PENJANA

Cross Cultural Awareness

Trainers
Dr Adiza Alhassan Musah
Ms Nor Fadhilah Binti Nagor Mohamed
Ms Wan Hanisah Binti Wan Mohamad Zakari
Organizational Culture
Team & Group Dynamic
Multiculturalism
Diversity
Content
1. Organizational culture
2. GLOBE and its key findings
3. Teams, formal and informal groups
4. Multiculturalism
5. Challenges and tools for leading multicultural teams
6. Employee Behaviour (stereotype, prejudice, discrimination)
7. How organizations manage diversity effectively
Learning Objectives
1. Define organizational culture & elements of organizational culture
2. Describe the implications of organizational culture, socialization
3. Present GLOBE and its key findings.
4. Define teams, formal and informal groups
5. Apply your knowledge of teams to increase your value as an
employee and a team player.
6. Define key elements of multiculturalism.
7. Elaborate on challenges and tools for leading multicultural teams.
8. Explain how stereotypes function in organizational settings & how
organizations manage diversity effectively.
Organizational culture
What Is Organizational Culture?
 Four Func(ons of Organiza(onal Culture

• SOURCE: Smircich, Linda.

“Concepts of Culture and
Organizational Analysis.”
Administrative Science
Quarterly 28, no. 3
(1983): 339–58.
https://DOI:
10.2307/2392246.
The Founda+on of Organiza+onal Culture: Understanding its Drivers
and Func+ons
Test Your Knowledge
Which level of organizational culture is the hardest to
change?

A. Artifacts.
B. Transactional.
C. Enacted values.
D. Espoused values.
E. Basic underlying assumptions.
Subcultures
• Often not a single homogeneous culture.
• Rather, multiple subcultures that either intensify the existing
cultural understanding and practices or diverge from
them.
Subcultures often form around:
• Func&onal or occupa&onal groups or work roles.
• Divisions or departments.
• Geographical areas.
• Products, markets, technology.
• Levels of management.
12

Organizational Socialization
• The process by which individuals learn the values, expected
behaviors, and social knowledge necessary to assume their
roles in the organization.

• Learning Process
• Adjustment Process
 Global Leadership and
Organiza9onal Behavior
Effec9veness
(GLOBE PROJECT)
Introduc(on
• GLOBE project is a long-term mul7-phase, mul7-methodological
programme of cross-cultural research designed to conceptualise,
opera7onalise, test and validate a cross-level integrated theory of the
rela7onship between culture and societal, organisa7onal and
leadership effec7veness.
• A team of scholars have worked together since 1994 to study societal
culture, organisa7onal culture and the aGributes of effec7ve
leadership in 62 cultures. GLOBE has become one of the largest and
most comprehensive studies of its kind in the social sciences.
The Nine (9) dimensions of GLOBE Project
• Uncertainty avoidance
• Power distance
• Institutional Collectivism
• In-Group Collectivism
• Gender egalitarianism
• Assertiveness
• Future orientation
• Performance orientation
• Humane orientation
Uncertainty Avoidance
• The degree to which people are uncomfortable with risk, change, and
ambiguity is called uncertainty avoidance. In high uncertainty
avoidance countries, there is a greater emphasis on rules, structure,
order, and predictability. France, Japan, and Costa Rica, for example,
are countries with high uncertainty avoidance. The United States,
India, and Sweden have low uncertainty avoidance.
Power Distance
• Power distance is the degree to which people accept an unequal
distribu7on of power and status privileges. In high power distance
countries, there is respect for age and 7tles, people are expected to
follow rules, and there is more tolerance for concentrated power.
India, Mexico, and the Philippines have high power distance. The
United States, Australia, and Israel have low power distance.
Institutional Collectivism

• The degree to which organiza7onal and societal ins7tu7ons

encourage individuals to be integrated into groups and organiza7ons.
In high ins7tu7onal collec7vism countries, collec7ve distribu7on of
resources and collec7ve ac7on are encouraged. Group loyalty is
encouraged, even if it undermines the pursuit of individual goals.
Sweden, Japan, and Singapore are examples of countries that have
high ins7tu7onal collec7vism; Germany, Argen7na, and Italy have low
ins7tu7onal collec7vism. In the United States, low ins7tu7onal
collec7vism has resulted in debates on appropriate work-life balance.
In-Group Collectivism

• The degree to which individuals express pride, loyalty, and

cohesiveness in their organiza7ons or families.
• In countries with high ins7tu7onal collec7vism, individuals iden7fy
with their families or organiza7ons and du7es and obliga7ons
determine behaviors. A strong dis7nc7on is made between
individuals who are in a group and those who are not. India, Egypt,
and China are examples of countries that have high ins7tu7onal
collec7vism; Sweden, New Zealand, and Finland have low ins7tu7onal
collec7vism.
Gender egalitarianism

• The degree to which male and female equality is actualized is called

gender egalitarianism.
• Countries with high gender egalitarianism provide more opportuni7es
for women and have more women in posi7ons of power. Sweden,
Poland, and Costa Rica have high gender egalitarianism. Japan, Italy,
and Egypt have low gender egalitarianism. In these countries, women
generally have lower status at work and in the culture.
Assertiveness

• The degree to which individuals are forceful, confronta7onal, and

aggressive, as opposed to coopera7ve and compassionate. In high
asser7veness countries such as the United States, Germany, and
Mexico, communica7on is direct and unambiguous. Individual
ini7a7ve is encouraged, and rela7onships are likely to be compe77ve.
Countries with low asser7veness rankings are Switzerland and New
Zealand. Managers in these countries are more likely to look for
consensus and coopera7ve decision making.
Future orientation

• The degree to which delayed gra7fica7on and planning for the future
are valued over short-term gains is called future orienta7on.
Countries with high future orienta7on encourage investments for
future payoffs over immediate consump7on. It is similar to the ability
of individuals to delay gra7fica7on. Canada, Switzerland, and
Malaysia have high future orienta7on; Poland, Argen7na, and Russia
have low future orienta7on.
Performance orientation

• The degree to which innova7on, high standards, and excellent

performance are encouraged and rewarded. Countries with high
performance orienta7on value materialism and compe77veness, and
they expect to invest in training to promote performance
improvements. The United States and European countries have high
performance orienta7ons; Argen7na, Russia, and Greece have low
performance orienta7ons.
Humane orientation
• The degree to which fairness, altruism, generosity, and kindness are
encouraged and valued is a measure of a country’s humane
orienta7on. In na7ons with high humane orienta7on, individuals are
responsible for promo7ng the well-being of others as opposed to the
state providing social and economic support. The Philippines, Ireland,
and Egypt have high humane orienta7on; France, Germany, and
Singapore have low humane orienta7on.
Teams & Group Processes
 What Are Teams?

1. Groups of two or more people.

2. Exist to fulfill an purpose.
3. Interdependence and need for
collabora7on.
4. Mutual accountability.
5. Perceive themselves to be a
team.
 Types of Teams

• Permanence: How long the team exists.

• Skill diversity: Extent to which members have different skills,
knowledge.
• Authority dispersion: How much decision making is distributed
throughout the team.
 5 Reasons Why Effective Teamwork is Important for
all Organisations
5 Reasons Why
Effec/ve Teamwork
is Important for all
Organisa/ons
 Team Composi+on

• Sources: Based on informa.on in

V. Rousseau, C. Aubé, and A.
Savoie, “Teamwork Behaviors: A
Review and an Integra.on of
Frameworks,” Small Group
Research 37, no. 5 (2006), 540–
70; M.L. Loughry, M.W. Ohland,
and D.D. Moore, “Development
of a Theory-Based Assessment of
Team Member Effec.veness,”
Educa.onal and Psychological
Measurement 67, no. 3 (2007),
505–24; E. Salas et al.,
“Understanding and Improving
Teamwork in Organiza.ons: A
Scien.fically Based Prac.cal
Guide,” Human Resource
Management 54, no. 4 (2015):
• EXHIBIT 7.4 Five Cs of Effec5ve Team Member Behavior 599–622.
Groups

Two or more freely interacting individuals who share norms and goals
and have a common identity.

Formal or informal; can overlap.

Test Your Knowledge
• Jeannie belongs to a formal work group with established
norms. All the following would be considered norms for her
group EXCEPT:

• meetings always start on time.

• meetings are limited to two hours.
• Jeannie’s boss always mediates conflict through
reconciliation or humor.
• members take turns bringing snacks.
• no cell phones are allowed during the meeting.
How Are Teams
Different from Groups?
• A group becomes a team when:

• Leadership becomes a shared ac4vity.

• Accountability shi9s from strictly individual to both individual and

collec4ve.

• The group develops its own purpose or mission.

• Problem solving becomes a way of life, not a part-4me ac4vity.

• Effec:veness is measured by the group’s collec4ve outcomes and

products.
Test Your Knowledge

Kierra is trying to quickly establish a team to find the

root cause of a quality issue involving defective air
bags in her company, which also involves suppliers
and dealers. Which of these should she NOT do?
• Clearly explain the purpose of the team is to locate the root
cause of the problem and suggest correc=ons.
• Decide against using a cross-func=onal team because she
assumes the problem can be solved by one department.
• Have each member share details about their experiences.
• Establish how informa=on will be shared.
• Explain how conflicts in decision making will be resolved.
MULTICULTURALISM
DEFINITION
q Multiculturalism is the practice of giving equal attention to many
different backgrounds in a particular setting.
q As a descriptive term it refers to cultural diversity where two or more
groups with distinctive beliefs/cultures exist in a society.
TYPES OF MULTICULTURAL TEAMS
• Domestic Multiculturalism
Concerning different cultures within home country

• Group Multiculturalism
Concerning different cultures in other countries.
Ø Homogenous groups
Ø Token groups
Ø Bicultural groups
Ø Multicultural groups
CHALLENGE FOR MULTICULTURAL TEAMS
q Managing multicultural teams
can present its own unique set of
challenges and obstacles.
q Not only will you have to
effectively manage language
barriers, but there are also
cultural and training barriers to
overcome, as well.
CHALLENGE FOR MULTICULTURAL TEAMS
q Language Barrier – Team members not speak the same language, there
may be one language that dominates the group interaction
q Cultural differences - People from Eastern cultures will have varying

cultural norms from those in a Western culture.

q Technical Challenges - An employee from the U.S. is often used to using

many of the most popular tech offerings available today.

q Decision-Making- Decision-making styles differ across cultures.

q The Difficulty Of Motivating A Multicultural Team - Different cultures have

different perspectives on motivation.

CHALLENGE FOR MULTICULTURAL
MANAGE MULTICULTURAL TEAMS

The right solution to all of these types of challenges requires

careful thought, cultural understanding and dexterity, and
a highly diplomatic approach.
MANAGE MULTICULTURAL TEAMS
q Overcome Language Barriers

If each team member speaks a different language, find a common

language which every member can communicate with ease.
q Consider Different Cultural Communication Styles

Every culture nurtures its own communication style, like speaking patterns.
q Plan Projects Around Different Time Zones

Need to organize your work properly and make plans according to these
different time zones.
MANAGE MULTICULTURAL TEAMS
q Be Open to All Cultures and Their Differences

Respect and appreciate by being open to the traditions and values of all
cultures.
q Deliver Honest Feedback

Providing team with honest and constructive feedback is a significant part

of leadership and management duties.
 Multiculturalism is not a thing to be avoided.
But it is something that makes the world beautiful.
The more we know about the cultural of others, the open-
minded, tolerant and global we become.
Our cultural values, traits and belief are different & diverse.
We are all different, but together we are the same. We must
respect each other’s culture and differences.
Employee Behavior:
Stereotype/Prejudice
Discrimination
What Is a Stereotype?
An individual’s set of beliefs about the characteristics or
attributes of a group.
• May or may not be accurate.
• Can lead to poor decisions.
• Can create barriers for:
• Women
• Older individuals
• People of color
• People with disabilities
How Stereotypes Are Formed and Maintained
Accurate information and motivation are needed to
reduce the use of stereotypes.

• Four steps:
1. Categorization
2. Inferences
3. Expectations
4. Maintenance
 Problems with
Stereotyping
• Overgeneralizes.

• Stereotype threat.

• Founda=on of systemic and inten=onal

discrimina=on.

• Difficult to prevent stereotype ac=va=on, but

possible to minimize stereotype applica=on.

54
Test Your Knowledge

Which of the following statements is NOT

accurate?
• Stereotypes can lead to poor decisions.
• All stereotypes are nega4ve.
• Stereotypes are used during the encoding process of
percep4on.
• Quality interpersonal contact among mixed groups
may reduce the use of stereotypes.
• Some people have nega4ve stereotypes about older
individuals.
Discrimination

Discrimination occurs when employment decisions about an

individual are due to individual characteristics and attributes
that are not related to the job.
How organizations
manage diversity
effectively
Figure 4.5 The Four Layers of Diversity
Test Your Knowledge
As Jasmine got to know Mary, a co-worker of a different
ethnicity, Jasmine was surprised to learn how much she
actually had in common with Mary such as loving to hike and
choice of religion. Jasmine was experiencing which layer of
diversity?

A. organizational dimensions.
B. personality.
C. surface-level characteristics.
D. deep-level characteristics.
E. internal dimensions.
 Building the Business Case for Managing Diversity

Business rationale for diversity.

• Managing diversity gives an organization the ability to
grow and maintain a business in an increasingly
competitive marketplace.
• The access-and-legitimacy perspective is based on
recognition that the organization’s markets and
constituencies are culturally diverse.
Test Your Knowledge

Big Bucks Bank is located in a city with a

growing Latino population. Jane, the CEO,
believes in the access-legitimacy perspective.
Jane will do which of the following?
• Hire employees to match the diversity in the popula?on.
• Offer La?no food every Friday.
• Offer interna?onal travel services.
• Support the local university’s Spanish department.
• All of the above.
Barriers and Challenges to Managing Diversity