Essay on "HR Interview About Culture"

Essay 10 pages (4123 words) Sources: 20 Style: Harvard

[EXCERPT] . . . .

In the modern globalised economy, the rising number of multinational companies is testimony to the growing trend of employing people from multiple countries to work together. Such employees coming from different countries carry with them the culture, values and behavioral attitudes with them to the new work place (Culture shock, 2013). In cases where the culture and the atmosphere in the place of work is different, the employees who come from a foreign culture have a cultural shock. This is also true for the local people who also find the foreign employees and their cultures alien and often completely different from what they are used to.

When we visited the coal mining company, we witnessed a mini cultural shock that the employees were facing there. This was also evident from the interview of Mr. Thomas Silva that there is a problem of cultural difference between the employees. The employees from Indonesia have a culture that is completely different from that of the New Zealand employees and the local culture (Culture shock, 2013).

This is also what we experienced when we interacted and encountered while we visited a mine of the company and interacted with the employees there to understand more about the problems that can crop up due to cultural differences. While we were used to the Australian culture, the way of the Indonesian employees were different from what we were used to. We discussed and interacted with a group of employees after their shift was over as suggested and identified by Mr. Thomas. The group included employees who were of New Zealand as well as of Indonesian origin. We noticed striking differences in the behaviors and values in the two communities (Culture shock, 2013).

During the interactions, we were treated with both tea and coffee along with some beer. While the most of the New Zealand employees preferred either coffee or beer, the Indonesian employees preferred to have tea. The way we were greeted by both the communities was also different. While the New Zealand employees greeted us by a bear hug and a strong handshake, some of the Indonesian employees greeted us with folded hands while others were relatively mild with their handshaking. As we knew, the New Zealand culture is to speak out loud and assertive, the Indonesian employees said the same things in a lighter manner and subdued tone. We were also informed that while most of the New Zealand workers preferred to either play a round of golf or spend time at the local pub after work, most of the Indonesian employees preferred to gather in groups and spend time chatting away or getting into an activity together.

One of the more significant difference in the cultures of the two communities that we witnessed at the gathering was that the Indonesian employees were keener on developing a relationship with us through understanding our culture and knowing about what we do and what our plans were and o the details about our lives. On the other hand the New Zealand employees too were keen to strike a chord with us but in a different manner. They invited us to have a game of pool and intended to chat up with us (Glick, 2002).

While initially this seemed quite odd to us, we later understood that the way the Indonesian employees react in various situations was different from the New Zealand ways of life and culture that we were more familiar about. =while initially we could no were also a little taken aback by the questions of the Indonesian employees about our lives and careers, we later understood that this was their way and culture to strike a chord with unknown people.

This was an enriching experience for us as we understood what cultural difference was and how it worked. We also realized that it was important to understand the reasons behind actions of people who belong to a different culture and understand the motive behind their actions.

Cross-cultural analyses of the experience

The term "culture" refers to the complex accumulation of knowledge, folklore, language, rules, rituals, habits, lifestyles, attitudes, beliefs, and customs that link and provide a general identity to a group of people. Culture takes a long time to build up it may take generations to develop. So, it becomes very difficult to move to some other country and communicate with that culture in proper way in the new culture. Without proper communication people can't join a developing group or take part in development or even in jobs that requires a coordinated effort (Harrison, Chadwick and Scales, 1996).

While dealing with cultural difference often people faced with a mini cultural shock have a feeling being lost in a new environment due to exposure to new foods, languages, and climate.

Research in to cultural differences has identified three basic stages in cultural shock and subsequent adjustments to the foreign culture.

The first period is termed as the Honeymoon Period. This is the time when one enters a new cultural environment and the first few days that are spent in the new culture. Several researches have shown that during this period there is generally a feeling of fascination with the new environment and new culture and a growing excitement that is the result of experiencing new fashion, food and social customs (JOHNSON and CERRETO, 1975). When people are placed in a new culture there are also tendencies in the initial period to make new discoveries and new observations about the new culture and the cultural environment which gives rise to a pleasant anticipation.

However as time passes and after the initial euphoria about the new culture, the second phase is the frustration period where individuals tend to get frustrated due to not understanding the language or gestures and the customs of the new culture accentuated by the growing difficulties understanding local culture and norms and traditions. Often this is not a one way feeling and the members of the local culture can feel the same way about a foreigner. This can lead to foreigners being left out where people in a new culture can develop feelings of being misunderstood or left out of the community. There would be homesickness and the initial excitement and the eagerness that accompanied the first contact with a foreign culture could be lost or get faded away. In such situations people can begin to idealizing their own culture and the ways and behaviors and values of the home culture (Lawler, 1988).

While one feels frustrated one still realizes that they have to spend some time in the new culture and then begins the phase where they develop feelings and actions that are associated with the understanding of the new culture. At this stage individuals feel less homesick and become more comfortable with the culture, people and the food of the host country. This creates an understanding what that individual likes and enjoys about the new environment and the realization that it is okay to make mistakes as one transitions into a new environment. This helps in the individual to begin to feel more comfortable in the new surroundings.

Following the understanding stage, an individual gets acclimatized with the new culture and the ways and values of the new culture. This stage allows individuals to objectively compare the host country with the home country which allows for better coping with things that initially frustrated the individual until one begins to feel less like a foreigner (Proctor, Nof and Yih, 2012).

This is the framework that individuals and groups use to get used to a new culture -- especially when that new culture means job.

During the short interaction with the employees at the mine of the company, we underwent at least some of the stages mentioned above. After the initial interest and the eagerness to meet people from a different culture there was a level of frustration among us as we were unable to completely understand the language and the gestures that the Indonesian employees were making while they attempted to communicate with us. At one point in time a few of us were contemplating moving over to the New Zealand employees as we were more comfortable with the language and the culture.

However after the a certain period of time, there was an effort on both sides -- us and the Indonesian employees, to try and understand each other better and after the initial hick ups we began to understand the language and the gestures being made by them better. I believe that the Indonesian employees too felt the same way. Soon enough were at home with the foreign employees of the company and did not feel much of a difference with them even though they belonged to a different culture and were used to a culture which was completely different from what we are used to. This is what we later realized was cross cultural adjustment that we managed to achieve.… READ MORE

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