I’ll admit that I missed the mark on thoroughly describing differences within and differences between for a recent assignment. I didn’t look deep enough, and I wasn’t sensitive enough to the small nuances that can make a big difference in understanding who people are and why people behave the way they do. There is a noteworthy difference in individual characteristics from those of group generalizations, and this topic is not only significant to our success as professionals, but it’s personal to people as it recognizes each of us for our uniqueness.
Analyzing differences involves the examination of how people within a group differ among members (differences within) and also how one group of people differs from another group (differences between). For example, language is a key factor in determining the meaning and success of communication; research shows that “language cannot be understood properly when analyzed devoid of its social underpinnings” (Gefen, Geri & Paravastu, 2007, p. 11).
Diversity speaks to the differences between individuals. Differences within groups compare a vast array of differences for all individuals in a group, such as height, religious beliefs, gender, eye color, age, meal preferences, smoking preference, sexual preference, social status… name a variable and it will likely count as a difference (Pennsylvania State University, 2020, para. 6). Differences are what make us unique, that is, our precise differences, but culture is what makes people similar.
Culture speaks to the “differences between groups in terms of trends or averages” (Pennsylvania State University, 2020, para. 7). When it comes to communication under the lenses of differences between, “results also provide additional explanations why women sense more social presence in business e-mail than men do…cross-gender communications have cross-culture aspects to them” (Gefen & Straub, 1997, as cited by Gefen, Geri & Paravastu, 2007, p. 11). Certain groups, collectively, do in fact behave differently. “As sociolinguistics claim, men and women apply language, and communication in general, to such a differing social objectives that cross-gender communications can be sometimes best seen as nothing less than cross-cultural miscommunications among people with differing cultural backgrounds (Tannen,.1994, as cited by Gefen, Geri & Paravastu, 2007, p. 9).
Without considering differences, we’re likely to stereotype. “The study of culture and the study of stereotyping are fundamentally and inherently linked, as culture is the vehicle through which stereotypic knowledge is transferred within a society and across generations” (Williams & Spencer‐Rodgers, 2010, p. 592). Collectivist cultures, such as Asian cultures, may stereotype more readily as “a consequence of a greater emphasis on agentic, entitative social groups,” because of “the degree to which they predict prejudice and discrimination” (Williams & Spencer‐Rodgers, 2010, p. 599). Interestingly, collectivist cultures are also more likely to “incorporate situational and contextual factors,” rather than form opinions based on perceived personality traits (Williams & Spencer‐Rodgers, 2010, p. 596).
People want to be accepted similar to how they conceive themselves, in both deep-level diversity (beliefs, values, attitudes) and surface-level diversity (hair color, weight) (Pennsylvania State University, 2020, para. 5). Without an understanding of differences, missteps will be problematic in a work environment and sweeping generalizations will be made. “Perceived consensus about the attributes of the ingroup, as well as attributes of outgroups, serves to demarcate ingroup boundaries and facilitate interpersonal relations” (Williams & Spencer‐Rodgers, 2010, p. 592).
Leaders need to unify and recognize that the difference in the mean or averages between groups is not a representation of any individual, it’s simply a representation of a group (Pennsylvania State University, 2020, para. 5). In general, recognizing differences within is most important, as these differences will always be greater than the differences between groups, even if the decision will affect a large group (Pennsylvania State University, 2020). Let’s remember that one-size-fits-all strategies in organizations often fail, just as it does with raising children or buying clothing.
References:
Gefen, D., Geri, N., & Paravastu, N. (2007). Vive la différence: The cross-culture differences within us. International Journal of E-Collaboration, 3(3), 1-15. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.4018/jec.2007070101
The Pennsylvania State University. (2020). Leadership Global Context: OLEAD 410, Lesson 1: Introduction to leadership in a global context. Retrieved from https://psu.instructure.com/courses/2075490/modules/items/29697147
Treviño, L. K., & Nelson, K. A. (2107) Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right (7th ed.). Hoboken: Wiley.
Williams, M. J., & Spencer‐Rodgers, J. (2010), Culture and stereotyping processes: integration and new directions. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 4, 591-604. doi:10.1111/j.1751-9004.2010.00288.x
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