Abstract
Cultural diversity is a crucial issue that affects millions of people in the 21st century. Roberson (2019) puts forward the thesis that diversity is supposed to be the synonym for difference. It is possible to consider that in the mass consciousness, especially in the USA, cultural diversity is connected with racial discrimination; nevertheless, it is only one of its forms. Among the others, it is necessary to mention the difference in the educational background, financial situation, or religion. Cultural diversity is not only a problem that has to be solved but also a new reality where everyone is equal despite the fact of its differences based on any criteria.
Introduction
Cultural diversity in the organization is a relatively recent source for theoretical researches. For many centuries people with different religious, political, or public beliefs were separated in their working places. It is possible to assume that even the professions differed according to the color of skin, gender, or position in society. Nowadays, the situation has changed, and discrimination is no more appreciated in developed countries. Nonetheless, due to the fact that this issue was not considered an important one for ages, the companies are still in the process of creating efficient strategies for making cultural diversity beneficial for their business (Shresha & Taylor, 2017). The purpose of this paper is to describe the most noticeable and significant advantages and disadvantages of multiculturalism in the organization and to provide the argumentative basis for the presented ideas.
Plan
Cultural diversity in the workplace impacts the group dynamics and the efficiency of the process in different ways depending on various factors. The first part of the speech would be focused on the psychological aspects of multinational communication in the framework of office functioning. The second part would be dedicated to the difficulties and particularities of the conversations in the group where cultural diversity is presented. The next slide would contain some information about the negative consequences and benefits of the multinational staff in the company. In conclusion, the main findings of the research would be presented in a summary form.
Psychological Aspects
Cultural diversity is not a new phenomenon; it has existed since ancient times. However, for many centuries it was not considered as a problem or even an issue to reflect on: it was perceived as a regular part of life. Nowadays, multinational groups have become a research subject for many theoretical works. It is possible to assume that the interest is caused not only by scientific curiosity but also by practical needs.
Companies in many countries have employees of diverse nationalities and religions, and they need to develop a strategy of communication that would be efficient both for the comfort of staff members and their results. In this case, it is necessary to mention the social identity theory. The main point is that people evolutionally make groups according to the level of similarity of other humans in the environment (Roberson, 2019). The resemblance makes a person more attractive to the other, and, on the contrary, the less the man or woman corresponds to the criteria of likeness, the less he or she can become a part of a membership.
It is also essential to take into consideration the particularities of the behavior. One might have the same color skin and religion but another accent or childhood background. At the subconscious level, such minor details make people separate friends and foes. Cultural diversity in the company is a way to create membership without wasting much energy. It simply requires forming a group of people with the most significant number of similar characteristics and defending it from strangers.
Difficulties in Communication
The problem of communication in the situation of multinational organizations is not limited to the difficulties of language understanding and specific accents. For example, the diversity of backgrounds might cause various ideas about jokes. The anecdote that is supposed to be innocuous for one person may turn out to be offensive for another. First of all, it is important to involve in this situation with governmental companies with anti-discrimination initiatives. It is possible to introduce educational programs for people with diverse nationalities and backgrounds to provide them with basic information about the rules in society and the generally accepted norms. However, it is necessary to take into consideration that it is crucial not to tell humans what to do. The main purpose of that kind of event should be to explain how to be polite with colleagues and not to get involved in an uncomfortable situation.
Negative Aspects and Benefits
Cultural diversity among the employees of the company has its own risks and dangers. For example, it can cause a decrease in the level of communication and, as a result, conflict situations (Mateescu, 2017). What is more, if the organization works with public or political issues, the diversity of points of view of the workers can lead to a decrease in the level of efficiency and poor results (Mateescu, 2017). In order to avoid such problems, the leaders should develop a strategy of the adaptation of the employee in the multicultural team (Shresha & Taylor, 2017). The most noticeable advantage of the multinational community is the existence of different opinions and viewpoints because of the individual ethnic and cultural backgrounds (Chidiac, 2018). Moreover, it might help to fight discrimination and strengthen the value of equality.
Conclusion
The role of cultural diversity in the workplace should not be underestimated. The heads of the companies have to develop and implement the strategies of adaption for the employees of different nationalities, religions, ethnic backgrounds, and financial positions. The knowledgeable leadership would make the process of work more comfortable for the employees, leading to better results in the near future. In the era of globalization, this issue is highly significant and requires both theoretical research and practical studies in order to ameliorate the situation.
Reference
Chidiac, E. (2018). Strategic management of diversity in the workplace: An Australian case. Routledge.
Mateescu, M. V. (2017). Cultural diversity in the workplace – discourse and perspectives. Modeling the New Europe, 24(1), 23–35.
Roberson, Q. M. (2019). Diversity in the Workplace: A review, synthesis, and future research agenda. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 6(1), 69–88.
Shresha, N., & Taylor, B. (2017). Cultural diversity in the workplace. Wintec, 1(1), 18–19.