To reach that effectiveness in managing multicultural groups is to recognize that differences in attitudes and behaviors between members of the group exist. As Schneider and Barsoux (2003) said, recognition of cultural differences is the first step to see the opportunities and advantages that multicultural groups bring, otherwise if it is ignored it would lead to misunderstandings and can not be managed. After being recognized, the second step is to understand it by interpreting why people from different cultures behave, think and act the way they do.
When differences have been understood, people have to respect them in order to avoid prejudices and ethnic stereotypes. This can be avoided by enhancing close contact and cooperative efforts to achieve a common goal, as well as to provide equal status or power within members of the group according to the skills that each of them can contribute to the team (Schneider and Brasoux, 2003; Thomas and Inkson, 2004). Workplace Discrimination Can Be Reduced By Cross-Cultural Training
According to Kealey and Protheroe (1996, cited Zakaria, 2000), training is “any intervention aimed at increasing the knowledge or skills of the individual”. Therefore, there are several authors who suggest that programs such as cross-cultural project teams, intercultural effectiveness skills and international management training are used by organizations that work across borders in order to train their managers to work effectively within a multicultural workforce, which should be a regular part of the training programs, especially for management development (Zakaria, 2000; Harris et al, 2004).
They indicate that the purpose of cross-cultural training is to increase the awareness of cultural differences, develop sensitivity and skills to cope with those differences and develop intercultural communication competence. Workplace Discrimination Can Be Reduced by Communicating with Target Group Communication is the most important tool and the basis in any business and of course, in any organization, and even most importantly when communicating in a diverse environment.
In this case, culture plays a vital role, which it could influence in the communication process either as an effective or negative way. Hence, to get to an effective communication within a diverse workforce, managers have to first go through the process of developing the skills already mentioned before such as cultural awareness and cultural intelligence, in addition with the listening and sending skills. Once they have got that, the communication process becomes easily to put up with (Mor Barak, 2005).
Conclusion Prejudice and discrimination are commonly found in the business realm today. Effective strategies can be employed to avoid these problems.
References
Esen E. (2005). 2005 workplace diversity practices survey report. Alexandria, VA: Society for Human Resource Management. Harris, P. , Moran, R. and Moran, S. (2004). Managing cultural differences: global leadership strategies for the 21st century. 6th ed. Oxford: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann.
Kalev A, Dobbin F, Kelly E. (2006). Best practices or best guesses? Assessing the efficacy of corporate affirmative action and diversity policies. American Sociological Review, 77, 589-617. McPherson M, Smith-Lovin L, Cook JM. (2001). Birds of a feather: Homophily in social networks. Annual Review of Sociology, 27, 415-444. Mor Barak, M. , 2005. Managing Diversity: toward a globally inclusive workplace. 1st ed. London: Sage. Ployhart RE, Holtz BC. (2008).