Today’s business, especially larger ones, are enveloped in a global community. T
ID: 1225472 • Letter: T
Question
Today’s business, especially larger ones, are enveloped in a global community. This brings in the element of cultural differences which can play a huge role in the effectiveness of the business. As a manager you must be able to adapt and accept the many faces of cultural differences. To that end, the focus of this discussion is regarding how you deal with cultural differences. Here is the discussion situation: Have you ever experienced a misunderstanding as the result of a cultural difference between you and someone else? Describe that experience. How did you resolve that difference? If you have not experienced a cultural difference describe how you think you would handle the situation.
Explanation / Answer
ALL OVER THE GLOBE WE SEE THERE ARE DIFFERENT CIVILIZATIONS WITH TOTALLY DIFFERENT CULTURES OF THEIR OWN DEVELOPED OVER THE AGES.THESE CULTURAL DIFFERENCES ARE TO BE KEPT IN MIND ALWAYS WHILE ONE IS TO WORK AND OPERATE IN THESE PLACES.
NOW CULTURE IS SOMETHING WHICH A PERSON IS VERY MUCH ATTACHED TO. NOBODY IS EASILY READY TO GIVE UP OR CHANGE HIS CULTURAL IDENTITY. LIKE IN CASE OF INDIAN SIKHS WE SEE THAT WEARING A TURBAN IS A MANDATORY PART OF THEIR CULTURE, IN THIS CASE WE HAVE SEEN VARIOUS CONFRONTATIONS EVEN IN THE COURT GOING ON WHICH ULTIMATELY GRANTED PERMISSION TO WEAR THE SAME ON DUTY. ALSO THE EATING HABITS ARE DIFFERENT IN DIFFERENT IN VARIOUS CULTURES. LIKE IN CASE OF MCDONALDS WE FIND ALOO TIKKI BURGER A UNIQUE ONE TO THE INDIAN SUB CONTINENT ONLY. AGAIN WEARING NOSE STUB IS THE PART OF INDIAN CULTURE. WEARING HIJAAB TO WORK IS FOUND IN MANY ARAB COUNTRIES.
THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE A CULTURAL DIFFERENCE IS BY MUTUAL DISCUSSION AND COOPERATION. ANY SORT OF RESISTANCE ONLY MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO HANDLE IT. SOME DIFFERENCES CAN BE SORT BY A FEW MINIMAL CHANGES TO THE CULTURAL PART AND ACCEPTABLE TO BOTH PARTIES. LIKE FOLLOWING SOME RULES ONLY WHEN STRICTLY ON JOB AND NOT ALL OVER THE BUSINESS PREMISES. SOMETIMES WE CAN ADAPT OURSELVES TO THE SAME THING WITH A MINUTE ADJUSTMENT OR JUST SIMPLY ACCEPT AND RESPECT THE CULTURAL DIFFERENCE AS APART OF OUR BUSINESS CULTURE. THUS CULTURAL DIFFERENCES CAN BE HANDLED WITH EASE AND COOPERATION. THEY REQUIRE SOME ADJUSTMENTS AND UNDERSTANDING TO CREASE THEM OUT.