Summarize 3 chapters
Chapter 8:
Culture and Communication in the Global Workplace
The Cultural Context for the Global Workplace
What is culture?
Culture consists of patterns, explicit or implicit, of and for behavior acquired and transmitted by symbols, constituting the distinctive achievements of human groups, including their embodiments in artifacts; the essential core of culture consists of traditional (historically derived and selected) ideas and especially their attached values; culture systems may, on the one hand, be considered as products of action, on the other as conditioning elements of further action (Kroeber and Kluckhohn, 1952,p. 181).
Hofstede (1997)
Dimensions of Cultural Difference
The Cultural Context for the Global Workplace
Definition Country-specific examples
Power Distance
The extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organizations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally
Larger power distance: Malaysia, Guatemala, Panama, Philippines, Mexico.
Small power distance: Australia, Israel, Denmark, New Zealand, Ireland
Hofstede (1997)
The Cultural Context for the Global Workplace
Dimensions of Cultural Difference
Definition Country-specific examples
Individualism vs. Collectivism
Individualism pertains to societies in which the ties between individuals are loose; Collectivism pertains to societies in which people are integrated into strong cohesive in-groups, which throughout peoples life time continue to protect them in exchange for unquestioning loyalty.
High Individualism: USA, Australia, Great Britain, Canada, Netherlands
High Collectivism: Guatemala, Ecuador, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia
Hofstede (1997)
The Cultural Context for the Global Workplace
Dimensions of Cultural Difference (cont.)
Definition Country-specific examples
Masculinity vs. Femininity
Masculinity pertains to societies in which gender roles are clearly distinct; Femininity pertains to societies in which social gender roles overlap (both men and women are supposed to be modest, tender and concerned with quality of life.)
High Masculinity: Japan, Austria, Venezuela, Italy, Switzerland
High Collectivism: Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, Costa Rica
Hofstede (1997)
The Cultural Context for the Global Workplace
Dimensions of Cultural Difference (cont.)
Definition Country-specific examples
Avoidance of Uncertainty
The extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by uncertain or unknown situations the extent to which they need predictability in the form of written and unwritten rules.
Weak Uncertainty Avoidance: Greece, Portugal, Guatemala, Uruguay, Belgium
Strong Uncertainty Avoidance: Singapore, Jamaica, Denmark, Sweden, Hong Kong
Cross-Cultural Communication
Cross-cultural Communication
Communication – a process by which people use symbols to convey meanings to each other
Barriers to Effective Cross-cultural Communication
Cross-cultural Communication
Examples of Barriers to Effective Cross-cultural Communication
Cross-cultural Communication
Verbal Communication (e.g, choosing which language to use – ones own or the host countrys language)
Language Fluency –linguistic skills that allow one to function much like a native speaker of the language
Cultural Fluency– ability to identify, understand, and apply cultural variables that influence the communicative behaviors of members of the other group
Non-Verbal Communication movements, gestures, and postures; the use of artifacts such as personal adornments and the physical setting; and clothing is extension of the body and is closely related to body image
Cross-Cultural Communication Styles
To what extent would members of a particular cultural group
alter their preferred communication style when interacting
with members from another cultural group?
Cross-cultural Communication Styles
For example, will members of collectivist cultures become more direct and task oriented in their communication with members of individualist cultures?
In cross-cultural encounters that create uncertainty and or conflict, typically people resort to the familiarity of their own cultural norms and even more strongly exhibit their normative communication styles
Case Example
South African Mining Company
The Issue: Management was unable to appropriately communicate with its workers by failing to address the workers in a public forum and taking into account the South African concept of ubuntu.
The Result: A labor dispute and prolonged strike that cost the company greatly.
Ubuntu You are only a human through other humans through your relations to other humans.
Desmond Tutu at a lecture at the University of Copenhagen, September 10, 2004
Cross-cultural Communication WWW.CESARRITZCOLLEGES.EDU
Chapter 5
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will be able to define:
A global workforce.
International population trends.
Occupational diversity.
Educational trends.
WORKER MIGRATION PATTERNS
EU are receiving immigrants for work.
Eastern European countries are diversifying more for workers.
The Gulf States are receiving international workers for both high and low skilled jobs.
Mexico and Central America are having excess workers going to the US.
OCCUPATIONAL DIVERSITY
Trend 1: Advance economies have a need for workers to perform unskilled jobs (up to 70%).
Impact of this: This increase of the diversity of the workforce but not in the workplace.
Trend 2: Highly skilled people leave developing countries for opportunities that their home country cannot offer.
Impact: This spreads workforce diversity to the workplace.
CIRCULAR MIGRATION
These are both unskilled and high skilled workers who leave their home countries to work for several years and then eventually return.
Switzerland!
MIGRATION OF EMPLOYERS
Globalization and liberalized markets.
Multinational firms.
Need for jobs in developing countries.
Skilled and unskilled workers willing to work for lower wages.
Employers reduce costs and reap profits.
Economic gains and new markets.
Loss of jobs in developed countries.
Examples. General Motors
MIGRATION OF EMPLOYERS
Branches and subsidiaries in foreign countries.
This creates tensions between management and local employees.
Example: American female manager in Turkey.
Swedish manager in Pakistan.
EDUCATIONAL TRENDS IN WORKFORCE DIVERSITY
In developed countries secondary education is universal for both male and female.
Rates in developing countries are increasing for both but more slowly for females.
Enrollment in higher education is increasing throughout the world.
In US poorer students drop out more than wealthier students.
IMPLICATIONS
What can managers do?
We need to understand cultural differences.
We need to communicate the host countries norms.
We as managers might have to work on several levels.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
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Theme Cover Slide.thmx
Theme Cover Slide.thmx Diversity and Exclusion:
A Critical Workforce Problem
Diversity and Exclusion
Diversity
Gender
Race
Ethnicity
Immigration status
Social class
Religion
Age
Disability
Sexual orientation
Access to power
Access to opportunities
Discrimination
Exclusion
While diversity categories vary from one country to the next, the sense of exclusion and unfairness transcends national and cultural boundaries.
Diversity and Exclusion
Inclusion-Exclusion
The concept of inclusion-exclusion in the workplace refers to the individuals sense of being a part of the organizational system in both the formal processes, such as access to information and decision-making channels, and the informal processes, such as water cooler and lunch meetings, where information and decisions informally take place (Mor Barak, 2000).
Diversity and Exclusion
Research on Organizational Demography Documenting Exclusion
The Inclusion-Exclusion Experience
Research demonstrates that:
Women and racial and ethnic minority group members
Often feel excluded from
networks of influence
Have limited job opportunities
and delayed career advancement
Experience work-related stress
lower job satisfaction, and higher turnover
Organizational level exclusion from information networks and the decision making process
Community level exclusion from civic activities and networking opportunities leading to jobs and promotions
State/Federal level exclusion from job opportunities due to lack or insufficient protection from discrimination
International level exclusion from job opportunities due to work exploitation by multi-nationals
The Inclusion-Exclusion Experience
Social Identity Theory Explaining Exclusion
A social psychological theory originated by Henri Tajfel (1979)
People tend to classify themselves into social categories that have meaning for them and this shapes the way individuals interact with others from their own identity group and from other groups
Overview:
Social Identity Theory
The individuals knowledge that he/she belongs to certain social groups, together with some emotional value significance to him/her of the group membership
Definition of Social Identity:
Tajfel, 1972, p.31
Social Identity Theory
Social Categorization a cognitive tool that is used to segment, classify and order the social environment.
Important concept:
Social categorization helps simplify the world and often informs social action
Social Identity Theory
People desire to belong to groups that enjoy distinct and positive identities.
I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member
This is the comedian Grougho Marxs, humorist take on the sense of exclusion experienced by those who cannot belong to the prestigious social groups.
Major propositions:
Social Identity Theory
Those who belong to groups with higher perceived social status will accept and include people they consider to be like them, while excluding those they perceive to be different than them.
Major propositions:
Social Identity Theory
1. Individual mobility a person moving from low status to high status identity group through education, talent or hiding the original identity group and passing as a member of another
Coping with group negative or low status social identity:
2. Group mobility through social creativity redefining perceived negative qualities (black is beautiful)
3. Social competition improving the groups status by direct competition (e.g., affirmative action)
Social Identity Theory
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