Understanding Cultural Values - Essay Example

With a multicultural team, barriers to communication can be major obstacles. How can understanding the cultural values overcome this? To start with, any set of values and beliefs make up a culture. On the same pretext, an organizational culture is a set of values, morals, beliefs, traditions and norms which come from the industry specific regimes as well as that from the society under which it exists in the first place. Thus it would not be wrong here to suggest that the organizational cultures are dependent on the society’s undertakings and the industrial influences at the same time. What is most important is how the two shape up the organizational culture at the very end and take the organization one step ahead in its different processes, activities and undertakings. The significant aspect lies on the basis of these societal and industrial cultures bringing about an imperative basis for the organizational culture to exist in the most basic sense. (Becker, 1999) One must understand that the organization cannot exist in seclusion and it has to remain in constant touch with the society in which it exists and the industry under which it finds competitors for its own selves and the strategic alliances, mergers and unities that form as a result of the same. Now the foundation lies merely on the manner under which the strategic and the tactical moves are adopted by this organization under study and how best it delivers towards the needs of the stakeholders, customers and employees working for the benefit of the organization itself, both from the short term perspective as well as an investment in the long run. (Marx, 1999) Hofstede has focused his works on the cultural differences that exist at individuals working within the different segments of a business and he has raised pretty interesting discussions here. He has removed the impression that is present of the individuals acting like each other and working towards a common goal. He has said that the organization wants to reach at a particular point in time within the future. Rather he has looked at it from a different perspective. What he has stated is that it is difficult to come to terms with the cultural differences that the employees bring with them and hence it gets frustrating at times to get the work done in a complete manner. (Jackson, 2004) One should believe that what Hofstede has taught through these cultural dimensions is true as little effort is paid to the fact that diverse employees bring about successful results for the organization. The organizations are also not in agreement with this ideology, which is quite shocking. However one should believe that the cultural managers and leaders present within the organizations in international businesses know about these problems. Business leaders have a huge role to play in this situation since they must understand the problems associated with the different employees having backgrounds from different cultures and regions of the world but what they seem to forget is the aspect that they are more focused on the short term goals and not on the long term objectives of the management. (Lawrence, 1995) They get angry on the employees not understanding the language and work ethics and thus have problems for everyone. It would be good to support the employees during these difficult times so that the long term productivity levels are successfully completed. These cultural dimensions bring out the valuable statements from the employees who seem to do their best yet fall short on the organization’s expectations due to cultural hindrances. Business leaders and managers have uncertainties within their minds when they assign task jobs and delegate work to the foreign individuals as they believe these workers would not be able to deliver beyond expectations. This brings in an issue of tension and worry within the organization and thus the employees start feeling pressured. Hofstede has been good with this logic overall. These differences are visible within the employees who live within the Middle Eastern countries who are not good at English and its usage. Also they are emotional by nature and tend to play more on the sensationalism aspects. (Beamer, 2000) On the other hand, Western nations seem to have people working within the relevant ranks. As a matter of fact, workforce depends a great deal on the way in which the employees perform their duties and remain committed to the growth potentials of the work under discussion. It does not really matter if the workers are full time employees or contingent and part time ones. What is needed and looked upon is the manner in which construction workers work towards attaining the goals and objectives of the business and provide benefits to the eventual position of the organization. This is the single most quintessential basis for the workforce to identify with and no other aspect is deemed in the same vein when it comes to the amount of significance that workforce could exhibit on any given day. If the organization has a major share of temporary employees within its fold, it is of paramount essence that the organization’s own culture is strong and there are no apprehensions in this basis whatsoever. This is because organization’s culture lays the foundation stone for their devotion and work place performance levels to a higher magnitude. It must be remembered that within an organization, the communication can flow in one of three ways or in all the three directions. (Hofstede, 1997) This means that these three directions pave the way for the ease of communication and there are as such no barriers to arise from the whole equation. The first communication flow is from top to bottom, which means that the communication starts from the top management and goes down towards the middle and lower management. It ensures that the instructions are easily made comprehensible for all and sundry who are within the middle and lower cadres and there are as such no discrepancies arising from this form of communication flow. The second form could be the one that starts from the lower or middle management and goes up towards the top management. A common example of this kind of communication flow is in the type of protests and rallies that arise at the lower level and the lower management wants to make sure that their voice gets heard courtesy the top cadre of the organization. The third communication flow could be in the kind of peer to peer communication and interaction. This means that the employees and the workers at the same level communicate within their own capacities and as such there are no hindrances arising from the whole communication matrix. Apart from this, within an organization the communication also flows in a formal as well as an informal manner. Where the communication is more formal and sophisticated, the interaction is usually done through paper and written requests whereas the informal talk is also called ‘grapevine’ and is mostly done in a casual manner without any such paper work to document the very same. Proper and smooth communication can only flow within an organization when there is complete understanding of the message at all possible levels. (Blau & Scott, 2003) The barriers within the communication process should be removed as this is known as the “noise” factor in the whole communication matrix. Within an organization, the communication should always be of a formal nature so that there are no problems and grievances for all concerned. In essence, a conflict within an organization can take place due to differing personalities of the employees or in their attitudes that lead in their linkage with each other. This could also happen due to their norms and behaviors which might not be liked by any one party (person) and thus lead to a conflict of thoughts, ideas, actions and eventual behaviors towards each other. There is a degree of power when we speak of the manager in terms of the same over his subordinate or the employee who is working under him in a direct or an indirect capacity. The five sources of power include the coercive power which speaks of the power that the manager has over the employee and the manager can use this power to punish the subordinate/employee and also form as a measure of consequence for the latter. Legitimate power takes into consideration the difference in position or grades between the employee and the manager. (Klein, 1999) The more the difference is, the greater the extent of the power he has over the subordinate/employee and thus can use the conflict to his best advantage. Reward is another form of power which speaks of the ability of the manager to reward a certain employee for his deeds but can lead to serious problems for the employee if there is a conflict between the two and hence the power of reward can take a back seat in this whole equation. Expert power can play a huge role when there is an expertise in either the manager or the employee and the same can form up as a bone of contention between the two where one party (person) would start feeling jealous due to the expertise available and thus lead himself to a conflicting situation with the other one. The last form of power that can take its place in a conflict is that of referent. This power can just wipe away in a conflict since this is the power given to a subordinate by the manager on the level of latter’s liking but as there is a tension situation between the two, this power diminishes off instantly. Hofstede has given a very straight way of finding out the problems that come with the cultural differences which arise in business. The actual leadership related with behaviors are somewhat changed due to the cultural dimensions of Hofstede. In fact what Hofstede has mentioned is with the norms of the business leaders and managers in the present times. (Veiga, 2005) Only if they could control their own selves and try to solve the issues, they would be best served by the employees and workers who are from different cultural backgrounds and regional settings. Cultural dimensions need to be judged from an angle which does not hinder work ethics from personality aspects. It might be possible that the most under-rated individual at the workplace is indeed the most efficient when it comes to getting the job done. It is up to the business leaders and managers to judge talent and help these employees serve in the best interest of the organization. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions state the exact problems related with diversity within business ranks. If these are solved within an organizational setting, then there are all the more chances that the most effective and efficient tasks could be achieved within the organization. (Gibson, 2006) In the same vein, organizational success is possible when there are dedicated efforts made in the different business processes. This is done so as to trigger the sales of the organization and also to make people (the target audience and the potential one) aware of the products/services offered by the organization. Different business processes and more significantly, marketing can bring about positive word of mouth and appreciation from the people who hold importance for the organization. What this does is to make sure that the product goes down well with the target market and that it needs to maintain the very same image and rapport with these people. (Adler, 2001) However this is one Herculean task and needs to be achieved on the part of the company so that its marketing activities outnumber the sales figures of its competitors and not only that but also claim positive vibes within the relevant industry and business circles. In the short run as well as in the long term, this could hold the key for the business’s ultimate success, be it in the form of triggering sales or bringing in more and more secondary audiences towards the primary cadre of the target market. It is a reality that organizations win and lose due to different strategies and policies that they adopt. This means that the long term as well as the short-term basis owes strongly on the part of the leaders that are leading the team within an organization. However there are certain instances where problems do arise and hiccups are created due to mismanagement or lack of leadership qualities. One of the biggest problems that the organizational theories of present day regimes show is that they try to be over complex in nature and attempt at doing many tasks at the same time. What this does is to make sure that there is a lot of trouble with regards to various processes and activities working within the realms of the different strategies and tactics employed by the organization in the first place. In the present day settings, the organizational theories should adopt more and more on the buzzword of simplicity and they should attempt at doing things as and when they come. From the contemporary organizational theories discussion, management is an art and it needs to be practiced in a manner that the company’s different departments work in a cohesive and unified fashion than the other way round. The organizations that are falling way behind their expected marks that they had set for their own selves have started to realize that over-management is not an art rather the same comes to haunt them at some point in time. Furthermore, to be effective within any organization, there is a need to understand what the philosophy, mission and vision of this organization is. If the same are outlined in a proper and adequate manner, next step is to make that happen. Now the basic factor which needs emphasis in the whole ball game of business undertaking is to be effective yet useful at the same time, without making use of the resources in an abundant capacity. This means that resources stand as a problem in the wake of an organization trying to achieve its goal in the way of meeting its objectives. These objectives could both be short term as well as long term – both looking to stabilize the working capital of the organization and its different tenets. (Lewis, 1999) To be effective within a business communication setting of the workers, there is a need to have proper and sound policies when it comes to e-mail communication within them, cross cultural exchange and lastly correct usage of diversification within the construction workers. E-mails that are sent out in an organization need to be written and sent in a manner which could easily be read and understood by the right mix of employees that work within this organization. This means that the language used should be readable and easy to interpret. Any organization would dearly want to have employees who could make out from a variety of different Internet languages. There are definitely some guidelines attached with the smooth interaction and transfer of cross-cultural issues within the workers but they are hard to come by and even harder to implement at the construction sites, more so if the workers are not that comfortable with the same. Broadly speaking, cross cultural awareness is increased within the companies and its people through effective managers who can bridge the gap between them culturally and socially. It is adopted through extremely viable work styles, cultures and practices within the construction workers’ sites. Productive relationships between employees result in a better understanding of the business in general and amongst the cross-cultural factions in general. (Schneider & Barsoux, 1997) A successful communication system is achieved by training and assistance for the employees within their respective work places. Be a company in Calcutta, Brisbane or Hong Kong, it is necessary for the company owners to understand the need for a solid platform for all people within it, the ones interacting with it and all the rest to talk freely and express the ideas and share the thoughts which are so very necessary for the development of ties among different branch outlets of a company and more than that, the people within them. (Cohen, 1997) There is a need for a code-breaker within the business, which understands what the other person is saying and what he is trying to pass through his judgments, more so for the betterment of the company, in any capacity and in area of the world. Organizational diversity within the workers’ settings means what kind of organizational working an organization usually has within its folds. This could be in the form of a centralized fashion or a company which has a decentralized approach as far as its working methodologies are concerned. The centralized diversity of an organization understands the fact that the supreme basis of instructions and commands rests with only one single party and all the other staff members encircle this post of authority. It might also be true that an organization has different departments and within those different units, there is either the provision of centralized or decentralized approach. The decentralized form of diversity takes its basis from the rationale that more the number of staff members within the organization, more distributed are the chain of command and authority within them. This means that there is little check and balance mechanism on their part and they are their own bosses. The organizational diversity thus stems from the ideology that the more complex the working systems of the organization, the more likely there would be problems within the whole organization and thus check and control would be less minimized. Coming to the issue of diverse workforce within the multicultural team of an organization where communication is a problem, one must understand that there should be a common ground on which all these people – the workforce understands the organization’s philosophies and principles. This will enable them to easily comprehend what is being said on an organizational level and what the different management hierarchies are thinking. This is possible by implementing e-mail programs which are tailored to the needs of the respective construction workers who are good at understanding one language or the other. (Trompenaars & Turner, 2002) Similarly this holds true for the employees who have problems in communication with the masses within the organization and for this anomaly it is best to devise ways and means which help them at conversing with each other. Nonverbal communication within employees is another strong element which is used more and more in a setting that comprises of diverse workforce. However there is a need to properly devise the nonverbal signs and symbols and to align the same from a perspective which is free from racial or gender bias and is in line with the societal norms and ethical behaviors. (Hofstede, 2001) After the same has been devised, there is a need to send it to all the employees so that they get at the same level as far as the understanding of the rules and nonverbal communication symbols are concerned. When this process has taken place, one could easily witness communication to ease up within the organization which consists of a diverse workforce amongst the employees. One should believe that the cultural and ethnic backgrounds of employees need not come in the way of effectiveness and productivity levels of the workers and staff and thus nonverbal and verbal communication mechanisms would mean success at the end of the day. Thus the organizations need to realize their due roles in the related setting and tailor their communication mechanisms in line with the very same. Essentially, workplace works wonders for employees who call the work place their home and stay within the realms of the same for as long as they could. These workers like to engage in jobs which ask of them to stay back till the late hours of the night. More than that, they are the first ones to get to the job each day. Then there are the employees who do not enjoy the work-oriented environment which the site presents. These workers rely more on getting the job done and leaving at the designated times. Everyone has his own personal preferences and justifications are provided to suggest that the work at the end of the day was completed without any hiccups, no matter how interested or disinterested the employee indeed was during that very day. The emphasis is on understanding the aspect of emotional intelligence which could work wonders for the employees and thus leave a lasting impression on their individual performances. The complaints which are made within an organization could range from top to bottom, bottom to top or amongst peers. What this means is the fact that at a certain point in time, grudges do arise between employees and they complain about the lack of camaraderie between them. At times, there are complaints of the bosses being too harsh, however the same are backed up with no names at the ends of the complaints to suggest anonymity. (Lasserre, 2003) The top management has a complaint against the subordinates that they are always lazy and dissatisfied with work, no matter how organized and productive they are at the end of the day. There seems to be a market going on of complaints shooting from one corner to another. Thus the aspect of emotionally stable individuals within the workplace environment suggests that they understand the task at hand that needs to be completed rather than remaining susceptible to emotionally charged provocations, grudges and hatred creeping in within the realms of the workplace. At other times, the top management takes notice of these problems which arise in the wake of a lack of generally low level of emotionally stable environment but the shortcomings are not plugged immediately and there is a lot to be desired of the same. The best practices are surely coming from the domains of the generally accepted norms within the relevant industry and the same need to be followed in line with the organizational communication settings and requirements. The fabric of these best practices would ensure that the organizations are able to deliver when it matters the most and thus not give into pressure at any moment in time. Bibliography ADLER, Nancy. (2001). International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior BEAMER, Linda. (2000). Finding a Way to Teach Cultural Dimensions. Business Communication Quarterly, Vol. 63 BECKER, Kip. (1999). Culture and International Business. Routledge BLAU, Peter M. & Scott, W. Richard. (2003). Formal Organizations: A Comparative Approach. Stanford Business Books COHEN, Raymond. (1997). Negotiating across Cultures: International Communication in an Independent World. Washington D.C. United States Institute of Peace Press GIBSON, Cristina B. (2006). 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