Multicultural Workplace Case Study

In an era where globalization has increased we have observed an increase in multicultural teams in numerous companies. According to Inc.com a multicultural work force can be defined as: “one wherein a company 's employees include members of diversity of ethnic, racial, religious, and gender background.” A variety of backgrounds maybe an asset if all employees contribute their resources, however it can also so be a source of conflict. In multicultural workplaces, disputes are almost inevitable and often based on different needs, interests, perceptions, or cultural norms. The company must therefore, foresee how to amplify this diversity to the best interest of the company and decrease all conflicts.

Primarily,
Miscommunication is perhaps the cause of most conflicts, hence the reason why great communication plays a key role in minimising conflicts. Employers should prioritize written communication and ensure that everyone understands the message being transmitted. Employees should be given the chance to communicate their views and to increase their willingness to hear and accept feedback. Furthermore, an employee who comes from an individualistic culture may prefer a direct style of communication, whereas, an employee who is used to a collectivistic culture may consider it as aggressive. According to John Ford, author and former editor of mediate.com: “some cultures are very direct. They like to ‘cut to the chase’ and get frustrated with someone who ‘beats around the bush’. Indirect cultures prefer to deal with relational aspects first, and to restore harmony before addressing substantive issues.” Moreover, employees should pay attention to attributing meaning to nonverbal communication which can be even more detrimental than verbal communication. Additionally, without realizing it, managers and employees may reinforce stereotypes and thus conflicts. Therefore, it is better to avoid stereotype by communicating with each
If the employees should aim to resolve their conflicts it should be based on common interest and not on rights and power. On the other hand, the employer must ensure that he is committed to resolve the disputes as close as possible to its source. Tackling the problem at it roots will reduce the chances of it being reproduced. However, it is even better if the company anticipate conflicts as well as measures that can curb these possible conflicts. In a multicultural team, sometimes it is necessary for an impartial third-party to mediate an argument between team members with culturally diverging norms for dealing with conflict. A mediator working across cultures should understand different cultures and identify cultural barriers as well as propose various solutions. The mediator can be someone that the company has trained to deal with such human resource problems or a mediator from outside of the