Managing Cultural Differences in the International Business Environment

            Brief Explanation

 Based on the current diversified workforce in the global business surrounding, cultural proficiency is arguably the most significant skill that is required in the administration of work performance today.  Cultural diversity can be described as the standards, values as well as traditions that impacts the manner in which persons of a certain group views subjects, thinks, behaves, interacts and creates judgments (Mor-Barak, 2014). Distinct cultures clinch different views on the significant workplace matters such as teamwork, authority respect, time management as well as responsibility.  This may result in the rise of conflicting thoughts in regard to ethics, communication strategies, and transparency. This implies that when employees work in an environment that fails to manage cultural diversity effectively this generates efficiency barriers since interactions and communication are affected (Mor-Barak, 2014). The obstructions need to be broken so that international and even local organizations can run successfully and pleasantly. The responsibility is on the leadership of the organization and mainly the Human resource personnel.  The management is therefore required to ensure that the problems are handled and administered effectively.  The primary objective of cultural diversity management is to send a value sensation to all the employees that their needs are recognized and accounted for.

             Focus of the Paper

 In the international business surrounding workplace diversity is unavoidable. Diversity which by definition implies to differences generates increased complexity as well as uncertainty in the workplace.  This nature can result in negative effects but can additionally rise to be the hugest strength that is held by the organization if the management values and promotes cultural management as an investment (Brislin, 2008).  The required thrust in sustaining successful cultural management morale may prove to be intimidating as most organizations would prefer to utilize the time in increasing productivity and the generation of profit.  However, cultural diversity can be of greater benefits with successful management with the utilization of the right strategies and high commitment level by the management. Cultural diversity in the global business environment is an issue that is worth the manager’s pursuit in improving performance and increasing productivity (Brislin, 2008).

Workplace diversity is a standard in the modern and globalized business environment which is significant in running an efficient workforce.  Diversified groups are well known for delivering critical and improved solutions based on the different cultural perspectives (Brislin, 2008).  Cultural diversity is not fully beneficial since it is characterized by different barriers but efficiency depends on the capability of the management to handle the complexity.  Cultural diversity can effectively be managed with the utilization of different strategies such as employee assessments, recognition, encouraging interactions, fairness and establishing workplace and workforce focus. This enhances the ability to act in an equal manner despite the differences through respecting the existing differences and recognition of their needs fully (Mor-Barak, 2014).

Managing diversity in the international working environment is essential as it results in an increase in the capability to communicate, understand and interact effectively with all persons from the varying beliefs (Hopkins, 2009).  Effective communication is essential for teamwork cooperation and interactions.  In addition, the management helps in changing how different person’s views time as the different time perceptions can lead to misunderstanding and reduced productivity. Perception is the primary factor that management of diversity aims at resolving since it is crucial in impacting the daily performances. This paper will, therefore, attempt to analyze the significance of the management of cultural diversity in the international environment, the involved barriers and recommend strategies that can be adopted for effective operation (Hopkins, 2009).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            References

Brislin, R. W. (2008). Working with cultural differences: Dealing effectively with diversity in the workplace. Westport, Conn: Praeger.

Hopkins, B. (2009). Cultural differences and improving performance: How values and beliefs influence organizational performance. Farnham, England: Gower.

Mor-Barak, M. E. (2014). Managing diversity: Toward a globally inclusive workplace. SAGE.