Communication clarity and manager tolerance for ambiguity in multicultural organizations

¶ … multicultural workplaces face when competing in the current market. As multiculturalism begins to have more of a presence in management and leadership positions, organizations will need to address issues unique to them and modify their leadership strategies. Implementing cultural programs would be one such strategy, and it would require organizations to evolve, look inward, and make transformational change in order to create and improve multicultural employee retention. Such a strategy would create 'grooming' or succession processes for proteges; preparing employees from within the corporate structure for career advancement into leadership positions. Studies show that the benefits would be mutually beneficial in that the employee would feel appreciated which could translate into long-term gains for the organization. This will be a theoretical paper addressing the many factors contributing to the lack of ommunication clarity in multicultural workplaces and whether managers in global organizations have a greater tolerance for ambiguity.

1. Do managers in global organizations have a greater tolerance for ambiguity?

2. Can mentoring or coaching programs in global organizations improve communication clarity in leadership?

Research Design

Based on the study carried out by Trochim (2006), one finds two primary approaches towards investigative logic: 1) deductive and 2) inductive. Deductive reasoning, also called the "top-down" tactic, works via more general goals up to the more specific goals. The inductive reasoning, also called the "bottom-up" tactic, works another way i.e. begins by getting specific goals in the researcher's mind and then developing them into generalized and common notions and practices. To be able to achieve the objective of this research the investigator used both inductive and deductive approach (Trochim, 2006).

One will find two primary formats of data collection methods: 1) quantitative that is essentially number breakdown and representations of all of the data and 2) qualitative including different intangible dimensions and may incorporate photographs, videos and audio recordings. The second is much more elaborate then your former. Within this study the researcher used both numerically proven improvement stats provided (i.e. quantitative data) along with the personal insights from the subjects (i.e. qualitative data) (Bouma, 2002).

Data Collection Techniques

Typically, the surveys may take up one of these simple two forms: a questionnaire or perhaps an interview. The first kind usually involves an itemized approach that the respondent utilizes in responding to the "questions" provided to him within the survey while interviews are to be carried out not by the respondent but by the interviewer, as opposed to a questionnaire. In certain situations, it can be hard to differentiate between your two groups of surveys (Saunders et al., 2003).

Questionnaire

Each time a questionnaire is used, people will probably intuitively assume that a set of questions will be delivered via postal mail as most people have, at some stage in their lives, been requested to deal with a questionnaire received via mail. A large number of advantages exists for surveys which are sent through mail. First of all, they aren't as pricey as some of the other methods. Apart from that, exactly the same questionnaire could be copied and be delivered to numerous people in the exact form. In addition, it helps the subjects in filling the questionnaire whenever they feel convenient, which might ultimately facilitate them in providing accurate and precise answers. However, certain disadvantages can be found too for these kinds of questionnaire. Mainly the disadvantages are the dismal response rates from all of these surveys. Also, it doesn't supply the ideal medium for needing lengthy and descriptive answers (Trochim, 2006).

Another form of the questionnaire is group-survey. A representative sample of the subjects is asked to focus on a set of questions. Typically, questionnaires are used in a group format on account of both ease and expediency This allows the researcher to acquire a higher rate of reaction, as whoever is in the group at that point will be given the questionnaire and asked to respond (Trochim, 2006).

If the subjects had any questions or thought that a particular query was unclear they may ask the researcher for clarity. Also in a corporate setting, it has been established that using a group survey method has been considerably easy to manage (Trochim, 2006).

Household drop-off survey is really a less popular type of a questionnaire. This process entails an investigator going to an individual's house or his place of work and delivering the questionnaire to the particular people. After it's given, the participants might be requested to mail the completed form back or it is acquired through the same individual who delivered it. This process of undertaking a survey endeavors to mix the benefits of the mail survey with the benefits of undertaking a group administered questionnaire. For this study, the researcher will use the household drop-off survey since it gives the best of both methods (Trochim, 2006).

Interviews

Indeed, interviews really are a more interactive format of a survey because the interviewer communicates and seek on-the-spot feedback from the respondent, rather than awaiting to complete an application or perhaps a questionnaire in a certain way. Also, the respondents' answers may be detailed and nearer to truth compared to questionnaires. The interviewer can seek further answers on the complicated questions - something which the mail surveys does not allow (Trochim, 2006).

This research uses the phone interview method since interviews which are completed via a telephone are very a typical survey method. They facilitate the interviewer in collecting the info rapidly. They permit interaction and communication between respondents and the interviewer. However, some subjects might not have a listed number or might possibly not have a mobile phone whatsoever. Some might contemplate it a breach of the privacy and therefore, the researcher will ensure that these interviews do not revolve around descriptive and lengthy questions (Trochim, 2006).

Data Validity and Reliability

The validity or authenticity of the scientific studies are what lies behind its failure or success. The smallest degree of illegitimacy could make the whole research a drowned effort. For just about any type of qualitative data the authenticity lays within the integrity, depth and capacity from the data collected together with the specific sample and also the impartial approach from the specialist. Within this study we use the survey method (semi-structured interviews and questionnaire) with similar process for the entire sample which made certain the dissimilarities contained in the reactions are genuine and hence the methodology will not be put down as subjective or partial (Trochim, 2006).

Data Analysis

To gauge the dependence among certain variables, regression analysis can be used. It assists in revealing the sporadic affect of one variable on another. It's accustomed to measure the significance of the bond between variables, that's, the extent of assurance the actual relationship is near to the hypothetical relationship. For the interview, this study will use ethnograph software to code the answers from the interviews (Trochim, 2006).

Target audiences

On a general level, this study will carry significant value for global multicultural companies around the world.

1) The findings of this study will provide valuable information for the policy makers both in the top management of these companies to make effective decisions to support effective programs.

2) This study and its findings will become an addition to and update of the international research on multicultural workplaces.