase understanding and tolerance of differences. Finally, use the exposure to other cultural values as opportunity for learning. Everyone stands to gain from learning about others. Global trends point to the formation of inclusive organizations that welcome people from all walks of life to contribute their ideas, talents and efforts to the pursuit of organizational goals. It may be a challenge to sustain such a diverse organisation, but if people learn to accept, respect and appreciate others no matter how different they are, then it is a huge step to achieving the elusive harmony in a totally diverse environment. References Adler, N. (2001) International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior. South Western College of Publishing, Cincinnati Cohen, R. (1997) Negotiating across Cultures: International Communication in an Independent World. Institute of Peace Press, Washington DC Equal Opportunities Policy and Statements. Retrieved on February 22, 2009 from http://www.careerdevelopmentgroup.org.uk Fisher, G. (1997) Mindsets: The Role of Culture and Perception in International Relations. Nicholas Brealey Gibson, R. (2000) Intercultural Business Communication. Oxford University Press Hofstede, G.(1994) Cultures and Organizations: Intercultural cooperation and it’s importance for survival –software of the mind, London: McGraw- Hill/HarperCollins Hofstede, G. (1997) Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. McGraw-Hill Education Hofstede, G. and Peterson, M. (2000) ‘National Values and Organizational Practices’, in N. Ashkanasy et al (Eds.), Handbook of Organizational Culture, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, 401-415 Hofstede, G. (2001) Culture’s Consequences - International differences in work related values. Sage Publications, 2nd edition Hofstede, G. & Hofstede, J. (2005) Cultures and Organizations Software of the mind – Revised and expanded. McGraw-Hill Education, 2nd edition Jan McDaniel (2004), Indian Immigration. london: Mason Crest. Lewis, R. (1999) When Cultures Collide - Managing successfully across cultures. Nicholas Brealey Marx, E. (1999) Breaking through Culture Shock - What you need to succeed in International business, Nicholas Brealey Michael L. Gerlach (1997), Alliance Capitalism: The Social Organization of Japanese Business. University of California, Berkeley. Mor Barak, M. E. (2000) “The Inclusive Workplace: An Ecosystems Approach to Diversity Management”, Social Work, Vol. 45, No. 4 Philip B. Schary, Tage Skjott-Larsen (2001), Managing the global supply chain. University of California. Randall E. Stross (2005), The Microsoft way: the real story of how the company outsmarts its competition. New York: Addison Wesley. Shackelford, W. G. (2003) “The Changing Definition of Workplace Diversity”, The Black Collegian, Second Semester Super Issue 2003 Young, C. (2007) “Organization Culture Change: The Bottom Line of Diversity” The Diversity Factor, Winter 2007/ The Changing Currency of Diversity Volume 15, Number 1 Read More