Managing Cultural Diversity in Organizations and Society - Research Paper Example

Managing Cultural Diversity in Organizations and Society 1. Introduction The advent of computers has enabled man to break the geographical barriers. It is due to technology that the world has become a global village. In the past, people would work in their local regions and would not be exposed to the global happenings to a great extent. However, in the current times people tend to work in far off places and live amongst people from different cultures. Companies have also expanded their business to international regions which also creates cultural differences in a workplace. 2. Managing Cultural Diversity Workplaces that consist of individuals from the same origin tend to differ from the workplaces where cultural diversity is found. Australian Multicultural Foundation (2010) defined diversity as the differences among people that have to be considered in different situations or decision making in a workplace. Bit by byte (2006) stated that some of the differences that might exist in individuals would be difference in thinking styles, values etc. Cultural diversity can be defined as the differences in individuals with respect to their differing cultures. The differences that might exist between people from different cultures can be due to the difference in origins, customs, values, language and lifestyles. Almost all countries have become victims of cultural diversity; the following figure shows the degree of diversity that is present in Western Australia with respect to religion: Figure 1: Breakdown of cultural diversity w.r.t religion in Western Australia (Office of Multicultural Interests 2009) It is very important to manage cultural diversity in the workplaces since it poses great threats to the progress of the company. Bijan International (2009) pointed out some expenses for the company in case cultural diversity is not managed effectively: Law suits due to discrimination Negative image within the society that might cost the loss of some customers High turnover rate of staff members 2.1 Every Suggestion is Valuable One of the common things that are witnessed in a workplace is that people tend to favour the opinion of the people who they can relate with. The feeling of association might be a result of similar origins, languages, values etc. According to a presentation on Slide Share.net (2010); this behaviour tends to demoralize the employees to a great extent and make them feel like they are not an important part of the team. Overby (2009) explained that the management should ensure that there is no biasness in the aspect of valuing opinions of employees and everyone’s ideas should be considered with an open mind without any pre-conceived ideas. Guidroz, Kotrba and Denison (2009) stated that it should be understood that people from different cultures may have been brought up with different values and customs due to which they cannot be expected to think in the same manner as the local people in the region. All the employees should be given equal chances of participation in discussions and their suggestions should be regarded equally important rather than favouring some over the others. 2.2 Respect for Other’s Differences Another important requirement in the management of a culturally diverse environment is to respect the differences among individuals, for example Texas Workforce (2010) pointed out that gender tends to define the cultural dynamics in some regions of the world. These gender differences might be due to their religious beliefs or implications of their societies. In some cultures, women are expected to keep very formal business relations with their colleagues whereas in the other regions it might not be a matter of discussion. All religious holidays should be celebrated with the same respect and regard for example if Christmas is considered to be a holiday in the company then Hanukkah and Diwali should also be given off to the people who are Jews and Hindus, respectively. According to Tyler (2007); the realization and thus acceptance of the cultural differences will cause a significant reduction in misunderstandings and grudges among the colleagues. If the management starts having a positive attitude towards the differences among people then the employees will also be encouraged to feel and thus act the same way. Labbe (2009) included a valuable example in his article about the management of cultural diversity; Tabra Corporation is a small manufacturer of jewellery in California. This firm has a diverse range of nationals in its workforce, namely; Cambodians, Chinese, Indians, Mexicans, and Ethiopians etc. The management was also faced with the matter of managing cultural diversity in their workforce. One of the strategies that they followed to appreciate the different nationals in their company was to hang their flags from the roof in their main production plant. This shows the company’s level of acceptance and appreciation of the different cultures that are present in their company. Such actions induce the spirit of giving equal importance to all kinds of people and their origins. These kinds of displays are the stepping stones for a successful organization and an amiable working environment. 2.3 Communicating the Value of Diversity According to Munn (2006); the value of a diverse workplace should be communicated to all the people in the company so that they work towards the acceptance of this diversity. Kovač and Wischenbart (2009) stated that there are many advantages of having an environment that consists of people from around the world thereby providing an innovative and creative aspect to handling of things and strategies. Hewitt Associates (2008) explained that if the management realizes the true benefits of a culturally diverse workplace then the commitment level towards the acceptance and thus incorporation in the company’s strategy will be much higher. The management should portray full support and appreciation for cultural diversity in the workplace so that the employees also realize the need for such behavior. The commitment of the management towards this cause should be communicated for all levels of the organization to earn a respectable position for all culturally different employees, irrespective of their position in the hierarchy. This act will ensure respectable behavior for even the lower level staff like cleaners and gate-keepers. 2.4 Overcome the Communication Barriers Culturally diverse people may not be fluent in the local language of the region where the workplace is present. Even if language barriers are not present, some communication barriers might exist such as talking slowly or too quickly, using regional slang language that might be incomprehensible for the other person etc. Sexton (2007) also pointed out that some gestures might mean different things in different regions and cultures of the world due to which confusion and misunderstanding might be created among individuals for example the nod of the head means ‘no’ in Bulgarian and Greek cultures and it refers to ‘yes’ in many other cultures of the world. Kottolli (2006) explained that the management should acknowledge these differences that might become apparent in communication. Management should induce positivity and acceptability with respect to the differences and motivate the employees to overcome these barriers by communicating on a personal, informal level. Informal discussions tend to make one realize that the culturally different colleague is a human after all who has the same basic needs and wants from life. Informal interaction tends to break the ice between individuals from different origins. Such communication will serve to act in place of the cafeteria, water-cooler talk that colleagues tend to have in their regular days. Means of informal communication can be instant messenger, video chats, gaming networks etc. 2.5 Inclusion in Diversity Management An effective diversity management approach is to involve the employees in the process of removing cultural barriers. The responsibility of developing a culturally diverse workplace should be designated to the employees to a certain extent so that they play their role in the process and work towards an amiable environment. Suggestions and ideas should be taken from the employees’ side so that they feel a part of the diversity management endeavours. Nicholson (2009) explained that similar endeavour was witnessed at IBM; a wide set of employees were asked for their suggestions to make the company a successful multicultural establishment. These suggestions were then passed on to the concerned authorities for appropriate actions and implementations. A general perception is that people do not make an effort unless it is designated to them therefore it is a good approach for the management to involve the employees themselves rather than waiting for them to do it. 2.6 Biographical Characteristics Nowadays, younger professionals are preferred as they are more energetic and innovative in their work. The modern views reflect the notion that younger employees tend to possess risk taking attitudes that earns the companies greater revenues and market shares. However, some cultures are well aware of the benefits of hiring older employees; they tend to perform their tasks with more wisdom, experienced strategies and quality. Risk taking is not always a good thing as people tend to suffer by taking uncalculated risks therefore older employees still find their places in offices around the world. Another biographical characteristic that plays a role in the environment of a workplace is religion; religious differences among individuals might cause differences in clothing, views, scheduling etc. People tend to be sensitive about this aspect of their identity therefore it should be handled with wisdom. These differences should be appreciated rather than aggravated about so that a healthy and amiable working environment can be developed. Gender plays a role in the difference of performance among individuals. In some cultures, women are considered to be more responsible for the upbringing of their family and housekeeping therefore they might be faced with occasional distractions concerned with their home and children more than the men. As stated earlier, race and ethnicity of the individual plays a role in the difference of behavior in a workplace. People of some specific race might be equipped with more etiquette and ethics than the others for example it is very common in the Western culture to say the magic words of ‘Thank you’, ‘Please’. This culture is not found in South Asian cultures to a great extent. The tenure of one’s job affects the performance of an individual in the workplace for example a senior employee will be more loyal to the company and will be less likely to switch to another company. An employee who stays with the company for a longer period of time is considered no less than an asset for the company since all the training and investment on the individual has been made beneficial for the company. 3. Conclusion Multicultural workplaces can be shaped into a beneficial factor for the company if managed effectively. The major factor that needs to be considered in the management of diversity in the workplace is to ensure that all the employees feel like an important part of the organization. If the employees understand the importance of accepting and respecting the differences among the employees then half the battle is already won. Hand gestures and other communication barriers should be aimed to be overcome so that effective communication can take place between the employees. Employees should be involved in the practices to manage diversity; this strategy makes them feel responsible for developing an amiable and cordial environment that is free from biasness. Personal, informal communication makes individuals realize that even the culturally different people are humans with basic needs and problems; they might have different ideas and values but that does not imply that they are not hard working or competent. Everyone should be given a chance to prove themselves on the basis of their loyalty, hard work and capabilities. Table of Contents 1. Introduction 1 2. Managing Cultural Diversity 1 2.1 Every Suggestion is Valuable 2 2.2 Respect for Other’s Differences 3 2.3 Communicating the Value of Diversity 4 2.4 Overcome the Communication Barriers 5 2.5 Inclusion in Diversity Management 6 2.6 Biographical Characteristics 7 3. Conclusion 8 4. References 10 5. List of Figures iii List of Figures Figure 1: Breakdown of cultural diversity w.r.t religion in Western Australia…………………2 References Australian Multicultural Foundation 2010, Managing Cultural Diversity, viewed 26 November 2010, Bijan International 2009, Managing Cultural Diversity in the Workplace, viewed 26 November 2010, Bit by byte 2006, ‘IT firms make rural plans’, India Together 27 Dec, viewed 27 November 2010, Guidroz, AM, Kotrba, LM, Denison, DR 2009, ‘Workplace Diversity: Is National or Organizational Culture Predominant?’, Linkage Hewitt Associates 2008, Beyond Best Practices: New Strategies for Diversity Breakthroughs, viewed 25 November 2010, Kovač, M., Wischenbart, R 2009, Diversity Report 2009, viewed 25 November 2010, Kottolli, A 2006, Managing Diversity for High Performance, viewed 27 November 2010, Labbe, G 2009, ‘Globalization and the Utilization of a Culturally Diverse Workforce and its Effect on Cross-Functional Work Teams’, Journal of Team Dynamics Munn, A 2006, Seven Success Factors for Managing Diversity, Diversity Working.com, viewed 26 November 2010, Nicholson, K 2009, ‘Cultural Diversity- IBM Style’, HR Leader, viewed 25 November 2010, Overby, S 2009, ‘Best Practices for Managing Globally’, CIO, viewed 25 November 2010, Office of Multicultural Interests 2009, Western Australian Diversity Statistics, viewed 27 November 2010, Sexton, T 2007, ‘Understand and deal with cultural difference’, In The Black, Sep Issue 2007 Slide share.net, 2010, Diversity management as a key factor for business success, viewed 27 November 2010, Texas Workforce 2010, Workforce Diversity Issues: The Role of Cultural Differences in Workplaces Investigations, viewed 24 November 2010, Tyler, K 2007, ‘Cross Cultural Connections’, HR Magazine, Vol. 52, No. 10 Read More