Conflict Identification and Resolution
Multiculturalism is a common concept in the modern workplaces. Advancement in transport systems and telecommunications has brought in people from different cultures in organizations. Dealing with people from various cultures is complex, and the issues need to be addressed in a team approach with every employee feeling part of the organization. Multicultural workforce has benefits and an equal share of setbacks. More organizations in the twenty first century are after leaders with a capability of handling multicultural workforce. Multicultural workforce is made up of employees from different national origin, age, gender, race and marital status among others (Connerley & Pedersen, 2005). Benefits attached to multicultural workforce are connected to attaining broader perspectives, diverse coverage, advanced models of managing discrimination risks and improved internal communications within organizations.
Apple Inc. is a multinational organization with production lines in China. Managing a business in China and managing a business in the U.S. is very different. Chinese use indirect communications and seek to value relationships. On the other hand, Americans are direct communicators with little value to relationships. American Managers working in Apple China found it very difficult operating in the new environment, conflicts were the order of the day.
Global populations are constantly changing with time; the global workforce is composed of people from different workforces. Leaders are shifting to multicultural approach of leadership as the world experience colorful cultures (Connerley & Pedersen, 2005). Globalization is a reality with many companies in the world employing people from different races, nationalities, age group and religious backgrounds. Multicultural employees in Apple China work side by side in the same buildings.
Leadership in today’s world differs with organizations and leaders, although most of the leadership tends to borrow from the European and Western cultures (Moran et al., 2011). Multicultural leadership in Apple China encourages adaptable and inclusive style that brings out the best in a diverse workforce. Apple China builds a sense of one community among the employees in making sure all employees are involved in the decision making processes.
An example of a multicultural conflict that happened in Apple Inc. China was centered on time management. Leaders from America working in the organization were time oriented. The Western educated leaders were sensitive on the concepts of time. The Chinese people are not sensitive on matters of time, and Chinese employees consider the concept of time as fluid, and they had the mentality that time is never wasted. Chinese employees were sensitive in building relationships at the expense of time management (Moran et al., 2011).
Among the leaders from the United States, they considered time as rigid and measurable. American leaders argued that time is a valuable resource to save and spend and never waste time. The leaders considered time as limited and linear. Chinese employees were flexible and relaxed on issues to time. Chinese employees value personal interactions and do away with schedules. It was noted that work started to overlap as the Chinese people did not differentiate between personal life and professional life. The multicultural conflict between the Chinese employees and leaders in Apple China were based on the different expectations connected to the pace of performance at the place of work, issues of punctuality, adherence to deadlines and on adherence to schedules.
Apple Inc. China has come to know that creating desirable products is through understanding the culture of the host nation. The leaders in Apple China were forced to accept that the Chinese culture is different from the European and the Western culture. The concept of time in China is taken for granted while the same concept in the European and Western cultures is taken very seriously, doing business in China and doing business in European, and Western cultures are very different (Elashmawi & Harris, 2008). The definition and value of time in different cultures can result to conflicts like it happened in Apple Inc. China.
Facts indicate that managing production in a multicultural setup, time must be respected as part of the resources involved in the production (Elashmawi & Harris, 2008). In China, stated time is different from the actual time. It is not that the Chinese employees were dishonest on the time; it is the culture of the Chinese people on time. The leaders from the United States found it very difficult handling the Chinese employees.
In resolving the conflict on the time concept, the American leaders were forced to learn the Chinese culture. There were myths and realities in the Chinese people, which defined the way of working among the Chinese people. Understanding the Chinese history was significant in defining the way Chinese people reflect on issues of time. Learning the Chinese culture helped the American leaders to develop a multicultural leadership in Apple China (Moran et al., 2011).
The next step was on practicing generosity and not individualism as it is in the Western and European cultures. In so doing, the American leaders in China created a sense of workplace relationships; this was helpful in easing the communication among the employees and the leaders within the facility. Being generous among the American leaders generated respect and integrity among the multicultural workforce (Elashmawi, 2001).
The next step involved flattening the leadership structure in the Apple China; this was useful in making sure that junior employees had a chance of communicating with all the leaders and employees in different levels within the organization. Apple China also recruited leaders from the Chinese people as a way of maintaining better multicultural management within the company.
The American leaders also facilitated a sense of teamwork in Apple China. This was critical in making sure that all the employees were involved in the decision making processes without any forms of biases (Elashmawi et al., 2003). The employees were constantly reminded that they worked as one community or family. Apple China also embedded diverse spirituality in the organization in making sure that all the religions were valued. Leaders in Apple China communicated the vision of the organization to the employees regularly. At the end, the issue of time was addressed by the leaders, and the employees within the facility collectively agreed on the way the organization will be running.
Managing conflicts results to a number of outcomes related to forcing, collaborating (win-win situation), compromising, withdrawing and smoothing (Elashmawi et al., 2003). Forcing is an outcome of conflict resolution attached to competing where all parties pursue their interests despite the resistance offered by the other parties. Forcing is common when parties own up to rights and resist pressure and aggression. Win-win situation involves collaborating among the parties in conflict, in this paper the American leaders in Apple China engaged the win-win situation where there were no losers and winners, each of the party got a share of success. Compromising happens when both parties arrive at a mutually acceptable solution. Withdrawing is common with one of the party involved in the conflict avoiding the confrontation. Smoothing is common when one of the parties involved in conflict accommodates the views of the other parties (Elashmawi, 2001).
Conflicts in multicultural organizations are common as employees see things from different angles. Top management teams encourage employees from diverse backgrounds to work in team environments, where the input of all members is considered important without any forms of biases.
References
Connerley, M. & Pedersen, P. (2005). Leadership in a Diverse and Multicultural Environment: Developing Awareness, Knowledge, and Skills. New York: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Elashmawi, F. (2001). Competing Globally. London: Routledge.
Elashmawi, F. & Harris, P. (2008). Multicultural Management 2000: Essential Cultural Insights for Global Business Success. Houston, Texas: Gulf Professional Publishing.
Elashmawi, F., Harris, P. & Elashmawi. (2003). Multicultural Management. Houston, Texas: Gulf Publishing Company.
Moran, R., Harris, P. & Moran, S. (2011). Managing Cultural Differences. London: Routledge.
Use the order calculator below and get started! Contact our live support team for any assistance or inquiry.
[order_calculator]