'Cultural Issues of Human Resource Management\r'

'external daybook of indorse Based learn and Mentoring Vol. 5. n whiz 2 August, 2007 paginate 45 Carrying Cultural Baggage: the office of socio- pagan anthropology to cross-ethnical train Barbara St Claire-Ostwald, CINCRA planetary train & angstrom; Training Consultancy, UK Email Contact: [email&# one hundred sixty;protected] com Abstract This use up examines the ethnical sendience of professionals figureing in ecesiss.Given the multiethnical reputation of today’s reverseforce, it is becoming progressively master(prenominal) for companies and checkes alike to take into story how cross- heathen expirations whitethorn affect occasional breaking practices. The assume draws on a review of current investigate into ethnic dimensions and looks at the complex consanguinity amidst mortalalizedity and culture †our ‘ethnical luggage’. In order to look for the trusts and heathenish sentience of participants, a questionnaire was mo derni viewd.The conclude of the questionnaire was to rank themes and orientations to cross- heathenish anesthetises in cost non save of communality and too of conundrumes. The results highlighted a high train of recognition of cultural dilemmas and a perceived hold and willingness to shroud and reconcile them. However, the diversity of opinions active the potential drop diversion benefits of specific methods of addressing cultural dilemmas suggested considerable falteringly well-nigh dealing with cross cultural issues.Key Words: Cross-cultural, cultural baggage, cultural dimensions, train, mentoring, socio-cultural anthropology mark The aim of this paper is to report on the results of a study designed to look the emerging discipline of cross-cultural omnibus (Rosinski 2003) and to order the trains of aw beness about, and attitudes to cross-cultural issues; the patterns and/or descents between aw beness, attitudes and cultural dimensions among headachees and dividing line consultants, coaches, mentors and teach/mentoring organisations.I began this study from the lieu that while at that send off has been some enquiry into mentoring and coaching, thither appeargond to be small-scale that pointsed specific all toldy on cross-cultural brings. In my review of the operable literature, it became increasingly clear that the integration of a cultural perspective into coaching was in truth frequently at the ‘pioneering’ stage. The main aims of this study were to try and establish trains of aw beness bout, and attitudes to cross-cultural issues; and to study the patterns and/or relationships between aw beness, attitudes and the cultural dimensions give riseed by Hofstede and Trompenaars and H vitamin AdenTurner among phone linees and business consultants, and coaching organisations. Cross-cultural coaching addresses the focal point in which cultural take issueences affect the day-to-day lives of pile, and raises aw areness of cultural differences and the effect they goat hold back on the march of managing others and doing business in general.In today’s global thrift organisations regard that to sustain successful and springy businesses and to keep their competitive edge, they must develop employees who lowstand their global business, and employ hoi polloi with global skills. Rosinski (2003) and Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner (1997) engender develop pioneering work in cross-cultural competencies and coaching methods. At a fundamental direct, their supra discipline ledger of Evidence Based learn and Mentoring Vol. 5. no(prenominal) 2 August, 2007 Page 46 work has been ground on the works of socio-cultural anthropologists Hofstede (1980) and Schwartz (1994).Their contribution in overcoming cultural mis conference, tension and conflict, including the perils of stereotyping and ‘mono-culturalism’, has military serviceed to educate and explore the hypothesis of this study. Cultural baggage: a by-product of cultural agreements Socio-anthropological cerebration is based on the premise that all humans are born with the comparable sanctioned physical characteristics, but depending on where they grow up, each psyche is undefended to incompatible climates, foods, languages, religious beliefs etc.Therefore, ‘are we really self-made or did our parents, teachers, families and friends have a hand in it? ’ (Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner, 1997, p. 54). Thus, one could beseech that the socioanthropological perspective on goal takes a holistic view, describing culture as a pattern of learned and considerd doingss of mint and/or groups consisting of belief systems and languages; and of loving relationships be they personal, organisational, or institutional. (Hall, 1963; Hall and Hall, 1987; Hofstede, 1980; Kondo, 1990; Levi-Strauss, 1966; Schwartz, 1994).Therefore, at a fundamental level, it could be argued that culture is a re presentation of a complete musical mode of life of a great deal who share the same attitudes, grade and practices. Csikszentmihalyi (1997, p. 7) harbors the distinction of ‘indistinguishability’ by using sat onceflakes as a metaphor: â€Å"They look identical as they fall, but taking a closing look, we soon discover that they are non identical”. Hence, he argues, rather than eyesight separateistity as a item-by-item unitary self, perhaps cultural identity should be viewed as macrocosm multi-faceted, i. e. cknowledging that people have a human body of selves or identities depending on mise en scene and ground. For example, the biggest barrier individuals and/or employees encounter is non unavoidably that they comply from different parts of the world, or that they plow a different language or thus far occupy a different physical space, it is the baggage they carry in their experience cultural suitcases which regards to be explored. Trompenaar s and Hampden-Turner maintain that what people expect depends on where they come from, and the meanings they give to what they have or are experiencing.They argue that â€Å"expectations occur on many different levels, from concrete, explicit level to implicit and subconscious ones” (1997, p. 21). Furtherto a greater extent, they describe culture as consisting of various layers: …The outer layers are the products and arte points that symbolise the deeper, more basic value and assumptions about life. The different layers are not independent from one other, but are complementary […]. The shared meanings that are the total of the culture are man-made; are corporal into people within a culture yet transcend the people in culture. (1997, p. 7) Cross-cultural dilemmas Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner argue that â€Å" all culture distinguishes itself from others by the specific solutions it chooses to received(p) problems which reveal themselves as dilemmas” ( p. 8); to this end, they have incorporated best management theories into their receive depth psychology of the task of managing across cultures. These theories were realized by using a participant questionnaire profiler, which was based on their Seven Dimensions of Culture regulate and by incorporating Trompenaars and Woolliams framework for managing smorgasbord across cultures.Similarly, Rosinski points out the dangers of our assumptions and beliefs systems when working with coachees from varying origins and backgrounds. He argues that by providing a framework for integration coaching and cultural perspectives, i. e. examining numerous trans issue diary of Evidence Based teach and Mentoring Vol. 5. zero(prenominal) 2 August, 2007 Page 47 cultural orientations, styles and approaches to coaching, the development of a cross-cultural mindset will be facilitated.For example, he writes: Our identity could be viewed as this personal and dynamic synthesis of multiple cultures. Our doings will typically vary depending on the group we happen to be associated with [. …]. The particular that our behaviours depend in part on the particular cultural context however ripeifies the postulate for coaches to integrate the cultural perspective into their practice. In some cases the obstacle to somebody’s progress may be cultural rather than psychological, thus career for a different coaching dialogue. p. 1) Furthermore, he maintains that cultural awareness is more than just realizing another culture is different from our own; it is as well about learning to value that other culture. He argues that culture is nooky our behaviour, and often without our realization. It can influence how close we stand, how loud we speak, how we deal with conflict and as a result, by failing to understand how culture impacts our involve and preferences, culture can often last us to be amiss behaviour.Methodology As the search was exploratory, I center onsed the des ign on 2 main looks: the initial review of literature which pull on a broad present of coaching and socio-anthropological theories and studies, and the less extensive, but up to now in-depth cross-cultural coaching work of Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner (1997), and Rosinski (2003). In turn, this provided the basis for the primary research, which took the form of a questionnaire which was sent to a small skilled survey pattern to come out cross-cultural themes and patterns.To ensure that survey participants had some placeable expertise on the subject under investigation, I adopted the model in (Fig. 1) below. On the one hand, I was attempting to evaluate levels of awareness of cross-cultural issues, as strong as to explore the accompanying opinions, beliefs and assumptions, and how they cerebrate to the dimensions of culture. I was also trying to make sure that the survey respondents would have an fire in this particular area of study. Fig. check over Sample and Questio nnaire Model Corporate/ affair Consultants Awareness Opinions instruct Organisations The survey sample was not lonesome(prenominal) limited in size, but also in terms of the geographical make-up of the participants, who were more or lessly from the U. K. with the stop from continental Europe. By Inter study Journal of Evidence Based learn and Mentoring Vol. 5. No. 2 August, 2007 Page 48 offstage it would be problematic to generalise from the results, however, this was not the intention of the study.While gender could also be a factor which expertness influence attitudes and responses, the exploratory nature of the study precluded it from being a declareled variable at this point, although this issue could form the basis for gain research. The purpose of the initial questionnaire was to extract the opinions of the survey participants in order to identify themes and orientations to cross-cultural issues, in terms of communality as well as potential paradoxes.It was also int ended to see how these opinions and orientations fitted with responses to questions about the various cultural dimensions set and developed by Hofstede and Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner. The questionnaire was therefore divided into two parts. The first discussion scratch turn to the opinions about attitudes, values and behaviours pertaining to culture in general, cultural dilemmas and, to crosscultural coaching and fostering specifically.I also decided to use a number of similar questions to check for inconsistencies in responses, which might indicate either a paradox in terms of opinions, possibly a conflict between a ‘average’ and a devoted individual’s personal view, or could reflect a lack of appreciation for, or thence indifference to, a given issue. The act particle of the questionnaire was constructed on the basis of Hofstede’s and Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner’s cultural dimensions, and sought to elicit culture-specific values, b eliefs and assumptions which could influence cross-cultural interaction within a professional environment.Results, discussions and recommendations In analyzing the responses to the questionnaire, it was unmingled that there was a high level of recognition of the importance of cross-cultural issues, and the need to address and reconcile them. However it was very effortful to define or define levels of cultural awareness, which was to some extent expected given the complexness of the issues have-to doe with. and as I outlined in the methodology, a major objective was also to explore the quality of awareness and understanding of cultural dilemmas and dimensions.In this respect, the first contribution of the questionnaire (on attitudes to culture and potential cross-cultural training solutions) was very clarifying in terms of perceptions about the relationship between culture and genius. In my opinion, the most notable contrast was that there was well greater covenant that c ulture shapes the personality and a lot more hesitancy about how the individual shapes culture. This impression was further reinforced by the general agreement that managers from different cultures do not necessarily find it easy to adapt their behaviour to fit the different needs of another culture.From a coaching perspective, it suggests some attending needs to be paid to how an individual perceives and tincts to his/her culture. For example, there is a clear difference between seeing culture as providing a framework for social interaction, which is forever and a day evolving, and on the other hand perceiving culture as providing a set of social constraints. In either case, there may be some elements of our culture, which at an individual level are considered to be important in our everyday lives, while there are others which may be difficult to accept, which could be sources of tension with other shares of our culture.Given that much(prenominal)(prenominal) perceptions may be operating partially at a subconscious level, this may not be easy to establish. But they appear to me to be a real element in the process of gaining a better understanding of our cultural baggage, i. e. in how we synthesize the myriad of cultural groupings to which we are exposed on a daily basis. There was greater diversity of opinion about the benefits of specific cross-cultural training solutions, and when, where and how they might be applied.The initial conclusion that can be drawn is this shows that the process of consolidation the cross-cultural domain into twain business and coaching practice is passive at an early stage of development. International Journal of Evidence Based learn and Mentoring Vol. 5. No. 2 August, 2007 Page 49 As far as improve the general awareness and understanding of the benefits of cross-cultural training, three sets of responses in the first section seem to me to define some of the issues that need to be addressed.Firstly the fact that half o f the respondents seed that cultural issues within organisations are dealt with only if they relate to behavioural issues is indicative of a certain level of resistance to dealing with these issues, which may be due to an appreciation of the complexity of much(prenominal) issues. On the other hand, if cultural issues in some organisations are only addressed when there is a behavioural conflict, then this will tend to plod them in a negative light.Hence it does lead to the conclusion that some organisations are not sufficiently aware that ignoring and playing charge cultural differences, as well as evaluating them negatively, is a major contributor to miscommunication, misunderstanding and conflict. Secondly, while coaches mostly agreed that business managers recognise that diversity training should now include cross-cultural training for employees sent on global assignments, the business organisation responses were much divided.This leads me to conclude that some businesses are either unaware, or possibly not persuaded of the benefits of this specific approach. Nevertheless this set of responses, and the fact that none of the respondents disagreed that incorporating the dilemmas deriving from the differences in cultural dimensions jock organisations to integrate their cultural orientations suggests that the describe area of uncertainty among businesses and coaches is the method and/or models of integrating cultural dilemmas.The point that this suggests to me is, that in the beginning any attempt is made to develop the skills requirement to perform the differences between cultures, a greater awareness of how we negotiate difference in our own culture is indispensable. This is to formulate we need to be more consciously and self-critically aware of the assumptions that underlie our habitual responses and modes of interaction, in other spoken language our cultural baggage. In principal this is already the main cogitate of traditional coaching and mentoring.But I believe considerably more research needs to be conducted into how these methods and skills can be developed to take account of and integrate cross-cultural issues and dilemmas. From national to cross-cultural perspectives Cross-cultural research has largely focused on national differences because it is much easier to establish a person’s nationality, than to identify him/her as be to another type of cultural grouping, be that regional, professional, semipolitical, economic or social.The most often epochs cited reason is that a given individual will be a member of numerous forms of socalled sub-cultures or higher level cultures (e. g. European), which in effect rules them out as unique independent variables. But I believe that without exercising some control for the effect of these ‘other’ cultural variables, it is difficult to be sure that attributing a given behaviour, belief, value or attitude show by an individual to national cultural influ ences is theoretically or empirically valid.For example, even at a national level, there has to be particular care to grant the difference between ethnically several(a) nations such as Canada or Malaysia; ethnically and/or religiously divided nations such as Belgium or the former Yugoslavia, or relatively homogeneous nations such as Japan or Korea, let unaccompanied very complex national cultures such as China or India. In essence, this does nothing more than notice that socio-cultural anthropology is the study of the dilemmas and problems of differences and similarities not only between, but also within societies.In the specific context of this study, one of the most interesting aspects of the responses to the second section of the questionnaire on cultural dimensions was the differences in opinions both within and between coaches and business organisations. My cowcatcher intention in including a section on cultural dimensions was to explore the relationship between these resp onses and those on the first section of the questionnaire. But the differences of opinions between the two sets of respondents on ‘universalism vs. particularism’ and ‘individualism vs. ommunitarianism’ (Fig. 6) suggested to me that I had to consider whether these opinions in some carriage reflected values that were influenced by the differing needs and requirements of the corporate and coaching environments. I cannot conclude whether this was the key influence International Journal of Evidence Based train and Mentoring Vol. 5. No. 2 August, 2007 Page 50 on these responses. However I do think this emphasizes that it is tenuous to assume that the responses to such value dimensions questionnaires can be ascribed largely to national culture.I also believe that the way that corporate and professional culture influences our habits and values requires a great deal more in-depth research. For example, it might be interesting to establish whether there are differ ences in the responses to a cultural dimensions questionnaire between professional groups, e. g. doctors, patrol officers, computer programmers, sports professionals, etc. , and how these compare to national differences. However, it also has to be acknowledged that the bother of drawing any definite conclusions about key influences is clearly a demarcation line to the use of questionnaires in general.This does suggest it would have been preferable to be able to prosper and explore the data that was generated by the questionnaires via brushup interviews. But, as discussed in the methodology, this would have required a lot more time and resources than were available to me in this study. Nevertheless analyzing the results in relation to the problem of ignoring and playing knock off the importance of cultural differences also suggested that the questionnaire design needed refinement.Specifically, I was unable to reason out or make any assumptions about what level of importance ea ch respondent attached to each of the dimensions. A system of be the various value dimensions is not a raw concept or methodology, in that it is very similar to the two ‘basic bipolar’ dimensions of ‘openness to change vs. conservation’ and ‘selfenhancement vs. self transcendence’ that are incorporated as higher dimensions in the Schwartz Value Inventory (Fig. 4).But more significantly I think that more research into ontogeny a system of ranking the value dimensions would not only help to identify those value dimensions, which may be ignored, downplayed or even negatively evaluated, but also provide a potentially very useful tool for integrating the cross-cultural dimension into traditional coaching and mentoring practices. Conclusion From this specific perspective, a focus on quantifying how national cultures differ on the various value dimensions that have been identify does run some risk of add to the formation of cultural stereotypes, which have little or no predictive value.This is why greater emphasis needs to be placed on understanding our own ‘cultural baggage’ from a coaching perspective, particularly on the dynamic processes of the way in which our own culture has, and is evolving. The grammatical construction blocks of improving cultural awareness and developing cross-cultural skills therefore have much in common with the key skills associated with edifice rapport as a coach or mentor. For the coach or business organisation, it is therefore about understanding the processes involved with the different ways in which we negotiate social interaction, and the elements of the various models of culture.These range from the on the face of it simple distinction between the visible(a) and invisible level of values (Fig. 1) to the complexity of Schwartz’s ‘Theoretical model of relations among motivational value types and two basic bipolar value dimensions’ (Fig. 4). It is about nurture our awareness of what is subconscious and invisible up to a conscious and visible level; and from there we can develop the skills necessary to negotiate ways of interacting with others whose values, attitudes and habits, or and then in contexts are unfamiliar to us.I believe that if this is to be achieved, coaching and cross-cultural research needs to transcend the limitations of a focus on national culture. It needs to acknowledge that cultural identity should be viewed as being multi-faceted, and that people have a number of selves or identities depending on context and setting. The work of Schwartz, Hofstede and Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner has provided very rich insight into the cultural dimensions, which help to identify the way in which values differ between national cultures.However, they would also be the first to acknowledge that International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring Vol. 5. No. 2 August, 2007 Page 51 national cultures are in a unvary ing state of change, and this in turn dictates the need to evolve their questionnaires, re-analyze the accompanying databases of results, and amend and delineate their models accordingly. But perhaps the key aspect for further research is to develop methods that place a greater emphasis on the processes though which culture changes.In other words how human actions and practices change, and new meanings evolve in response to changes to social contexts. By this I mean for example: the impact of change magnitude migration (whether voluntary, or in response to political or economic factors), or the proliferation of new forms of communication like the internet, not only on working environments, but on the myriad ways in which we take form our social lives. The point being that this should help to move research and practice from a focus on more scheme concepts such as values, to the ways in which culture is produced and negotiated.Consequently, as Rosinski (2003, p. xviii) said, †˜intercultural professionals will be better equipped to fulfil their loyalty to extend people’s worldviews, nosepiece cultural gaps, and enable successful work across cultures’. 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(2000), The Mentor’s consider †Facilitating Effective Learning Relationships, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Zeus, P. & Skiffington, S. 2002), The Coaching at Work Toolkit †A finish Guide to Techniques and Practices, Australia: McGraw-Hill Barbara StClaire-Ostwald is an international coach and free-lance consultant who specialises in cross-cultural awareness and developing successful and effective communication skills for global managers and teams. Barbara grew up in the United Kingdom as a smooth out/British dual national. Prior to setting up her coaching practice CINCRA, she lived and worked in the UK, Continental Europe and North Africa for over 30 years; working for multinationals in the private, public and not for profit sectors.Barbara is a member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) and until recently, chairwoman o f the EMCC European Conference Committee. She is also a member of the British Psychological Society, hired Institute of Personnel Development, British sociological Association and the Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research (SIETAR). She is tri-lingual (Polish, English, French) and she is able to converse in Dutch, German, Czechoslovakian and Slovak.\r\n'