MULTICULTURAL
INFLUENCES IN HRD
(DCE5130)
SEMESTER TWO 2013/2014
F2F III (to be announced)
OBJECTIVES:
• At the end of this course, the students are able to:
• Identify and elaborate key elements of his/her own
culture and other cultures in Malaysia/own
country
• Analyze and relate key elements of culture
(cultural dimension) to the intracultural,
intercultural, and crosscultural Malaysian
workplace
• Discuss and provide solution to issues and
challenges in working across cultures,
SYNOPSIS:
• This course emphasises the influence of
multiculture on human resource
development, the sensitivity of multiculture
on labour force in Malaysia and at the
international level, cross-cultural and
intercultural management of international
corporations).
EVALUATION OF MULTICULTURAL
INFLUENCES IN HRD
(DCE5130)
1. Assignment 1
10%
2. Assignment 2 (Article Review)10%
3. Assignment 3
15%
4. Assignment 4 (Case Study)
(Group)
25 %
3. Final exam
30%
ASSIGMENT 1
• What is your understanding of your own value in
your culture?
• Identify your core value (can be more than one
values).
• Describe the value/s by using the key elements of
culture (underlying assumption, value, symbol,
ritual and hero). The assignment should be based
on your own observation and experience. Some
references may be useful.
• (At least 10 pages. 1.5 spacing)
• Due date: 2nd Face to Face
ASSIGMENT 2 (Individual)
• Search for ONE research article related to multicultural
influences in HRD/organization.
• Review and discuss your chosen article based on your
understanding of :
1.
2.
cultural dimensions
the following article:
“FACILITATING HARMONY IN DIVERSITY: USING
DELIGHTS, PUZZLES AND IRRITATIONS TO MEET
THE CHALLENGE OF DIVERSITY” (provided in the
file or at www.amautainternational.com/iaf2000/Abdullah2.PDF)
• (At least 3 pages. 1.5 spacing)
• Due date: 3rd Face to Face
ASSIGMENT 3
• How Malaysian manager manage the
organization? (intracultural or intercultural
organization?
• Select one or two cases/activities on how manager
manage the organization from cultural perpective
(in terms of leadership, communication,
motivating, managing conflict etc.) The
assignment can be either based on your own
experience or others or a research article.
• (At least 10 pages. 1.5 spacing)
• Due date: 3rd Face to Face
ASSIGMENT 4
CASE STUDY (GROUP ASSIGMENT)
• How foreigners manage and need to know about managing
in Malaysia (Cross-cultural Organization)?
• The students are expected to do a series of interview the
foreigners (particular from western countries, Japan,
Korea, Taiwan or Africa’s) who worked in Malaysian
organizations (company, NGO, government).
• At least three foreigners of managerial level should be
interviewed.
• Focus of the paper is how foreigners manage the
organization from the cultural perspective, the issues and
problems, their expectation, misunderstanding, etc.
• (At least 15 pages. 1.5 spacing)
• Due date: Final Exam for Master Program
FINAL EXAM
• Focus will be given on the ability of students to
analyse key dimensions/elements of own culture
and other cultures, and relate and propose
solutions to issues and challenges in the
multicultural workplace contexts.
COURSE CONTENT
Part 1:
Key elements of My Own Culture and other cultures in Malaysia
4 PARTS
Part 2
Relating at the intra cultural, intercultural, cross cultural
Malaysian workplace
.
Part 3
Issues and challenges in working across cultures, namely:
- when Malaysians go abroad to work
- when foreigners come to live and work in Malaysia.
COURSE CONTENT
Part 3
Issues and challenges in working across cultures, namely:
- when Malaysians go abroad to work
- when foreigners come to live and work in Malaysia.
o
An awareness and understanding of values and underlying assumptions of
people from different cultures in business settings (Americans,
.
Japanese, Australians, Canadians, Germans, Swedes,
etc)
o
A knowledge of work practices as observed in different cultures:
concept of time, completed staff work, ethics, work relationships,
protocol, etiquette and sensitivities as observed by each culture
o
Acquire appropriate skills, strategies and techniques to interact with the
host culture for business and social purposes
o
Issues and challenges of international management
o
Managing cross cultural interactions in business settings
PROJECT PAPER/CASE STUDY
• How foreigners manage and need to know about
managing in Malaysia (Cross-cultural Organization)?
• The students are expected to do a series of interview
the foreigners (particular from western countries,
Japan, Korea, Taiwan or Africa’s) who worked in
Malaysian organizations (company, NGO,
government).
• At least three foreigners of managerial level should be
interviewed.
• Focus of the paper is how foreigners manage the
organization from the cultural perspective, the issues
and problems, their expectation, misunderstanding,
etc.
KEY ELEMENTS OF CULTURE:
Americans
Symbols
Eagle - freedom, strength, individuality, Flag. Big Mac,
Disney, Coke
Rituals
Holidays. Independence Day, Thanks giving, Going to Church
on Sundays
Heroes
Founding fathers, Martin Luther King, Athletes, Entertainers
Values
Task orientation, Individualism, Punctuality, Money, Privacy,
Competitiveness,
Underlying assumptions:
Man’s relationship with Nature
Control, Mastery
Man’s relationship with people
Individualism, Task driven, Monochronic time,
Low context, Guilt, Equality
Man’s relationship with God
Secular
CULTURE OF ORGANIZATION
• Consists of five cultural dimensions
• VALUES form the heart of the org- have to
communicate to all employees – if
incongruent with their culture – managers
takes long time to internalized them.
TYPES OF CULTURAL INTERFACE
AT THE Malaysian WORKPLACE
INTRA
CULTURAL
Within
one
ethnic
group
Kelantan library
INTER
CULTURAL
CROSS
CULTURAL
With different
ethnic
groups within
a country
e.g. Malays,
Chinese
Indians and
Others
National library
Between two
different
cultures
e.g. Malaysian
and
Americans
Lincoln library
VALUE ORIENTATIONS AT THE MALAYSIAN WORKPLACE
Malays
INTRA
CULTURAL
Joking relationship
Closeness
Polite, friendly
Simple
Indirect
INTER
CULTURAL
Rapport building
Code switching
Common grounds and history
Share experience and meaning
CROSS
CROSS
CULTURAL
CULTURAL
Direct and to the point
Proper English
Formal English
Specificity
Punctuality, Timeliness
Efficiency, Effectiveness
Chinese
Indians
Malays
and Chinese
and Indians
and Others
Malaysians
and AngloAmericans
MALAYSIAN THEMES EFFECTING
INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS
Jaga Maruah
(Preserving Face)
Budi Bahasa
(Language of Character)
Mesyuwarah & Gotong Royong
(Consensus-seeking and Cooperation)
Tolong Satu Sama Lain
(To Help One Another)
Kawan
(Member System)
Implications of understanding
our Malaysian cultural
dimensions for organization
1. Harmony is more important than control
2. More relationship-oriented than task driven
3. More hierarchical than egalitarian
4. Driven by shame than guilt
5. High Context form of communication
6. Polychronic time than monochronic
7. A More Related (we) Self than separated (I)
8. Religious than secular
MANAGEMENT PRACTICEMULTICULTURAL WORKPLACE
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Leading
Communicating
Motivating
Making decisions
Counseling & guidance
Managing conflict
etc
MANAGEMENT PRACTICEMULTICULTURAL WORKPLACE
• Leading – Face, nurturing group,
relationship, TOWKAY, TUAN,
SMALLMAN (humble), Caring
• Communicating - Face, polite, cooperation
• Making decisions – FACE, respect for age,
harmony
• Managing conflict – non-confrontational,
face, respect for others
LEADERSHIP
Admirable Qualities of Leader
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Yang mulia (righteous)
Berbudi bahasa (humble & well mannered)
Baik tutur bahasa (say pleasant things)
Murah hati (willing to spend money)
Berusaha (industrious)
Tajam & gigih (great alertness)
Empathy, humility, tactfulness
Working unobtrusively & enlisting the assistance and
moral support of others (imam)
• Warak alim
• Etc.. (may refer to page 73)
Type of Leader & Way of Expressing Budi
Type of sender
Qualities in sender
Recipient’s behaviour
“Towkay”
Busness man
Generous
Considerate
Caring
Acceptance
Grateful
“Tuan”
Power based
Just
Fair
Sincere
Appreciative
Grateful
“Small man”
Humility
Trustworthy
Empathetic
Harmony
Feel obligated
Reciprocated in kind
MOTIVATING
• Malays are motivated by their affiliation to
groups, families & individuals.
• They would respond better if they could see
benefits not just to the company but also to
their family, community, nation and religion.
24
MOTIVATING
1. Group affiliation
2. Influential or high
status friends, followers
3. Concrete
rewards
4. Good relationship
25
COMMUNICATION
• Good manners
• Indirectness &
subtle
• Tactfull
• Holistic
• Give and take
• Gentle
• Softness (vocal,
tone)
• Proper decorum
• Politeness
(BERBUDI
BAHASA)
• Diplomatic
• Less disclosure
(face saving – jaga
maruah)
HOW OTHERS SEE US
DELIGHTS
•Food, eating and entertaining
•The Malaysian handshake
•The concept of working in
teams
•Ability to empathize due to
diversity
•Family values are still intact
•Malaysians proudly fly their
flags in their public buildings,
private homes and private
transportation
PUZZLES
• What is the concept of face in the East versus the West?
· Making decisions can take a long time. Why?
· Malaysians tend to wait for their bosses to make decisions and
give them
directions before they act. Why are they so slow to move?
· Meetings tend to be long winded and decisions take time. Why are
they not bothered about tim
· Datelines are not strictly adhered to. Why is it so?
· Building relationships is so important at meetings. It takes time
fora meeting to get started.
Why do they call for meetings?
· They say “Yes” but when they cannot meet the commitment
theynever explain why theycannot
fulfil their earlier promise.Why is this so?
· There is a “blaming syndrome” when something goes wrong.
Why?
· How do we convey negative feedback to Asians?
· What is the indirect and direct way of speaking?
· What is the polite system that we have to understand and respect?
Core Value of British
• Openness and directness in face-to-face
discussion
• “If you don’t know, please say don’t know”
(uncertainty avoidance)
• Recommended to Malaysian to adapt this value
in business activities but have to be sensitive and
responsive to Malaysian cultures
Leadership
• Criteria that a leader should have is leading from
the front likes military
• Communication skills is important to deliver
clear instruction including the objectives and
time frame (what, why, when).
• Expected subordinates to work in instruction but
need to be sensitive to the way of instructing and
asking
• As a leader, it is advisable that not to scold
subordinates in public (preserving face)
Communications
• Direct and explicit
• When conveying negative news, direct
approaches are more better and efficient
• Equality is important than hierarchy
• Prefer address first-name basis, even in the
formal meeting
• All is same level, so that discussion can be more
openness and directness
Motivation
• Although working is important but also need to
spend time to relax, eg. travel
• Spectrum of reward vs. punishment systems at
Malaysia is very wide and broad
• Building relationship with subordinates is
important to motivate them to work but the
relationship is not in deep and personal basis.
Managing Crises and Problems
• Direct and explicit communication is important
to convey clear instruction
• Being open and direct
• Prepare to listen and accept others suggestion
where appropriate and relevant in making
decision
• Setting clear objectives with time frame
Issues and Challenges of
Working Across Cultures
• Need to be always aware and alert of the ways
of doing things at Malaysia
• Issues of religion and hierarchy
• Ways of communication (indirect, passing the
buck or play ‘taichi’)
• Languages
•
•
-
Expectation for Malaysian
Workers
Values that found from Malaysian are
respectful and helpful
Malaysian are encourage but not a force:
to be more openness and directness where
appropriate and applicable
not be shy in working relationship
be on time
Part 4
Key concepts and theories in the field of cross cultural/multicultural mgt.
Accommodation
Acculturation
Affirmative action
Assimilation
Assumptions
Attribution theory
Collectivism
Colonization
Consensus
Context: Low/ High
Control
Corporate
Cross cultural
Culture
Diversity
Egalitarian
Emic-Etic
Ethnocentricism
Face saving
Globalization
Guilt
Harmony
Hierarchy
Homogeneity
Indigenization
Individualism
Industrialization
Ingroup-outgroup
Intercultural
Internalization
Intracultural
Related self
Relationship orientation
Rituals
Role models/heroes
Locus of control:
Localization
Modernity
Modernization
Monochronic time
Multicultural
Task orientation
Particularism
Polychronic time
Power distance
Westernization
Secular
Sensitivity
Separated self
Shame
Socialization
Symbolic conformity
Symbols
Uncertainty avoidance
Universalism
Values
CULTURAL SURGERY:
Culture can be both a tool and a trap. By understanding
the values and assumptions of our culture, managers
will be able to know what to:
STRENGTHEN respect
Shared work practices which we
already do well and are supportive of
productive work habits
DISCARD ignore
NURTURE develop
Nurture own local indigenous values and
assumptions which can be harnessed to drive
productive work practices in order to be
globally responsive
SURFACE and
REPLACE reinvent
Discard practices (symbols, rituals) which
when taken to the extreme tend to create
dysfunction- waste time, energy
and block work efficiency (pathology)
Surface existing values and assumptions
which are unproductive and has no value
added benefit
Conscious
Unconscious
Mental state
If a particular value is taken to the extreme it risks creating a dysfunction, a pathology
@asma
FINAL EXAM
• Focus will be given on the ability of students to
analyse key dimensions/elements of own culture
and other cultures, and relate and propose
solutions to issues and challenges in the
multicultural workplace contexts.
FOKUS PEMBELAJARAN
1. Amalan pengurusan yang berasaskan budaya
Malaysia(Dimensi budaya) -Kebaikan/kekuatan
& Boleh diperbaiki - strategi
2. Lima Dimensi budaya dan perkaiatan antara
dimensi
3. Amalan tempat kerja - kes
4. Budaya masyarakat individu dan kaitanya dengan
tempat kerja
5. Pandangan orang luar terhadap budaya kerja
Malaysia
FOKUS PEMBELAJARAN
5. Konsep penting
–
–
–
–
–
–
Komunikasi dalam organisasi
Kepimpinan dalam organisasi
Malu dan Rasa Bersalah
Tugas dan Hubungan
Konteks Komunikasi Tinggi
Intercultural dan crosscultural Organizations
TERIMA KASIH KERANA
BERSAMA-SAMA KITA BELAJAR
• Prof. Madya Dr. Hj. Azizan Asmuni
SHUKRAN
MAMNON
TERIMA KASIH KERANA BERSAMA-SAMA KITA BELAJAR
Prof. Madya Dr. Azizan Asmuni