An Intercultural Working Environment - Report Example

Assessment 3 Part 1 Intercultural working environment can be challenging in the process of achieving teamwork in an organization. The challenges can be associated with the diverse cultural values and practices of the employees that might result in differences among the employees failing to ensure proper working relations in the workplace (Hofstede, Pedersen & Hofstede, 2002). It can be challenging when dealing with customers who have diverse cultural background as they might affect the communication between the customers and the service provider. In many cases where there is different customers with diverse cultures, the customers have failed to be satisfied as they are not able to communicate well with the service providers. The management of an organization has the responsibility of proving the necessary working conditions that can assist in improving the working relations among the workers (Hooker, 2012). Globalization has increased cultural diversity in organizations where employees have different cultural values are meeting in organizations hence creating the need for managing diversity in such organizations. Personally, I have experienced cultural diversity in place of work as have been working in an organization that has employees with diverse cultural backgrounds. The diverse cultural backgrounds have been affecting the relations of the employees as they have been facing numerous challenges in the process of making communications. Many employees have not been able to agree on various issues resulting in differences (Du and Naschberger, 2014). However, the management of the organization I have been working has managed to ensure that the workforce diversity is properly managed. For instance, the management has been working towards ensuring that the employees do respect the differences existing among themselves. In the management of cultural diversity in organizations it is important to first recognize and accept that there exists some differences. This plays a major role in managing the differences and accommodating them. Many organizations are now realizing the dangers that do exists in case there is failure to ensure proper management of workforce diversity (Hofstede, 1980). Failing to ensure proper management of the workforce diversity, can result in lack of teamwork among the employees as the employees are not able to create good working relations that can assist in building teamwork. Developing intercultural communication skills is crucial in ensuring proper and effective management of the differences existing in organizations. Employees who have diverse cultural backgrounds have been facing numerous challenges in the process of sharing information with the other employees in an organization. Besides, the communication in an organization does not only involve the employees only but also the customers. It is crucial to ensure that the employees are able to understand the customers as it is through understanding that the customers can be satisfied by the services offered. Language skills is then considered to be important in the process of ensuring proper communicating between people of different culture (Hofstede, Hofstede & Minkov, 2010). With intercultural communication skills, understanding and sharing of ideas can be made possible in an organization with employees and customer coming from diverse cultural background. Intercultural communication skills involves the understanding of social mores, standards, customers and cultural practices of various ethnic groups. Part 2: group project reflection The group project is comprised of different members who have diverse cultural backgrounds. The diverse cultural background of the group members has affected the communicating and levels of interactions. At first, it was not easy to establish a good working relations hence affecting the effectiveness of the group. This is because interactions and good relations are important in the process of ensuring sharing of ideas concerning the project and different issues that need to be addressed in the project. The differences in culture affects the practices and actions the different members of the group where culture seem to dictate most of their actions. It is then crucial to ensure that there is proper understanding among the group members to ensure that there is effectiveness of the group. The group work was greatly affected by the cultural differences that do exists among the members of the group. For instance, the contributions of the members of the group were affected by the cultural differences due to the problems associated with communication in the group. Many members did not have common language hence they struggles to ensure they are understood by the other members. As a result, many of the group members seemed reluctant to share their ideas with the other members of the group. This affected the financial outcome of the group as there was no equal participation of the members. The understanding of the members was different due to the differences existing concerning the intercultural communication skills of the members affected the overall project (Chen, 2004). For instance, some members seemed to be more emotional than the other and the way they were responding to questions from the other members differed. The relations of the group members was affected by the cultural characteristics of the members. I realized that it is important to ensure that the group members have proper understanding of the possible differences that might exist among themselves. Realizing the differences can be crucial in ensuring that they can manage their differences and accept the differences hence creating a good working environment. intercultural awareness can be crucial in ensuring that the member of the group are able to appreciate the differences existing hence creating respect for the other members. Through awareness the members can be able to understand the possible differences that they are likely to experience in the group hence putting the necessary strategies in place to ensure proper management of the diverse cultural experience among the members. The intercultural awareness can entail the understanding of the diverse norms and standards that can ensure development of proper relationship among the members of the team (Atkinson & Hammersley, 1994). According to my experience working in the group, I found it necessary to establish the possible problems and traps that the members of the group are likely to face as they work in groups. Establishing the problems in advance assist in managing the problems leading to building teamwork. Teamwork in any project can be built through establishing good relations among the members and cultivating a positive attitude towards each other. Besides, ensuring active listening can assist in improving understating where the active listening can be possible through cultivating a positive attitude (Furnham, 1993). Considering the fact that some members are likely to have high emotions, it is important for the members to ensure that they are made aware of the need to control their emotions when making discussions or sharing ideas in the group work. Working inter-culturally entails learning to appreciate the other people value despite the differences that might exist. This entails proper control of emotions as some cultural values might be provoking especially when members of a group are engaged in debate. According to my experience working in a group of diverse cultural members, it is important to feel free to make apologies when one has wronged the other as it is easy to differ in a group of different cultural oriented members. Apology can be considered as the easiest way of solving the problems that might arise in the group. Ignoring and failing to apologize can make the differences go a long way that can be avoided through apology. My experience in the group helped me in learning the different complexities and the possible solutions for managing the differences that might exist among the group members who have different cultural background. Part 3: Conclusion and my ideas Globalization has been increasing the movement of people and has brought people from diverse cultural background together from different ethnic groups. The increase in the number of employees with diverse cultural practices and beliefs in the working place has brought many challenges especially in the process of building teamwork. This can be associated with the fact that the differences in the cultural values and practices are likely to create interactions problems among the employees. The failure to manage the cultural diversity in a working environment result in poor performance (Ruben, 1989). Therefore, it is crucial for the organizations experiencing cultural diversity to ensure that they manage the workforce diversity in a way that can guarantee organizational success. The multicultural workforces found in most of organizations are experiencing both linguistic and cultural diversity. The diverse languages in organizations are posing some challenges in ensuring proper communication and sharing of information in organization. This is because the employees are lacking a common language due to the language diversity in the organization causing some challenges in ensuring proper understanding among the workers. Besides, communication is very crucial in ensuring that the expectations of the customers are met. This is because it is only through communication that the needs and preferences of the customers can be understood hence assisting in ensuring that their interests are met hence contributing to the customer satisfaction. The different cultural orientation of the customers has been affecting their experience in an organization. For instance, in the hospitality industry culture is of great importance in determining the service experience. This is because in hospitality industry the nature of service might require some interpersonal relations between the service provider and the client (Lopez, 2016). Some customers might have cultures that require a specific way of services hence having a standard service process can fail to meet the expectations of the customers. Also, some culture of the customers tends to have high expectations concerning the services they should receive creating the high chance of failure to meet their expectations this failing to satisfy them. Therefore, in the industry like hospitality industry, it is important to ensure that the employees have intercultural communication skills to assist in serving customers from diverse cultural backgrounds. Culture also determines the kind of service and products that are needed by different customers. Different customers in the market require different products and services as they possess different cultural values. Organizations that are operating in regions that have diverse customers is good to ensure that they consider the different cultural background of the customers in the process of providing services to the customers. The diversity in culture has been affecting the operations of organizations as the operations need to be in line with the cultural orientation. Ethically, organizations need to ensure that they promote the local culture of the community but not eroding the cultural practices that have been preserved by the community for long (Hay, 2011). For instance, the marketing activities of an organization need to ensure that the cultural values of the local community are preserved. Failing to consider the cultural values of the local community can easily result in the organizational failure hence it is crucial to ensure the culture of the local community is preserved and respected. If possible, an organization can adopt operations that can assist in promoting the local culture hence creating good relations with the local community which forms part of the important stakeholders. The globalization process has led to adverse reactions due to the efforts of people in the process of protecting their cultural heritage. The reactions of the communities have been geared towards preserving their cultural values as globalization has been undermining the efforts of cultural preservations. However, cultural differences will ever exist as no common culture can be established globally hence it is important to ensure proper strategies of managing diverse cultures are in place. Organizations need to ensure that they adopt strategies that can assist in managing diversity in organizations. Some of the strategies utilized in the process of managing workforce diversity can include educating the employees the benefits of respecting the differences that exist among themselves. This can assist in building relations that are critical in building teamwork. Besides, organizations can ensure that the employees are trained on different languages and practices of the customers aiming at ensuring that the needs and expectations of the diverse customers are met. Besides, it can be of great benefits of any organization to make sure that the employees are mad aware of the different cultural practices and values of the targeted customers. This can help employees in tailoring their service delivery process to be in line with the cultural orientation of the customers hence assisting in ensuring their satisfactions. References Atkinson, P. & Hammersley, M. 1994. “Ethnography and participant observation.” In NK Chen, Peter P.W. (2004) ‘GIFT GIVING IN CHINA – Gift Giving Etiquette’ http://www.1worldglobalgifts.com/chinagiftgivingetiquette.htm Du Mesnil, B and Naschberger, C 2014 ‘The survivor’s guide to cross-cultural communication‘ TedX talk. Furnham, Adrian 1993. ‘Communicating in Foreign lands: the cause, consequences and cures of culture shock’, Language, Culture and Curriculum, 6:1, 91-109 Hay, M. Cameron, 2011. Chapter 8: “Shame and Making Truth: The Social Repairs of Ethnographic Blunders’, In Being There: Learning to Live Cross-Culturally (Sarah H Davies and Melvin Konner, Eds.). Harvard University Press, pp. 112-127. Hofstede, G 1980, Culture’s consequences, Sage Publications, Beverly Hills, Calif.
 Hofstede, G, Hofstede, G & Minkov, M 2010, Cultures and organizations, McGraw-Hill, New York.
 Hofstede, G, Pedersen, P & Hofstede, G 2002, Exploring culture, Intercultural Press, Yarmouth. Hooker, John 2012. Chapter 19: ‘Cultural Differences in Business Communication’. In Rangel, Elizabeth S. Handbook of Intercultural Discourse and Communication. Blackwell: UK pp 289 Lopez, Linette, 2016 ‘Tony Abbott returned a Rolex given to him by a Chinese billionaire after realising it wasn’t fake’http://www.businessinsider.com.au/australian-politicians-return-rolex-gifts-2016-2 Ruben, B D 1989. ‘The study of cross-cultural competence: traditions and contemporary issues. International Journal of Intercultural relations, v. 13, pp226-240 https://youtu.be/8B-TBLCmAZg Read More