Human Resources Management Approach towards Cross-Cultural Management - Research Paper Example

Statistical analysis The questionnaire was sent to seventy people and all of them accepted to fill the survey. The survey that was send to Middle East with the help of monkey technology was answered based on different requirements. Out of the people who filled the survey, 12 (17%) were non-exempt within organization level, 23 (33%) were line management, 7 (10%) were non-management, 20 (29%) were managing managers, 4 (6%) were senior managers while 1 (1%) were executive management, and 3 (4%) were CeO or Presidents. This information can be understood through analysis organizational level chart presented below: Out of the 70 people who completed the survey, 14 (20%) stated that they had worked with the organization for 6 to 10 years, 17 (24%) had worked with the organization for between 4 to 6 years, and 7 (10%) had worked for between 2 to 4 years. Moreover, 6 (9%) said that they had for the organization for between 10 to 15 years, while 9 (13%) worked for more than 15 years, 7 (10%) for 1 to 2 years, 4 (6%) for between 6 months to 1 year while the rest (6) had worked for less than 6 months. The following chart (Years with Organisation) illustrates these statistics. Different cultural dimensions are a major concern especially for conventional managers. Some of the answers presented stating different views of the respondents are that 40 (46%) said that power distance was a major concern, and 30 (34%) said that individualism vs. collectivism was a major issue. Moreover, uncertainty avoidance was stated as main issue by 10 (12%) of the respondents while the issue of femininity vs. masculinity was stated by 7 (8%) respondents. The following chart (Cultural Dimension(s) Graph) illustrates the influencing of these dimensions on cross-cultural management. Some of the cross-cultural threats that were a major issue in workplace environment as stated by the respondents with count rate of 101 were that linguistic barriers and work style were stated by equal respondents of 22 of the respondents. Twenty-one reported that dissimilar values and beliefs were an issue, 16 said that dominating values was an issue while 14 reported that competition for scare resources was an issue. The following chart (Cross-Cultural Threats) illustrates these barriers. Out of the eight-nine response count, strategies that are effective in mitigating cross-cultural threats within managing cross-cultural teams as presented by the respondents differed. Enhancing teamwork within cultural backgrounds and teamwork without hierarchal barriers were the major issues that were cited by 43% and 42% of the respondents respectively. This means that teamwork is an important requirement in mitigating consequences associated with cross-cultural issues. Eleven percent state that individually work would mitigate against cross-cultural issues while four percent stated that high hierarchies within teams could mitigate challenges. The following chart illustrates these views. Human resource management (HRM) can also play a major role in ensuring that different cultural backgrounds can settle well in international projects. Out of the 89-response count, a high percentage of the response count representing 54% cited training as important, 29% cited that creating a learning-working environment could ensure diverse cultures fulfil organisational requirements. A small percentage of 9% and 8% stated that virtual teams and global leadership competencies respectively could ensure that employees are positioned to achieve organisation goals. The following graph illustrates this. When the respondents were asked what are the basis that they can use to gauge their management style in intercultural organisation. Fifty-seven percent stated that learning was important, twenty-seven percent stated that management style could be utilised to address intercultural issues. Sixty percent stated that being a passive transmitter of management practices while thirteen percent cited dominancy in management as an important issue. The respondents were then asked what would be their basis in determining when an employee is suffering from cultural shock. Fifty three percent of the respondents stated that reduced job performance could be indicative, thirty-seven percent viewed that anxiety and nervousness, thirty-six stated that worry indicated cultural shock, easy interaction with others was cited by 17%, 6% cited high energy at work while 7% were not aware of signs associated with cultural shock. The following chart illustrates the views of cultural shock signs. When the respondents were asked what t will do when they are positioned in cross-cultural teams, sixty seven percent stated that they will embrace diversity, twenty three percent stated that rules and regulations would be clearly defined while 20% said that they will embrace different people views in creating their own assumptions. Thirty seven percent of the respondents stated that, if they were team leaders, they would develop trust through effective communication, thirty-two percent would focus on opportunities rather than issues posed by cross-cultural environments. Moreover, Fifty percent stated that they would celebrate diversity while another fifteen percent would not tolerate failure instead they would champion high performance. The following presents information based on four variables that were presented to the respondents. The four variables are strongly agree, agree, disagree and strongly disagree. The table is self-explanatory defining challenges, approaches and means in which respondents can address to different challenges associated with cross-cultural management. Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree An organisation that hires people from different cultures to work on staff teams needs to train its employees on the different aspects of the host culture before they begin working together. 33 64 3 0 An organisation that has cross-cultural teams as part of its labour force needs to encourage some level of psychological bonding between individual employees and the organisation because workers who identify with an organisation are more likely to be better performers. 34 59 7 0 Sharing organisational goals and values with employees allows an organisation to make individual team members, regardless of their cultural backgrounds, feel more connected to the organisation, hence improving employees’ efforts at work and their perceived oneness with the organisation. 33 60 7 0 An organisation with cross-cultural teams needs to recognise, trust, guide and encourage all employees to voice their opinions, regardless of their culture of origin. 37 56 6 1 Career advancement opportunities and promotions, within the organisation, should be awarded on a merit basis and be made available to all deserving employees, regardless of their cultural backgrounds. 61 29 7 3 Organisations conducting international projects should present no nationality barriers to attaining high managerial positions within the organisations, despite the fact that such positions would give international workers access to political opportunities in the organisation 29 60 10 1 Organisations conducting international projects should help members of cross-cultural teams develop positive interpersonal relationships by training all employees on how to best relate to people from other cultures 19 71 9 1 Cross-cultural teams in any organisation working on international projects should have a “sense of shared fate”, evident in the mutual interdependence among team members, and team efforts meant to ensure success for the entire team. 31 60 9 0 Managers in charge of internal projects, where cross-cultural teams are at work, need to demonstrate a great level of tolerance towards other people and to also possess a great deal of self-control 30 53 17 0 Developing personal relationships with as many cross-cultural employees as possible helps an international projects manager understand the needs of team members, thereby making the working relationship between managers and employees more productive. 47 43 10 0 Capitalizing on transnational professional and corporate culture allows an organisation, with employees from different cultures, to enhance the functions of an international cross-cultural project. 21 69 9 1 There is a need for an organisation, with cross-cultural teams, to orient new team members to cultural dimensions commonly found in the host culture, such as directness, individualism, consensus and individualism, in order to help new team members acclimate more quickly and easily 37 57 4 1 Discussion Cross-cultural management is an important issue that is experienced by many people when dealing with international projects. Many respondents stated that power distance and individualism vs. collectivism contributed to challenges that are faced by people involved in international projects. Power distance brings into consideration the feeling of the less powerful relative to the most powerful since the less powerful would be forced to accept relations that are paternalistic or autocratic. Thus, some cultural may appreciate power distances based on different conditions, and hence it can become a big issue for conventional managers. Moreover, individualism versus collectivism plays a major issue in the approach that conventional managers can take. This incorporates how members of a given culture define themselves in that individualistic cultures bring into consideration individual personalities and affiliations. This is contrary to collectivism, in that people acts a member of a large group such as family. These two issues were indicative on the difference in which the managers would face in managing the teams. Generally, in Saudi Arabia (Arabic regions) people appreciates collectivism while in western cultures people appreciate individualism. Uncertainty avoidance defines the extent in which communities can appreciate the contribution and presence of change. In addition, masculinity vs. femininity is understood different by different cultures in that ‘masculine’ cultures value assertiveness, competitiveness and ambition while in ‘feminine’ culture they value quality of life and relationships. Thus, the dimension of cultures has been indicated that it plays a major role in defining the approach in which managers can employ to ensure challenges associated with cross-culture is minimised. Apart from the culture dimensional issues, some cultural threats where reported and are evidenced in the literature. Some of the issues that were identified include linguistic barriers, work style, dissimilar values and beliefs, competition for scarce resources and dominating influences. The most indentified challenges are work style, linguistic barriers, and dissimilar values and cultures. When linguistic and cultural barriers, and work style are not addressed, it leads to unnecessary denials, delays, or even termination of processes. These major issues should be placed into consideration before proceeding with any project. In addition, issues such as dominating influences and competition for scarce resources were reported as some challenges experienced in cross-cultural environments. This means that strategies should be in place to mitigate these challenges or threats. Numerous strategies were presented by the respondents that depict the most appropriate strategies that can mitigate cross-cultural related threats. Enhanced teamwork and working together without hierarchal barriers provided a platform that reduces the impact of cross-cultural management. More than eighty percent of the respondents cited these strategies. This means that teamwork is important in reducing and solving issues associated with cross-cultural management. Individual work and hierarchical issues contributes to worsening of cross-cultural management has illustrated by some respondents. Incorporating these components inhibits success of the cross-cultural workplace environments, and thus strategies devised should not include these factors. In addition, strategies can balance and improved through introducing human resource management department (HRM). HRM can employ different strategies in ensuring that employees from different cultural backgrounds can settle and fulfil their tasks within international projects. Training is the most important initiative that can be used to ensure that the employees understand their position and embracing the requirements of workplace environment. Training can take different approaches but the most appropriate one is training in language development resulting in a manner that allows diverse cultures. Thus, HRM should train all the employees in appreciating importance of communicating using one language creating an environment of learning. Learning within the working environment ensures that cultural diversity can be appreciated. Other strategies that can be used to create a conducive environment include preparing employees for global leadership competencies and championing the use of virtual teams. In addition, learning was cited as an important component that individual employees can utilise to ensure cultural diversity is championed in the work. If these strategies are not embraced, numerous signs are evident illustrating cultural shock. Some of the signs that shows cultural shock includes reduced job performance, anxiety and nervousness, worry, easy interaction with others, high energy at work while others had their signs. The most evident sign was reduced job performance. Reduced job performance can be associated to numerous issues that may include ineffective communication, misunderstanding of organisational requirements resulting in either poor quality work or partial fulfilment of organisational goals and aims. Moreover, new culture results in an employee been worried in determining whether they are doing appropriate tasks or whether they are following the right approach resulting in a scenario that can be referred to as anxiety or nervousness. Nevertheless, organisations and teams should embrace culture of maximising on opportunities through training. The diversity in the teams should be used as an opportunity rather than weaknesses. Cultural diversity can be used to attract different types of stakeholders and thus increase the market share or position of an organisation relative to competitors. Thus, the employees should be trained to convert weakness to opportunities while maximising on opportunities. The training process should also include sharing organisation goals and values. When the employees understand the requirements and aims of the organisation, cross-cultural issues cannot be evident because all the employees would be forced to come together into ensuring organisational goals are achieved while championing organisational values. Moreover, the training process would create an environment of openness in which employees can air their views, and these views placed into consideration when deciding the direction of the organisation. In addition, the training process would create psychological bonding that is important for organisational success. Psychological bonding results when individuals understand each other’s difference and creates means to ensure the difference is turned into benefits. Thus, employees should be provided with conducive environment that champions psychological bonding, and hence creating a lasting solution. Psychological bonding provides means of tolerance been encouraged. In addition, job description and re-structuring plays an important role in psychological bonding. Read More