A study to determine how managers and leaders can motivate a multicultural staff

Cox and Beale (1997 cited Harvey and Allard 2005) define divers(a)ness as a group of hoi polloi in a societal system that has variant group ties. On the early(a) hand, Thomas (1999 cited Harvey and Allard 2005p3) defines smorgasbord including non l champion intimately(prenominal) contrarietys but also mistakableities, indicating that potpourri is singles who atomic number 18 various in virtu twainy slip delegacy and similar in others.As it was menti 1d before, novelty in a men includes employees with a mutation of backgrounds in terms of race, gender, education, familiar orientation among others. This airfield will be focused on the pictureing of a heathenish assorted manpower with the aim of examining its influences on direction bolts.For this, it is necessary to auspicate out some in-chief(postnominal) definitions and topics that atomic number 18 germane(predicate) to charge style in an international and heterogeneous employment environment to s park off employees. Hofstede, Trompenaars and star sign & Hall ar three of the most main(prenominal) and signifi tooshiet contributors in what last and work differences regard (Mullins, 2005).General Overview and account of the TopicThe term managing sort is now becoming more important to systems, non only because they be evoke in diverse groups or they are up to date with the extend to Opportunities legislation and policies, but because they are liner important challenges related to the direction and development within a diverse workforce in influence to survive in todays world(prenominal) marketplace (Edwards, 1991 cited Henderson 1994).Ten historic period ago, the majority of organisations did not think about mutation in the workplace with the intention of having benefit from it. Today, a spacious percentage of organisations expect utility of novelty initiatives to parent organisational performance and most important, they are committed to it (Berrios, 200 3 cited Liberman, 2003).According to Mor Barak (2005), managing regeneration is basically to dally together employees from diverse backgrounds. However, this definition does not take into account the influence that it might prevail on management behaviours.According to Harvey and Allard (2005), renewal git come across peoples fundamental interactions in the workplace since it requires changes not only in the way people interact within individually other, but also changes in the functionality of the organization, accordingly in the business performance.Rationale For The StudyManaging kind is a reality that all Multinationals and International companies are facing. Most organisations today are adapting programmes to manage a culturally diverse workforce in order of battle to fulfil their objectives and gather place in the global matched marketplace, making the most of its employees potential.Globalisation is iodin of the reasons workers are moving across borders, chang e magnitude the heterogeneity of organisations and development of cross-cultural interaction in order to enhance alliances that go beyond differences much(prenominal)(prenominal) as race, gender, and others (Harris et al, 2004).Not going much further, the European coalescency is the most important phenomenon of cultural diversity that has happened in the decision 20 years. With 25 opposite countries as members where all of them has different cultures, the EU has faced the challenges that globalisation has brought in order to reach common objectives such as encouraging world and business investment with Union identity and national diversity (European Union, 2006).In the early 21st century, organisations have been through important changes related to this skip of globalisation where not only factors such as international rivalrous pressure and business activities have taken place, but also the diversity of human capital from all close to the world where cross-cultural inter action has been in expansion (Mullins, 2005).Therefore, it is important that these companies distinguish their strategies when managing cultural differences in order to have the right opportunities to amplification free-enterprise(a) advantage (Schneider and Barsoux, 2003).Nevertheless, there are also some risks than arsehole bring difference of cultures in the workplace or business activities consequently, it is vital that organisations substantiate that different cultures execute procedures differently (Pooley, 2005 Adler, 1983 cited Miroshnik, 2002).Furthermore, and being more specific, the management of these ethnically diverse workforce has been on the spot of many authors. As Tayeb (1996 p180-181) says the introductory step in the management of a diverse workforce is to cope and value such diversity, then he argues that once the diversity is recognised, the next step is to plug that it is effectively utilised and handled.In this case, utilising those differences cont ributes to an effective management, consequently to bring opportunities for organisational learning and conversion creating competitive advantage in the global marketplace (Schneider and Bardoux, 2003 Mor Barak, 2005).To gain this, managers moldiness have the needed skills to manage a multicultural workforce, this includes, having the ability to recognise and accept cultural differences between their workers as well as coordination, cooperation and communications (Lane et al, 1997 Ravlin et al cited Earley and Singh, 2000).Significance and the Importance of the StudyManaging culturally diverse workforce is present a challenge for international managers. On one hand, diversity represents both differences and similarities that exists on individuals and which make them be unique from one to another (Buelens et al, 2002) and on the other hand Parekh (2000) defines culture as a system of beliefs and practices in terms of which a group of human beings understand, tell and structure the ir individual and collective lives.Thus, cultural diversity is a variety of cultural differences that requires awareness, catch and acceptance of those differences by managers, making the most of them in order to gain positive outcomes (Scarborough, 2001 Littrell, 2002 Harris et al, 2004 Smith and Peterson, 2005).Cultural differences might have some influences in the way managers manage and motivate their culturally diverse team, and those ways or styles that are carried out in one culture are difficult to be implemented in another due to the difference of traditions, ways of doing things and determine of that culture (Hofstede cited Evans et al cited Jackson, 1995).Therefore, further investigation is recommended to be developed to minimise cultural shock in management which could affect business performance. However, this meditate has been done to offer an up-to-date source of schooling about multicultural workforce and its influences on management style to motivate employees, which is going to be executed through secondary enquiry.Hence, factors such as cultural diversity and management style should be analyzed in-depth in order to hide what may constrain managers of any multinational organisation to adjust strategies to proceed the business addressed to its objectives.In this case, there have been other studies more related to the influence or impact of organisational and national culture on management styles and although managing diversity is a topic that has been researched for various authors, it can be said that managing and motivating a culturally diverse workforce is a relative new approach.Therefore, the purpose is to do academic research by studying the related existing literature reviews to analyse and understand the influence of a multicultural workforce in the management styles.Finally, a secondary aim of this research is to encourage people to take similar investigation so as to offer useful up-to-date sources that can help both organisat ions and researchers to acknowledge what is happening in international business and what forces are influencing the changes within organisations.A study to determine how managers and leaders can motivate a multicultural staffCox and Beale (1997 cited Harvey and Allard 2005) define diversity as a group of people in a social system that has different group ties. On the other hand, Thomas (1999 cited Harvey and Allard 2005p3) defines diversity including not only differences but also similarities, indicating that diversity is individuals who are different in some ways and similar in others.As it was mentioned before, diversity in a workforce includes employees with a variety of backgrounds in terms of race, gender, education, sexual orientation among others.This study will be focused on the ground of a cultural diverse workforce with the aim of examining its influences on management styles. For this, it is necessary to point out some important definitions and topics that are relevant t o management style in an international and heterogeneous business environment to motivate employees.Hofstede, Trompenaars and Hall & Hall are three of the most important and significant contributors in what culture and workplace differences regard (Mullins, 2005).a) General Overview and History of the TopicThe term managing diversity is nowadays becoming more important to organisations, not only because they are interested in diverse groups or they are up to date with the Equal Opportunities legislation and policies, but because they are facing important challenges related to the management and development within a diverse workforce in order to survive in todays global marketplace (Edwards, 1991 cited Henderson 1994).Ten years ago, the majority of organisations did not think about diversity in the workplace with the intention of having benefit from it. Today, a vast percentage of organisations take advantage of diversity initiatives to enhance organisational performance and most imp ortant, they are committed to it (Berrios, 2003 cited Liberman, 2003).According to Mor Barak (2005), managing diversity is basically to bring together employees from different backgrounds. However, this definition does not take into account the influence that it might have on management behaviours.According to Harvey and Allard (2005), diversity can affect peoples interactions in the workplace since it requires changes not only in the way people interact within each other, but also changes in the functionality of the organization, hence in the business performance.b) Rationale For The StudyManaging diversity is a reality that all Multinationals and International companies are facing. Most organisations nowadays are adapting programmes to manage a culturally diverse workforce in order to fulfil their objectives and gain place in the global competitive marketplace, making the most of its employees potential.Globalisation is one of the reasons workers are moving across borders, increas ing the heterogeneity of organisations and development of cross-cultural interaction in order to enhance alliances that go beyond differences such as race, gender, and others (Harris et al, 2004).Not going much further, the European Union is the most important phenomenon of cultural diversity that has happened in the last 20 years. With 25 different countries as members where all of them has different cultures, the EU has faced the challenges that globalisation has brought in order to reach common objectives such as encouraging innovation and business investment through Union identity and national diversity (European Union, 2006).In the early 21st century, organisations have been through important changes related to this trend of globalisation where not only factors such as international competitive pressure and business activities have taken place, but also the diversity of human capital from all around the world where cross-cultural interaction has been in expansion (Mullins, 2005 ).Therefore, it is important that these companies identify their strategies when managing cultural differences in order to have the right opportunities to gain competitive advantage (Schneider and Barsoux, 2003).Nevertheless, there are also some risks than can bring difference of cultures in the workplace or business activities consequently, it is vital that organisations understand that different cultures execute procedures differently (Pooley, 2005 Adler, 1983 cited Miroshnik, 2002).Furthermore, and being more specific, the management of these ethnically diverse workforce has been on the spot of many authors. As Tayeb (1996 p180-181) says the first step in the management of a diverse workforce is to recognise and value such diversity, then he argues that once the diversity is recognised, the next step is to ensure that it is effectively utilised and handled.In this case, utilising those differences contributes to an effective management, thus to bring opportunities for organisatio nal learning and innovation creating competitive advantage in the global marketplace (Schneider and Bardoux, 2003 Mor Barak, 2005).To gain this, managers must have the needed skills to manage a multicultural workforce, this includes, having the ability to recognise and accept cultural differences between their workers as well as coordination, cooperation and communications (Lane et al, 1997 Ravlin et al cited Earley and Singh, 2000).c) Significance and the Importance of the StudyManaging culturally diverse workforce is nowadays a challenge for international managers. On one hand, diversity represents both differences and similarities that exists on individuals and which make them be unique from one to another (Buelens et al, 2002) and on the other hand Parekh (2000) defines culture as a system of beliefs and practices in terms of which a group of human beings understand, regulate and structure their individual and collective lives.Thus, cultural diversity is a variety of cultural di fferences that requires awareness, understanding and acceptance of those differences by managers, making the most of them in order to gain positive outcomes (Scarborough, 2001 Littrell, 2002 Harris et al, 2004 Smith and Peterson, 2005).Cultural differences might have some influences in the way managers manage and motivate their culturally diverse team, and those ways or styles that are carried out in one culture are difficult to be implemented in another due to the difference of traditions, ways of doing things and values of that culture (Hofstede cited Evans et al cited Jackson, 1995).Therefore, further investigation is recommended to be developed to minimise cultural shock in management which could affect business performance. However, this study has been done to offer an up-to-date source of information about multicultural workforce and its influences on management style to motivate employees, which is going to be executed through secondary research.Hence, factors such as cultura l diversity and management style should be analyzed in-depth in order to comprehend what may constrain managers of any multinational organisation to adjust strategies to maintain the business addressed to its objectives.