Culture's Role in Global HRM: Recruitment & Development

Introduction

In today's globalized world, increasing diversity can be found in the workplace. Whether because of immigration or through advances in technology that allow for virtual teams to be established, the role of culture in HRM practices is now more important than ever before. Because people of different cultures are likely to have different perspectives on life, values, and what constitutes appropriate behavior, managers must be cognizant of these differences and maintain a high level of cultural competence. This paper assesses the role of culture in human resource management practices within a global organization and provides examples of how cultural differences may affect two HR functions — recruitment and employee development.

The Role of Culture in Organizations

Culture plays an important role in an organization regardless of whether one is discussing diversity explicitly. Culture provides the basis for acceptable behavior, norms, ideals, and expression. A culture that is accommodative will naturally tend toward welcoming diversity. A culture full of unconscious bias, on the other hand, will contain prejudices that prevent people from being included in in-groups and from having access to decision-making. However, as Altaf (2011) points out, culture is one of the hardest aspects of an organization to change. This is because many factors impact and influence culture — from social attitudes to the experiences and behaviors of leaders. Even within a single society, the various factors that shape culture are difficult to control. In a global organization, where numerous different cultural factors are at play simultaneously, managing culture can become nearly impossible. To successfully recruit employees, HRM should focus on developing a culture that is attractive to a diverse population in order to widen the talent pool.

The role of culture in an organization is not something HRM should fear, but rather an opportunity to be embraced. Culture may not be fully controlled, but it can be influenced — and that is where HRM practices come into play. In order to create cohesion and consistency among workers, a culture of respect and appreciation must be cultivated. This can be accomplished through concrete, practical steps: recognizing the contributions of various employees, showing appreciation for the unique qualities and skills of a diverse workforce, and so on. Boosting cultural competence among employees is another concrete step HRM can take (Von Glinow, Drost & Teagarden, 2002). This means helping people develop their understanding of different cultures so as to be sensitive to what individuals believe and how they think about life, work, society, and family. HRM can also focus on recruiting diverse populations by creating cultural incentives in the workplace — such as designated prayer rooms — or by offering family-friendly benefits such as maternity and paternity leave.

Building Cultural Competence and Compassion

As Cambridge (2001) notes, compassion is something that HRM should attempt to cultivate in the workplace alongside the more traditional competitiveness that characterizes most workplace cultures. In the globalized workplace, greater understanding and appreciation are needed so that team members can collaborate effectively and provide meaningful support to one another. Training employees to be compassionate toward colleagues from diverse backgrounds is one way to foster this environment. Another is for leaders to model compassion through their own leadership behavior.

Leadership style is critically important in the workplace because it sets the tone for how other employees behave. A leader is the foremost example that workers will follow. When a leader demonstrates compassion through a style such as servant leadership, others take notice. Servant leadership is a style that puts the needs of others first. It recognizes that people must feel supported in order to achieve their potential. An HR manager who practices servant leadership can set a positive tone in the workplace and generate goodwill among employees, who will appreciate the warmth and generosity of spirit such an approach creates. When it comes to developing workers, HRM should focus on leading by example, as this will have the greatest impact on employee development within a global organization.

Conclusion

HRM practices are highly influenced by culture, which plays a strong role in how HRM conducts itself within a global organization. When it comes to recruiting workers, HRM must focus on creating a culture that is attractive to a diverse population. When it comes to developing workers, HRM must focus on leading by example and employing a leadership style that fits the needs of the population being served.

References

Altaf, A. (2011). The impact of organizational culture on organizational effectiveness: Implication of Hofstede cultural model as organizational effectiveness model. International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, 6(1).

Cambridge, C. (2001). Compassion versus competitiveness: An industrial relations perspective on the impact of globalization on the standards of employee relations ethics in the United States. Ethics & Behavior, 11(1), 87–103.

Hofstede, G. (1980). Motivation, leadership, and organization: Do American theories apply abroad? Organizational Dynamics, 9(1), 42–63.

Von Glinow, M. A., Drost, E. A., & Teagarden, M. B. (2002). Converging on IHRM best practices: Lessons learned from a globally distributed consortium on theory and practice. Human Resource Management, 41(1), 123–140.