Faced with international trade and globalization, companies must now deal with cultural diversity. This represents a major challenge for companies that want to develop their competitiveness and attract new profiles. Find out how to manage cultural diversity in companies and the challenges it face.
Cultural diversity in business: what is it?
Cultural diversity in business refers to the fact that there are several cultural profiles within a company. These include, among others:
- ethnic origin;
- nationality;
- age;
- the language;
- socio-economic status;
- religion;
- gender and sexual orientation.
Apart from this, diversity can also take into account disability and abilities. It is a major element for companies, especially in their internalization process. However, it can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts if not managed properly. This is why it is necessary to successfully manage cultural diversity in companies intelligently to achieve the objectives.
How to successfully manage cultural diversity in business?
Cultural diversity in business can lead to misunderstandings, especially if employees are unable to understand each other’s cultures. It is therefore essential to implement certain best practices for effective management.
Raising awareness among employees to manage cultural diversity in the workplace
The first step for successful management is to raise awareness among different employees about cultural diversity and its challenges. This promotion of cultural inclusion can be done through specific training. These will address cultural differences, institutional communication, and conflict resolution between colleagues.
In addition, these trainings will allow colleagues to integrate and better understand each other’s cultural values and habits. You thus eliminate stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination to highlight tolerance, open-mindedness, and curiosity.
Create a healthy and safe working environment
To effectively manage cultural diversity in a company, it is important to create a healthy environment. It is also necessary to provide a common team culture based on a shared vision and explicit rules of the game. These values will help to avoid divisions, rivalries, and tensions to promote cohesion and solidarity. In addition, you must develop zero tolerance for violence, harassment, and discrimination.
At the same time, employees must have a safe and confidential reporting system. This can be a discussion line between colleagues via the hierarchy or simply between members of the CSE. This way, in case of difficulty, employees will know who to turn to in complete confidence.
Adapt communication style and management practices
Managers must take differences into account to properly manage cultural diversity in the workplace. This includes linguistic specificities, modes of expression, habits, sensitivities, etc. On this basis, you must establish internal communication and adapt management styles according to different cultural expectations.
To adapt management practices, you must cultivate a policy of inclusion. As a manager, you must also value intercultural skills fairly. That is to say, you must take into account the talents of each person by treating them equally. This means excluding any form of discrimination.
Cultural diversity management: what are the challenges?
Managing cultural diversity in business may not be as simple as it seems. It can encounter and face several obstacles.
Language barriers
The first challenge in implementing cultural diversity concerns communication barriers . If your new employees do not speak the same language as you, it will be very difficult to communicate with them. They will have difficulty integrating themselves into the company (meetings, conferences, videoconferences, etc.) and with others. To overcome this problem, you will have to find ways to facilitate communication.
Among other things, you can organize language classes and set goals dedicated to improving English or French. Also, be sure to limit meetings with many participants.
Prejudices and stereotypes
The second obstacle that can block the management of cultural diversity concerns stereotypes and prejudices . It is difficult to deconstruct preconceived ideas and judgments related to different cultures in order to establish a better understanding. However, with specific training and exchanges between colleagues, it is possible to combat prejudices.
Indeed, knowing each other better and spending time together will allow each other to accept each other’s differences. It will also help to adapt to other cultures in order to find common ground.
Why is it important to manage cultural diversity in business?
Managing cultural diversity in business is very important because it has certain advantages. Indeed, cultural differences allow:
- Strengthen team cohesion. Tolerance, support and understanding of cultural differences help create a healthy relational climate . Which promotes communication, mutual aid, self-expression, sharing and cohesion;
- improve the quality of work and performance. The complementary skills of each person make it possible to meet various needs and serve a more diverse audience. They also make it possible to optimize the distribution of tasks and increase team productivity;
- stimulate the birth of innovative and creative ideas. A great cultural variety will generate original and unexplored solutions based on different experiences, perspectives and skills;
- Boost employee motivation and engagement. Employees who feel valued, listened to, included and accepted despite their cultural difference are more engaged and loyal to the company. Feeling seen, heard and understood increases their well-being and fulfillment at work.
Moreover, cultural diversity is a very effective way for a company to remain competitive . The inclusion policy allows to have a better reputation, to attract new profiles and thus to increase profits.
Ultimately, managing cultural diversity in business is a major challenge for organizations that want to improve their performance and attractiveness. By implementing an inclusion policy and a good management style , you will be able to take advantage of the differences in your teams. Emphasize communication, understanding and tolerance.