"When I think
of the cultural divide in my children's high school and relate this to many
areas in business and the world.
“What actions by leadership have the biggest
positive impact for developing cross-cultural integration?"
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In organizations, it is up to the senior leaders and shareholders to take the initiative to create a diverse workforce. Ensuring different viewpoints are expressed when making decisions can change the output of a company and increase productivity. This can be done by offering equal opportunities to all employees and also offering equal support in the workplace, meaning all employees should have the ability to develop and gain experience across the board. It is mentioned in Maximizing Business Results with the Strategic Performance Framework that in order to perform cultural due diligence, a leader must take four steps:
ReplyDelete1.Investigate cultural backgrounds of employees.
2.Evaluate potential or actual cultural gaps.
3.Identify the impact of these gaps within the organization’s objectives.
4.Develop a strategy to mitigate the risk and maximize opportunity (Putz, et al., 2014, p. 57).
These steps are crucial today as we see more and more mergers and acquisitions that cross borders.
As we continue to emphasize in class, cultural due diligence (the first of the Adaptation Strategies)is a valuable skill to apply in achieving a culturally-diverse workforce. In applying the four steps noted above, how might the remaining strategies impact success.
DeleteAdaptation Strategies:
1) Due Diligence
2) Mind-Shifting
3) Cultural Dialogue ("Help me understand . . .)
4) Cultural Mentoring
I could see the same problems existing in our neighborhoods that exist in the business environment when it comes to cultural integration. "We don't know, what we don't know" or "blind spots" come into play with leadership. I agree with the previous post about due diligence, but in addition, a leadership team that can reflect the ethnic diversity of the stakeholders is important, however, this can take time to develop. During this time it is critical to get feedback from the stakeholders to help evaluate the gaps and identify the impact of the current and future objectives.
ReplyDeleteWhat would you propose as "next steps" in moving the dialogue forward with respect to this issue?
Delete391-16SP05(DH), I think what they could use as a framework in this situation is Brake's Global Leadership Triad. It pulls together compentancies from three areas, Relationship Management, Business Acumen and Personal Effectiveness. This will be used as an information-gathering process to build a profile they can use to start discussions, and identify "blind-spots". Mendenhall, et al. (2013) Page 44
DeleteThis really requires due diligence. Opening dialog that with an open mindset is required where you would avoid stereotyping. You need to go through the three phases of cultural dialogue. You need to:
Delete1. Initiate a conversation with an open mind.
2. Create understanding by asking questions.
3. Solve problems together.
Solving problems together step can be as simple as offering advice. This step can be tricky so asking questions is a great segue to offering your approach to an issue to offer another perspective.
What stands out right away are competencies from Managing People and Relationships. The cross-cultural communications needs to be solid. So items such as Culture Bridger, Supervising employee's of different nationalities and appreciating cultural diversities are some that to me, stand out as critical leadership traits to enable the greatest impact. It basically boils down to, if I'm a leader, how is my communication being received and interpreted by people of another culture.
ReplyDeleteMembers of the leadership team need to demonstrate to their staff that they possess the qualities that are required to develop cross-cultural integration. In order to accomplish this goal, such change can only come from the top. If management ignores the writing on the wall, improvements cannot be implemented across the organization.
ReplyDeleteThe Effectiveness Cycle, as identified by Bird and Osland, develops the premise that effective global leaders follow the following three stages when developing a global mindset. These stages can also be effectively employed to develop a positive model for cross-cultural communication.
Stage 1 – Perceive, analyze and diagnose the situation in order to decode the problem. Essentially, study the situation first. Don’t presume you already have the answer.
Stage 2 – Once identified, accurately create an effective managerial action.
Stage 3 – As the plan is implemented, have the behavioral flexibility to act appropriately in creating a positive environment. Such actions will create a positive mindset with all members of the team towards the creation of a unified and successful team. Mendenahll, et al. (2013). page 73.
I also think that proactivity is critical to facilitating these important dialogue -- as it encourages participation and openness.
ReplyDelete(391-16SP08) What really stands out is being able to understand the type of organization you are working for. Most forward thinking organizations are cognizant of cultures. For example, my organization had a culture bias program that opens our eyes. This is important, because it allows you to be put in a situation that you couldn't even think about. As cultural divide minimizes, people will begin to understand that culture is one layer of this complex system.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what many other classmates have said here. I think an important first step is to have consciousness of the fact that there are dynamics to cultural interactions within the workplace. It is also vital to understand the culture and environment of the organization. A leader would need to understand the communication structure of their organization (top-down, horizontal, etc.) in order to know how to have the best impact. Acknowledging the dynamics is only the first step; the leader would need open up a constructive dialogue for his/her team or organization.
ReplyDelete