The Individual at Work - Essay Example

?The Individual at Work Part Work-related Stress Workplace stress is mental pressure which can diminish one’s bodily energy and can have effects which are long-lasting. There, the implications are both physical and psychological. Many people, when faced with workplace stress, attempt to resolve the issues themselves (Carayon 1999). The National Mental Health Association, according to a survey, stated that a large number of stressed people are so depressed that they cannot function at work on a day to day basis. Workplace stress may be caused by overwork and insane hours, which organizations currently demand of their employees due to the economic climate. While it is understandable that many employees are suffering increasing stress because of the demands put on them by their employers, this kind of stress is not helpful to the employees and is the cause of a great deal of workplace stress. As noted above, workplace stress affects employees at all levels – cognitively, physically, emotionally, and behaviorally. The physical affects includes speech difficulties, headaches, ulcers, infertility, fatigue, sudden weight loss and gain, high and low blood pressure and gastric problems. The emotional affects includes irritability, depression, insomnia, jealousy, lack of interest and hostility. (Mcnally 2003). The cognitive and perceptual symptoms include forgetfulness, lack of concentration, reduced creativity, disorientation, attention deficit disorder, decreased self-esteem, and blurred vision (Johansen 2002). Good mental health means that the individual can withstand the stressful aspects related with their work regimes (Cooper 2002). Problems with Managing Diversity at Work The problem with workplace diversity is that people function in different ways, depending upon the culture in which they are brought up. Hofstede (1984) has provided a theory on how to characterize these differences, and his theory is known as Hofestede’s cultural dimensions (Steenkamp, 1999, p. 59). Recognizing that culture is important when considering any kinds of relationships, Hofstede found that there are different dimensions of culture that must be taken into account. One is the dichotomy of individualism verses collectivism. In individualistic cultures, individual concerns are put ahead of group concerns; in collectivist countries, this is just the opposite (Steenkamp, 1999, p. 59). Another dimension is power distance. This is the extent that hierarchies are respected and unquestioned. In a country that has a large power distance, hierarchies are put into place and people do not question them. This means that the inequalities in society are just as accepted by followers as the leaders (ITIM Intl., 2004, p. 2). Smaller power distance countries are the opposite. The power distance is bred in families (Hofstede & McCrae, 2004, p. 62). Uncertainty avoidance is another aspect of culture. This is the level that the culture accepts differences and uncertainties. (Hofstede, 1984, p. 84). Masculinity and femininity are other cultural dimensions. For Hofstede, countries that are masculine are dominated by men. Countries that strive for more equality between the sexes, are, for Hofstede, known as feminine countries (Hofstede, 1984, p. 85). 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 cohesive manner (Cappelli 1999). These cultural dimensions come into play in the workforce, as everybody has a different cultural background, so employers must be sensitive to this. To ignore an employee’s cultural background can cause problems in the workplace. Part 2: Counseling with Work-related Stress Counseling works to good effects within the stress domains, particularly when the same takes place in a work related setting. It helps the employees to properly differentiate between the correct modes and the wrong modes that they have been making in the past within their work routines and chores. Stress issues, if properly addressed and counseled, could mean that the employees can turn into productive individuals within their workplace domains, as they would be able to have better appraisals and self-assessments than before the counseling. There would be incremental changes which would start looking better with each passing day (Brewington 2000). Work-related stress is such an epidemic that it can only bring destruction for the employees. However, if it is handled in a proper manner, there could be serious positive ramifications. Counseling would help the organization succeed as a whole as it helps the employees within their work performance levels. Stress is a killer, but it should always be dealt with in a proper manner. Stress is an epidemic because it slowly hurts the basis of employees in a very negative fashion (Flanagan 1990). Counseling can help reduce workplace pressure by letting the employees know that their task are worth the shot, and in the end, the same will help them to grow exponentially. They must be apprised of their hard work and the rewards that they get. Counseling can help the employees realize this, which can help the employees know that the employer values them as hard-working and committed employees and workers (Harmon 2003). The counseling may also help the employees balance their work commitments with their physical and mental needs, as a 100 percent commitment can only be made possible when there is zest and enthusiasm from within, and not when a person is made to do one thing or the other by force or against his wishes. The reason why one should believe this approach will work is because in the initial sense, it will build a strong rapport between the firm and its employees, and also it will convey a strong message that the organization does not compromise on the needs of the employees who are working for it day in day out just for having that extra bit of work completed by them (Bergman 2003). Counseling may also help employees help themselves to reduce the stress by undertaking such lifestyle changes are exercising regularly, eating a balanced diet, getting plenty of sleep, seeking help through their social network, and enjoying quality family time(Linton 2000). In order to control the prevalence of these mental disorders, one needs to put workplace stress on hold at all times and work till the levels he can best afford to have (Sacks 2001). The organizations should also understand their due roles within the midst of things and try to relax the employees more often than not. The most important thing is to understand that there should be a balance or homeostasis in everyone’s life. To conclude with the discussion, it is significant to outline the fact that there is a dire need for having a balance between the professional life and the personal life of a human being as he has to give in his best on both the fronts so as to have a worthy lifetime. A balance is must between the family commitments and professional duties so that the end result is one which is both satisfying for the individual himself and the family and work colleagues that he is attached with (Hodge 1995). If a person neglects any aspect of his personal or professional life, then he is sure to get the problems attached with the missing aspect of these lives and there would surely be repercussions in the wake of the very same (Schultz 2003). There could be problems in the form of distressing situations at work, the boss getting unhappy for all the wrong reasons, the colleagues feeling agitated with this person’s behavior and so on and so forth. Counseling with Problems in Managing Diversity at Work Counseling helps in understanding how problems are managed with regards to diversity issues at work. This is important, because counseling helps achieve many difficult tasks in an easy going way. It establishes the link which exists between people who are not ready to work with one another, as well as amongst those who have no know-how about others at all. Counseling helps in making employees understand that they can work with different people who come from distinctive backgrounds (Brendel 2003). It helps them see that diversity is something positive for any organization, and thus it should be dealt with a positive mindset on the part of the employees. Also, diversity turns problems into possible areas of growth and development because diversity makes people realize that they need to give room to others, whilst allowing themselves to expand their horizons all this while. There is a dire need to embed the problems with the areas of strength so that success could be derived in the end. The problems in managing diversity at work can always be taken care of when the counseling regimes are incorporated in a better way (Thompson 2003). These comprise of the manner in which the workforce gets assembled within the global business enterprises of today (Pitts 2005). A diverse workplace offers reasons for happiness – nearly everyone can see him/her to be a part of the biggest organizations that the world has seen. However these require proper training and experience before one can move up the ladder, and counseling can help with this (Buttner 2006). The workplace becomes an easy catch for the different sets of people. They raise their hopes in line with the changing demands of the business. They emphasize confidence and they receive the same in a very symbiotic way. This relationship keeps on getting manifested with each passing day (Stretch 2006). The advantages and benefits are there for the taking and that too for everyone around. The workplace starts becoming a strong source of contentment and satisfaction (Hengelbrock 2006). The diverse workforce basis starts getting its true basis with the help of one and all. The top management is the most important savior for such diverse workforce employees. It enacts policies which will make the task easier, as far as the employees are concerned (Hayes 2005). 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 (Ward 2004). A culturally diverse workforce looks to settle the different employees within the related settings. What this means is the fact that the business offices located in different areas of the city have culturally diverse employees, who are better adept at understanding the local languages, cultures and working environments. These employees comprehend the real meaning behind being local in a globally changing business scene (Cross 2000). Diversity management comes about in an easy and free flowing way if the culturally diverse workforce co-operates with the management regimes and tries its best to manifest its message through solid inputs (Knight 2007). By that one could mean that the culturally diverse workforce needs to show their peculiar strengths time and time again so that the issues which resurface in the wake of human resources regimes are tackled in a pretty sound and cohesive fashion. The problems must be settled at the managerial level and should involve the respective employees and their managers only (Claire 2007). That said, there are specific ways that counseling can help employees adapt to cross-cultural differences so that the optimal workplace may be achieved and problems may be resolved. The employees should attend sensitivity training with the workplace counselors, and this training can emphasize cultural differences, so that the employees may know and understand what the differences are between other cultures and their own. The use of videotapes can help with this (Kasambira, 2009). There are two aspects of culture that are relevant in this analysis – cultural awareness and cultural knowledge. Cultural knowledge refers to the knowledge of the cultural characteristics, beliefs, values and behaviors of the given culture (Adams, 1995). This is an aspect that can be learned through a book, or by doing research on the Internet or watching a movie about the target country. Cultural awareness, on the other hand, is a grasp of the nuances of the target culture. This is something that can really only be learned by immersing oneself in the target country. It envelopes recognizing biases, prejudices, social roles, assumptions, and how individuals reason in the target culture and other subtleties that can only be learned with time in the given country (Campinha-Bacote, 2002, p. 181). Cultural knowledge is something that can be easily taught by the workplace counselors, while cultural awareness may be more difficult. However, it would be beneficial for the counselor to emphasize both cultural knowledge and awareness, in order for the employees to get a good grasp on different cultures and how these individuals may react to situations, based upon how they are brought up in their culture. It would therefore be helpful for the employees to learn about other cultures, such as learning about social roles. As an example of the importance of learning social roles, as stated above, there are two types of cultures in the world, collectivistic and individualistic. These cultures differ is their approach to losing or gaining face (Ardchivilli et al., 2006, p. 97). Members of individualistic cultures lean towards gaining face, with means that they are likely to show to other members of the culture their depth of knowledge. So, in a workplace setting, if a person from an individualistic culture is in a group or in a meeting, that person would be more likely to raise their hand in response to a question. On the hand, members of a collectivist culture are more likely to use informal means of displaying knowledge, such as asking questions to the group leader or meeting leader outside of the meeting or using informal peer or fellow employee groups. This is both because the members of collectivist cultures do not want to come off as bragging, and because members of collectivist cultures do not want to risk losing face (Ardchivilli et al., 2006, p. 97). As another example is the way that individuals from different countries reason. Research has shown that the Chinese reason in a holistic and relational way, whereas Western cultures reason in an analytical way (Ji et al., 2004, p. 57). So, in a study conducted, Chinese individuals, when presented with pictures of a man, woman and child stated that the woman and the child go together, because the woman and child have a functional relationship – mother and daughter. However, in Western cultures, they grouped the man and woman together because they were both adults, when showed a preference for a taxonomic grouping (Ji et al., 2004, p. 58). These are just two examples of cultural differences which may be helpful for employees to realize and know, and counseling may help employees learn these differences, so that the employees and employers might have more patience and understanding when dealing with employees from a different cultural background. The danger of such cultural teaching, however, is that these cultural labels and so forth presume a stereotype, and belies the notion that culture is heterogenous (Kramsch, 2007, p. 6). For instance, even within a collectivist country, there are members who are individualistic, and vice-versa (Blanchard & Frasson, 2005). Another criticism is that the cultural analysis theories are outdated, and do not take into account the global nature of culture, which presumes that cultures are fluid and amorphous (Wurtz, 2005, p. 4). However, Blanchard & Frasson state that these cultural theories are useful, as they indicate a cultural tendency, not necessarily that every member of the given culture will behave in the same way (Blanchard & Frasson, 2005). Likewise, Wurtz (2005) believes that these cultural theories are useful because prevailing norms are still present throughout cultures, therefore the parameters of the cultural theories should not be abandoned (Wurtz, 2005, p. 4). Conclusion It would be sound to state that counseling helps resolve a lot of problems within the workplace domains. Both stress and diversity related issues are taken care of by counseling, which suggests that its role should be expanded over a period of time. The role of the human resources management department in incorporating counseling as a part of the organizational philosophy is an important one undoubtedly (Blocher 2000). Without any confusions coming to the fore, one can easily decipher the true meaning of counseling being the facilitator amongst the employees and the management in the long run. Counseling brings together the areas of strength in close harmony with one another, and in the time and age of today it makes people realize what kind of shortcomings exist within their folds, and what more could be derived from their realms in essence. It would be sound to suggest that counseling is indeed the vital link that the human resources management domains have within their own selves as they can fix problems as and when they come, whilst allowing the individuals to let them grow and develop with the changing times. As far as counseling for diversity, it is important that the counseling emphasizes the cultural differences between employees and employers. As Hofstede noted, cultural differences reside among different dimensions, so cultural diversity training should emphasize these dimensions. If employees and employers know the differences between the cultures, then the individuals in the organization can better adapt to one another. For instance, if employees know that the Chinese individuals act differently then the Americans, and why this is, then this kind of understanding can help breed better employee relations. This goes the same for the Chinese individual who see the American acting differently and why. Counseling can help bridge these differences, and counselors can conduct this diversity training by using videotapes and peer groups to help this along. Bibliography Blanchard, E., Frasson, C. 2005. “Making Intelligent Tutoring Systems Culturally Aware: The Use of Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions,” [On-Line]. Available at: citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.127.9052 ITIM International (2004) “Geert Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions.” Available at: http://www.taylortraining.com/clients/mcc/Hofstede_Cultural_Dimension_Explained%28external%29.pdf Hofstede, G. (1984) “Cultural Dimensions In Management and Planning.” Asia Pacific Journal of Management. Available at: http://folders.nottingham.edu.cn/staff/zalzae1/IA/articles/Hofstede1984.pdf Hofstede, G. & McRae, R. (2004) “Personality and Culture Revisited.” Cross Cultural Research 38.1: 52-88. McSweeney, B. (2002) “Hofstede’s Model of National Cultural Differences and Their Consequences.” Human Relations 55.1: 89-118. Steenkamp, J., Hofstede, F. & Wedel, M. (1999) “A Cross-National Investigation of International and Cultural Antecedents of Consumer Innovativeness.” Journal of Marketing 63: 55-69. Ardichvilli, A., Maurer, M., Wei, L., Wentling, T. & Stuedemann. 2006. “Cultural Influences on Knowledge Sharing Through On-Line Communities of Practice,” Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 10, no.1, pp. 94-107. Blanchard, E., Razaki, R., & Frasson, C. 2005. “Cross-Cultural Adaptation of Learning Contents: A Methodology,” [On-Line]. Available at: citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.83.6269 Wurtz, E. 2005. “A Cross-Cultural Analysis of Websites from High-Context Cultures and Low-Context Cultures.” Journal of Computer-Medicated Communication, vol. 11, no. 13, pp. 1-37. Ji, L., Zhang, Z. & Nisbett, R. 2004. Is it culture or is it language? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87(1), 57-65. Kramsch, C. 1996. The cultural component of language teaching. Accessed online. Available at: https://www.ned.univie.ac.at/Data/4/462/les03-tekst1z2.pdf Read More