Cultural Differences and People Management - Research Paper Example

?Cultural differences and people management Introduction Managers in any workplace are often confronted with the cross-cultural issues among their employees. More so in the current age of globalization where the work force has become culturally diverse, managers are often confronted with situations where they have to apply cultural awareness and sensitivity. French argues that “all managers must possess cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity at the level of managing people at work” (2010, p. 5). The cross-cultural and diverse work setting is the current trend in the workplace and the pressure is on the manager to make this diverse work setting effective for the organization or corporation. This study shall discuss the aspects which make up this cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity. It shall also discuss the aspects of organisational life which are particularly influenced by cross-cultural differences. Body Accomplishing any work with the assistance of other people calls for the engaging flow of data in the workplace. However, in the current diverse work setting this is difficult to accomplish. Managers would often find themselves frustrated by employees who nod at everything they say without manifesting any clear comprehension of the instructions. However, culture is a major part of people’s behaviour on the job (Gardenswarts and Rowe, 2001). It dictates the way people talk with one another, the way they speak, how they manage conflicts, how they relate with the opposite sex or with other religions, and how they participate in office activities. There are various cultural norms which impact on a manager’s reactions, including hierarchy and status; groups versus individual orientation; time consciousness; communication; and conflict resolution (Gardenswarts and Rowe, 2001, p. 2). Managers who do not fully understand the impact of culture in the workplace often end up misinterpreting behaviours and creating a culturally divisive workplace. There are four cultural dimensions which apply to any organization. Hofstede (1980) mentions these as: power distance, masculinity/femininity; individualism/collectivism; and uncertainty avoidance. Individualism/collectivism refers to the relations between individuals and groups within the organisation (Hofstede and Bond, 1988). For highly individualistic societies, individuals often do not exist well in the collective setting as easily as those who are in collective societies and they are expected to be fend for themselves and not to consider other people for support. On the other hand, the more collectivist groups are part of a greater group who offer support to one another (Lowe, et.al., 1988). These societies function in a group structure in a family setting or large regional communities. The individualist or collective culture in the organisation impacts significantly in the management of the work setting, especially in instances when the culture of the organization or the corporation is individualist (Lowe, et.al., 1988). The burden of making such an environment more engaged in a multicultural set-up is on the manager. Masculinity/femininity within the work setting refers to gender roles in the workplace and how these genders are managed and accommodated in the work setting (Hofstede and Bond, 1988). There may be differences in the values placed on men and women with male values being more assertive and female values being more nurturing. In the workplace, the manager is often faced with issues which relate to gender discrimination, including homophobia (Lowe, et.al., 1988). The demand for the manager in these instances is to make the decisions based on non-gender related considerations or gender-based biases. Power distance as a cultural aspect of an organisation is based on “individual interactions and communication differentials between executive and employee” (Kaskel, 2010, p. 22). Humans have the ability to accept the hierarchical structure of most situations; other times, they cannot accept these situations. Individual interactions are often based on cultural background. Moreover, those who have low power distance are more likely to express their opinions to their superiors and those who have a high power distance will not feel comfortable about addressing their managers (Helmreich and Merritt, 1998). Hofstede (2002) supports this notion by expressing that power and inequality are basic elements of society and those who have the international experience will be highly aware of the fact that inequalities in society exist, and it exists to a heavier extent in some societies more than others. There may also be an element of uncertainty avoidance in the workplace. Uncertainty avoidance refers to the “extent to which society feels threatened by uncertain and ambiguous situations and tries to avoid these situations by providing greater career stability, establishing more formal rules, not tolerating deviant ideas and behaviours” (Hofstede, 1980, p. 45). In the workplace, cultures which have low uncertainty avoidance can manage dissent or conflict and deal with it well. In effect, their norms and attitudes are not as rigid as other cultures. They also adjust well to change and risks (Reidel, 2006). Conflicts are viewed as natural. For cultures which are considered high in uncertainty avoidance, situations which do not follow the plan are often unnoticed because these instances threaten individuals who have a low tolerance for uncertainty (Ilgen, LePine, and Hollenbeck, 1997). This high uncertainty avoidance causes limitations in the ability of the team to adapt to change. For managers who are considered high on uncertainty avoidance, the activities are often highly structured and prevent creativity from the team (Riedel, 2006). In high uncertainty avoidance cultures, clear instructions and cooperation among all employees is often preferred. These cultures would also avoid information which would not fit what they believe. A favourable working environment for most employees is generally described as one which they find collaborative; where they feel valued; or one where they find an effective problem solving environment (Gardenswarts and Rowe, 2001). Setting up this climate in the workplace is not an easy task for any manager because there is always a norm and hierarchy to consider in the decision-making process. Employees who have been raised in a culture of deference to age, gender, authority, and title often do not express their honest feelings to their colleagues or their managers who are of the opposite gender, who are of higher authority, or who are older (Gardenswarts and Rowe, 2001). They feel that doing so would sound challenging – something which they do not want to present to their bosses or colleagues. Managers may also have to create a workplace which manages both individual and group work. Employees who cannot bring down their individual needs for the group may work better alone (Adler, 2007). Managers who are culturally competent would likely establish an environment for individuals where they can take on risks and consider activities which do not require the coordination of other people (Gardenswarts and Rowe, 2001). On the other hand, managers who prioritize on the avoidance of conflict may also create an environment wherein even individualistic employees would not be encouraged to express their opinion or to express any feedback. Managers who are often time conscious may view cultures which are relaxed about deadlines to be a less work committed work setting, they may also see them as less reliable. These individuals are perceived as workers who are living on their own terms, and who often communicate with other people in the same regard (Gardenswarts and Rowe, 2001). Direct communicators often tell it like it is, but employees who are indirect communicators may expect that their responses should be interpreted from their body language. These employees may also expect their managers to read their nonverbal cues in order to understand their responses. For managers, this may be a major challenge. People’s beliefs, values, and goals are deeply influenced by their culture; and in turn, culture is deeply rooted in most individuals (Adler, 2007). It is therefore important to consider culture to be unchangeable in satisfying the overall needs of management. In instances of national cultures, they are often managed by a complex social system which exists outside the business setting, supporting power discrepancies among cultural groups (Rijamampianina, 1996). It is therefore important to conclude that individual behaviour in organizations will more likely be based on this culture (Jaeger, 1990). Various members of multicultural organizations would not likely share common assumptions and beliefs. Employees do not shed their cultures when they start their workday. Instead, these cultural values from their environment are carried over into the workplace and impact on the behaviour of individuals within the organization (Jaeger, 1990). The overall impact of culture on the management activities would therefore be seen in the motivational process of employees (Rijamampianina, 1996). The varying needs and interests of individuals often formulate their motivations. The impact of culture can also be seen by managers in terms of the interaction processes with employees who do not share common assumptions; and they often evaluate behaviour differently and therefore act differently (Rijamampianina, 1996). As a result, miscommunication and misunderstanding would arise and an environment of mistrust would sometimes manifest. For managers in the cross-cultural setting, it is important for them to make a strong effort towards learning about the general culture of their employees (French, 2010). Learning about culture allows managers to understand their employees as individuals and to understanding which management techniques are applicable to employees from other cultures (Maloney, 2001). Successful managers often apply various strategies to ensure better cultural understanding. Initially, these managers familiarize themselves with their employees’ culture by interviewing them about their home country (Maloney, 2001). These managers also research about the countries of their employees and contrast these cultural understanding with the American culture. By making an academic assessment of one’s employees, it is possible for managers to evolve a deeper and detailed understanding of their employees, especially those who come from other cultures (Maloney, 2001). Successful managers can also build an organizational culture which accepts and accommodates the differences which employees in the workplace have (Rijamampianina, 1996). Effective managers assist their employees in recognizing and appreciating the differences in the culture of their workmates (French, 2010). The process of integrating people in a multicultural setting is that racism often emerges and this causes tension in the workplace. The successful managers manage racism in the workplace quickly and they highlight the importance of employees being treated with respect regardless of their racial background (Maloney, 2001). These managers also establish scenarios for supervisors and employees to be familiarized with the culture of their employees. These managers ensure a more proactive role in ensuring that these employees adjust to the work environment (Maloney, 2001). For managers handling a cross-cultural workplace, efforts must be made to ensure a common solution and a mutual understanding of the complicated process of existing in varying cultural settings (Rosado, 2006). These helpful remedies do not necessarily mean that the parties would give up their cultural background; however it does suggest that they must utilize knowledge to secure knowledge about the culture of their colleagues, which can be easily manageable in the long run. Most of the time, it is easy to sacrifice details which are not important for some people, but very important to others (Rosado, 2006). A necessary prerequisite is a strong knowledge of partners and the overall cultural environment. The main requirement of an effective international cooperation involves understanding and respect of the culture of foreign employees (Konecka, 2006). Workers in the international environment must be acclimatized to this workplace and avoid various misunderstandings and conflicts in their daily activities. Conclusion The cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity includes the management of an individualist/collectivist setting, masculine/feminine scenario, uncertainty avoidance, and power distance. The management of these aspects of the work setting would depend on the strong manager. Organisation activities are often influenced by the relations and communication of the employees, and the way the manager would manage a cross-cultural workplace relies heavily on the accommodations made by the manager in terms of specific qualities and cultural differences. Learning about each culture from the different employees would be a necessary first step for the manager. These adjustments must be based on qualities which prevent gender biases as well as cultural biases and insensitivity. The manager who accepts changes, differences, and who makes the extra effort to incorporate cultural sensitivity is the manager who can succeed in the cross-cultural setting. 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