The Importance of Culture for Managing and Controlling the workforce - Literature review Example

Undeniable changes are taking place in the workforce mainly due to globalisation and changing composition of national populations of individual countries. National population composition is changing as a result of increased immigration and cumulative effects of high birth rates among minority groups. Apparently, this is reflected in the workforce (Inceoglu, 2002, p. 37). Globalisation has made both small and large companies face competition resulting from overseas companies at home while at the same time confronting the need to be competitive in the foreign markets.

In order to prevail from the competition, organisations require adopting new ways of carrying out business, with sensitivity towards the needs of diverse cultural practices. Businesses have to struggle for the best gifts they can find, as well as look for ways to obtain the best from workers they currently have. Most of these employees will be situated at different nations as many firms move to a worldwide way of conducting business. As a result, culture becomes important in managing and controlling the workforce.

People from different cultures bring forth diversity, which refers to the ways in which people differ, not just the more common aspects like ethnicity and gender (Idea group publishing, 2005, p 580). Literature review Organisations exist on the productivity and output of employee interaction with clients and customers. A company with productive workers is able to offer better customer service that result in more income. Employees’ productivity and customer relations and interactions are influenced by how workers feel about their work.

Such emotions are heavily dependent on the culture in the workplace. Sandra Collins (2009, p 30) defines culture as the system of shared values, beliefs, norms, language and social institutions, which steer the daily lives of a group of people. Culture may be collectivist or individualist, reflecting on the extent to which people value their association with the group against their independence as individual. Collectivist cultures value the group above an individual whilst an individualist culture places personal independence above the group.

Western Europe, United States and Canada countries have an individualist culture while South American and Asian countries embrace a collectivist culture. Both collectivist and individualist have different approaches towards conflict. Collectivists tend to avoid conflict and prefer harmony, whilst individualists do not enjoy conflict, though they are less likely to stay away from it. Culture builds an atmosphere in which human resources work and establish their value and worth in the company, their opportunities within the organisation as well as their opinion of their management team.

The culture could also be measured in terms of conflict resolution policies, language, dress code and industry. Communications also varies with culture, with some opting for direct communication while others embrace indirect style. Cultures that adopt indirect communication usually have relational exchanges before involvement into the business. Such cultures tend to be context-dependent since an immense deal of the message’s meaning lie in the context of the communication. Cultures also differ in terms of time interpretation, with some placing value on multitasking, and others opting for doing one thing at a time.

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