How to Account for Cultural Differences in the Workplace by Andrej Jonovic.

A Forbes Council Member named Andrej Jonovic wrote this piece for the Forbes website in November 2023. Andrej works for Exela Technologies as an executive vice president. How to take workplace cultural differences into consideration is examined in this article. He demonstrated how different cultures can interpret the word "no" by utilizing it. "No, it's one of the most widely used terms in any language, and people's willingness to express disagreement in an open and honest manner varies based on the cultural norms of their backgrounds," he said. These distinctions are significant since our workplaces are becoming more multicultural than ever due to the growth of remote employment."

He also said that one survey of employees across 90 countries found that 89% of remote teams had at least two cultures represented, and more than one-third included four or more. Of those respondents, 78% cited candid discussion of problems as one of the most acute cultural challenges facing their teams. In this context, the small word “no” has oversized implications: for one person, “no” may be too confrontational; for another, it is a healthy assertion she further said.

He went on to emphasize how crucial it is for teams to recognize cultural differences. He talked about her experience working with diverse teams from Asian and European backgrounds and how He observed conflicts arising from people's willful ignorance or ignorance of cultural differences. He added that a lot of people run the risk of coming across as conceited if they think that everyone would adjust to their management style. She claimed to have knowledge of how various reactions to problems promote an inclusive work environment.

The article delves deeper into the process of fostering amicable cross-cultural settings. People perceived a significant cross-cultural problem in their colleagues' lack of collaboration, according to a worldwide virtual teams poll. Despite their desire to contribute to discussions, team members might not always know how to speak up in a way that is acceptable for their culture. To ensure that everyone has a voice, managers and leaders can implement the following measures.

·         Notice the common cross-cultural differences and be conscious of the tacit assumptions and tendencies that can lead to misunderstandings.

·         Practice active listening and take turns speaking.

·         Offer opportunities for a free and friendly exchange of ideas.

·         Provide cross-cultural training for different groups to get familiar with each other’s communication styles, etiquette, and body language.

·         As the HBR authors suggest, ask people who affiliate with multiple cultures to serve as a bridge on cross-cultural teams.

·         Use forums and discussions as an opportunity to understand different approaches to feedback while working through disagreements.

Once more, I find this topic fascinating because of how crucial it is to work in a diverse workplace, respecting and understanding one another, and allowing space for a varied workforce, whether they are based in the same office or remotely. Comprehending these cultural distinctions will also enable me to treat others well, show them respect, and make accommodations for them.


Reference


 Jonovic, A. (2023, November 7). Council post: How to account for cultural differences in the Workplace. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinessdevelopmentcouncil/2023/11/03/how-to-account-for-cultural-differences-in-the-workplace/?sh=12ada1052d7d

 

Comments

  1. Blogs of Eva1 December 2023 at 19:20

    Canada tops the list when it comes to multicultural countries. Being in Canada, it is crucial to understand the cultural differences in a workplace. Your blogs explains it very well.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Cultural Differences in the Workplace Blog5 December 2023 at 08:44

    It caught my attention to review this Post on your Blog since it addresses the same topic of Organizational Behavior that is discussed in my Blog but with the perspective of another Self. Here Forbes Council member Andrej Jonovic discusses the importance of recognizing and taking into account cultural differences in the workplace, particularly in the context of growing multiculturalism driven by the growth of remote employment. Jonovic emphasizes the different interpretations of the simple word "no" in different cultures and how it can affect communication and collaboration within diverse teams. It highlights the importance of understanding cultural distinctions to avoid conflict and foster an inclusive work environment, and provides us with practical measures to create intercultural environments, such as active listening, offering opportunities for the exchange of ideas, providing cross-cultural training, and using people familiar with multiple cultures as bridges in intercultural teams. Although there are many similarities in this post with others that we found on my Blog, we also share practices that had not been named. Congratulations great job!

    ReplyDelete

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