Culture and Communication Problems in HRM Presentation

Culture Problems in HRM

• Failing to address cultural diversity properly (Schmeisser, Krimphove, & Popp, 2013):
  • Using universal patterns for different cultures;
• Misunderstanding cultural differences in interpersonal relations (Ugoani, 2016):
  • The relation between collectivism and individualism;
  • The understanding of power distance phenomenon;
  • The relation between masculinity and femininity;
• Misunderstanding the appropriateness of particular behaviours:
  • Unawareness of culture-based stress on conformity;
  • Ignoring the role of values in behaviours (Anbari, Khilkhanova, Romanova, & Umpleby, 2009);
• Being non-familiar with culture-specific attitudes:
  • Failing to understand attitude to work;
  • Misunderstanding attitudes to working relationship.

Working in a team, as well as human resource management, is associated with a variety of culture-related problems. The central challenge is failing to recognise and address cultural diversity in a proper manner. In most cases, it is connected to choosing a universal approach to treating all team members, thus offending their culture-specific needs. Moreover, there is a common problem of failing to understand cultural differences in perceiving interpersonal relations. It may be connected with giving preference to collectivism over individualism as well as communicating according to gender- and power-based patterns.

The abovementioned problems are not the only challenges that should be considered. Some other issues include failing to understand appropriateness of particular behaviours and lacking knowledge in culture-specific attitudes. As for the first problem, it is associated with the inability to see the role of values in behaviours (e.g., sharing thoughts openly or acting in a particular manner) as well as ignoring the stress on conformity typical for some cultures, such as Asian and Hispanic. At the same time, it is related to unawareness of culture-specific attitudes to work and working relations.

Communication Problems in HRM

• Lack of cross-cultural communication skills:
  • Misunderstanding appropriateness of sharing experiences openly;
• Misunderstanding age- and gender-related communication patterns;
• Failing to understand culture-specific communication patterns:
  • Misunderstanding common verbal and non-verbal signs;
  • The role of receiving communicating feedback (Cheng & Seeger, 2012);
• Being non-familiar with uncertainty avoidance specificities:
  • Inability to tolerate avoidance in unpredictable situations;
  • Intolerance in accepting ambiguous situations;
• Ignoring individual specificities of communication models;
• Failing to create communication culture (Ahmeti, 2014):
  • Atmosphere enhancing trust and openness.

Besides culture-related problems in human resource management, there are as well some critical communication challenges. The central issue is the lack of cross-cultural communication skills that is connected to the inability to deploy appropriate verbal and non-verbal signs and ignoring commonality of sharing experiences. At the same time, in most cases, age- and gender-based communication patterns are ignored. For instance, man and younger people are more open in communication compared to women and the elderly. Finally, some fail to understand the appropriateness of communicating feedback, i.e. commenting on one’s experiences of behaviours in different context and situations.

Another common problem is unfamiliarity with the existence of the so-called avoidance phenomenon characterised by being passive and secretive in ambiguous or unpredictable situations (just like the game under consideration). In similar cases, people tend to hide their feelings and remain selective in sharing experiences based on the expected outcomes of these actions. This challenge can be connected either to individual character traits and communication skills or the environment of communication. Still, it is associated with the inability to establish a favourable atmosphere in a team – that motivating everyone to be open and sincere.

References

Ahmeti, F. (2014). HRM: Developing organisational communication culture in transitional economy. European Scientific Journal, 10(10), 301-312.

Anbari, F. T., Khilkhanova, E. V., Romanova, M. V., & Umpleby, S. A. (2009). Cross-cultural differences and their implications for managing international projects. Web.

Cheng, S. S., & Seeger, M. W. (2012). Cultural differences and communication issues in international mergers and acquisitions: A case study of BenQ Debacle. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3(3), 116-127.

Schmeisser, H. W., Krimphove, D., & Popp, R. (2013). International human resource management and international labour law: A human resource management accounting approach. München, Germany: Wissenschaftsverlag.

Ugoani, J. N. N. (2016). Cultural dimensions in global human resource management: Implications for Nigeria. International Journal of Management and Production, 7(3), 807-832.