Somali-American workplace integration and cross-cultural challenges

Country and Background The country chosen for this study is Somalia, a country in the horn of Africa. Somalia has faced a significant amount of strife in the past few decades, which has led to significant emigration. Somalis have ended up in many countries, the United States included. They face substantial challenges when they arrive. Most Somalis are Muslim, which creates a certain amount of cultural friction with the other communities in which they live in America. They are black Africans, which subjects them to racism. Somalis do not enjoy the advantages that some other immigrant groups have, and as a consequence have a harder time getting work. Plus, there is a significant amount of baggage associated with the country itself, and many misconceptions, owing to the publicity about the civil war in the country. This makes for many challenges for Somalis in America, and Somalis doing business with Americans. Somali Dealings with Americans Americans typically only deal with Somali-Americans, as there are few if any business interests in Somalia itself. The expatriate community has varying degrees of fluency in American cultural norms, depending on their education level and what they do for a living. Most interactions with Americans are positive, but Somalis are subject to racism and Islamophobia. Many Americans know little about Somalia other than warlords and pirates, and therefore know next to nothing about Somali culture. The Somali-American community more or less accepts this, and seeks to interact with other Americans leveraging their knowledge of American cultural norms. The challenges of racism and Islamophobia will typically arise in random incidents, and these can occur with varying severity. These pose challenges for Somalis, when they are confronted with such individuals, be this interaction in the business environment or another environment. The business environment is typically American. Somali business norms are not observed in interactions with Americans of other backgrounds. The reality is that very few Americans are familiar with Somali business, social or political culture, and as such they are ill-equipped to thrive on those terms. Thus, most Americans fall back to a default position of dealing with US cultural norms, and the Somalis therefore must match. This usually works better for Somalis anyway. Americans Experiences with Somalia Most Americans have little or no experience with Somalis. This is true even in areas where the Somali expatriate community is sizable enough to be noticed. Many Americans might interact with a Somali and not have any particular sense of the Somali’s background. Other Americans of East African background are the exception of course, and will typically interact with Somali-Americans more as they would typically of interactions between their cultures. Americans mostly know Somalia because of the civil war and the piracy. Thus, most Americans would have a fairly negative perception of Somalia in general. They might not transfer this perception to the people themselves, however, as Somalia the country is a fairly vague concept to the average American, since nobody has really ever been there. The most significant cultural touchstones for most Americans where Somalia is concerned is either the movie Black Hawk Down or the episode of South Park where Cartman joins the pirates. Neither of these convey an accurate, realistic or sympathetic picture of Somalia or its people, so it is quite unfortunate for Somali people, as it creates unfortunate assumptions about their culture – negative at worst, but really only neutral at best.

Stereotypes About Majority Somalis are tribal people, and these tribal affiliations can color the interactions within the Somali community, This can be quite positive in the sense that they interact better with other Somalis because of mutual understanding, but it also means that sometimes things like prejudices and rivalries get carried from back home. One of the common traits in a lot of expatriate communities is the duality between being part of a larger group when dealing with the world, versus being part of much smaller groups when dealing within one’s own culture. For example, a Somali might view another Somali according to tribe and have rivalry but those same two Somalis can unite when confronted with common enemies such as discrimination, or even just community issues like trying to get a mosque built in the face of opposition.

Organizational Behavior For an organization, there are several important variables to take into account. First, there is the diversity and openness variable. The organization has to accommodate people of all religions and national origins, per the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and this accommodation needs to be built into the organizational culture. Tolerance is something that, if not flourishing within the organization, will ultimately undermine the working conditions for Somali-Americans, who are not among the elite of immigrant groups and who often face misconception in the workplace. Standard accommodations for Muslims like providing for holy days, Ramadan and other observances are important, as is providing an environment where it is safe for women to wear their clothing to whatever standard they so choose, is very important to Somali people in America. They recognize that their culture is quite different, and quite unique from mainstream American culture, that there are misconceptions about where they are from, but they are also open, and can share a lot about their culture if given the opportunity to operate in an environment that is free of bigotry and prejudice.

How Does Somali Culture Affect the Workplace Most aspects of Somali culture are quite different from what would be known as mainstream American culture. The Muslim faith is one of the most important representations because it is so visible, in the female attire, in Ramadan observance, and in the norms by which Somalis operate. These can be quite different and unfamiliar to most Americans and unfortunately have been taken as threats by many people who are uninformed. It can be quite disheartening for someone to be the victim of discrimination but that is a reality in workplaces, and something that the organization needs to be aware of. Accommodation, particularly of female attire and the need for prayer at certain times of the day, is important (EthnoMed, 2018). There are examples of Somalis and employers finding common ground in communities where there are many Somalis (Marohn, 2016), but this can be more difficult in areas with few. Attire such as hijabs and veils can also be a challenge for female Somalis working around equipment, such as in production work, and many businesses in areas with high concentrations of Somalis have made adaptations to accommodate the safety needs of these workers (Gitaa, 2005). Somalis have different diets. The food that they eat is not that unusual, typically mild curry-type dishes, but it is different and unique. Eating with the hands is common. The use of special breads is common. Furthermore, there are dietary restrictions such as the prohibitions on eating pork and shellfish, and these will be observed by most Somalis. Only those who have been in the United States for a long time will have more of an American diet, but the process of acclimating to much more than superficial dietary changes can take years, if not decades for many. Meals more familiar to mainstream Americans might only be common among second-generation Somali-Americans. Work style can be quite different as well. Somali work culture is not the same as the sort of Protestant work ethic that mainstream America holds as its norm. First, there is much greater emphasis on relationships, which means that Somalis are more likely to spend time cultivating those relationships, which might not look like active work, but it is very much a part of doing business in that community. Those relationshps are not transactional – they last a lifetime and the return on investment can be tremendous because of the loyalty that such relationships create. So there are definitely different ways of viewing work, and different ways of getting things done. There are also particular challenges with front-line workers, such as those in production roles, where prayer times are concerned (Clayton, 2016), and many businesses must choose who how accommodate Muslim workers of all denominations, not just Somalis. There is downside to this, of course, in that corruption is a major facet of doing business in Somalia. The country scores as the worst in the world (180/180) on the Corruption Perceptions Index (2017), and there is little doubt that this will have an impact on the organization. It is not just that a Somali employee is at risk of violating ethical protocols because the ethics and standards of behavior are radically different, but that the perception will always exist as well. A Somali employee may be suspected of the worst case scenario, simply because of his or her nationality and some of the baggage that comes with it. Communication style is very different from the mainstream American communication style. Americans tend to be among the most direct people, whereas Somalis can have a more indirect communication style. This can create confusion when either side is unaware of these differences, and reads somebody wrong because of that. Even if there is some cultural understanding, when coupled with other issues there are many potential barriers to understanding. There are limits to what Americans should address, as well. While tribes or clans can play an important role in Somali culture back home, in America these should not be addressed. Many expats have left those structures behind, and even for those that do the relationships are complex and essentially impossible for a non-Somali to understand. The issue is best avoided (Ethnomed, 2018). Language can be another problem. While Somalis who have been in America for a long time have developed English skills, lack of English is the number one barrier to employment for newcomers. Even on the job, some training on how to accommodate workers whose English is not fluent is required of managers, because of the miscommunication that can occur (Bates College, 2008). Conclusions As more Somalis have entered the workforce in America, there is a growing need to understand the elements of Somali culture that affect the workforce. American managers tend to know little about Somali and what they do know is from popular culture and negative news reports. The reality on the ground is quite different, as Somalis are an immigrant community looking to work and make a contribution to their new home. Businesses have had the most success integrating Somali workers in areas of the country where there is a noticeable Somali community, as this has allowed managers to understand the issues relating to Somali culture and make the necessary accommodations. There are instances where equipment needs to be adjusted to allow for safety of Somali female attire. Prayer times pose a challenge in workplaces where the workforce is mixed Muslim and non-Muslim, and has proven one of the bigger challenges. Language barriers remain persistent, and can be difficult to overcome. However, there is evidence that leaders in Somali communities are working with business to overcome these barriers, especially where they are strongest, such as in manufacturing and retail operations. Even then, there is still a gap with respect to cultural perceptions – managers from other cultures know little about Somali or its culture, and are not always aware of the issues, leading to discrimination even among people who do not intend to discriminate. So there are still some issues that need to be addressed in order to achieve the full integration of Somali workers into the workforce in America.