How Cultural Diversity Affects Workplace Communication

Introduction: Cultural Diversity and Its Significance

Distinct and unique cultures develop when people live and work together. These diverse cultures assemble a richly varied collection of standards and customs. The resulting cultural diversity not only expands choices but also enables human beings to cultivate a mixture of skills, morals, values, and worldviews. Cultural diversity thus proves to be a driving force for both individual and collective sustainable development. It is exceedingly important for everyone to cherish, defend, preserve, and respect the cultural diversity of the world ("Cultural Diversity," 2011).

Cultural Problems and Communication Gaps in Organizations

There are innumerable organizations, both public and private, whose internal conditions resemble a malnourished body — they may appear well-functioning from the outside, but the inner condition is deteriorating. Troublesome cultural problems do the same damage to an organization. Workers who need help tend to suppress their concerns while trying to complete assigned tasks. In most cases, dissatisfied minority employees and female employees are the primary victims of such situations. Because they do not know what to do or where to turn, it also becomes difficult for those who wish to help a culturally marginalized colleague to provide effective support in resolving problems (Henderson, 1994, p. 4). All of this stems from a lack of communication and ineffective management at the workplace.

The Role of Management in Bridging Cultural Differences

People are the central foundation of any organization or group, and they are also the basic unit of change. It is essential to reduce improper and counterproductive competition in order to foster healthy, productive relationships among colleagues from diverse backgrounds. Appreciating diversity is important because effective communication and mutual cooperation within an organization can only develop when people understand each other's individuality and cultural background. Managers and supervisors should remember that people consistently support what they have a hand in creating or operating. Management must therefore develop open communication, mutual trust, and confidence among the workforce, and must actively work to bridge cultural conflicts for the benefit of the organization as a whole (Henderson, 1994, p. 4).

How Cultural Background Shapes Communication

Cultural diversity presents new human resources and administrative challenges to managers and, in doing so, helps transform the workplace environment. In several countries, including the United States, there is a shortage of skilled workers, which means most organizations must employ multicultural workforces. Hiring people from different cultures involves navigating different attitudes toward time, status and roles, relationships, dependability, decision-making, and technological expertise. Cultural background and distinct values affect the way people communicate with one another. Technological advancement has also reached unprecedented levels and shapes how people interact. As a result, the global marketplace requires organizations to either adapt their management of cultural diversity or risk losing their competitive edge. The ability of businesses and industries to survive depends substantially on how well they manage cultural diversity at the workplace (Henderson, 1994, p. 195).

Conclusion: Managing Diversity for Organizational Success

Today, diversity has become an increasingly central issue to every individual, supervisor, group, and institution throughout the world. It is theoretically sound that the most important resource in an organization is the people working in it. Therefore, it is vital for organizational success to effectively harness the skills, dedication, energy, and insight of a culturally diverse workforce. This, however, depends entirely on the manager's ability to understand the cultural beliefs and values present in the work environment so that diversity can be managed effectively. These cultural beliefs and values work together "to create an environment that employees perceive as supportive or not supportive of diversity." It is ultimately the supervisor's responsibility to create an organizational climate that provides employees with genuine opportunities for effective communication (Henderson, 1994, p. 4).