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Resolving Conflicts in the Workplace - How can employers and human resource managers manage cultural differences in an international company?
Resolving Conflicts in The Workplace - How can employers and human resource managers manage cultural differences in an international company. "Diversity is being invited to the party. Inclusion is being asked to dance." - Verna Myers, author of Moving Diversity Forward: How to Go from Well-Meaning to Well-Doing Patricia, the Marketing Manager of ABC Corporation (located in the USA), has convened a meeting with her team – John, Camila and Alessandro, at 5 pm. John and Camila arrive five minutes earlier. Patricia soon comes and greets John and Camila. By utilizing her limited Spanish skills, Patricia engages in an informal conversation with Camila. She asks Camila about her newborn daughter. Camila is uncomfortable and gives her a hesitant smile. Patricia begins the meeting at 5:00 pm but is constantly distracted by Camila clicking away on her phone keyboard. Alessandro unapologetically enters the room at 5:25 pm. John is annoyed at Alessandro's tardiness and decides to take up the matter with Patricia later. As the clock strikes 5:30 pm, John takes permission from Patricia to leave as he has another meeting at 5:35 pm. Alessandro feels disrespected as John departs from the room. Later in the evening, John and Alessandro approach Patricia individually to express their concerns regarding their co-worker's behaviour. Camila complains to the HR manager – Tanya, about her manager's inappropriate behaviour with her. When Tanya meets Patricia to discuss the issue, Patricia, who is already stressed about her team, loses her calm and accuses Camila of disrespecting her. Tanya senses that since emotions are running high, it would be best to shelve this conversation for today and start afresh tomorrow. To gauge the situation better, Tanya meets Camila, Patricia, John and Alessandro individually.
When you read the above case, you might identify that the characters come from different backgrounds, ethnicities, speak diverse languages, have different perspectives. Thus, each has a unique cultural lens through which they view the world around them. Your next instinct might be to checkbox the company as a 'diverse organization' since it has Americans, Italians and Latinos. Multiple pieces of research have proved that having a diverse workforce gives the organization a competitive edge over others and leads to creativity and innovation. But why is ABC Corporation - a diverse organization - having cultural conflict? Herein lies the difference between diversity and inclusion. Verna Meyers demarcates the two terms; diversity is synonymous with 'counting' while inclusion means ‘cultivating’. In this case, there is an American (John), an Italian (Alessandro) and a Latina (Camila) on the team, thus making it a diverse group. Myers points out that 'inclusion' constitutes 'cultivating' where each team member has to be intentional and involved and contribute towards building a truly inclusive culture where people from every background can feel a sense of belonging. Let us explore some of the reasons why people exhibit certain behaviours. Unconscious Bias – We all have unconscious bias. In simple terms, biases are the assumptions we unconsciously hold that our brain uses as a shortcut to reach conclusions. More often than not, these assumptions make us say the wrong thing even though we do not intend to. Patricia assumes that Camila is bilingual and understands the Spanish language because she is a Latina. This is not the case because Camila is a third-generation Latina who has been born and brought up in the USA. She only speaks English fluently and hence was uncomfortable when Patricia assumed she spoke Spanish.
Pre-existing frame of reference – Based on past experiences, people decide what constitutes as acceptable and respectable behaviour.
Patricia feels disrespected by Camila because she thinks instead of paying attention to the meeting, Camila is texting on her phone. While in reality, Camila is taking notes on her phone. This is an example of a generational culture gap. Camila belongs to the Gen Z category, so her perspective on acceptable workplace practices is different from Patricia's, who is a millennial. In Camila's past experiences, maybe this practice was acceptable and was never objected to by her superiors. Social intelligence – Being socially intelligent means recognizing the impact one's own words and behaviour have on others. Does Alessandro realize the impact he has on the team when he arrives late for the meeting? Or does John recognize how it affects his co-workers when he leaves the meeting unfinished? The primary reason behind this ethnic-cultural gap is the perception of time in different cultures. As John is from the USA, he perceives time as linear. This means that his schedules are structured, he has a task-oriented mindset and believes that "time is money". On the other hand, Alessandro - an Italian, has a multi-active concept of time. He values personal interactions over rigid schedules, and thus finishing conversation is more important for him than sticking to schedules. He does not try to control time and goes with the flow. In a nutshell, cultures that have a multi-active view of time value people over time.
Let us take a step back to evaluate how all the employees, including Patricia, are affected by the series of events that unfolded. The occurrences will take a hit on their productivity, morale and lead to distrust among each other. All their concerns must be addressed delicately to ensure trust and belonging among team members. There is no blueprint for how companies should handle culturally tense situations because no one size fits all. Keeping this in mind, elaborated below is a suggestive framework model in reference to the earlier story that can be used to help resolve cultural conflict. 1. Gauge readiness - Before beginning a sensitive conversation, it is essential to gauge if the person has the capacity to absorb it. Tanya does not engage in conversation with Patricia because the latter's emotions are at an all-time high. Both parties need to be in a composed frame of mind to discuss the matter at hand. Thus Tanya suggests talking the next day. 2. Listen to Empathize – The first step is to listen to the person with an open mind. This is what Tanya is doing when she meets all the stakeholders of the team individually. It is important not to question their experience but rather understand where they are coming from. 3. Educate and provide perspective – Once Tanya has listened to their concerns, she could explain the situation from the other party's perspective.
While speaking to John, Tanya said, "I spoke to Alessandro regarding this, and he had no idea that you felt disrespected because he came in late. He was attending another meeting with the sales team, and the discussion took longer than expected. He found it appropriate to complete his conversation with them before starting one with the marketing team. He never intended to disrespect you." John did not say anything. Tanya continued, "The business practices he has been accustomed to in Italy do not follow time so strictly. They value people over time, so Alessandro was hurt by your behaviour when you left the meeting halfway. He felt disrespected as a person." John said, "I'm so sorry Tanya, I had no idea. Please tell me how I can make this misunderstanding go away." 1. Reconciliation – Once both parties have gained a better perspective on the situation, it is time to reconcile their differences. They can choose whether they would like to have a neutral, objective third mediation party present. John and Alessandro felt more comfortable if Tanya was present as well. After a moment of silence, John said, "Alessandro, I am truly sorry for my behaviour. I should have been more perceptive of my actions." Alessandro replied, "I should apologize as well. The truth is I am still getting accustomed to the American workplace culture, and it can be a little intimidating." John responded, "I can help you navigate in this new environment, and maybe we Americans can meet you halfway." Agreeing with John, Tanya said, "Yes, we could relax the arrival and departure times by five minutes." Both the men nodded in agreement.
Camila and Patricia decided to speak privately. Patricia began, "Thank you for meeting with me, Camila. I want to apologize to you for assuming you understood Spanish just because you belong to the Latino community." Camila meekly said, "A lot of people assume that about me. Frankly, this is a bitter topic for me as it is one of the reasons why I have an identity crisis. How can I proudly call myself a Latina without knowing Spanish?" Patricia said, "Camila, I researched about your community, and I realized that being a Latina has little to do with knowing Spanish. The language is only a small part of the identity, not the identity itself. So you should not blame yourself for something you cannot control." Camila said, "Thank you for saying that; it means a lot to me." She took a brief pause and continued, "I owe you an apology as well for using my phone during the meeting. I see how it may have come off as disrespectful to you and my co-workers." Patricia smiled, "It is alright, Camila. Maybe we can stick to the "old" way of taking down notes on paper." Camila laughed and agreed. The above scenario was resolved, but it begs the question – what is lacking in ABC Corporation that led to these events? If employees do not feel seen and heard at their organization, they might look for other alternatives. To prevent this, companies should take proactive steps. 1. Psychological safety – A psychologically safe environment means that employees are not afraid to reach out at the earliest and feel safe engaging in a difficult conversation. This will enable organizations to identify and resolve potential conflicts. 2. Diversity Training – This can better equip employees with the skills they require for interacting with people from different cultures and create a genuinely inclusive environment. 3. Self – understanding – Before getting to know others, one should be aware of their own culture, the values they hold, their sense of identity and how these factors affect their worldview.
4. Acknowledging Bias – It is important to reiterate that we all have biases. Most of us are in denial about it because we like to think of ourselves as "good people." The turning point is when we acknowledge our bias. Once we acknowledge it, we become aware of it and are better prepared to tackle it. It enables one to suspend their judgement and think twice before saying or doing something. 5. The Platinum rule – The golden rule tells us to treat people the way we would want to be treated. Verna Myers talks about the thought-provoking platinum rule – "Treat people the way they want to be treated." This requires us to see things from others' lenses as well. A simple example of this is, say for instance, Patricia has a fourth member on her team who is a Muslim. Patricia gives everyone the week off for Christmas, but what about the colleague who does not celebrate Christmas? Maybe they would like to keep working and want a week off during Eid. One might notice that this article does not deal with heavyweight issues like religious or political-cultural clashes. This is a conscious choice to bring out the idea that cultural issues are sometimes nuanced. However, they could still lead to employee unproductivity, low morale and, in extreme cases losing good talent. Hence, it is imperative for organizations to address these issues at their onset. The managers and leaders play a significant role in this, but it cannot be left just to them. Everyone has to rethink their perceptions and behaviours and how these affect the working relationships they share with others to create a healthy, supportive and inclusive atmosphere for all. Written by: Deeksha Singhania School of Human Resource Management XIM University, Bhubaneswar
"Resolving Conflicts in The Workplace - How can employers and human resource managers manage cultural differences in an international company.” First, let’s understand some of the cultural problems in the global context before going forward. Arising innovations make it feasible for organizations to recruit workers in different nations to address business issues, and surprisingly independent ventures can exploit this employing methodology. While a different, worldwide labor force as a rule presents expanded freedoms for creative methodologies, social issues can impede efficiency. By perceiving expected obstructions, the HR can find proactive ways to advance social mindfulness and encourage a more useful worldwide labor force. The following are some of the cultural problems in global context: Mismanagement: Strategic approaches that work in one area may not work in another. For instance, exercises intended to help confidence and advance a solid way of life, for example, a day by day bunch practice program, may be seen as senseless in U.S. or then again unnecessary in Germany. To forestall such false impressions, pioneers need to lead representative overviews or center gatherings to comprehend the expected response to the board rehearses. Additionally, nearby market examination needs to happen prior to presenting items and administrations in new areas. Forestall disappointment by understanding the nearby environment and climate. Language: In worldwide organizations, not all laborers normally communicate in a similar language. Regularly, gatherings and composed correspondence happen in business English. Nonetheless, not every person is capable in English, and this can bring about issues in translation and which means. Colloquial expressions and social references can create turmoil. Moreover, intonations and territorial vernaculars confound correspondence issues. Forestall mistaken assumptions by guaranteeing all representatives approach satisfactory language preparing to direct business properly.
Religion: In a worldwide labor force, organizations need to perceive the strict occasions of every one of its representatives. At times, every day strict commitments should be seen too, and this may struggle with business tasks. To stay away from issues, talk with a specialist in nearby practices prior to ordering work prerequisites in new areas. In a worldwide labor force, representatives may not be acquainted with one another's strict practices. Directing social mindfulness meetings that emphasis on the likenesses between the world religions advances comprehension and union that add to better working connections. Work Socioeconomics: Numerous organizations right now experience a higher pace of specialist retirement than recruiting. This may eventually bring about a requirement for more youthful specialists with various abilities. Accordingly, as indicated by CNN, numerous organizations are moving from a plan of action of having one focal central command and more modest divisions all throughout the planet. They are accomplishing one in what divisions get set up when there is a requirement to employ and where the essential information and ability is accessible. This could bring about an organization social separation dependent on ethnic varieties as well as identified with generational contrasts also. Nations with this sort of developing business sector economy incorporate Brazil, Mexico, and Indonesia.
There are also broad aspects of organization susceptible to cultural influences: Management Style: Participative/ Paternalistic/ Autocratic Authority Structure: Centralized/ Decentralized Organization Structure: Hierarchical/ Networked Leadership Style: Task Oriented/ People Oriented Dealing with Cultural Differences Cultural Musts: Business customs & expectations that must be met in order to conduct successful business transactions in other countries/cultures (example: role of women in some countries) Cultural-Optionals: Business customs & expectations that are Optional, in which one may participate/confirm in, but not required. It may help to establish rapport & respect when participation occurs; majority of customs fall under this category (example: Foreigners eating with their hands) Cultural Exclusives: Customs that are reserved exclusively for the locals, where foreign participation is not expected or even excluded (example: Local prayer rituals, or Foreigners criticizing local politicians, whereas acceptable for the local to do) Cultural Diversity is fundamental and significant to keeping a decent association. In worldwide associations whose activities incorporate transactions and affiliations in different nations, understanding social contrasts is vital to effective business organizations. Representatives ought to know about the significance of regarding the social contrasts of others, and businesses can offer preparing to build mindfulness and to more readily prepare representatives to work in a different working environment.
The following are some of the methods to manage cultural differences in International companies: Multifaceted/Cross Cultural Training for Expatriate Managers and Employees: Effective
worldwide
correspondence
and
organizations foster
comprehend
preparing
the
techniques
worth for
of
their
diverse ostracize
representatives and supervisors. Diverse preparing is fundamental to aiding representatives and administrators rapidly acclimatize to the social standards of their new environmental factors. There are a few stages in culturally diverse preparing; first, there is an appraisal of the exile's experience, just as the person's interests and assumptions about their new host nation's way of life. Then, at that point there is preparing, which can appear as classes, workshops, or recreated practices that explain the host nation's traditions, values, and diverse administration styles. Before meeting the exile representative, the host country's office group gets nitty gritty guidelines on the approaching ostracize specialist's convictions, the executives’ style, objectives, and normal practices. When the exile shows up, the individual in question will set aside some effort to present themselves and impart any of their contemplations, concerns, or needs in regard to working in an alternate country. Thereafter, the ostracize and the group can cooperate to accomplish union in the working environment. Trying to better understand employees’ cultural differences and taking them into account when looking to enhance productivity & workplace satisfaction: The HR Managers should figure out what persuades representatives by fostering a comprehension of every individual's social foundation and change their strategies as needs be, as procedures that are practical in the United States may not have any significant bearing in Italy or Singapore.
This data can likewise be valuable in building hierarchical objectives and destinations and fitting vital choices considering social contrasts. In case there are execution issues inside the association, realizing what propels representatives can help pioneers manage struggle and oversee likely extension and new dealings. Conflict Resolution in the Workplace: The HR Managers can assist with advancing comprehension through different social drives proposed to encourage positive relations among representatives, which ought to (in a perfect world) convert into an amicable and communitarian workplace. Workshops intended to support an open discourse about social contrasts can assist representatives with recognizing generalizations and see how they mutilate assumptions. In the occasion that contention emerges, compelling worldwide pioneers comprehend that powerful techniques for goal will rely upon workers' nation of beginning. In certain societies, like the United States, it tends to be valuable to unite the clashing gatherings to transparently talk about the issue and discover shared conviction to arrive at a tradeoff. In different countries, this strategy might be considered excessively fierce, and the utilization of an outsider or social counsel administration may prompt a more acceptable goal. Adopting the Balance Sheet Approach & Method of International Compensation: The basic premise of this approach is that here companies use a set of allowances or differentials to maintain employees purchasing power while on International assignments. This keeps the shock from modifications in standard of living minimal. It creates perceptions of equity regarding foreign assignment for employees faced with choosing among locations. As a result of their perceived equity, expatriates will tend to view foreign locations in the same way with regard to level of attractiveness. It also guarantees expatriates their home county spending power.
Coaching as a Mandatory Component: Compulsory coaching in diversity issues for directors ought to be fused as a component of a formative learning cycle to guarantee supervisors can successfully manage variety issues. By keeping up to date with government rules overseeing business separation and the significance of social variety and work rehearses, supervisors will become prepared on the most proficient method in dealing with clashes in the association/company that may originate from these types of distinctions. The Managers with a comprehension of the significance of social variety additionally can enter in on worker relations and maintenance. Cultural Differences can be displayed in type of correspondence to cooperation, view of time, convention, or distinctive social schedules. Comprehend, impart, and associate with individuals across various societies. The following are a few practices on the best way to oversee social contrasts in the work environment: Teamwork: Have a receptive outlook towards the new culture, embrace cooperation exercises and sharing of undertakings instead of spotlight on singular contrasts. Consider other to be's assessment as a chance to extend your viewpoints. Find here how to assemble your collaboration abilities. Model the right conduct: Everybody in the work environment should show others how it’s done just as embrace and regard variety. Put concordance and good judgment prior to being correct and utilize a funny bone as well as a positive methodology. Try not to take things to the individual side, some of the time individuals are simply having a terrible day or are going through a tough spot. Awareness: A decent method to build a solid workplace is to celebrate social contrasts and make everybody mindful of your collaborators' points of view, propensities, and lifestyle. Learning another dialect may be a decent begin to coexist with your associates.
Communication:
The
most
ideal
approach
to
rehearse
compelling
correspondence in a multi-social climate is by keeping a receptive outlook, have some information on social contrasts, practice undivided attention (becoming accustomed to various accents) and watch your nonverbal correspondence too your voice tone. Thoughtfulness and compassion are quite valued in this unique situation. In the end, it can be concluded that all the above-mentioned techniques will play an important role in managing the cultural differences in International Companies.
Written byAnkur Sharma SIIB Pune
Resolving Conflicts in The Workplace - How can employers and human resource managers manage cultural differences in an international company Introduction: The concept of globalization in today’s world has led to a higher migration of people, from all around the world who seek personal development, and better market opportunities that challenge their intellect. Today’s workplace scenario is a potpourri of diverse cultures which pave the way for new grievances to crop up every now and then. Thus, it is even more necessary for today’s employers and human resource managers to be well-versed with conflict management techniques at the workplace [1] [2][3]. Background: A huge number of people perceive conflict as “fighting”. It is very much crucial to realise that there are other sides of conflict as well. According to the Oxford dictionary (published, 2010), a conflict is often seen as a condition in which people experience a clash of opposing wishes, wants and needs. Conflict consists of several other components, all of which have been illustrated in Figure 1[1][3]:
Of all the aspects of conflict that have been illustrated in Figure 1, this article will solely focus on the challenges and the conflicts that come about owing to diverse work cultures, especially in an international or a multinational company. Culture [3]: Though culture is seen as a “richly rewarding area to pursue”, it is nonetheless a “woefully complex maddeningly dynamic phenomenon.” [3] Ting-Toomey described culture as a “complex frame of reference that consists of patterns of traditions, beliefs, values, norms, symbols and community.” This definition paves the way to look beyond traditional/conventional cultural groups like nationality and instead focus on other cultural markers like age, gender and ethnicity – which are just some of the factors that are typically researched about when dealing with cultural diversity in the workplace. [3] Workplace diversity: Cultural differences in an international company: “Diversity” happens to be a broad term and the phrase, “workplace diversity” can point to any characteristic feature that makes one person or one employee different from his co-worker. [1] We can define diversity as “acknowledging, understanding, accepting, valuing and celebrating differences among people with respect to age, class, ethnicity, gender, physical and mental ability, sexual orientation, spiritual practice and public assistance status.[1] Diversity in an international company can be present in the form of several factors that have already been illustrated, like age, race and ethnicity. While diversity, if managed properly can actually present a plethora of opportunities for organizations, it actually leads to widespread discrimination if not looked into and monitored.
Are the influences of culturally-associated prejudice and discrimination at a workplace, declining or increasing exponentially over a period of time? There is in fact, evidence for both sides of the story. Several reports and research studies that have been conducted in the past have concluded that culturally associated prejudice in the workplace has indeed declined. Take for instance, the American Management Association study wherein it was concluded that the raking up of the minority representations such as the presence of females or even people of color in managerial or leadership positions at the workplace could largely be mapped to the transitions in perceptions and attitudes rather than government-imposed mandates. However, several other research studies and surveys that were conducted have shockingly concluded that such prejudices and discrimination are still in existence. One such study wherein 200 people/employees of color were studied, it was inferred that prejudice, in its entirety evaded organizational decision making and paved the way for utter disappointment amongst those professionals who were actually striving to advance in a culturally hostile ambience and work-place culture. [4] It would not be erroneous to state that even after the society and the workplace scenarios of today have undergone a radical transformation from what they were decades ago, workplace discriminations revolving around cultural diversity still persists – something which is not at all appreciable. Organizational members from the minority sub-groups also face hindrances from the concept of ethnocentrism within an organization’s culture. For the unversed, “Ethnocentrism” is the inclination for the majority group members to view themselves as the “centre of the universe” and thus create obstacles and road-blocks for their minority counterparts, every step of the way. [4] Diversity thus brings with itself, advantages as well as challenges [4].
Lessons for the management: How can workplace diversity be managed so as to avoid conflicts? In the circumstances of mixed results from research studies and surveys conducted, along with the social and legal mandates for organizations to accommodate multicultures, managers have a dual responsibility in ascertaining how and when to encash the positives of having a culturally diverse and vibrant workplace, while bypassing the negatives of the same [4]. Thomas Roosevelt, a consultant from Harvard university who specializes on diversity, once stated that “managing diversity is a comprehensive process for creating a work environment that includes everyone”, thus managers should work on diversity awareness every day and encourage a change in the employees’ understanding of this very concept [1]. For managing diversity, there has to be a step-by-step process that should be developed keeping in mind the organizational interests. A key note: The management should comprehend the fact that one of the primary objectives of diversity is to acknowledge people’s individualities. This requires organizations to transform from mono-cultural to multicultural models of operations or functionalities. This can be accomplished by transitioning from demographically and culturally homogenous organizational structures like that of traditional Japanese firms that employed only Japanese males to a middle ground wherein an organization is culturally diverse in its hierarchical model and which maintains a culturally homogenous leadership and management bloc.
This is exemplified by many contemporary American firms or organizations. The final straw in this strategy is the adaptation and adoption of a truly diverse model wherein multicultural
accommodation
and
tolerance
are
employed
throughout
the
organization, at every possible level. Companies at this stage value diversity and encourage the same through a multitude of ways that include two-way learning and mutual appreciation of cultural differences. Take for instance, Johnson and Johnson. Right from the year of 1886 when eight of the organization’s first fourteen employees were women to the year of 2020, nearly 50% of the company’s 1,30,000 employees are females. The organization has indeed come a long way. In the year of 1908 which was indeed a milestone year for the organization, the company had hired its first ever female scientist and they went on to feature in many international indices, for example: they claimed second spot on the Thomson Reuters Diversity and inclusion index in 2017 and was also certified as being “gender fair” by Gender Fair – an organization that rates companies on their fairness practices for leadership, employee policies, advertising and philanthropy. Right from providing assistance to support working mothers at their organization, to creating career paths for girls and women across the globe, they are indeed doing their bit when it comes to battling the issue of gender diversity. Some of the key solutions to the challenges put forth by workplace diversity have been illustrated in Figure 2:
The role of Human Resources in diversity [5[6]]: In addition to the management, Human resources personnel also have a role to play in ensuring a healthy balance with respect to diversity in the organization: HRs should promote diversity: HR professional’s key function lies in the concept of management and leadership – something that is able to create and empower a diverse culture, one that is respectful and inclusive of every person’s culture and grants each employee the opportunity to learn, grow and contribute to the growth of the organization they are employed with.
Diversity should be monitored and widened: When it comes to diversity, HR teams should monitor the same. They should also focus on constituting a diverse workforce or rather a diverse talent pool, through recruitment or development, which are just two methodologies from a wide array of possibilities. Work culture plays a pivotal role in bringing out to the forefront, the best out of all employees. With the workplace scenario increasingly becoming globalised, human resources professionals are under continuous pressurization to headhunt for only those candidates who are not only technically proficient but are also culturally perceptive as well as receptive, with the skills to work in a global work-environment. Employees who are equipped with crucial intercultural skills, for instance the ability to understand different cultural contexts and viewpoints, work as a proper team player in a diverse team bring a lot more to the table as compared to employees who do not come with such skills (Figure 3):
Conclusion [1,8]: Embracing cultural diversity is the necessity of the hour in today’s workplace scenarios. Workplace diversity boosts creativity. Conflict is a multilevel and complex phenomenon that most of the time cannot be satisfied with only one strategy but requires a compound set of steps and components. It also challenges managers to incorporate all of the techniques and strategies successfully to find a better solution for the conflicts of their employees and organizations. Diversity education, conflict management training and the development of creative thinking and an open mind can benefit modern companies in their fierce competition in the market and can be a crucial step in creating advanced firms with strong human resources component.
Written BySneha Das, ICFAI Business School