Internationalization and globalization processes in all businesses and industries necessitate the comprehension, development, and optimization of social interactions between culturally diverse individuals in organizations. Fostering respect to others and acknowledging cross-cultural differences as a formula for success, corporate culture increases personnel’s productivity and morale. This paper will discuss a plan for the dinner event for culturally diverse employees and their spouses.
Relocated employees frequently experience confusion and helplessness due to language barriers, new cultural values, unknown communication forms, novel business etiquette, monetary issues, and the absence of social ties. Moreover, living in a foreign country is associated with cultural shock (Kassar, Rouhana, & Lythreatis, 2015). The cultural shock involves feelings of anxiety, frustration, insecurity, and perplexity caused by inadequate understanding of a new cultural environment. This phenomenon is rooted in Hofstede’s cultural dimensions specific to different nations (Beugelsdijk, Kostova, & Roth, 2017). Furthermore, diverging attitudes to business performance can be a source of possible conflict situations. Kassar et al. (2015) emphasize that irrelevant adaptation of individuals to new local conditions can lead to a decrease in their effectiveness. Therefore, Carla, as well as the company’s HR practitioners, should develop a plan to help representatives of different cultures successfully adapt, reveal their strongest skills, and effectively collaborate with others, regardless of their nation of origin.
Prior to the dinner event for employees and their spouses, Carla should develop cross-cultural training programs in order to facilitate the adaptation of her team members to the new cultural environment. Such initiatives include activities aimed at preparing expatriates for working in new socio-cultural conditions via learning the language and familiarizing them with local and national customs, geography, history, religion, political and economic conditions, climate, and so forth (Kassar et al., 2015). This approach can greatly mitigate the adverse effects of the cultural shock on expatriates and their family members. The dinner event will help Carla evaluate if the designed programs are relevant to new employees’ needs.
In order to enhance the adaptation process at the dinner event, Carla should utilize various strategies as follows:
- The provision of a sympathetic atmosphere during the event is obligatory. The facilitative communication style will encourage new team members to express their thoughts and ideas in a supportive climate (Lumsden, Lumsden, & Wiethoff, 2010, p. 210).
- The dinner event can be conducted in an outlet that serves both local and commonly accepted dishes. National cuisine will allow immersing in specific cultural traditions of the host country. Carla should be prepared to recommend dishes that your new team members will enjoy. The exchange of opinions on palatability traits will also promote better interactions.
- A virtual tour around the country can serve as the background of the event. Being displayed on the screen of the relevant size, such a tour can include culture-related anecdotes, interviews with locals, sightseeing attractions, useful information, and so forth. Expatriates will be able to know more about their new environment while Carla will better realize their needs.
- Given the origin of expatriates, the inclusion of flamenco dancing performance in the event will also be a barrier-neutralizing step. Carla’s team members will feel more comfortable.
- The involvement of an interpreter is obligatory if new employees or their spouses experience difficulties in speaking a foreign language. This measure will ensure free communication.
- As an optional activity, taking photos will inchoate their collective memories.
Summing up, the globalization-caused interpenetration of various cultures stipulates the application of culturally sensitive and flexible managerial approaches, corresponding to a new sociocultural paradigm of business performance. Carla’s attention to the cultural peculiarities of her team members and respect for their values will allow selecting and establishing the most beneficial communication practices. Consequently, the consideration of their individual characteristics and preferences will contribute to increased performance of the team in particular and the company in general.
References
Beugelsdijk, S., Kostova, T., & Roth, K. (2017). An overview of Hofstede-inspired country-level culture research in international business since 2006. Journal of International Business Studies, 48(1), 30-47.
Kassar, A. N., Rouhana, A., & Lythreatis, S. (2015). Cross-cultural training: Its effects on the satisfaction and turnover of expatriate employees. SAM Advanced Management Journal, 80(4), 4-11.
Lumsden, G., Lumsden, D., & Wiethoff, C. (2010). Communicating in groups and teams: Sharing leadership. Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.