Dealing With Conflicts In Multicultural Organ Is At Ions

DEALING WITH CONFLICTS IN MULTICULTURAL ORGANISATIONS Emanuela Veronica Anca

Abstract. Diversity becomes a more pressing issue in the 21st century, thus most people and organisations are facing the necessity to effectively communicate cross-culturally. The relationship culture-communication is the interdependence with a view to a better functioning of the multicultural organisations. The ability of the manager to solve the crises situations generated by the diverse culture of the organization is a key factor. This paper aims to present how is cross-cultural conflict dealt with effectively in multicultural organisations, with specific reference to management strategies. In order to solve a conflict one must first determine its source. There are many factors responsible for a conflict, but cultural differences and misunderstandings seem to create a major source of conflict. Different types of cross-cultural disputes are presented according to the six dimentions of conflict. Besides, this paper refers to those areas of the beneficial intervention that a leader can use in solving a cross-cultural conflict. Key words: multicultural organisation, cross-culture conflict, conflict management, cultural diversity. Dimensions of conflict The sources of conflict play a critical role in determining appropriate ways to manage conflict. There are 6 dimensions of conflict: the communication process; the emotional dimension - anger, tears and frustration; the historical dimension; the inner value system; the organisational structure; the human needs which drive individuals. The first source of conflict is communication, which is a complex process whereby people connect with each other, it is affected by different cultural backgrounds. By communication process, a person receives information and assigns meaning to words or behaviour. For example the question “What are you working on?” asked someone at work place may be interpreted in different ways. Some persons may feel embarrassed, controlled by peers who ask the question. Others may understand the question as an interest in his/her job, a way of offering help. The process of communication starts with a message, which is encoded in the mind of one person called a source and decoded in the mind of another person called participant. The process becomes even more difficult when the source and the participant originate from different cultures. The greater the variation between cultural backgrounds is, the more obstacles to communications occur. The effective use of language is the first key to communication. An employee working in a multicultural company in South Africa complained that although English is the official language in the company, his fellow-workers often uses a language he doesn’t understand. In South Africa eleven languages are spoken. 1

It is common for people to attribute negative intentions in a cross-cultural situation when speakers begin using an unknown language. Conflicts are often escalated by someone attributing negative intentions to another person. The second key to communication is perception. Situation: The executive manager tells a department supervisor: “This is how people interpret what you have said.” And he responds in a rather shocked manner, saying: “I had no idea that people perceived that”. Perception refers to the meaning that people attach the information they receive. Perception is subjective in nature, which means that people interpret meaning through their own field of experience. Perception may provide an inaccurate interpretation to a situation, making it unreliable. Perception is a critical issue in cross-cultural communication, because meaning is partially determined by cultural orientation. In an ambiguous situation, it is easier to make a premature judgment than to withhold judgment. In intercultural interactions, people should consult each other for differing perceptions and refrain from placing value judgments on the exposed differences. The third key to communication is ethnocentrism, which is the emotional response which people often have when first face with another culture. There are two dimensions which assist a person in overcoming this propensity toward ethnocentrism: 1. An increased awareness of one’s own culture and 2. An awareness of the differences in work values and cultural values of other cultures. Ethnocentrism is developed through the process of enculturation which refers to the fact that one’s culture is deeply engrained in the conscious and subconscious mind of an individual. This process begins at the moment of birth and goes on throughout a lifetime. Hence people compare new cultural way to their own ways and the conclusion is that their ways are the best. International businesses are facing with a rapid globalization. The dynamics of international companies frequently require moving managers to other countries. The identification of stereotypes is an important key to cross-cultural communication. Some employees complain that they are stereotyped in the work place. Although people of one culture share certain characteristics, stereotypes are likely to cause unrealistic expectations in interpersonal relationships. Probably some of the most damaging stereotypes are racially based. In multicultural companies some situations in the work place are affected by skin colour. These racially base stereotypes are very sensitive and have a high potential for conflict situations. One of the best ways to avoid the problem of stereotyping is to make an effort at approaching all people as human beings. This mental choice helps to build a positive attitude toward people of other cultures. Emotional dimension - anger, tears and frustration. Emotions are another factor of conflict. Anger, hidden or obvious, is present in every conflict. Tears may also be present in the process. Situation: A German supervisor was annoyed that one of the employees, a South African woman, was 3-5 minutes late every morning, and made different comments. The woman perceived his remarks as rude and unnecessary. It was a clash of cultures. The supervisor was from a culture with a high concern for punctuality. The woman did not consider it such a big problem since she used to leave the work place about 30 minutes after the programme had been over. She finally confronted the supervisor and vented her emotions, fact that aided in the 2

resolution of the conflict. This extreme orientation to time is often a source of problems in crosscultural situations. Perception plays an important role, as emotions spiral up. An important influence on emotions is the perception of intentionality. The choice of emotions may be the deciding factor whether conflict escalates or de-escalates. On the other hand, there are leaders whose personality and style make the display of emotions unacceptable. The head of a department, an American, views the conflicts as subtle because although he heard rumours sometimes, he had never experienced emotional outbursts in his department. It seemed that his employees understood his expectations and reacted accordingly. The historical dimension In a conflict situation, historical dimension is often mentioned in the participants’ arguments. The manager of a multicultural company in South Africa noticed that the black employees feel more subordinate, probably because of culture or apartheid background. The history of apartheid in South Africa enhances inter-racial issues in every organization of the country. South Africa has made significant strides toward work place equity. Their legislation promotes equal opportunity and fair treatment of employees in the workplace, attempting to eliminate unfair discrimination. Multicultural organizations provide a good starting place for interaction between people of various backgrounds. If relationships are approached with a positive attitude of learning, perceptions can be modified and behaviour can be changed. Some countries have a long history of conflicts between people groups, having devastating results to the land and to the people as well. A marketing consultant of an English travel company used to tell jokes about French people. These were always reasons of disputes between him and his two French colleagues. His favourite joke was “Paris is a gorgeous city but it’s full of Frenchmen.” His colleagues often complained about those jokes. They decided to move to another department. The manager tried to persuade his marketing consultant to give up his jokes and moreover sent him to their company branch in France. The inner value system is a fourth source which people develop within their culture. This value system is often evident in how people greet and address each other. A young employee of a multicultural company in Southern America had a conflict with a co-worker concerning the way of addressing. The young woman used to call her senior colleague ‘auntie’. The latter one way annoyed and asked her younger co-worker to call her by name. For the young woman, the word ‘auntie’ was a term of respect. Most probably that term reflects the value of age in her culture. The senior member did not understand the meaning behind the term ‘auntie’ and reacted negatively to it. The young woman could not give up her value system, so she chose to quit using any names when addressing the senior member. Another example is the following: A Hungarian- originated employee of a company in Great Britain used to tell his co-workers ‘good appetite’ when they had meal together at the company canteen. This is not common for the British. With them, this phrase is used only by the waiter in a restaurant or by a person who is not having meal. The Hungarian employee was embarrassed a bit about sitting at table and start having meal with his colleagues and not telling anything. 3

The conflict of values is thought to be one of the hardest conflicts to deal with, because it is not based on a rational thought process. It is helpful to be aware of personal culture and other cultures. People make evaluations along three dimensions: the cognitive level, the affective level and the evaluative level (Hiebert, 1985:104). On the cognitive level, people develop beliefs about certain issues through personal experience, through information received from a trusted source and through an internal process of logic called inference. Beliefs vary in intensity according to each individual. The affective level involves an emotional basis for decision making. People decide whether they like something or doing something. These decisions come from within the culture, but affect the likes and dislikes of an individual. On the evaluative level, people choose values which differentiate between right and wrong (Mayer, 2000:11). These values develop through the process of enculturation and may be operational on a subconscious level. The values influence the actions and reactions of an individual and they also determine an appropriate or inappropriate behaviour in society. Understanding values and assumptions will help avoid the misinterpretation of behaviour and actions in a cross-cultural environment. The organizational structure represents another source of conflict. One of the structural issues concerns the distribution of work responsibilities in the office. There are employees who think or feel that their co-workers are doing unnecessary work. The following question “What are you working on?” is usually perceived in a negative way by the person asked. Sometimes some employees think that certain fellow-workers get involved in others’ job. Example 1: A conflict arose between two accountants, office – colleagues. One noticed that his colleague had faced problems with some papers and offered his help. His colleague’s answer was “I can make it. I am able to do my job properly”. In the culture of the employee offering help, this intention is welcome. He explained that he is used to work as part of a team, offering and receiving help. Example 2: A new employee complained that she was often questioned by a senior employee about what she was doing that moment. She answered that she always did as her job description listed. The head of department confronted the senior employee and explained the new employee’s job description, as well as the reasons behind the directives. Some senior employees think that they have to co-ordinate or control the younger employees’ activities. But being younger does not mean not doing your job properly. They should be encouraged and trusted. A new employee usually produces change within the department. Change produces ambiguity in the employees. In return, ambiguity often produces insecurity, uncertainty and resistance. Change may bring opposition. When employees are involved in the process of change, they should see the necessity of the proposed change and feel a sense of ownership of the innovative idea. Clear job descriptions are critical for effective human resource management. A job description should include a list of responsibilities of the employee, along with an explanation of how to do the job and why the job is done. People need to know the reporting lines and labour relations improve in an organization where job responsibilities and reporting lines are clarified. There are companies where some employees are directly subordinated to two chiefs, although this type of management is not recommended at all. Thus some employees complain that they must respond to different tasks in the same time or on the other hand one chief gives some tasks and the another one gives another tasks, totally different. This aspect was noticed in those environments where chiefs, heads or managers belong to different cultures. 4

Example: An employee complained that the general manager, a German from the North of the country once gave him some directions for accomplishing a task but just the next moment the department chief, a German from a Southern region, gave him other directions for the same task. He did not know whose directions he should follow. Finally, after a short dispute with the department chief, the employee took into account his general manager’s directions. This situation brought about two conflicts, between the employee and his department chief and between the general manager and the department chief. The problem was that the two chiefs did not reach a consensus. They sustained their own ideas and did not agree to put them in common and find a common effective solution. This type of non-flexible chiefs is dangerous for companies. The human needs are placed in the middle of the conflict wheel. The basic human needs which drive individuals are: physiological needs, security and safety needs, belongingness and love needs, needs for esteem and recognition and needs for self-actualization. These basic needs will affect the areas of communication, emotions, history, values and structure. A conflict occurs when one or more needs are not being met. A conflict cannot be resolved until the needs of individuals are determined. People strive to protect themselves in difficult situations. If they perceive a threat to their needs, they will try to defend themselves. This is a normal human reaction. Conflict Management Developing skills in conflict management is critical for a leader in a multicultural organisation. Some researchers found out that 42% of employees’ time is spent either in a developing conflict or in an attempt to solve a conflict. They also discovered that 50% of employees changed their work place because of a conflict. Conflicts result in loss of work time, loss of productivity, loss of morale, loss of profit and loss of good employees. Conflict management is the intervention of leaders to encourage or determine a positive conflict and to resolve, suppress or prevent a harmful conflict. Thus, the leader must possess certain specific skills needed in a cross-cultural situation, as follows: empathize with employees; develop multiple perspectives; suspend judgment; mentor employees; learn communication skills and provide adequate recognition. An employee described empathy well: “So, what may be really minor to you or me, may be very major to someone else. … Whenever you run into something you don’t understand, than you look to see… well, is it culture…is it education…”. Another employee referred to empathy quoting the ‘Golden Rule’ in the Bible: “You must love your neighbour as you love yourself, because if you love yourself, you will not have trouble loving the next person.” Empathy is the ability to exchange places with another person in order to understand thoughts, emotions and behaviour in a situation given. It is a skill used to acquire a perspective other than one’s own. A lack of empathy is problematic in a cross-cultural situation. Empathy weakens ethnocentrism by helping a person have a new understanding of the values and beliefs of other persons. Empathy is an effective tool in a conflict management. To separate people from a problem, a leader needs to listen and empathize with all involved parties. People are more inclined to be open to creative problem solving if they know they have been listened to.

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Develop multiple perspectives. The leader needs to acquire the skill of approaching the world through multiple perspectives. Self-awareness is the first step in developing multiple perspectives. Being aware of personal cultural assumptions is a crucial aspect in developing competence in intercultural exchanges. The American head of department of a multicultural company in South Africa, who has lived there for twenty years, states that his cross-cultural experience has assisted him in learning that there are multiple perspectives. He said: “I will normally interpret the white member of staff to the the black members of staff. This is the advantage of being an outsider as well as the department head. An important responsibility of a leader is to recognize the range of forces that affect each of the employees, then to assist them understand how these forces influence perceptions. This process creates an atmosphere of co-operation in the work place. Suspend judgment is a critical skill for a leader in a multicultural organisation. When a manager makes a decision about a conflict management strategy he must take into account not only the achievement of short-term goals but the long-term consequences to subordinates as well. Knowledge of personal cultural patterns could assist a leader in suspending judgement. Sometimes, leaders might experience the need for suspended judgment. The next example is relevant: A manager of a multicultural company in Asia when was having a meeting with a partner in his office happened that a unit supervisor to come in and ask him extraordinary and totally unexpected demands. He probably wouldn’t have minded if he had confronted him individually, privately. The manager considered that the supervisor was afraid of his response and that was why he did that in front of the third party. But the manager did not take the incident personally. He was upset with his employee but he maintained his equilibrium and gave himself time to reflect on the situation. After a week the manager had a talk with his employee about that incident. He concluded that the supervisor wanted to receive an affirmative answer and had that intervention in the presence of the third person thinking that the circumstance was a favourable one. The manager explained him what was possible and what was not in his request. The supervisor told him that meantime he realized he had been wrong and apologized. Mentoring employees is also an important skill for a leader. Employees must be taught to empathize with others, to look for a perspective other than their own and to suspend judgment. The perception of people from another culture is a major issue in a multicultural organisation. Once employees begin to understand the issues involved in cross-cultural relationships stronger relationships are formed in the work place. A leader of a multicultural organisation should emphasize similarities among employees rather than differences. He must help his employees understand and appreciate the value of individual differences, determining a sense of community. Diversity is beautiful and interesting. But in some situations, diversity may be attributed to discrimination. The leader must mentor employees by providing opportunities for workers to experience the diversity of people from other cultures. Research showed that when people process diversity in a safe working place, they tend to develop new perspectives and close interpersonal relationships. Thus, conflict situations are more easily solved. Learning communication skills is a life-long process which is vital for leadership. Positive communication skills determine the effectiveness of a leader. It is very important for a leader to understand the effect of culture on the communication process for effectively managing conflicts in multicultural environments. Here are some critical communication skills which 6

leaders must have: the art of listening carefully to be well informed, ask for clarification to ensure a correct understanding, communicating clearly to establish a correct meaning, or to give right instructions, choosing communication styles which are appropriate for individuals, taking time to heal before trying to resolve a conflict, too much conversation and pressure may escalate the conflict. Provide adequate recognition. A leader must be creative in providing adequate recognition for each employee. One says that in white culture particularly, giving people a title means prestige in the cultural community. Conflict resolution Conflict resolution is a process of transformation in which the resulting outcomes satisfy the basic needs of all the involved parties. The specific literature states five styles of handling conflict: forcing, problem solving, avoiding, accommodating and compromising. Forcing is the management type that uses authority to resolve a conflict. The leader sometimes exerts his authority in the form of rewards, threat of punishment, bribery or physical force. Problem solving is usually the most effective way to manage a conflict. Because of the emphasis on cooperation, the results of this style, often include the perception that conflict management is constructive and leads to better cooperation with the superior on future problems or tasks. Approaching this style, superiors facing a conflict, listen to the concerns of both parties and attempt to find a mutually satisfying solution to the conflict issue. When different cultures are involved, they try to consider the values, the aspects governing each culture and try to understand how the problem in dispute is perceived by individuals according to their culture. Avoiding is a style of conflict management that is considered to be unassertive and uncooperative. Its purpose is to ensure someone’s safety by avoiding confrontation or contact with adversaries. Accommodating is sometimes called the ‘smoothing’ style of conflict management because it focuses on solving the conflict by satisfying the other person’s needs. Compromising is a method of solving conflict through ‘bargaining’ is directed toward sharing losses and gains jointly. This type is considered useful when there is a balance of power between the individuals or when limited resources have to be shared. Confrontation and mediation are two alternative conflict management styles. Western cultures prize confrontation when dealing with a conflict situation. German superiors chose to use confrontation when a conflict occurs. They talk straight and clear to individuals who have not worked properly. They say that employees accept their mistakes and apologize and their relationship is not damaged. Some superiors stated that their relationship with the employees improved after a confrontation. Mediation, or third-party intervention, is another tool that is useful in constructive conflict management

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Conclusions The influence of diverse cultures has a major impact on relationships in every type of organisation. This cross-cultural phenomenon affects communication, causing confusion and often producing conflict among the workforce. Therefore, it is important for people to understand clearly the process of communication and to know the sources of cross-cultural conflict. Each conflict episode affects the relationships among the employees of the organisation. If the participants are satisfied with the resolution, relationships of cooperation are strengthened. When entering a new company, a culture or relationship, a person must be a learner. The person must be ready to observe and listen carefully, be flexible and open to changes. We assume that bringing adults together from various cultures and allowing them to interact with each other will decrease misunderstanding. Their cultural differences will eventually become less important or disappear. But, in fact, exactly the opposite is true.

BIBLIGRAPHY Adler, R.B. (1986). Communicating at Work. New York: Random House Eisenberg, E.M. (1984). Ambiguity as Strategy in Organizational Communication. New York: Harper & Row. Haney, W.V. (1983). Communication and Organizational Behaviour. Homewood: Richard Irwin Hiebert, PG. 1985. Anthropological insights for missionaries. Michigan: Baker Book House Mayer, B. 2000. The dynamics of conflict resolution. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, Inc., A Wiley Company.

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