Cost-Effectiveness of Utilizing Skilled Labor from Asia and the Middle East - Essay Example

Cost Effectiveness of Utilizing Skilled Labor from Asia and the Middle East Introduction In recent years, wireless technology has pervaded many developing countries. In the villages of Africa, farmers are now using wireless gadgets to find out current market prices for their commodities (Grady, 2006). Now, these farmers are no longer manipulated by traders who often indiscriminately overprice these farmers. In some regions of India, cases of dengue fever are diagnosed with the assistance of Internet connections which get them through to doctors in the cities (Grady, 2006). Other developing nations like the Philippines, Haiti, Uganda, and Afghanistan have also developed wireless capability which has now improved their performance in the global market. With these improvements, many developed nations in the West have tapped into the Third World market because of the cheaper labor cost. In some Middle East nations, especially the OECD member countries, there have been increased rates in migration due to “regional conflict, the restrictions placed on other immigration channels, asylum seekers and family reunion” (Chalamwong, 2004, p. 3). In order to meet the work demands in these nations, some of these OECD nations have opened their doors to the entry of skilled and the highly skilled laborers, most especially those who have expertise in information and communication technology. With the contribution of these workers, the competitiveness of the nations in the world market has been maintained. As more nations have also taken advantage of this cheap labor market, the inevitability of a multi-cultural work place has come into fruition. In these labor markets, many opposing and essentially different cultures can often be found in the same workplace. The challenge that this workplace has created is on how management can merge various cultures into one cohesive and dynamic work force. In order to achieve a productive, dynamic, and even peaceful work environment, the manager has to come up with ways to blend these cultures while still maintaining perspective and while respecting each culture’s unique attributes. The changes that the manager has to implement will eventually decide the success of any project or any business in the current global economy. Despite the trends in globalization, unemployment has still been persistent in many parts of the world. The pressures of migration have increased because of these unemployment ratings. Moreover, most developing countries suffer from high unemployment rates and these rates are continuing to climb. For the OECD member nations, there is a lopsided trend with increased need for skilled workers and not enough graduates to fill in these numbers. Hence, these countries have seen the need to recruit workers from other countries (Chalamwong, 2004). The pattern in the economy and in the work force has now become more knowledge-based or has become more focused on the highly skilled and the highly knowledgeable workers. And many OECD countries have competed with each other in order to avail of the services of these highly skilled professionals. The entry of highly skilled workers from East Asia into Middle Eastern nations, Pacific-Rim OECD nations, and other countries in the region has increased in the past several years (Chalamwong, 2004). Data reveals that migrants with tertiary education from Malaysia showed the highest rate of migration to OECD nations, followed by migrants from the Republic of Korea, the Philippines, and Chinese Taipei (Chalamwong, 2004). Statistics also reveal that migrants with tertiary education from Indonesia, Philippines, and India make up 70% of the OECD migrants. With these above figures, we see a pattern of migration and employment which is largely based on skills and on where these skills can be found. This paper shall focus on this discussion, on the cost-effectiveness of utilizing skilled labor from Asia and the Middle East. It shall particularly assess the management challenges in reaching cohesion in the workplace, especially with a multi-cultural workplace. Problem/Opportunity Statement Based on the scenario illustrated above, Afghanistan and other OECD nations are encountering shortages in their industries and in their general work force. Consequently, many skilled and highly skilled workers/graduates have been recruited from Asia and Middle Eastern nations. Due to varying cultural differences, the management would likely meet challenges on how to merge the varying cultures into a cohesive and dynamic work from a project perspective. An Afghan and Filipino work environment presents such a challenge to a manager. Opportunity Statement There is an opportunity to meet the management challenges in merging the various cultures into a cohesive workforce based on a project perspective by applying the different management styles in the work environment. The most appropriate management style must fit the diverse culture in the work environment while managing to appease different cultures that exists in the workplace. In an Afghan and Filipino dominated work environment, the manager can make this work environment work well by first respecting and recognizing each culture and by communicating and coordinating with both groups in order to ensure a dynamic, cohesive, and healthy work environment. Purpose Statement This research seeks to establish how management can merge various cultures into one coherent and dynamic work force while focusing on a project perspective. This study is being undertaken in order to understand how diversity in the work place impacts on work production. For managers, it is important for them to capably handle workplace diversity because such diversity can either be advantageous or disadvantageous depending on how it is handled. This paper also aims to evaluate specifically the Filipino and the Afghan-dominated work place and how peculiar qualities in their culture can affect their ability to work with each other; and also how their cultural differences can eventually be merged into a coherent and dynamic work relationship. Conceptual/Theoretical Framework A theoretical discussion by Daft (2007) sets forth that an organization is composed of people – people and their relationships with each other. Changes in the workplace, in the structure and technologies within the workplace do not happen on their own, people, inevitably, have to change as well. The different employees have to work with each other and learn to use new technologies and new techniques in order to effectively establish a team-based organization. However, changes in the existing cultures in the workplace can challenge the workers and their established way of doing things (Daft, 2007). Diversity in the workplace is a fact in the current workplace. In order to deal well with this diversity, the managers have to implement recruiting, mentoring and promotion methods, and strict policies on sexual and racial discrimination. Daft (2007, p. 431) emphasizes that “if the underlying culture of an organization does not change, all other efforts to support diversity will fail”. Therefore, based on the theory set forth by Daft, diversity in the workplace has to be expected and the managers have to deal with this diversity in order to achieve an effective workforce – one that can merge the various cultures in the environment into a coherent workforce. Gary Powell’s theory or model in a diverse workforce sets forth that diversity management largely depends on how the managers issue equal opportunities in the workplace. The management can take several approaches in order to manage diversity, and these may be through: proactive, reactive, or benignly neglectful (Stockdale & Crosby, 2004, p. 58). “A proactive organization acts on its own without the prompt of anti-discrimination laws to recruit women and minorities in the workplace, recognizing the value of a multicultural workforce” (Stockdale & Crosby, 2004, p. 58). The reactive approach only implements legal mandates on anti-discrimination in order to comply with the laws; and some organizations simply choose to apply no measures at all in order to accommodate diversity in the workplace. Powell (as cited by Stockdale & Crosby, 2004) recommends that the best approach in managing a diverse workforce is to be pro-active about it – to make the necessary adjustments in the workplace to accommodate diversity and to appreciate the value of a multicultural work force. Taylor Cox’s model for managing a diverse and multicultural workforce first explains that work placed may be monolithic, pluralistic, or multicultural (Stockdale & Crosby, 2004). A monolithic workforce accepts the entry of women and minorities for as long as they accept the majority culture; the pluralistic organization recognizes that women and the minorities do contribute to the organization, but the culture of the organization remains unchanged; and a multicultural organization sets forth that “women and minorities are not only contributing, valued members of the workforce, but also, the organization has modified its structure to acknowledge that substantial change is necessary to take full advantage of its diverse workforce” (Stockdale & Crosby, 2004, p. 59). The best culture to apply in an organization is the multicultural model, one which acknowledges the minorities and the diversity in the work force and the need for adjustments to be made in the organization in order to accommodate the diversity. According to Cox (as cited by Stockdale & Crosby, 2004), only when an organization gets to a state of multiculturalism can it be said that it is truly diverse. There is more than an acknowledgment of diversity in the multicultural organization, but the organization also makes strides towards making the diverse workplace effective. Management/Research Questions In general, this paper seeks to answer the following question: due to varying cultural differences, how can management merge various cultures into one cohesive and dynamic work force from a project perspective? Specifically it aims to answer the following questions: 1. What are the basic differences between the Filipino and the Afghan culture? 2. How do these differences affect work relationships with each other and with other nationalities in the workplace? 3. What peculiar qualities in the Filipino and the Afghan culture affect these workers’ ability to communicate with each other? 4. What can the manager apply in a Filipino and Afghan workplace in order to manage their cultural diversity? Literature Review / Current Understanding of the Phenomena In a paper by Davis and Cabello (1989) the authors sought to establish a teacher-education model for preparing teachers to work with culturally diverse students. Their study focused on the education sector and on teachers as they worked with multiculturally diverse group of students. The study recognized the firm need for education programs to arm teachers with the necessary knowledge and skills to work with students of different cultures (Davis & Cabello, 1989). The authors cite the teacher education program which is meant to help teachers in culturally diverse settings. The study emphasized on aspects which relate to awareness, knowledge, acquisition and maintenance of skills, and reflection (Davis & Cabello, 1989). This study illustrates that there is a need for managers to make the necessary adjustments in order to deal with diversity in any work environment. The basic principles set forth in this paper, such as awareness, knowledge, acquisition and maintenance of skills, and reflection can also be applied by the manager who is in charge of a culturally diverse workforce – including Filipinos and Afghans in the same workforce. In a 2002 paper by Elron, he sought to evaluate the relationship of cultural heterogeneity with the performance of the team and the organization. This study used top management teams (TMTs) who were international subsidiaries in multinational corporations (MNCs). The study pointed out that cultural diversity within the TMT is related to the level of issue-based conflict which the team is subjected to and to the TMT performance itself (Elron, 2002). The study also pointed out that the performance of the TMT and of the subsidiary performance is positively related to each other. The study was able to establish that the issue-based conflict affected negatively the TMT performance. The study disputed the fact that cultural heterogeneity would negatively affect TMT cohesion. All in all, the study revealed the importance of cultural heterogeneity in the functioning of TMTs and their international subsidiaries (Elron, 2002). In relation to the current topic, this study points out that it is important for diversity and heterogeneity among the managers to be achieved in order to improve the performance of the organization as a whole. A paper by Lappetito (1994) sought to assess workplace diversity as a leadership challenge, setting forth that the management of diversity is a social, financial, and moral imperative. The paper pointed out that workplace diversity is all about establishing an organizational culture which embraces personal differences and “encourages heterogeneous persons to work together toward a common end” (Lappetito, 1994, p. 22). The study pointed out that there are three values which are needed in order to ensure diversity in the workplace, and these are: respect for human dignity, the common good and distributive justice as participation in the common good (Lappetito, 1994, p. 22). There are incentives which can improve the motives of developing a diverse work force. Financial success in an organization ultimately depends on how well diversity in incorporated in the workplace. In the health care industry, the application of a diverse workforce ensures that health care leaders can come up with ways to “develop the potential of all employees and at the same time improve performance and production” (Lappetito, 1994, p. 22). The study was also able to emphasize that the management of diversity requires the transformation of the organization culture and clear initiatives which the manager can adapt in order to ensure organizational stability. Such steps or initiatives include: conducting a cultural audit, establishing a cultural diversity task force, and setting up a diversity champion who is accountable to the chief executive officer (Lappetito, 1994, p. 22). Through this study, we are able to deduce crucial steps in the organizational culture and how such crucial steps can help ensure that the management of diversity creates an effective and dynamic work force. In a paper by Devine, Baum, Hearns and Devine (2007), the authors set out to assess the opportunities and challenges which are encountered by hospitality employers in accommodating a culturally-diverse workforce in Northern Ireland. The paper set out to explore the issue using interviews with hospitality employers in Northern Ireland with the ultimate goal of answering the question: what opportunities and challenges does a culturally diverse workforce create for hoteliers in Northern Ireland? (Devine, Baum, Hearns & Devine, 2007). The paper was able to establish that international workers are invaluable sources of labor for the hospitality industry, as long as they are properly looked after and properly managed (Devine, Baum, Hearns & Devine, 2006). The authors recommended more researches in order to assess the role of multicultural management in ensuring that benefits are generated in a culturally diverse environment. Furthermore, the paper pointed out the importance of taking a positive and a proactive management system and other solutions for training. Such steps and proactive measures help incorporate the different cultures of the employees; helps ensure that employees can actively learn from different cultures; and helps to ensure tolerance, to identify similarities, and to be more inclusive (Devine, Baum, Hearns, & Devine, 2006). In the United States, a case study by Hoover, Will, and Milligan (2007) sought to understand and to prepare for diversity in the work force by assessing the workforce in Jacksonville, Florida and the implications of this diversity on future workers. The authors pointed out that race relations and economic development are now the major concerns for many American cities in the past several years. These concerns over racial and ethnic diversity have impacted on the deliberations within corporations which are eyeing cities to expand or relocate to (Hoover, Will, & Milligan, 2007). The paper noted that Jacksonville’s labor force would change in the next decade and these changes would present a major strain in the economic growth and social cohesion of the community (Hoover, Will, & Milligan, 2007). The authors recommend that the response of the city and its leaders can be more proactive in order to accept the diversity and make accommodations for such diversity. In a paper by Barbosa and Cabral-Cardoso (2010), the authors sought to evaluate the extent to which Portuguese organizations have integrated equality and diversity-related issues in their management process, and how they examined the dominant discussion on these issues. A content analysis of websites of about 500 companies in Portugal was included in this paper. This paper revealed that “equality and diversity rhetoric mirrors, to a large extent, the dominant US discourse and ignores the necessary adaptation to the local context” (Barbosa & Cabral-Cardoso, 2010, p. 97). There are obvious differences however in the rhetoric based on the origin of ownership control and the intended audience. Companies which are native-owned with websites which are meant for a local audience usually ignore diversity issues altogether (Barbosa & Cabral-Cardoso, 2010). The paper also enriches the discussion on globalization of management knowledge which emphasizes the limitations of implementing the “one size fits all” method. Contrary to the developing rhetoric, such method is not appropriate and not fitting in the local environment (Barbosa & Cabral-Cardoso, 2010). A paper by Seymen (2006) sought to conduct a literary review which was related to the effective management of cultural diversity in organizations. This paper also sought to bring up different views regarding the issue. The author conducted the paper as a literary review covering materials related to diversity management and cultural diversity management. The views of different contributors were evaluated based on the management of diversity and the perspectives related to diversity. The paper revealed that there can be no definite answer on the management of cultural diversity. “There are various typologies about the organizational and managerial literature” (Seymen, 2006, p. 296). The application of an effective management of cultural diversity in organizations and of a cultural diversity management model which is specifically applicable to an organization must be applied. Organizations are ultimately different from one another, and managing diversity, based on the distinct characteristics of an organization, will ensure effective diversity management. A discussion by Kim and Bhawuk (2008) assessed six articles that considered the different dangers and opportunities rendered by globalization. The study presented the theme of globalization and diversity followed by the different perspectives on diversity. The main issues assessed in the articles range from the macro-level issues of global acculturative pressure on traditional cultures and their “identities and meso-level responses of organizations and local communities to such pressure, to micro-level issues of psychological dislocation and intercultural conflict intensified by increasing ethnic diversity in global urban centers…” (Kim & Bhawuk, 2008, p. 301). These factors also included the international exchange activities which were meant to assist in the intercultural engagement and global aptitude among college students. The phenomenon of individual identity transformation beyond the confines of one culture was also assessed as a related theme in diversity. These articles all offered a multilateral assessment and a wider understanding of the complicated, the diverse process of globalization, and the different human responses to it (Kim & Bhawuk, 2008). Methodological Approach & Research Design This paper shall be a qualitative social research. It shall utilize data gathered from structured interviews with respondent managers of 5 major companies in Afghanistan which employ both Filipino and Afghan workers. The interview process shall attempt to gain information from respondents on the effective management practices which they have applied in the work setting in order to effectively manage the multicultural setting of their company. Sources of Information & Measurement Plan Information for this paper shall be gathered from interviews of managers in five major companies in Afghanistan which employ both Filipino and Afghan workers. A questionnaire shall be presented to the managers; such questionnaire shall cover areas of the respondents’ norms and practices in the work environment. The questionnaire shall also cover different aspects of Filipino and Afghan culture which may come into contrast with each other in the work environment, and how the managers deal with such scenario. The questionnaire shall also verify with the managers if the methods they employ in order to manage their diverse work force are effective techniques. This data gathering process shall hopefully yield information on effective management processes in a culturally diverse workplace. Data Collection Plan The data collection plan shall be to first compute an appropriate sample size of respondents in this paper. Respondents shall cover managers in five major Afghan companies. Managers included in this study shall cover human resources managers, field managers, supervisors, department heads, and other employees with managerial or supervisory positions over both Afghan and Filipino workers. Questionnaires shall be distributed to the respondents and after an agreed time interval the questionnaires shall be collected. Data Analysis Plan The data gathered from the questionnaires shall then be tabulated and tallied using keywords and cumulative answers. The most common and dominant keywords shall be collated and later analyzed. The keywords shall also be aligned with the different questions which this paper seeks to answer. The analysis shall be based on the different variables which this paper seeks to measure. It shall breakdown the different managerial techniques employed by the respondents and assess whether or not these techniques are effective in the workplace. Such analysis shall be related with the literature review to assess for similarities and differences. Significance / Potential Contributions The potential contribution of this paper is on establishing information on appropriate and effective management techniques in the culturally diverse work environment. Another potential contribution of this paper is to give the respondents a chance to be more accepting of other people’s culture in order to eventually set the pace in the work place. This paper is being undertaken in order to help managers in being more proactive in the acceptance of a diverse workforce. Managers who are often faced with a diverse workforce may not know how to effectively manage this work environment. Most times, they often end up favoring one culture or group over the other. Conflicts are built through these biased management techniques. Through this study, it may be possible to come up with a more comprehensive and practical assessment of applicable techniques to managing workplace diversity. Managers themselves can suggest the best solutions to this issue after a rational presentation of their preferences and successful management techniques. Ethical Considerations The ethical considerations of this paper may be on the assessment of information from the respondents. Information gathered may reveal information on the part of respondents which they may not want to share with other people. These ethical considerations however can be managed by informing respondents that information shall be handled with utmost confidentiality. Since the interviewed respondents would be managers, some respondents may not answer truthfully when asked about the effective management techniques which they apply to their diverse workforce. The interview process may also be subjective for each interviewee because personal observations may be included as standards of assessment which can make the interpretation of the question different for each respondent. Expected Outcome This paper may reveal that it is important for the manager to handle employees with different cultures by first understanding their cultures and what makes them different from each other. It may also reveal that it is important for the manager to conduct trainings on cultural sensitivity in the workplace in order to consequently acclimatize respondents with each other and to make them understand the importance of team work in the culturally diverse workplace. This paper may also reveal that it is difficult to manage a diverse work force, especially when the workers are not cooperative in relating to other workers of different cultures or ethnicity. It may also reveal that through the application of more proactive methods of management, the diverse workforce can easily and effectively be managed. This paper may also reveal that Filipino and Afghan workers may vastly differ from each other mainly because of their religious affiliation and practices. It may also reveal that with the fair and unbiased concessions given to each nationality, it may be possible to still gain the best work environment in a Filipino and Afghan workplace. Personal Reflections & Insights My personal insights on this paper is that the results may first not be well-received by workers who may be bent on insisting on their own practices in the workplace. However, with proper management and with a more culturally-accepting manager, it is possible to lead by example in the workplace. I believe that it may be possible to get the best of both worlds – to recruit workers based on skills, and regardless of their nationality or culture get them to work together peacefully and happily. With the right manager and right management technique, a diverse workplace may be the best work place yet. It is an environment of respect and fair play where each one acknowledges the other’s skills, regardless of his faith, creed, gender, race, culture, ethnicity, and age. Works Cited Barbosa, I. & Cabral-Cardoso, C. (2010) Equality and diversity rhetoric: one size fits all? Globalization and the Portuguese context. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, volume 29, number 1, pp. 97 – 112 Chalamwong, Y. (15 May 2004) The Migration of Highly Skilled Asian Workers in OECD Member Countries and Its Effects on Economic Development in East Asia. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Retrieved 15 March 2010 from http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/27/56/31857618.pdf Daft, R. (2007) Organization Theory and Design. Ohio: Cengage Learning Davis, N. & Cabello, B. (1989) Preparing Teachers to Work with Culturally Diverse Students: A Teacher Education Model. Journal of Teacher Education, volume 40, number 5, pp. 9-169-16 Devine, F., Baum, T., Hearns, N. & Devine, A. (2007) Managing cultural diversity: opportunities and challenges for Northern Ireland hoteliers. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, volume 19, number 2, pp. 120 – 132 Elron, E. (29 March 2002) Top management teams within multinational corporations: Effects of cultural heterogeneity. The Leadership Quarterly, volume 8, issue 4, pp. 393-412 Grady, B. (12 March 2006) Wireless technologies help less developed countries grow. Find Articles. Retrieved 02 February 2010 from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20060312/ai_n16155359/pg_2/?tag=content;col1 Hoover, K., Will, J. & Milligan, T. (2007) Understanding and Preparing for the Emerging Diversity in the Workplace: A Case Study. International Journal of Diversity, volume 6, number 5. Retrieved 15 March 2010 from http://www.unf.edu/coas/cci/publications/UnderstandingandPreparingfortheEmergingDiversityintheWorkplace.pdf Kim, Y. & Bhawuk, D. (July 2008) Globalization and diversity: Contributions from intercultural research. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, volume 32, number 4, pp. 301-304 Lappetito, J. (1994) Workplace diversity: a leadership challenge. Managing diversity is a social, financial, and moral imperative. Health Program, volume 75, number 2, pp. 22-27 Seymen, O. (2006) The cultural diversity phenomenon in organisations and different approaches for effective cultural diversity management: a literary review. Cross Cultural Management: An International Journal, volume 13, number 4, pp. 296 – 315 Stockdale, M. & Crosby, F. (2004) The psychology and management of workplace diversity. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing Read More