Learning Log: Organizational Culture Culture

An increasingly globalized marketplace and multicultural society demand a solid understanding of others' cultures, particularly with regards to interpersonal communications. These issues are especially important in the workplace where effective communication requires a careful balance of appreciation and recognition of cross-cultural differences that may affect the exchange. Although common courtesy and common sense will go a long way in preventing inadvertent cross-cultural communications gaffs, it is also important to understand the more salient workplace behaviors that may be regarded as offensive by people from other cultures.

Questions that resulted

What types of workplace behaviors are universally acceptable, if any, irrespective of the culture(s) involved?

What types of workplace behaviors are generally prohibited based on cultural factors?

How can the views of cultural theorists such as Geert Hofstede and others help inform the cross-cultural communication process in the workplace?

Relative positions with respect to the presented information

My personal views were largely in conformity with the information presented in the lectures and readings, supported by previous empirical observations and professional experiences. Indeed, although a "one-size-fits-all" approach to cross-cultural communications is not available, a "Golden Rule" mentality helps to ensure that inadvertent missteps and misunderstandings do not occur by encouraging communicators to seek out the relevant information they need concerning important cultural practices and behaviors that must be observed. In other words, when people are motivated to become better communicators across cultures, they will seek out the knowledge they need to do so, an issue which is discussed further below.

New knowledge gained from the material presented

An overarching theme that emerged from this learning component concerned the importance of mutual respect and understanding in any communication exchange, but particularly in cross-cultural workplace environments where a wide range of...

Culture-specific information can be gained where needed, but some common sense and intuition play an important role as well.
Triggers for change

Reactions to the lecture topic

My original thinking on triggers for change directly related to "what's-in-it-for-me" types of factors, and to the extent that these desirable outcomes can be communicated to all of the stakeholders in a change initiative will likely be the extent to which the change initiative is successful. Although this fundamental aspect of triggers for change remains intact, it quickly became apparent that change is a difficult process in any organizational setting because most people hate change unless they can perceive some benefit in it for themselves. This just makes good sense because, after all, change requires extra effort and limited payoffs, particularly at first.

Questions that resulted

1. What are the most important factors that must be considered in administering a trigger for change?

2. What common internal and external events can trigger change?

3. What are the differences between good and bad triggers for change?

Relative positions with respect to the presented information

Besides the material covered in the presented information, it is apparent that triggers for change can result from the entire constellation of the human condition at any given point in time, making the need to recognize potential conditions that can spawn such triggers an important skill in a dynamic marketplace.

New knowledge gained from the material presented

Organizations must remain flexible and nimble in order to respond to external events through the effective marshalling of internal resources. The triggers that result in change can occur in fits and starts, or the process can proceed in a streamlined, orderly fashion that promotes productivity and morale and therefore profitability, and these issues are discussed further below.

Change

Reactions to the lecture topic

Because change is…