Cultural Diversity impacts the workplace in a variety of positive and negative ways

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To answer to this question, we have to define the key words of the topic. So what is exactly a culture? According to the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, a culture could be defined as “the way of life, especially the general customs and beliefs, of a particular group of people at a particular time “(3rd edition, August 11, 2008). The UNESCO wrote a declaration about cultural diversity, it's called the “UNESCO universal declaration on cultural diversity” (adopted by the 31st session of the general conference of UNESCO, Paris, 2 November 2001).

This conference stated also that “the process of globalization… though representing a challenge for cultural diversity, creates the conditions for renewed dialogue among cultures and civilizations. “. All these statements means that the cultural diversity is for the human kind almost important that is biodiversity for nature. It encourages policy for integration and participation of all the citizens, which guarantee a good social cohesion.

Extraits

[...] First, the language is a barrier, for the employees and for management. For employees it could slow them in their work if they misunderstand the orders (of customers or managers) and even if they speak fluently the language, an accent could be a drawback (to not be taken seriously for example). By the way it could be the origin of tensions in the work place if the managers or the other employees don't understand when people from the same origin are speaking a specific language that the others don't speak. [...]

[...] Many theorists worked on this aspect of communication in companies. These companies faced to globalisation and exchanges between countries, continents, and cultures which are different from their origin; have to change their teams and their management. If their managers remain rigid and from only one culture, clash, strikes and misunderstanding would appears. That's why more and more audit firms specialized in formation of cross- cultural management appeared. Their work is based on Fons Trompenaars, Geert Hofstede and Edward T. Hall for the most famous. [...]

[...] short term orientation denote that there are culture which are more respectfull of traditions and social obligations (short term orientation), than others which are more in the future and bet on economy and perseverance. Trompenaars (1998) focused is researches on the intercultural communication. He wrote seven dimensions in order to clasify cultures. -Universalism versus particularism is the first of the seven dimensions. This dimension could be summarized by the question: Are rules more important than relationships? -Individualism versus communautarism is the second dimension and inspired by Hofstede, this dimension could be posed by the question: Do we function in a group or as an individual? [...]

[...] A good manager should be able to show his ability to manage a group instead of the language barrier, culture or ethnicity. A good understanding of tools given by author cited above could also permit to the manager to analyse differences and the way he have to use to reduce them. He has also to develop his leadership in order to transmit enthusiasm to reach objectives to his employees, and for that he have to show his capacity of intercultural communication, his understanding of nuances, behaviours of people and their cultural concept and, if possible to speak various languages. [...]

[...] Business Case for Diversity. Available: http://www.chubb.com/diversity/chubb4450.html. Last accessed 20 dec 2009. - Edward T. Hall (1966), The Hidden Dimension, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday. - Employés de la communauté GLBT . (2008). Diversité au travail. Available: http://www.hrvs-rhsbc.ca/info-rh/diversite-culturelle.cfm. Last accessed 19 dec 2009. - Eric Wattez. (2008). [...]