Cultural Experience at Workplace
By Mana Mirsaidi
Table of Contents:
1. Introduction 2
2. Me and My Culture 3
3. My Workplace Culture 4
4. Cultural Issues 5
4.1. Communication 5
4.2. Negotiation 7
4.3. Decision Making 7
4.4. Other Issues 8
5. Conclusion 9
6. Refrences 10
1. Introduction
In today’s business environment and specially in Multinational Organizations, we have diversity of cultures and nationalities working together despite all cultural differences.
So it is necessary to know these differences when we are in the global age, to be more productive and avoide any conflicts with colleagues, top managers, people who you are managing, or clients.
In my paper, I will be discussing few cultural issues in my
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Also we have a group of Arab people, and Filipinos. I am the only Iranian person and my client are mostly Iranian also.
Despite different nationalities, we have overall similarities in cultures among Pakistanis, Arabs and Filipinos and me!
My Boss is a Lebanese-French guy who I have the most conflict with. we have High context culture in this company and many people are relatives ( two brothers, cousins & sisters …) and relatonship is a key point in this company.
We have Medium to high power distance, means some people are very close to CEO (No power distance for them because of the relationship) , but for others is not same.
Company has high Collectivisim culture, one example is eating the lunch together, in the lunch Room which makes people feel they are part of a group. Relegiouse
Another aspect is Medium to low uncertainty avoidance, which for example in a dealing with Rules and regulations it is clear.
Traditionally this company has Masculinity culture, but it’s changing the lower ranks, although still in high ranks men only can be the managers.
Both company and employees are High in Long Term Oriention, meanining to say that there are many people working for the company, and they don’t have plans to leave, or change the job and they are loyal, at the same time
I continue with emphasising on some cultural issues in my workplace such as Communication, Negotiation and Decison Making.
4. Cultural
252). The major issues that are faced with differing cultures within the workplace are communication issues. Speed and efficiency is lost when total understanding of the firm’s objectives is not communicated appropriately. Different cultures communicate in different ways and it is vitally important for a leader to clearly communicate to all involved within a firm.
Demonstrate awareness of culture as a factor in all human behaviour by using culturally appropriate work practicesUse work practices that create a culturally and psychologically safe environment for all personsReview and modify work practices in consultation with people from diverse backgrounds
Communicators who succeed in a diverse workplace must educate themselves about different cultures and co-cultures. Treating people from different cultural backgrounds with respect is essential. Finally, being willing to acknowledge and discuss cultural differences can help communicators understand and appreciate one another. The impact of culture and listening is very important in everyday life. Think about how many times you have had problems understanding someone from a different culture or even a different sub-culture. Now think about how many times someone from a different cultural background may have had problems understanding you. I know realize once that e-mail was
Cultural competence can indicate the differences that exist among various ethnic and cultural groups in our country. As a healthcare provider, it is essential to understand the diverse cultures and their values, traditions and there history, so with all these in mind we can provide high quality patient care. Recognizing these needs can be accomplished with continuous education and training. We are in a culturally diverse society where the healthcare providers need to increase their awareness and sensitivity toward different patient populations and work to understand culturally influenced health behaviors. We are interacting with many people from varied cultural origins and ethnic backgrounds who bring with them values and beliefs that can differ from our expectations. Each patient is unique in their needs so understanding these cultural differences can aid communication and thereby improve patient care. Some cultures may be offended by direct eye contact or asking personal questions that are necessary for the health history may be recognized by them as an inexcusable invasion of privacy. Patient cross-cultural communication with other cultures in a way that minimizes misunderstandings and maximizes trust between the patients and healthcare providers. To avoid any complications and to decrease the likelihood of any liability and malpractice claims, healthcare organizations should follow and meet legislative regulatory and the accreditation
Cultural diversity in the workplace: Employees are similar or different based on race, gender, age, personality, style, education, background etc.
People from different cultural background work together can have positive effect, since they can provide various perspectives on solving problems, attracting consumers, and cooperating with fellow workers. These new and various ideas can help our company to promote and take step into an amazing future.
I feel that we have a low power distance, because though we all have our specific roles, some holding more power than others, we all collectively voice our options and have a collective decision making process. We all work together and we all trust each other to do well.
Change in culture and approach: culture should be supportive for team work and participative management practices. There should be ethnocentric perspective involved for considering the needs of customers. Dynamic and flexible culture should be formulated and employees should have collectivist approach than individual approach that is aligned towards achieving organizational goals. Attitude survey of
Globalization and technological advancement have dictated the need for managers to deal with multiple ethnic groups with different culture in their day to day interactions. According to Kulkarni (2012), cultures play critical roles in individuals, including values, beliefs, humor, worries, fears, hopes, opinions, attachments, and anxieties.
Also the individual must be willing to continue building his or her awareness of the effects of cultural competency in the workplace by keeping up with current events.
For instance: “Thus, U.S. managers often have relatively little difficulty doing business in England, because managers in both countries speak the same language, and a common framework exists for understanding both commercial and personal relationships”( DeNisi & Griffin, 2014, p. 56). However, this can open a can of worms if both the in house management and the business country are having issues with the foreign country such as Canada or India; to name a few. These differences can alter the direct business practices to stray from its original format, causing misunderstandings, personal norms, and certain customs to play a major role in the misfortune of the situation being evaluated. “As a result of these and myriad other cultural differences, then, managers may encounter unexpected complexities when doing business in countries where these sort of cultural differences exists” (DeNisi & Griffin, 2014, p. 56).
The importance of understanding cultural, ethnic and gender differences by managers and professionals in a business setting is essential to make the work environment comfortable. In every culture there are basic standards of thinking, and acting and these cultural differences strongly influence workplace values and communication. What may be considered acceptable and natural in the workplace for one person may be unacceptable for another person. People from diverse cultures bring new ways of thinking, creativity and language skills needed to survive in today’s work force. In many
The workplace has become one of the biggest multicultural settings. Almost half of the work force in the United States is made up of minorities. There are many advantages to having this percentage of people from different cultures throughout our workplace. One is the increase in creativeness. Not only in products that are being created but in the developing of an approach to solving problems. "Other cultures can offer insightful alternatives" (EthoConnect). Another way in which the workplace is affected by this is in productivity and attitudes. When people of all cultures pull together to reach a common goal there are less limited boundaries and there are more global understanding that are used to help reach the world's market place; creating a larger market for products. With this change in productivity in the workplace is more desirable and enjoyable for all employees. The market place has become more global based that workers having a diverse culture base is very important to break down barriers in language and knowledge of certain markets. This affects our lives by more companies hiring more international job seekers.
The shared characteristics and, in some cases, perception of employees create what is known as organizational culture. A strong culture constructs a unified employee atmosphere, whereas a weak culture lacks a shared sense of distinction between employees. An employee’s heritage or individual culture, although different than, affects the overall organizational culture of companies. Like society, sub-cultures exist within organizations. Formed by departmental function, geographical location, and/or the personalities of employees, sub-cultures include employees who continue to adhere to the organizations’ overall culture, but have additional independent characteristics. Employees’ individual heritage, along with the culture and
The connection that they can have can be very personal which they can use to treat the organization as a big family. Although these solutions may require expending costs, this is an investment that has high return that can offset the losses the organization is incurring due to the absences and unproductivity of their employees on its present condition.