Bridging the Gap

A merger of separate corporations which were born into different cultures can present challenges and can impact the success of the newly created organization. Different norms of behavior, expectations and work ethic are bound to cause hiccups not only in the day to day running of the business but can also create a team of nervous employees as new ways of communicating within the team has to be adopted. Leaders must be cognizant of the effect of a merger and ensure that several positions are reviewed prior to sealing the deal. One way of having a smooth integration is by first using five of Hofstede’s dimensions of culture as a guide to unify the workforce and to communicate so that a highly cohesive team of employees is created. Adopting this approach can place a leader at an advantage as there is an understanding on how people interact and what their expectations would be.

One of Hofstede’s dimensions of culture is individualism vs collectivism. This is the degree in which someone looks out for themselves and their achievement (individualistic) instead of having a sense of community where collaboration leads to team success (collectivistic). With regard to communication, having I/Thou relationship based on altruism as opposed to self interest can encourage cross-cultural competency by building “co-operation, mutual consideration and eventually trust.” (Moran, Abramson & Moran 2014). As the trust factor is developed so too would there be a greater potential for a synergistic team.

Knowing if the organization is based in an individualistic culture which is more aggressive and competitive would be key information for a leader. Having an understanding of how inevitable conflict is best handled ensures that the leader would be able to address issues appropriately. It can make it difficult for a culture that is more on the side of femininity dimension where consensus and compromise is the way to handle conflict if the leader cannot understand how they operate. Cultures that exhibit masculinity in reference to cultural dimensions, tend to seek power and their mode of communication can cause a shutdown to a person from a society which is more inclined to developing relationships and encouraging co-operation.Understanding that there is a gap to bridge, communication competencies have to be a priority for the leader in order for the business to succeed.

Uncertainty Avoidance or the degree to which ambiguity is acceptable is important in communication. When one is accustomed to a certain way of doing things, it may take time for them to adopt a new modus operandi. With communication, this can be problematic. In these cases ambiguous communication from a leader can lead to ineffective results. One culture may need to have explicit rules, or ways of carrying out their tasks when others do not need anything more than simple direction. In communication, those that are from low context cultures, which exhibit strong uncertainty avoidance tendencies, would need clearly defined instructions and may not be able to work independently or may even have difficulty in the event of situations out of the norm. Power distance, another of Hofstede’s dimension can also be included here. Cultures with a high power distance background wait to be told what to do. There is a clear distinction between superior and subordinate. So an employee who was able to collaborate with their leaders prior to a merger, may not have that same luxury based on the difference in power distance in another culture. “Individuals with a low power distance cultural background may more openly express agreement and disagreement with clinician advice and suggestions, ask questions, and expect to be involved in the development of intervention plans.” (ASHA).

One final dimension to be considered is long term vs short term orientation. Employees who are accustomed to future orientation may have difficulty adopting a more short term outlook on how to conduct business. It is especially important that a leader can communicate with the employees and take into consideration their outlook in “saving face” and their overall objective is for continuous growth and development of the business.

All in all, leaders must make certain that when communicating the organization’s objectives, that they remain aware of how their leadership and guidance is accepted and the level of buy in that they receive from their culturally diverse workforce.

To get an idea on how different cultures rate on the five dimensions discussed please see the graphic below.

References

Moran, Abramson & Moran (2014): Managing Cultural Differences 9th edition: Routledge

Hofstede, G, Hofstede, G.J, Minkov,M (2010):  Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind. Revised and Expanded 3rd Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill USA, 2010

Hofstede, G: National Culture. Retrieved from http://geert-hofstede.com/national-culture.html

American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA): Examples of Cultural Dimension. Retrieved from http://www.asha.org/Practice-Portal/Professional-Issues/Cultural-Competence/Examples-of-Cultural-Dimensions/