Cultural Diversity Barriers and Communication Competencies

Barriers to Effective Relationships: Case Analysis

The following case example explores a cultural diversity conflict that occurred in a workplace setting, with attention to barriers such as age, education level, socioeconomic background, and communication style. The case also reflects several of the national culture's assumptions about diversity, including the notion that difference is inherently problematic.

A woman who was 52 years old was terminated from a job she held at a rural area hospital. She was highly qualified for the position, having previously worked at administrative levels of hospital management, but had applied for a role that was far below her skills and capabilities. The reason she gave her supervisor was that she was writing a work of fiction and wanted a 9-to-5 schedule, a clearly defined set of task-to-function responsibilities, and no higher-level reporting duties.

The supervisor had her own considerations in evaluating the applicant. She explained that she herself was new to supervision and had never held any other position in the hospital beyond the line work she oversaw in the admitting department. She admitted to being unfamiliar with broader reporting responsibilities. However, she told the 52-year-old applicant that the previous supervisor had experienced significant trouble with the p.m. shift staff — all of whom were under 30 — and had ultimately been terminated. The supervisor felt that a "mature" individual might bring some stability and calm to that shift.

During the interview, the supervisor expressed that she needed someone who would not be a problematic employee, who would arrive on time and on assigned days, and whose performance might serve as a positive example to other employees. The 52-year-old reiterated that she did not want supervisory or oversight responsibilities. The supervisor assured her that would not be required — even though the position was on the p.m. shift without a supervisor present, the supervisor herself would handle staff oversight. That was precisely why she needed someone responsible who would follow the rules and show up consistently.

The supervisor hired the 52-year-old, who reported for scheduled training on the day shift. The training, conducted by the supervisor and another staff member, went well. Both were surprised at how quickly the new employee grasped the material. The supervisor commented to other staff members about the new hire's knowledge and rapid learning. The 52-year-old clarified that it was not a matter of learning quickly but rather that she was already familiar with the universal format of the software used across the industry — it was simply a matter of filling in the specific fields for this hospital's system.

Word spread through the informal organizational grapevine about the new hire's abilities. The phrase "photographic memory" circulated and eventually reached the new hire herself, who responded that it was not photographic memory at all — her prior knowledge of data elements required by all insurers had allowed her to understand the software's format very quickly.

The existing staff became immediately intimidated. The new hire held a four-year degree from an Ivy League university and had a vocabulary and manner of speaking that seemed unusual to the rural staff, most of whom were from the immediate area. Only one staff member was pursuing higher education, in nursing. The staff was further unsettled when the new hire's interactions with patients and customers elicited compliments. Rumors spread that she was actually a new manager who would take over from the supervisor — despite no such opening having been posted. The situation grew contentious, and the supervisor ultimately terminated the new hire on the grounds that her differences from the existing staff had made the work environment unmanageable. The supervisor made this decision even though the employee was a strong performer who arrived on time and on schedule, because the only other option would have been to terminate the entire p.m. shift — which was not feasible.