Today the business world comprises of dealing with colleagues or clients across countries and different cultures, especially in a culturally diverse country like India. People from the Northern part of the country have a different culture from the people in the Southern part of the country. There is a difference in the language, food, behaviour they all differ from place to place. It is very common to have a culturally diverse workforce in every organization. At times, it becomes a challenge for the leaders to build Trust in a culturally diverse organization.
The main challenges faced because of the ignorance of the various culture which may put the people in the spot. India is one of the most diverse nations in the world; along with that, India is touted to be one of the world’s largest economy. With the advent of MNCs in India has opened the door for people from different nations to be part of the corporate culture in India. With the amalgamation of these different cultures, it is inevitable that every organization in the country is culturally diverse and might have cultural friction. The challenge is the unconscious culture biases people foster against a particular culture which will prove to be a roadblock in the progress of the company. Communication is yet another aspect which is most likely to be a hindrance as due to the different accents, people might not comprehend appropriately what the person wants to say.
Professional etiquette of specific culture also differs. Perception of being punctual differs between cultures; in some culture being punctual means arriving a few minutes before the scheduled time while in some other culture entering a meeting a few minutes later than the scheduled time is acceptable. If these challenges remain unaddressed, then the organization will have a very low trust environment, which affects productivity as a whole.
Understanding a cultural difference becomes gravely essential in embarking on Building Trust in the current global economy. One should Demonstrate Respect, i.e., respect each other, behave in ways that show not only fundamental Respect for people but also demonstrate caring and concern. Building trust will help in achieving diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Being aware of different culture also goes a long way in building Trust in the organization. Familiarity towards different cultures will help others to understand the various preferences and the cultural quirks and why they react to somethings, which are considered to be reasonable in your culture. One has to make a conscious effort to embrace cultural diversity and listen with an open mind, the other’s point of view. Leaders in the organization should lead by example and demonstrate behaviours which support and welcomes the cultural diversity in the organization.
A cross cultured organization will help in generating innovative ideas which are sui generis. The growth prospective of a culturally diverse organization is high as due to the diverse workforce. Companies can understand the mindset of potential customers, which would help in creating a new customer base. While trying to build Trust in a culturally diverse workplace, one should keep in mind that changing people’s perceptions and imbibing the difference cannot be achieved overnight — ample time to be given for people to understand and embrace it with an open mind.