Integration and Conflict Resolution - Example

Name Course Tutor Date 1. Creative Reflective Essay Introduction In the modern world, cross border interactions have become easier and have been facilitated by globalization and liberalized trade. In this context, different cultures interact on a day to day basis on different avenues. The issue of culture is diverse and is characteristic to specific groups of people that are differentiated by geographical regions, professions, religion traditions among other aspects. People that hail from similar geographical locations tend to have similar cultural beliefs and affiliations on which a majority of their activities and perceptions are based on. When different cultures interact, there is always the possibility of conflict and diversity. Culture associated with a specific group is also transferred to other aspects such as management, leadership and the way organizations are run (Brain and Lewis 263). Cultural organization is highly influenced by the culture of the surrounding community and the locality in which it is set up in. In a multicultural environment, there are always issues that come up from the interaction of these groups. Managers, therefore, have to have adequate knowledge and skills necessary to operate in a multicultural environment. In such cases, integration and conflict resolution are some of the major issues that are likely to emerge Overview I am an Italian who works in a multicultural environment where I come into contact with many Germans who work in the same place. The way Germans negotiate in order to close a business transaction is completely different from the way Italians do it. Italy imports meat from South America and then export it to northern Europe. Among the trade counterparts, Germany is one of the most difficult countries to deal with. The difficulty is as a result of hugely diverse and different cultures that the two countries have. However, the differences have not prevented trade but both countries have found amicable ways to resolve cultural differences to facilitate smooth trade. Closing a business deal with German clients is more complicated than when dealing with clients from other parts of the worlds. The German culture calls for close interaction, followed by lengthy discussions while engaging in social activities that are unique to their culture. The interaction during these activities is a major determiner of how the business dealings will conclude. The German culture compared with other cultures in the world demands a friendly relationship between partners and personalities who can act like Germans themselves. This was evident when I interacted with clients in pursuit of closing a business deal for the company. Before the transactions even began, I went golfing with a German client and had to stay in a resort with him as I established a relationship. During the period, I realized that their culture calls for a show of personal commitment and close relationship before indulging in any business activity. Creation of trust between trading partners is a very critical aspect in the German culture. Often they will not participate in transactions with people they have not met or interacted with for a significant period of times. The social aspect in culture and business is paramount in determining the way in which business transactions will shape up. Social culture and interactions are heavily tied to organizational and business transactions. This is the reason why the export business is regarded as most challenging in Germany, than other countries in the Northern Europe. The interaction sessions with clients or potential ones are seen as bonding sessions where trust is build and general perceptions are made. As mentioned earlier, these social sessions are the determiners of how future business and interaction will be carried out between the parties involved there are several stereotypical views that are associated with the Germans. Analysis During the interaction with the client, several cultural aspects of he German culture became clear. I got to understand how and why their culture follows the path it does. There is a stereotype that is common towards Germans by many business counterparts. Many are of the view that it is difficult to engage in business activities with Germans. They are seen to have exaggerated demands and overindulgence in social activities. However, on the contrary, Germany is one of the largest economies with a huge and booming manufacturing industry. In reality, their culture has played a significant role in achieving their current status (Machl 13). Although people differ in personality and behavior, culture is deeply embedded in these aspects and most of the times determine behavior. It is, therefore, very likely that culture will be displayed in behavioral patterns in one way or another. The contact theory can help explain my interaction with German client Contact theory has been used to explain interaction between cultures. It is based on the view that when people from diverse cultures interact for some time, they will get to understand and appreciate each others differences. This way, any prejudices and stereotypes held would be reduced or eliminated. Different people coming together with different perspectives on each other only reinforce prejudice. When the groups are involved in meaningful interactions and activities, they tend to see the positive sides of their partners and also reduce the incidence of negativity. This way, friendly relationships are built and attitudes are also changed. This process is more valuable than advocating for simple cooperation without getting to understand the factors that are important to another party. The theory further views that initial interactions area great way of avoiding future conflicts as parties are well aware of issues that would aggrieve the other party. The circumstances under which contact between different cultures is made is crucial as well. The contact theory is also based on the concept that the experience of working and interacting with different cultures is beneficial. This is because I working together, people tend to focus on their common values other than differences between them. The success of application of contact theory is based on four conditions. During my interaction with the German client I was able to evaluate these conditions and the effectiveness of the contact theory, given our different Italian and German backgrounds. The theory calls for equal status among the interacting cultures. My client and I interacted socially and played golf and had a good time at the resort. The interaction was a friendly one with no one party regarding itself to be of a higher or more importance than the others. Though the interaction took place in a social setting, it was very professional and fruitful. The theory insists on the importance of all groups having equal status during the interaction. When interactions are held with different statuses, the results are increased prejudices and negative attitudes The other condition of the theory is that groups should have common goal that they intend to achieve. In this case, closing the meat exportation deal would fulfill trade goals on both ends. The initial reason that we retired to a resort for a game of golf was to discuss the prospects of the business deal and we had common interests in the trade. My client and I were goal oriented and focused. The meeting was based on the need for both of us to achieve the goals that led to convening of the meeting in the first place. We were both aware that achievement of our goals was dependent on both our decisions. This was apparent for both of us for the entire period. Another condition for the contact theory is cooperation between the interacting groups. The activities involved in the interaction should be oriented towards both parties. The achievement of any goals is highly dependent on the ability of groups to work together. The German perspective is that if arties cannot cooperate in social aspects such as beer parties or a game of golf, then it would be difficult to conduct business with them. The interaction is not a competition on superiority and might but a process of rapport creation and understanding between the players. In my interaction, there was an understanding of the mutual benefit that the business had in store for both of us. The success of the plans would be benefit to us all, given an understanding of culture for both parties. Conclusion Another crucial condition for the theory is support form the law and relevant authorities. First, our respective companies had approved the meeting and invested in it. When intercultural interactions take social sanctions that are explicit are more acceptable and yield better results. Acceptance from different authorities, laws and religions in different countries is crucial. The interaction with the German client made me realize several things that I did not know before. First, the many stereotypes that people have over different cultures are often wrong, biased and baseless. Germans are said to have bad tempers and are generally unfriendly towards others, let alone foreigners. I hardly experienced such a phenomenon during interaction process. The client was very organized and had concrete answers on any issue that was raised during the session, some may argue that this was his personality as a personality as an individual. However, personality is usually dependent on culture. Germans are also thought to overindulge in social gatherings bout this was not the case. All stereotypes that I had before the interaction were eliminated after the experience. It occurred to me that all the client was up to was achieving goal and had to be extra vigilant compared to transacting in their own country. Though, it is said that doing business with Germans challenging, businesses oriented in Germany are more stable and lucrative than those oriented elsewhere in the region. I realized that it is better to take time understanding business partner cultures and appreciating them than jumping into businesses unknowingly. This way, both parties will understand challenges and opportunities that they are likely to face in their endeavors. In such a case, the advantage of cultural understanding will facilitate easier solving of any future challenges. 2. A Follower’s Perspective As mentioned earlier, cultures differ from one country to another. The same way that cultures differ, so are the views and perspectives by different citizens in different countries. Intercultural leaders often face challenges in trying to incorporate all cultures under the portfolios to achieving common goals. This is especially the case with multinational companies. Leaders have to often engage native managers who have a clear understanding of the conditions in the country better than foreigners. Cultural practices adopted by individual countries are the source of perceptions and stereotypes that different people have towards different cultures. Similar situations are handled differently in different countries and this forms the basis for opinions. Similarly, some leadership and management styles can only work efficiently in given countries where a certain culture is upheld and acknowledged (Barker 38). To authenticate this, I carried out an interview with a Chinese visitor to Australia to get their views and perception s on leadership and culture in the countries. The interviewee was a temporary visitor on an exchange program wit a multinational company on different strategies and leadership applied in the two regions. The general perception of leadership in Australia is a modest and authentic culture that applies to a majority of leadership portfolios. The leadership is mainly based on the ability of individuals to mange and come up with strategies that work for organizations, based on knowledge and skills acquired over the years on culture and relations with society. Though academic and personal credentials are important, they are not given the same significance in the two countries. In China, professional achievements and academic excellence are very significant in determining leadership in the country. The leadership style focuses on real figures and facts that are associated with a specific organization. Emotional attachments and feelings are not attached to the job as is the case with other cultures. Leadership is competition oriented and other aspects are insignificant as long as a leader achieve results and is able to deliver beyond expectations. Leaders in Australia, just like others in the world take business very seriously. The interviewee also noted that the Australian leadership culture borrows a lot from American leadership styles. He viewed that the current group of leaders in the country are more like leaders I the united sates. He further noted that it the Australians that emulate Americans and not the other way round. Australia is a multicultural country with people of origins from the region, South Africa, England, Canada New Zealand among other. This combination has integrated to form the common Australian culture. The leadership in austral is based on respect fro democracy and individual rights that every person is entitled to. Leadership also advocates for justice and equal treatment of all despite their backgrounds. Australians are known to value egalitarianism and are ambivalent towards authority. The interviewee also viewed that the Australian culture is more of community centered compared tom other individualistic cultures such as the America. The leadership style concentrates on people as individuals and building on their skills in achieving set individual and organizational goals. According to the interviewee, the leadership and management skills in Australia have several weaknesses in vision, and inadequate abilities to strategize appropriately in a dynamic environment. Some leaders are also unable to handle the multicultural variation which results in poor teamwork and rigidity in organizations. I found this to be in agreement with the Karpin report which was published in 2002 (O’Neill 4). However, leaders have realized their inadequacies over the pas few years and have turned to innovative and creative ways to improve their strategies. In the contemporary culture, there is no room for such inconsistencies and incompetence. The current systems weeds out such characters and only effective and performing leaders have been left in the field Comparing the Chinese culture and the Australian one, the Chinese culture is more of a socialistic one. The focus is on the people and their general well being leadership from government to individual practice is focused on communities and societies rather than individual achievements. The interviewee viewed Australian leadership culture based on capitalistic models where individuals seek to achieve as much as they can, without worrying about deficiencies that others may face. Some of the views and perspectives held over leadership culture in Australia may be correct while others may not be entirely correct. According to the globe project, the Australian cultural leadership is basically based on human values and characteristics, both intrinsic and extrinsic. The study showed that the Australian leadership culture has a more sensitive or humane approach towards people compared to other cultures like the American one. It is also based on grounds of credibility, trust and respect (Ashkanasy, Trevor-Roberts and Kennedy 41). After the interview, I realized that as a multicultural leader, there are crucial skills that are required. The theoretical approach to multicultural leadership is very different from a practical approach. Theories may try to explain thee phenomenon but e situation on the ground is more challenging and involving. First, the most important aspect is realizing that different people from different parts of the world attest to different cultures. This should not be questioned, but appreciated and respected. It does not matter how weird or different a culture may seem to an individual. Other cultures may also have the same views or even worse regarding your culture. , secondly, even with professional training, it is advisable to engage leaders in foreign cultures before engaging in any strategies there. This promotes acceptability and promotion of intercultural interactions (Rymer 4). The goal is to integrate all positive attributes of different cultures in forming a comprehensive and working leadership style. Conclusion From the interview, it was clear that people have different views on leadership and culture in different parts of the world. Culture will be appealing to its native country but will be repulsive in another. This is because it based on years of repetitive norms and beliefs under which major structures and achievements have been made in a particular nation. It is, therefore, very difficult to influence culture and the way it affects leadership. The best approach is creating an overall understanding and harmony between cultures. Respecting culture, appreciating them and even participating in them are ways that have proven to solve the multicultural challenge. Cultural exchange programs have also gained momentum in the quest to understand and integrate cultural diversities to leadership portfolios. Works cited Ashkanasy, N, E Trevor-Roberts and J Kennedy. "Leadership Attributes and Cultural Values in Australian and New Zealand Compared:An initial Report Based on." International Journal of Organisational Behaviour 2.3 (2003): 37-44. Barker, C. The Heart and Sole of Leadership,. Sydney: AIM Books, McGraw Hill, 2003. Brain, K and D Lewis. "Exploring Leadership Preferences in multicultural workgroups An Australian Case Study." Leadership & Organisational DevelopmentJournal 25.3 (2004): 263. Machl, Sylvia Schroll. Doing Business With Germans. Munich: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht;, 2008. O’Neill, M. "The Karpin Report." Business Date 4.2 (2002): 1-5. Rymer, Colin Steven. Leadership in Australia - how different are we? Queensland: Southern Cross University, 2008. World Trade Press. Australia Business:. World Trade Press, 1996. Read More