Impact of Culture on Recruitment and Selection - Essay Example

IHRM Contents Contents 2 2 Introduction 3 Discussion 3 a)Comparison of the cultures of the United s and China 3 b)Impact of these cultures on the following areas of HRM 7 Recruitment and Selection 8 Performance Management 10 Conclusion 11 References 12 Introduction This essay is prepared with the objective of comparing and contrasting the culture of two different countries. The two countries selected for this essay are the United States of America and China. These two nations are selected because they represent the western and the eastern cultures, respectively. As such, it can be mentioned that there are likely to be clear differences between the cultural dimension and aspects in these two countries which are identified, studied and discussed in the first section of this paper through the use of the Greet Hofstede’s model of cultural dimensions. The second section of the paper includes a discussion of the impacts of these cultures on different human resource management functions like performance management and recruitment and selection of employees etc. The essay is concluded suitably with a summary of the findings from the discussion. Discussion a) Comparison of the cultures of the United States and China The cultures of China and the United States of America are very much distinct. The basic principles and foundations on which the cultures of the two countries are built up are distinct which has led to the development of opposite types of cultures (Schuler and Rogovsky, 2008). If the cultures of these two countries are compared on the basis of the six dimension model of cultural differences prepared by Greet Hofstede, then it can be highlighted that the basic of these two cultures are almost opposite (Figure 1). Figure 1: Comparison of China and the United States through the Hofstedes’ cultural dimension model (Source: Schuler and Rogovsky, 2008) Power distance The dimension of power distance according to the Greet Hofstede model of cultural dimension, deals with the fact that there are differences between different levels of individuals in the society. The dimension of power distance can be used to express the attitudes related to the cultures towards the inequality existing within the society. As per the Hofstede model, the score of China in power distance is 80 which means that the society has a high rankling in power distance inequality i.e. the Chinese society believes that the inequalities among the people in this society are acceptable (Bamberger and Meshoulam, 2005). Power in the administrative units and companies are distributed unequally and the control of the upper level of the society is much higher than that of the lower levels. The superior and subordinate relationships tend to be concentrated and polarised and the rate of power abuse done by the supervisors is high. Formal authority is influential and people are generally optimistic about leadership initiatives. The aspirations of people are limited in this society. The power distance in USA is low at 40. This means that the society is built up on less control of the superiors on the subordinates. The society functions on the basis of equality and less power control of the higher strata of the society on the lower strata. The followers in this society are often as powerful as the leaders. Individualism The conception of self among the people of China is based on collectivism while that among the American people is based on individualism. The score of China in individualism is 20 which mean that the society is a more collectivistic society in which family and relationships are significant. Also, the Chinese people believe on team spirit, collaboration and communication and therefore, the collective efforts and achievements are more desirable than the achievements and efforts of individuals. In contrast, the individual achievements are given more importance among the people in the United States of America. Team work and collaborative achievements tend to take backseat in this society. The individualism score of the United States is very high at 91 which mean that the society is driven by individual efforts and achievements. Masculinity A high masculinity score indicates that the society will be driven by achievements, success and competition. Achievements and success form the basis of organizational behaviour in the culture of the Chinese society because the Chinese society scores high in masculinity at a score of 66. The society is driven by success, achievement and efficiency (Gottlieb, 2003). Leisure time is less important in this culture. Also rankings and scores seem to be the main indicators of success and achievement in this society. In contrast, the American society is a feminine society in which the dominant values of the society are care and concern for other and improvement of the quality of life. The feminine society is essentially dependant on the quality of life which is taken as the symbol of success and moving away from traditional values and systems is not an appreciated action. Unlike the Chinese people, the American people do not prefer to sacrifice their leisure time or family priorities to sacrifice work. The people in China and the United States give similar level of importance to social and family bonding. The focus of the culture is based on people orientation rather than task and result orientation. On the other hand, the society in the United States revolves around results and tasks and gives much lesser importance to human bonding and family relationships (Luthans, 2005). Uncertainty avoidance Uncertainty avoidance refers to the way in which the society deals with uncertainties prevailing in the culture regarding the present and future scenarios. High levels of uncertainty lead to anxiety and thus, different cultures deal with anxiety in varied ways. The uncertainty avoidance score of China is low at 30 and that of the United States is medium at 46. The low score of China indicates that the Chinese culture is prepared to deal with ambiguity and uncertainty. The rules and laws of the society may be flexible in order to adjust to pragmatism and real life situations. On the other hand, the culture of the American people is comparatively inflexible when it comes to dealing with uncertainty and ambiguity. Pragmatism The dimension of pragmatism refers to the way in which the society maintains the inherent conditions of the past while dealing with the existing and future challenges faced by the people. The prioritisation of the goals related to the past and future trends of the society are based on the pragmatism level. The score of China is very high on this dimension at 87 while that of the United States is low at 26 (Mejia, Balkin, and Rober, 2006). Thus, China is a normative society in which the time honoured principles and traditions are stringently adhered to and any kind of major change in the norms of society are seen as unacceptable and undesired changes. In contrast, the United States of America has a low score on this dimension and therefore, this society takes up a more pragmatic approach in which efforts to change the society and introduce new norms are encouraged and seen as a necessary way of preparing the society for the future. Indulgence China is a society which is much restrained in its activities and outlooks. This is represented by the low score of 24 on the dimension of indulgence. The low indulgence level indicates that the culture is engraved with pessimism and cynical behaviour. This has been stemmed from the inherent communist background of the society. China being a restrained society, the focus on tasks and higher control on activities are seen as major social aspects. On the other hand, the society of the United States has a high score in this dimension at 68. This means that this society is an indulgent society in which social norms are given lesser importance as compared to personal desires and experimentations. b) Impact of these cultures on the following areas of HRM The cultural perspectives of a population are based on the cultural distinctiveness related to beliefs, practices, values and perspectives which are shared within a community. The culture and values of a nation are associated with the inherent practices and principles in the country and have far reaching impacts on the way the human resource management practices are developed in these nations. The cultural values of a nation also have major influence on the behaviours and attitudes displayed in management and business. This is because the existing culture in a country shapes the socialization processes, beliefs, guidelines and interactions among the different business functions including human resource management. These human resource management functions may include recruitment and selection of candidates, performance management, employee reward and recognition, training and development and communication among employees (Srinath, 2009). Recruitment and Selection The recruitment and selection processes in the two cultures are significantly different. This is because the expectations, requirements and attractions for the employees groups in the United States are different from the employee groups in China. In order to develop an effective and result bearing employee recruitment, screening and selection process, the employers have to consider the inherent differences in the demands, preferences, attitudes and requirements of the existing and potential employee groups (Aycan, 2005). Since, all these factors like demands, attitudes, preferences and needs of the employee groups are developed on the basis of the cultural backgrounds of the employees, therefore, the companies functioning in the specific countries have to design their recruitment and selection plans and strategies by giving substantial consideration to the existing cultural landscape in the nation. Diversity is a key factor that is to be considering in the recruitment processes in both China and the United States. This is because; the cross border flow of human resources has made it essential for companies to maintain a diversified group of employees in order to attain sustainability and increased efficiency. The recruitment processes in China are different from those in The United States from a number of aspects. The main drivers of joining a job in China are the work life balances, sense of contribution, responsibilities and just and fair treatment. On the other hand, the main drivers of employment in the United States of America are individual achievements, success, competiveness, social status and desire for recognition. However, the monetary gains from the employment remain an equally significant factor in both the cultures. The selection processes of companies operating in China and the United States are also significantly different. This is because, in the Chinese culture, more importance is given to personal relationships and informal bonding. These relationships often have direct influences on the selection of candidates in an organization. However, in the case of the organizations functioning in the United States of America, the skills and efficiency of the candidates and the formal interviews and selection procedures are the ultimate deciding factors related to the selection of candidates in the organizations. Also, the aim of fostering a motivated and diverse workforce remains a priority in both the cultures. Understanding the cultural differences remains a pre requisite for companies while hiring and selecting people for their organizations. This is because the appeal of a job in China lies in team spirit, collective efforts and significant contribution. On the other hand, the appeal of employment in the United States lies in individual achievements, gains, social strata and success. The recruitment and selection process in China should be developed with inflexible guidelines and processes while those in the United States should be developed in a result oriented and time based approach. This would help to tap in the existing mindsets of the people in these two countries and act as the most appropriate recruitment process by considering the differences in these two cultures. Performance Management Performance management is an important function of human resource management. The performance management like every other human resource management activity differs in different nations according to the different cultural perspectives followed there. The management of the workforce is more complex in the Chinese society because the human and emotional factors come into focus in the management of workforce in this country. The stress given on formal relationships and behaviours make it necessary to build up formal superior subordinate relationships in the work environment in China. Also, since the power distance factor is high in this culture, therefore, stringent guidelines and formal agreements are necessary while managing the workforce in different companies. In contrast, the power distance is low in the United States. As such, it is necessary to build up informal relationships between managers and workers if the organization wants to bring out the most effective performances from the departments and teams. Since, the power distance between the superiors and the executives are lesser, therefore, an authoritative stance taken towards managing the performance of workers do not lead to significant results in the society (Aycan, Al-Hamadi, Davis and Budhwar, 2007). The fact that the Chinese people are more driven by formal behaviour makes it necessary to develop a work culture that would foster people orientation while assure the maintenance of pre defined guidelines of work. In the case of the culture of the United States, the management of performance of the employees can be done through the use of performance appraise techniques that are based on rearward, recognitions and appraisals which can be measured in both financial and non financial terms. Conclusion Thus, it can be identified that the cultures of the United States and China are starkly different. The dimension of the cultures of these two countries are almost opposite in most cases. As such, the human resource practices devised and implemented in these two nations should also be much differentiated. The techniques of human resource management including performance management, recruitment and selection, communication and reward and appraisal etc. should also be formulated by carefully considering the cultural differences, employee mindsets, requirements and preferences as well as the feasibility of employing these techniques in the nation. References Aycan, Z. 2005. The interplay between cultural and institutional/structural contingencies in human resource management practices. International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 16 (7), pp.1083-1119. Aycan, Z., Al-Hamadi, A. B., Davis, A., & Budhwar, P. 2007. Cultural orientations and preferences for HRM policies and practices. International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 18(1), pp.11-32. Bamberger, P., and Meshoulam, I. 2005. Human Resource Management Strategy. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Gottlieb, M.R. 2003. Managing Group Process. USA: Greenwood Publishing Group. Luthans, F. 2005. Organizational Behaviour (Tenth Edition). United States: McGraw Hill Irwin. Mejia, G., Balkin, D., and Rober, C. 2006. Managing Human Resources (Fourth Edition). India: Dorling Kidersley Pvt. Ltd. Schuler, R. S., & Rogovsky, N. 2008. Understanding compensation practice variations across firms: The impact of national culture. Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 29 (1), pp.159- 177. Srinath, T.T. 2009. Team Development and Team Effectiveness. Hyderabad : ICFAI Book. Read More