Chapter seven cultures and diversity
What is
culture?
Culture refers to the
shared knowledge, beliefs, values, customs, attitudes, and behaviors that
characterize a particular group or society.
Features of culture:
1.
Dynamic: Culture
is constantly evolving and subject to change, albeit usually at a slow pace.
2.
Learned: Culture
is not inherited; rather, individuals acquire it through interaction with their
environment and society.
3.
Non-uniform: Different
aspects of culture, such as rituals, ideas, moral values, and beliefs, vary
significantly across different sections of society. Furthermore, these cultural
elements can change over time.
4.
Patterned: Culture
is an integrated system where a change in one aspect can have a ripple effect
on other components.
5.
Social: Culture
emerges as a product of social interactions and is deeply intertwined with
society.
6.
Shared: Culture
is not an individual experience but is shared by the members of a particular
group, community, or organization.
7.
Transferable: Culture
is passed down from one generation to another, ensuring its continuity and
preservation.
Organizational culture
Organizational culture can
be defined as a shared system of meaning held by members that sets the
organization apart from others.
·
It encompasses
the values, beliefs, and behaviors that characterize the organization.
Seven key
characteristics capture the essence of an organization's culture:
1.
Innovation and Risk Taking: This
refers to the extent to which employees are encouraged to be innovative, think
creatively, and take calculated risks.
2.
Attention to Detail: It
reflects the emphasis placed on precision, analysis, and meticulous attention
to detail in the organization's operations and work processes.
3.
Outcome Orientation: This
characteristic highlights the organization's focus on achieving results and
outcomes, prioritizing the end goals rather than fixating on the specific
techniques or processes used to attain them.
4.
People Orientation: It
signifies the extent to which management considers the impact of outcomes on
individuals within the organization, taking into account their well-being,
satisfaction, and development.
5.
Team Orientation: This
dimension indicates the degree to which work activities are structured around
collaborative teams rather than solely relying on individual efforts and
contributions.
6.
Aggressiveness: It
pertains to the level of assertiveness, competitiveness, and ambition exhibited
by individuals within the organization, contrasting with a more laid-back or
easygoing approach.
7.
Stability: This
characteristic reflects the organization's emphasis on maintaining the status
quo, stability, and continuity rather than pursuing rapid growth or constant
change.
The role of organizational culture
·
Culture serves
as the social adhesive that binds an organization together.
·
It gives members
an organizational identity
·
It facilitates
collective commitment.
·
It promotes
systems stability
·
It influences
behavior by aiding members in understanding their environment.
·
It provides a
boundary.
·
It has a
boundary- defining roles
·
It conveys a
sense of identity for organizational members
·
It facilitates
the generation of commitment
·
It enhances
social system stability
·
It serves as a
sense-making and control mechanisms
Do Organizations Have Uniform Cultures?
No, organizations do
not have uniform cultures. Instead, they often exhibit a variety of cultural
dynamics, including:
1.
Dominant Culture: This
refers to the primary or prevailing culture within an organization.
Ø It represents the core values and beliefs that are
widely shared by a majority of its members, shaping the overall personality and
identity of the organization.
2.
Core Values: These
are the foundational values that guide the behavior and work of the
organization's members. .
Ø Core values serve as guiding principles that
influence behavior and decision-making across the organization.
3.
Subcultures: In
large organizations, subcultures may emerge to reflect specific groups or
departments that share common problems, situations, or experiences.
Ø These subcultures may have their own distinct
values, norms, and behaviors that coexist alongside the dominant culture.
Diversity
Diversity in an
organization refers to the existence of employees with various characteristics
and backgrounds.
Ø This includes differences in physical appearances,
gender, age, qualifications, preferences, experiences, origins, castes,
religions, designations, cultures, and more.
Ø Diversity encompasses the unique attributes of individuals,
recognizes and respects their differences.
Ø It is important to create a safe, positive, and
nurturing environment that encourages the exploration and celebration of these
differences.
In today's workforce,
diversity is increasingly evident in terms of gender, race, ethnicity, national
origin, and other aspects.
Ø The workforce comprises individuals with diverse
attitudes, needs, desires, values, and work behaviors.
Ø To achieve success, managers must not only
understand the cultural backgrounds of their employees but also recognize and
manage the degree of diversity present within the workforce.
The features of diversity
1.
Multidimensional: Diversity
includes both visible and invisible dimensions of human beings.
2.
Inclusion: Diversity
not only includes differences but also similarities among people.
3.
Pros and Cons: Diversity,
if properly managed, can be a competitive advantage for an organization.
However, if mismanaged, it can lead to negative consequences and potentially
harm the organization.
Cultural diversity
Cultural diversity defines
as identities derived from membership in socio-culturally distinct groups,
encompassing dimensions such as race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender,
and other differences in norms, values, or traditions.
The characteristics of cultural
diversity
1.
Competitive Advantage: can
be a competitive advantage if managed properly. However, if ignored or
mishandled, it can lead to conflicts and dissatisfaction within an
organization.
2.
Primary and Secondary Dimensions: includes both primary dimensions (such as gender,
age, race, ethnicity) and secondary dimensions (such as religion, personality
differences, education).
3.
Collective Responsibility: is
not solely the responsibility of top-level executives or HR managers but is the
responsibility of everyone within the organization.
4.
Ongoing Process: is
not a one-time task but a lifelong process that needs to be adapted to the
changing needs and demands of a diverse workforce.
Benefit or Importance of Cultural
Diversit
1.
Better customer service: A
diverse employee base can better understand and communicate with different
types of customers, resulting in better service that meets diverse customer
needs.
2.
Better problem solving: A
team composed of diverse members brings in more information, richer ideas, and
a greater number of approaches to problem-solving compared to a team composed
of homogeneous members. Diversity can serve as a source of knowledge for
problem-solving.
3.
More tolerance of different ideas: A
diverse employee base brings a broad variety of ideas reflecting different
views and values. Organizations need to adopt a tolerant attitude towards
employees holding different ideas to fully utilize these varied perspectives.
4.
More flexibility: Organizations
must be able to respond quickly to meet rapidly changing customer desires and
competitive actions. A diverse workforce can provide the flexibility needed to
adapt and respond effectively.
5.
Valuing fairness and respect for
individuals' contributions: To capitalize on the advantages of increased
information and wider perspectives, organizations need to create an environment
where individuals feel they operate in a fair environment that values their
inputs.
6.
More innovative: A
diverse workforce benefits organizations as people from different backgrounds
have different ways of looking at the same problem, leading to more creative
and innovative ideas for problem-solving and decision-making.
7.
Enhances firm's image: Organizations
that are known for valuing diversity can build a positive public image, which
can attract investors, customers, and employees. A favorable public image
contributes to the reputation and success of the company.
Diversity management
Diversity management refers
to the efforts made to manage and respect cultural differences among people and
create an inclusive work environment that leverages the benefits of diversity.
Approaches to diversity management
1.
Discrimination and Fairness Approach: focuses
on creating proactive programs to ensure equal opportunity, fair treatment, and
compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity conditions for all employees.
Ø Companies following this approach implement
mentoring and career development programs, explicitly targeting women and
minority groups, and train all employees to respect cultural differences.
Ø The main goal of this approach is to eliminate
prejudice in the workplace and promote understanding of cultural differences.
Ø However, this approach may not effectively integrate
diversity into the work culture and may not fully leverage the potential
benefits of diversity.
2.
Access and Legitimacy Approach: focuses
on accepting and utilizing differences among employees to cater to diverse
customer groups.
Ø Organizations applying this approach believe that
the marketplace is culturally diverse, presenting both opportunities and threats.
Therefore, they recognize the strategic importance of diversity.
Ø To address the diversity of the marketplace,
organizations work on enhancing the diversity of their workforce.
Ø This involves recruiting employees with multi-skills
and proficiency in multiple languages to better understand and serve diverse
customers, aiming to gain legitimacy with them.
3.
Learning and Effectiveness Approach: aims
to integrate employees by recognizing that cultural differences are an
important source of organizational learning.
Ø It values and incorporates diversity into core
business processes. Organizations following this approach encourage open
discussions, respect differences, and foster a positive diversity climate.
Ø The goal is to develop a culture of integration and
create a sense of value and respect among employees from different cultural
backgrounds.
Ø This approach requires a bureaucratic and democratic
structure, an organizational culture that promotes openness and high
performance standards for employees.
Process of Cultural Diversity
Management:
1.
Diagnosis: assess
the current situation regarding diversity policies, statistics, and culture to
identify issues and their root causes.
2.
Aim Setting: Setting
aims for diversity management
3.
Awareness Rising: Raising
awareness about diversity among employees at all levels
4.
Policy Development: Implement
new systems through the involvement of all employees.
5.
Managing the Transition: Conduct
various training initiatives, including programs designed for minority groups
to understand the organization's culture and acquire essential skills.
6.
Sustaining Momentum: Involving
a senior management functionary
7.
Assessing Achievements: Evaluating
the success of diversity management policies.
Strategies for Managing Cultural
Diversity:
1.
Ignore Cultural Differences: Managers
in parochial organizations do not recognize cultural differences and their
impact on the organization.
Ø Diversity is considered irrelevant, and efforts for
effective diversity management are disregarded.
2.
Minimize Cultural Differences: Ethnocentric
organizations acknowledge cultural diversity but view it primarily as a source
of problems.
Ø They believe their own management approach is
superior and seek to reduce diversity by minimizing differences and favoring a
homogenous workforce.
3.
Manage Cultural Differences: Synergetic
organizations recognize the effects of cultural diversity as both advantageous
and disadvantageous.
Ø They believe in combining different management
approaches to create the best organizational practices.
Ø These organizations train managers and employees to
recognize cultural differences and leverage them to create advantages for the
organization.
Responses to Diversity
Managers and employees
may respond to diversity in various ways, choosing approaches that are suitable
for different situations.
1. Exclusion: Involves
keeping members of diverse groups out or pushing them out once they are in.
2. Denial: Individuals
subscribing to this response choose to ignore cultural differences within the
organization.
3. Suppression: Encourages
individuals to restrain or conceal their differences.
4. Segregation:
Refers to placing members of particular groups in specific work or departments.
5. Assimilation: Attempts
to transform members of diverse groups into replicas of the dominant group.
6. Tolerance: Acknowledges
differences among individuals but takes steps to minimize interaction between
groups.
7. Building Relationships: Believes
that fostering good relationships can overcome differences.
8. Fostering Mutual Adaptation: This
approach advocates accepting and understanding differences and diversity.
Culture as a Liability
Culture will be
liability for an organization because; it could be
·
Barrier to
change,
·
Barrier to
diversity and
·
Barriers to
acquisitions and mergers.
Globalization and People at Work
To survive in a
globally competitive environment organizations now require to trade at
international level.
1.
Transformations
in Identity: Globalization has a psychological impact by transforming the sense
of identity.
Ø The connections among different cultures and world
regions have accelerated due to advances in telecommunication and increased
economic and financial interdependence.
Ø This interconnectedness contributes to a global
consciousness, where individuals perceive the world as a single place.
2.
Cultural
Mapping: Organizations engaged in international trade and globalization must
understand and map different cultures to achieve success at the international
level.
Ø Cultural awareness and adaptability are crucial for
navigating diverse markets and establishing effective relationships.
3.
Benefits of
Cultural Diversity: The increasing cultural diversity in the workforce can
yield advantages for organizations.
Ø Studies indicate that heterogeneity among group members
enhances creativity, improves decision-making quality, and facilitates change
by promoting flexibility.
Ø Comparisons between decision-making groups composed
of members from the same ethnic group and those including individuals from
diverse ethnic backgrounds have shown that ethnically diverse groups generate
more effective and higher-quality ideas.
Ways in which economic globalization
may impact on employment
1.
Number of Jobs:
2.
Structure of
Jobs:
3.
Employment
Conditions:
4.
Skill
Requirements:
5.
Wage Levels:
6.
Labor Mobility
7.
Job Insecurity
and Precarious Work:
To understand the
difference in management and organizational practices among the world’s cultures.
we must be familiar with the importance of :
Ø Multinational employers,
Ø multicultural workforces diversity , and the
Ø Expatriate= People who work and live abroad for
extended periods of time are referred to as expatriates