.

JOHN B. LACSON COLLEGES FOUNDATION (BACOLOD), INC.

COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
Bachelor of Science in Hospitality Management
Major in Cruise Ship Services

LEARNING MODULE
Multicultural Diversity in Workplace for
Tourism Professionals
(THC 4)

Name: ______________________________________
Year & Section: ______________________________________
Contact Number: ______________________________________
Email: ______________________________________
Instructor: ______________________________________

Authored by:
Christine Mae G. Montenegro, MSHM
HOW TO USE THIS MODULE
Welcome!

Introduction to Multicultural Diversity in Workplace for Tourism Professional

(THC 4) is one of the major courses of the Bachelor of Science in Hospitality
Management Program. This course describes the skills, knowledge and performance
outcomes required to manage multicultural diversity in workplace that covers
organizations’ diversity policy, encouraging diversity within work teams and upholding
the benefits of a diverse workplace. It should also develop the ability to communicate
with people from a range of social and cultural groups with respect and sensitivity, and
to address cross-cultural misunderstanding if it arises. The end goal is for the student
to be equipped with social awareness and diverse understanding when serving
customers and working with colleagues.

This module is a self-contained and self-sufficient unit of instruction for a learner

to achieve the set of systematically organized learning opportunities and well defined
objectives per unit. There are units with compact detailed information and some
where the learner has to conduct further research through guided assessments to
further his insights on the given topics.

After successfully completing each unit of this module, you should be able to
comprehend and analyze the introduced concepts and discussions devoted to the
respective topics. Assessment tools given at the end of every unit should be diligently
accomplished to build learner competencies and measure knowledge.

Outputs shall be submitted to the instructor/facilitator for checking, evaluation

and recording. Outputs shall serve as the learner’s proof for grading. You should
always review the information sheets and be ready for duly scheduled unit quizzes and
periodic examinations. Take note also that for essay, research and case study, criteria
for grading are located at the end of the module.

Should you need further assistance, do not hesitate to communicate your

concerns to the class instructor.

THC 4 – Multicultural Diversity in Workplace for Tourism Professionals Page 2

COURSE CODE & TITLE: THC 4
Multicultural Diversity Management in Workplace for Tourism Professionals

Course Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, the students should be able to:

1. define culture and cultural diversity and identify some cultures of other

countries;

2. explain how different cultures affect the tourism and hospitality Industry and its

importance;

3. identify the barriers and potential problems in cross-cultural communication,

determine effective cross- cultural communication (top 10 principles that are

recognized by leadership experts around the world as contributing to effective

communication);

4. define conflict ,describe conflict – handling and describe cultural differences in

negotiations;
5. determine common characteristics in making up an organizational culture and
determine how cultures are adapted by employees; describe customer-
responsive culture.
6. describe forces that act as stimulants to change and its sources
7. identify properties of innovative organizations and list characteristics of a
learning organization; and
8. describe potential sources of stress, explain individual difference variables that
moderate the stress-outcome relationship, and how to manage them.

THC 4 – Multicultural Diversity in Workplace for Tourism Professionals Page 3

Introduction

We are all excited in the idea of travelling around the world or working in
different countries. While we cannot materialize that yet, it would be great if we
gather ideas on different cultures around the world so we won’t have to or maybe
lessen the possibility of culture shock. While we cannot travel around the world yet, I’ll
try to bring some parts of the world to you in this module.

Moreover, having different cultures around the world, we need to learn about it and
appreciate it so we will all live in harmony, avoid or handle conflict and even manage
the stress it brings us. This module will help you in achieving the learning that will be
helpful in your future endeavour around the world.

Hello! I’m your Teacher. More

ideas are shared in the next
pages, keep reading!

Don’t worry; you will be

guided all the way.

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COURSE OUTLINE FOR PRELIM TERM (MODULE 1)

Unit 1 Introduction to Culture and Diversity

Topic 1 Culture and Cultural Diversity
Topic 2 Cultures around the Globe
Topic 3 Influence of Cultural Diversity on Tourism and
Hospitality Industry
Topic 4 Importance of Cultural Diversity in the Workplace

Unit 2 Effective Cross-cultural Communication

Topic 1 Cross-cultural Communication Challenges
Topic 2 Effective Cross-cultural Communication

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 Unit 1: Introduction to Culture
and Diversity
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this unit, you should be able to:
 define culture and cultural diversity;

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  identify some cultures of other countries;
 explain how different cultures affect the tourism and hospitality industry; and
 determine the importance of cultural diversity in workplace

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Take note of the following terms that you will encounter in this Unit:

Anthropologist – a person who studies human races, origins, societies and cultures
Diversity – the state or fact of being diverse; difference; unlikeness; variety
Non-instinctive - not prompted by instinct
Instinctive- prompted by natural instinct or propensity
Instinct- behavior that is meditated by reactions below the conscious level

CULTURE AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY

Culture defined

Over the past century, anthropologists have formulated a number of definitions of the concept of culture. In
fact on the often-cited work by Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn (1952), more than 160 different definitions
of culture were identified by different personalities, like:

 British Anthropologist Edward Tylor - Culture includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom,
and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.

 Downs (1971); Ferraro and Andreatta (2018) – Culture is a mental map which guides us in our
relations to our surroundings and to other people”

 Ferraro, G. & Andreatta, S. (2018). – Culture is everything that people have, think, and do as members
of a society.”

Have = material objects

Think = ideas, values, attitudes

Do = behavior patterns

 Material objects:
In United States, American young adults
must learn to use and have computers in order to
survive college and business. This is in contrast with the material culture in Yanomamo society in
the Amazon where young adults must learn to build and possess weapons and hunt.

 Ideas, Values and Attitudes:

In the United States people place a high value on individuality and independence. In
contrast, many other cultures are collectivist, meaning the welfare of the group and group
relationships are a primary value. One perfect example is the Bayanihan of the Philippine culture.

 Behavior patterns:
The way people give their greetings is a perfect example.
- In Africa, handshakes should be firm and often prolonged; in Middle East, handshakes
are softer;
- in Thailand, Thais greet one another with a wai-bow, elbows in, hands clasped as if in
prayer;

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 - in Japan, handshake is acceptable although some Japanese accompany this with a slight
bow;
- Latin Americans and Brazilians are demonstrative in their greetings. A firm handshake is
appropriate on an initial meeting but once a friendship has been established, men will
greet male friends with a hug and sometimes, even a kiss on the cheek.
- Air kissing is appropriate in Argentina, Chile, Peru and Colombia for a man greeting a
woman (whom he already knows) and a woman greeting another woman.
- Venezuela and Mexico are more formal; stick to handshakes unless you are greeting a
very close friend.

Humans are born without any cultural knowledge. However, they are genetically predisposed to
rapidly learn language and other cultural traits. New born humans are amazing learning machines. Any
normal baby can be placed into any family on earth and grow up to learn their culture and accept it as his or
her own. Since culture is non-instinctive, we are not genetically programmed to learn a particular one. The
culture that you will learn will always depend on where and how you were raised and who raised you.

In simple terms, Culture is circle of religion, food , what we wear, how we wear it, our language,
marriage, music, what we believe is right or wrong, how we sit at the table, how we meet visitors, how we
behave with some ones, and million other things.
The outlook, attitudes, values, morals, goals, and customs shared by a society all are include in culture.
Culture is a complex concept which impacts virtually every aspect of our lives both consciously and
subconsciously.

Other examples of culture:

1. In France, people tend to enjoy a cheese tasting plate accompanied by a good red wine after
meals.
2. In Japan, slurping the soup loudly means it is a sign of approval and appreciation of someone’s
cooking. Their handshakes are traditionally limp, a little or no eye contact
3. In Malaysia, people are prohibited from wearing yellow clothing

Cultural Diversity
Diversity is nothing more than a difference from the majority. Cultural diversity therefore means the
wide range of cultural differences found between and within nations. It is also the cultural variety and cultural
differences that exist in the world, a society or an institution or the inclusion of diverse people in a group or
organization.
Imagine yourself working in an organization together with other people from different places.
Example, you are from Bacolod City working in a cruise ship together with Americans, Europeans, Africans,
Malaysians, Japanese and etc. then there’s cultural diversity in your workplace.
Therefore culture is considered as a tool for survival because you have to learn to adapt to the
different cultures that you encounter for you to survive.

Culture – the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization

Diversity – the state or fact of being diverse; difference; unlikeness; variety

CULTURAL DIVERSITY – people with different cultures gathered in one place

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 CULTURES AROUND THE GLOBE
Different cultures
Now that culture is defined and cultural diversity is explained, following are
different cultures around the globe for you to compare and contrast to further
understand culture and cultural diversity:

GREETING PEOPLE
Table 1
GREETING Dos Don’ts
Thailand Thais greet one another Fingertips should be below Do not wai to shopkeepers or
with a wai-bow, elbows the chin for equals, in front anybody serving you, children
in, hands clasped as if in of nose for seniors and at or other foreigners (smile is
prayer eye level for those with the enough)
highest standing.
Japan Handshake is acceptable Limp handshake; little or no Don’t:
although some Japanese eye contact; have your - grip someone’s hand too
accompany this with a business card ready and hard
slight bow present it with both hands -pump it
with a bow before shaking - slap them on the shoulder
hands -grab their arm
Africa Firm and often prolonged In Muslim areas, touch your Don’t:
handshake. In Namibia, left hand to your chest as -offer a limp grip.
thumbs are locked in the you shake hands, as a sign of -pull hand away
middle of the handshake additional deference. -if you’re a male, don’t try to
shake a woman’s hand unless
she extends hers
Middle East Handshakes are softer. - Adapt to the softer style of Attempt to shake the hand of
As you shake hands, say handshake. a Muslim woman unless you
“As-salaam alaykum” -If you are female, greeting a are female. Do not end the
(peace be upon you). The Muslim male, it is acceptable handshake before your
response is “wa alaykum to put your hand over your counterpart does.
as-salaam” (peace be heart and say hello.
upon you too) -If you are male, do allow a
close Arab friend to embrace
you; it is not uncommon for
men to hug and kiss one
another on the cheeks.
Latin Latin Americans and Air kiss on the left side first. Make actual contact during an
America Brazilians are Learn the special rules for air kiss beyond cheek to
demonstrative in their Brazil; one kiss in São Paolo; cheek. Don’t shrink away from
greetings. two in Rio. a hug, either; it has no
-initial meeting: firm romantic connotations
handshake whatsoever.
-established friendship:
hug and sometimes, a
kiss on the cheek.
-Air kissing is appropriate
in Argentina, Chile, Peru
and Colombia for a man

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 greeting a woman
(whom he already
knows) and a woman
greeting another woman.
-Venezuela and Mexico
are more formal; stick to
handshakes unless you
are greeting a very close
friend.
Philippines -When greeting Smile when meeting people. -Don’t greet someone older
strangers, a soft Filipinos are renowned for by calling them with their
handshake accompanied being joyful people who try names. It is considered
with a smile is common to show warmth where they disrespectful.
among men. can. -You could use “kuya” for men
-Among women, a smile older than you, and “ate” for
and a hand wave is the women older than you.
usual greeting.

ENJOYING FOOD/ HAVING A MEAL

Table 2
India * Indians traditionally eat with hands. Some say it is more delicious to do so, perhaps due to
the ability to personally mix your food and curries to your precise taste.
*Always eat with your right hand only – eating with your left is considered disrespectful and
unhygienic.
*As a rule of thumb, make sure not to have any food touch your palms, and do not put your
fingers into your mouth. Instead use your thumb to push the food into your mouth.
China Use chopsticks. When eating with chopsticks, makes sure not to use it to point, tap, suck the
tips, or use it upside down (it’s really easier than it sounds). Also, a big no-no is sticking it
vertically into your rice bowl, especially if you are with a superstitious crowd, as this mimics
the use of traditional incense used to honour the dead.
Japan In Japan (and in some local Japanese restaurants), before sitting down to a meal, fresh hot
towels called oshibori are given out for patrons to clean their hands with. When your orders
arrive, it is also polite to utter the phrase “itadakimasu“, which means “I graciously receive”
or can be thought of as a version of the French’s “bon apetit“.
In Japan, it is customary to slurp your noodle soup as loud as you can when eating your
noodle soup or ramen. It serves as a display of enjoyment as well as supposedly enhancing
the flavours of the soup as you consume it.
Iran/ *In the Middle East, in general, it is not uncommon to eat with your hands.
Middle * In Iran, bread is commonly served whole on the centre of the table (sometimes directly on
East the table), and guests are expected to help themselves to the bread using their hands.
*Sometimes, accompanying side dishes are also served at the centre of the table. Tear small
pieces of the bread and use the bread to scoop up the accompanying dishes.
*Do not lick or put your fingers in your mouth when eating with your hands.
Britain *Dinner may not be the dinner that you and I know (assuming you’re a Malaysian reading
this). Depending on which part you are visiting in England, the term “dinner” can refer to the
afternoon meal, or lunch as some of us know it.
* What we know as dinner is sometimes called tea or supper, depending on how late it is
consumed. Supper is generally a lighter meal taken later in the evening.

* In some parts, the term “dinner” is used for the biggest and most important meal of the
day, whether afternoon or evening and the distinction does not matter.

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 So if your British counterpart invites you out for dinner, make sure to ask what time of the
day that means.
South *In Korea, respect for the elders is a key element to keep in mind. Before beginning a meal,
Korea make sure the seniors and elders on the table have begun eating first.
*Unlike China and Japan, holding your rice bowl in your hand while eating is not a norm here
unless you are receiving food that is being served to you.
*When receiving food or drink served to you, you should hold your bowl or glass with two
hands to be polite.
Russia * Russians eat lunch as their main and heaviest meal, sometime between 1pm to 3pm.
*For dinner, their meals are typically lighter and sometimes consist of a simple breads,
meats, and vegetables. Tea is usually served after the dinner.
*When drinking vodka in Russia, drink it plain, without any mixers or ice. Mixing vodka with
anything else is considered to be ruining the purity of the alcohol.
Philippines Filipinos eat most of the time. There is breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack,
dinner and midnight snack. Rice doesn’t go away with meals and usually Filipinos eat with
their hands especially when eating seafoods, fried foods and alike, though spoon and fork are
commonly used. “Sawsawan” or condiments is also very common.

Other cultures from different countries

In order not to be considered disrespectful or rude when you’re visiting another country, learn some of
the unique cultural traditions and customs around the world.

1. Choose the flowers you give to a Russian

Yellow - represents a break-up of a relationship or deceit.
Also, Red carnations are taboo as well because these are flowers presented to
veterans who survived the war and on the graves of those who have left this earth.

2. Be careful of what you give to Chinese colleagues

Avoid using white flowers (associated with ghosts and death). Likewise, avoid
flowers with thorny stems.
Other things that are not good gifts for the Chinese are:
 Clock. Its name in Chinese (sòng zhōng, meaning send clock) sounds like sòng zhōng or funeral rite. It is
also taken to mean that time is running out, or life and relationship can end.
 Handkerchief .–In Chinese, it sounds like a farewell greeting.
 Umbrella. Offering or giving your Chinese friend or colleague an umbrella is
a subtle hint of ending a relationship. You can share your umbrella but you
have to take it back with you.
 Gifts that come in sets of four. The number 4 is associated with death.
 Straw sandals, shoes. It is also taken to mean that you want to part ways.
 Green hat. Green is considered lucky by other people because it is the color
of money. For the Chinese however, a green hat means that the wife is being unfaithful.

3. Don’t ask for salt when dining in Egypt

If you are dining with friends and colleagues in Egypt, keep in mind to avoid asking for salt. It is taken as an
insult to the host, as Egyptians take it to mean that you are repulsed by the taste of the meal served to you.

4. A question of being punctual

* Venezuelans - it is a norm to arrive about 10 to 15 minutes
late for a dinner invitation. Being early for the Venezuelans
means the person is either overly eager or greedy.

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* Americans - punctual, just like the Germans, South Koreans and the Japanese.
* Malaysians - five minutes late (which can actually extend to 60 minutes) is acceptable and you do not need
to apologize, too. * *Moroccan - totally all right to be late for an hour or an entire day!
* Chinese – okay with 10 minutes late
* Mexicans and Greeks - will excuse you if you arrive 30 minutes after the appointed time.

5. Mind your table manners in Norway

In some cultures, it is acceptable to eat food with your bare hands. But as etiquette would have it, it is often
required that you use utensils such as a spoon and fork, chopsticks, or spoon, knife and fork when having a
meal. Be sure to brush up on how to eat with a knife and fork before you travel to Norway. In this
Scandinavian country, even sandwiches are eaten using a fork and a knife.

6. “No” to sharp objects

* Netherlands and China– giving pointed and sharp objects to your friends or
colleagues in the Netherlands (and in China) is a big no-no.
* Dutch - sharp objects are considered unlucky gifts
* Chinese – giving sharp objects mean you want to break or cut ties with them.

7. Losing a tooth in Greece

For many cultures, children are told to keep their baby teeth under their pillow and the Tooth Fairy will give
them money in exchange for their teeth. But Greek children are told to toss their tooth onto their roofs. The
cultural tradition is meant for the child to have a healthy tooth as well as good luck to the family.

8. Say cheers but don’t clink glasses in Hungary

It’s almost customary when sharing a drink especially when there is a celebration to say
cheers and clink your glasses. But the traditional practice is not done in Hungary. You see,
Hungarian forces were severely and savagely defeated during their war with Austria in
1849 and they witnessed Austrian generals celebrating the occasion by drinking beer and
clinking their glasses. Hungarians swore not to clink their glasses when having a drink for
150 years. The vow ended in 1999 but a majority of Hungarians continues the cultural
tradition.

9. Choose the right occasion to discuss business in Bolivia

If you are in Bolivia to discuss business and your time is limited, it will still be considered rude to discuss
business during a dinner party or any social occasion. Bolivians believe that a dinner is for improving personal
relationships. If you are invited to a business lunch or dinner, do not bring up the topic of business on the
table, unless your Bolivian host is the first to bring it up. Otherwise, simply savor the meal and foster better
relations with your Bolivian host by talking about family.

10. Don’t try to ”go Dutch” in Turkey

In some cultures, it is acceptable to split the meal tab even if the lunch or dinner is given in your honor, but
this is not acceptable when you are in Turkey. Offering to pay for half of the meal is considered polite, but your
host will be offended if you insist. It is all right to reciprocate by inviting your host to a follow-up meal so you
can have your turn to pay for the lunch or dinner.

11. Avoid using red ink for writing names of your friends in South Korea
For South Koreans , you can use other colors except red because for them red
ink symbolizes death.

12. A trip to the sauna in Finland

For many people, going to the sauna is a personal thing. A trip to the sauna is a favorable way to relieve stress
and relax. It is also one way to socialize. The Finns think the same way, but if your business client or

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counterpart invites you to the sauna after your meeting, do not be alarmed. This means that your business
meeting is successful.

13. Where do you sit when taking a taxi?

In movies and pictures, it is customary to see people taking a ride in a taxicab sitting in the back of the vehicle.
Your Etiquette 101 class might have taught you that it is the proper way to ride a taxi if you are the only one in
it. But in Australia, it is considered snobbish to sit at the back. Australians often sit in front with the taxi driver.

14. Greeting a magpie on its own in the UK

In many parts of the United Kingdom, it is customary for people to greet a lone magpie
to avoid having bad luck.

15. Birthday greetings in the Netherlands

You would not feel lonely when you celebrate your birthday in the Netherlands. In this country, it is a tradition
to greet the person celebrating the birthday as well as the person’s family and other relatives.

17. Finger-pulling in Austria

You might wonder when you see Austrian men engaged in finger-pulling. It is actually a serious traditional
sport and the rules of the game are quite strict. The game is called Fingerhakeln (finger-pulling), which is like a
mini version of tug-of-war. The objective is the same, to drag the opponent by the finger across the table.
Bavaria also plays this sport.

18. The dangers of remaining single after age 25

In some cultures, it is a tradition for families to marry off their children at a very young age. In several modern
countries where people have more freedom, it is up to them to decide if they want to marry or not and at
what age. But in some countries, friends and families can be “cruel.”
 In Germany for example, a person who’s still single at age 25 is showered by friends with cinnamon
powder throughout the day. It is worse if the person is still single at 30 because they use pepper
instead.
 In France, people buy funny hats for their 25-year old single friends on November 25, which is Saint
Catherine’s Day.

19. Shoving your face on your birthday cake

In Mexico shoving of face on birthday cake is a cultural tradition, so the birthday celebrant does not
have any reason to get angry. It even follows a process. The cake is brought out and presented to the person
celebrating the birthday. Guests sing the birthday song and the candle is blown. The birthday girl or boy takes a
bite of the cake and as expected, someone will definitely shove her or his face on the cake.

20. Wife-carrying is a competitive sport in Finland

Who would believe that carrying your wife would be
considered a sport? In Finland, wife-carrying
or eukonkanto in Finnish is even an endorsed sport and
couples from other countries travel each year to
Sonkajarvi to participate in the activity that started in the
19th century. Since 1992, it has been called the Wife
Carrying World Championships. The prize is beer, with
the amount corresponding to the weight of the wife.
Since 2005, the game has been held in other countries,
such as Australia, United States, United Kingdom and
Asia.

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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlsWtHx1L9s

Watch the
video for
more ideas

You are almost finished with Unit I. Keep going!

Remember PERSEVERANCE is one of JBLCF-B’s CORE VALUES.
Always keep in mind, perseverance is not a long race; it is many short
races one after the other.

INFLUENCE OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY ON TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY

INDUSTRY
Workplace culture in an important factor to all workplaces. It determines how pleasant or toxic your
work environment is. It has a direct influence on how your employee fits into the organisation and your
organisation’s ability to attract and retain employees because it shapes the environment that they work in.
From the time of initial application, through to the hiring process and finally through to the few weeks on the
new job, both the hirer and new employee attempt to confirm whether they are the right cultural fit for one
another. This is a lengthy process, and is often viewed as a time-consuming process and a waste of company
resources. However, the outcome shows how large of an influence workplace culture has for the employer and
employee.

In the Hospitality and Tourism Industry, stakeholders include travellers which means we deal with
different kind of people from different cultures coming from different countries. Out of all the industries,
Hospitality and Tourism Industry is mostly influenced by cultural diversity.

Hospitality and Tourism Industry offers leisure and recreations, food and accommodation that are all
sought after by travellers. People from countries experiencing winter are travelling to countries that are in
summer or sunny day season so they can enjoy the sun and go away with the coldness of the snow. In short,
people travel so they go across different cultures and as for those working in the Hospitality Industry, we
encounter different types of people.

Let’s take for example in a restaurant. If you work as a waitress in a restaurant, you have to be very
mindful of the guests that you are dealing with. For example, if you have a Muslim guest, make sure you do not

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offer him anything that has pork in the menu. So in short, you must be knowledgeable about different cultures
so you will know how to deal with them because if you don’t, it will result to an unsatisfied guest that could
possible give a negative feedback to others about your restaurant therefore affecting its credibility.

Aside from guests, when you are in a Tourism and Hospitality Industry, you have a huge chance of
working with people from different places. For example, you work in a cruise ship and other employees are
American, Indian, African, Australian, British and other nationality. If you are knowledgeable of the different
cultures especially of the people you are working with, it would be easier for you to do your job at work
because you will be cautious enough not to initiate any misunderstandings. One good example is if your
colleague is African, remember to greet him with a handshake that is firm and prolonged.

Having different cultures as employees in a hotel would have a positive effect on the company because
you have different types of people ready to accommodate guests who are also people of different types. Let’s
say a hotel in New York is having a Filipino guest, the manager could ask Filipino employees to take care of
them because Filipinos know exactly how to deal with fellow Filipinos. Same goes with other nationalities.

IMPORTANCE OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY ON TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

We might think that having diverse culture in the workplace would be really hard
since you think and act differently but actually it is important because of the following:

1. Opportunity for employees and tourists alike to engage in new cultural experiences and gain insights into
how other people live.
2. Appreciate cultural differences. You have the opportunity to learn to love other cultures amidst your
differences.
3. Reinforcement and encouragement in understanding the different cultures and cultural backgrounds
4. Enhances hospitality by giving staff invaluable contact with varied cultural backgrounds
5. Promotes equal employment opportunity

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THC 4 – Multicultural Diversity in Workplace for Tourism Professionals Page 17
 Unit 2: Effective Cross-cultural
Communication
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this unit, you should be able to:
 identify the barriers and potential problems in cross-cultural
communication; and
 determine effective cross- cultural communication (top 10 principles that
are recognized by leadership experts around the world as contributing to
effective communication);

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Take note of the following terms that you will encounter in this Unit:

Etiquette - is the set of conventional rules of personal behaviour in polite society, usually in the form of
an ethical code that delineates the expected and accepted social behaviors that accord with
the conventions and norms observed by a society, a social class, or a social group
Slang – is a type of language that consists of words and phrases that are regarded as very informal, are
more common in speech than writing, and are typically restricted to a particular context or
group of people. “grass is slang for marijuana"
Efficacious- having the power to produce a desired effect
Humour- funny or amusing quality

CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES

Having diverse cultures in one place, we can for sure expect some challenges that we may encounter
and we categorize it to the following:

Categories:
* Language Barriers
* Psychological Barriers
* Physiological Barriers
* Physical Barriers
* Systematic Barriers
* Attitudinal Barriers

• Language Barriers
Language and linguistic ability may act as a barrier to communication.
However, even when communicating in the same language, the terminology used in a message may act
as a barrier if it is not fully understood by the receiver(s). For example, a message that includes a lot of
specialist jargon and abbreviations will not be understood by a receiver who is not familiar with the
terminology used.

Incorporating it in the Hospitality Industry:

For example, you work in a restaurant and you have a foreign guest. By the time the guest sits
down , you offered him “omakase”. There is a possibility that the guest won’t understand you, not
everyone knows what omakase is. Instead, you may ask “would you like to choose from our menu or
would you like to try what we have to offer, our specialty (which is called omakase, it means the chef
gets to choose what to offer to the guest)

• Psychological Barriers
The psychological state of the communicators will influence how the message is sent, received and
perceived.
For example, If someone is stressed they may be preoccupied by personal concerns and not as receptive
to the message as if they were not stressed.

THC 4 – Multicultural Diversity in Workplace for Tourism Professionals Page 19

Anger is another example of a psychological barrier to communication. When we are angry it is easy to
say things that we may later regret, and also to misinterpret what others are saying.

Incorporating it in the Hospitality Industry:

If you work in the front office department, you have to be alive and alert all the time. Take for
example, you are on morning shift and you haven’t slept all night because you had a quarrel with your
boyfriend. The next day, all guest inquiries are coming and you don’t know how to answer because your
mind is somewhere else. Also, you forgot some of the endorsements from other departments because
you lost focus.

• Physiological Barriers
Physiological barriers to communication may result from the receiver’s physical state.
For example, a receiver with reduced hearing may not fully grasp the content of a spoken conversation
especially if there is significant background noise.

Incorporating it in the Hospitality Industry:

There is one restaurant here in Bacolod and it’s a perfect example. Their workers are mute and
deaf and there are times when they misunderstand the orders of their customers.

• Physical Barriers
An example of a physical barrier to communication is geographic distance between the sender and
receiver(s).
Communication is generally easier over shorter distances as more communication channels are available
and less technology is required. The ideal communication is face-to-face

Incorporating it in the Hospitality Industry:

If you are assigned in the reservations department, you will get plenty of calls from different
places, some are from other countries. They will either contact you through phone or computer by call,
chat or text messages. With that, there is a possibility of some misunderstanding.

• Systematic Barriers
Systematic barriers to communication may exist in structures and organisations where there are
inefficient or inappropriate information systems and communication channels, or where there is a lack
of understanding of the roles and responsibilities for communication. In such organisations, people may
be unclear of their role in the communication process and therefore not know what is expected of them.

Incorporating it in the Hospitality Industry:

There are standard operating procedures in different establishments that you need to follow.
One challenge in interdepartmental communication is when some scenarios happen like this: there is a
guest complaint about defective furniture in the room so he called the front office department to
complain. The process should be
complaint Repair
Maintenance
guest Front
Department
office
If it was done differently, possible miscommunication will happen.

THC 4 – Multicultural Diversity in Workplace for Tourism Professionals Page 20

 • Attitudinal Barriers
Attitudinal barriers are behaviours or perceptions that prevent people from communicating effectively.
Attitudinal barriers to communication may result from personality conflicts, poor management, and
resistance to change or a lack of motivation. To be an effective receiver of messages you should attempt
to overcome your own attitudinal barriers to help ensure more effective communication.

Incorporating it in the Hospitality Industry:

For example, you are a Filipino working in a hotel in America as a front desk clerk. Most of the
bosses there tend to shout when an employee erred. If it happens that your boss shouts at you for
forgetting to write down your endorsement, you might react in a way that your mind is thinking things
like “I don’t care”, “you’re my boss but you can never control my life”, “I could leave your company
anytime” and with that, you might not understand a word he says and miss his point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEJ3rBAuz28

Watch the
video for
more ideas

THC 4 – Multicultural Diversity in Workplace for Tourism Professionals Page 21

TOP 10 PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION

In today’s diverse workplace, communication issues can take on an added dimension of

complexity. Every culture has its own set of tacit assumptions and tendencies when it comes to face-to-
face interactions, and trying to get your point across effectively can sometimes be difficult. Even when a
language barrier doesn’t exist, cross-cultural communication can be challenging. Here are the top ten
tips for effective cross-cultural communication:

1. Maintain etiquette
Many cultures have specific etiquette around the way they communicate. Before you meet, research the
target culture, or if time allows, do some cross cultural training.

For example, many cultures expect a degree of formality at the beginning of communication between
individuals. Every culture has its own specific way of indicating this formality: ‘Herr’ and ‘Frau’ in
Germany, reversing family and given names in China and the use of ‘san’ in Japan for men and women
etc. Be aware of these familiarity tokens and don’t jump straight to first name terms until you receive a
cue from the other person to do so.

2. Avoid slang
Not even the most educated non-native English speaker will have a comprehensive understanding of
English slang, idioms and sayings. They may understand the individual words you have said, but not the
context or the meaning. As a result you could end up confusing them or at worst, offending them.

3. Speak slowly
Even if English is the common language in a cross cultural situation it’s not a good idea to speak at your
normal conversational speed. Modulating your pace will help, as will speaking clearly and pronouncing
your words properly. Break your sentences into short, definable sections and give your listener time to
translate and digest your words as you go. But don’t slow down too much as it might seem patronising.
If the person you’re speaking to is talking too quickly or their accent is making it difficult for you to
understand them, don’t be afraid to politely ask them to slow down too.

4. Keep it simple
In a cross cultural conversation there’s no need to make it harder for both of you by using big words.
Just keep it simple. Two syllable words are much easier to understand than three syllable words, and
one syllable words are better than two syllable words. Say “Please do this quickly” rather than “Please
do this in an efficacious manner.”

5. Practice active listening

Active listening is a very effective strategy for improving cross cultural communication. Restate or
summarise what the other person has said, to ensure that you have understood them correctly, and ask
frequent questions. This helps build rapport and ensures that important information doesn’t get missed
or misunderstood.

6. Take turns to talk

Make the conversation flow more freely by taking it in turns to speak. Make a point and then listen to
the other person respond. Particularly when people are speaking English as their second language it’s

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better to talk to them in short exchanges rather than delivering a long monologue that might be difficult
for them to follow.
7. Write things down
If you’re not sure whether the other person has understood you properly, write it down to make sure.
This can be particularly helpful when discussing large figures. For example, in the UK we write a billion as
1,000,000,000 but in the USA, it’s written as 1,000,000,000,000.

8. Avoid closed questions

Don’t phrase a question that needs a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. In many cultures it is difficult or embarrassing
to answer in the negative, so you will always get a ‘yes’ even if the real answer is ‘no’. Ask open-ended
questions that require information as a response instead.

9. Be careful with humour

Many cultures take business very seriously and believe in behaving professionally and following protocol
at all times. Consequently they don’t appreciate the use of humour and jokes in a business context. If
you do decide to use humour make sure it will be understood and appreciated in the other culture and
not cause offence. Be aware that British sarcasm usually has a negative effect abroad.

10. Be supportive
Effective cross cultural communication is about all parties feeling comfortable. In any conversation with
a non-native English speaker, treat them with respect, do your best to communicate clearly and give
them encouragement when they respond. This will help build their confidence and trust in you.

Congratulations for
finishing Module 1!

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COURSE OUTLINE FOR MIDTERM (MODULE 2)

Unit 3 Managing Conflict of Diverse Culture in a Workplace

Topic 1 Conflicts in the Workplace and How to handle them
Topic 2 Negotiations and Cultural Differences

Unit 4 Organizational Culture

Topic 1 Organizational Culture
Topic 2 Culture Adaptation

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 Unit 3: Managing Conflict of Diverse
Culture in a Workplace
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this unit, you should be able to:
9. define conflict and explain outline conflict process and different views and
types of conflict;
10.describe conflict – handling;
11.describe cultural differences in negotiations;

THC 4 – Multicultural Diversity in Workplace for Tourism Professionals Page 25

Take note of the following terms that you will encounter in this Unit:

Conflict - to be different, opposed, or contradictory: to fail to be in agreement or accord

Prejudice – preconceived judgement or opinion; an adverse opinion or leaning formed without just
grounds or before sufficient knowledge
Denomination – a religious organization whose congregations are united in their adherence to its beliefs
and practices
Anecdote – a usually short narrative of an interesting, amusing, or biographical incident
Circumlocutions - the use of an unnecessarily large number of words to express an idea
Consensus – the judgement arrived at by most of those concerned

CONFLICTS IN THE WORKPLACE AND HOW TO HANDLE THEM

Conflicts

When everyone's trying to work together, finding a common platform can be a challenge. But in
order to be a successful organization, working well as a team is a must. While America's
culturally diverse workforce has strength because of all the views and perspectives different
people bring to their organizations, differences sometimes cause gaps, frustrations and conflict.
The key, of course, is to find ways to overcome these challenges.

Prejudice
Unfortunately, people have their biases and prejudices about
different races and ethnic groups. Sometimes they keep their
views to themselves, but sometimes they let them slip through
their words or conduct. In some cases, even jokes can come
across wrong and create offense. Many companies have
diversity training to address such situations and behaviors.
Additionally, it's important to realize that prejudices run in all directions. Many times, minority
groups have biases and stereotypes of their own--including some about other minorities.

Incorporating it in the Hospitality Industry:

For example you work in a hotel in US and you have an American guy working same shift with
you in the housekeeping department. Before even getting to know him, you already thought
“for sure he’s lazy because he’s a guy and he’s American”. That’s prejudicing, you already
thought of him based on his gender and nationality

Cultural Gaps
People come with different perspectives, social styles, approaches,
senses of propriety and communication styles. As cultures mix in
the workplace, employees and managers can get frustrated when
communication becomes difficult or when social styles don't mix easily with a company's
culture. Different cultures can be more, or less, deferential to authority or have higher or lesser

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degrees of autonomy in the workplace, which can differ from a company's needs. Resolution
often requires open exchanges and a process of learning on the part of employee, co-workers
and managers. Everyone needs to understand and respect the perspectives of others in order
to find a workable common ground.

Incorporating it in the Hospitality Industry:

Imagine you are working as a waitress in a cruise ship and you work with different races –
American, Indian, Malaysian, Australian, etc. For sure you would expect that there will be
faction because of the variety of nationalities. Asians would group together and Europeans
would be a different group so on and so forth. If they won’t openly welcome each other and
respect each other, then the faction will remain and teamwork would be affected thus affecting
group performance.

Language
Diversity often brings people whose first language isn't
English. In some cases, language can be a genuine
impediment to doing a job and an employee must be
assisted to improve his or her language skills. From a
different angle, when someone speaks English well, it can
be easy to forget it's not native for them. Teams have to
be careful with slang and colloquialisms that non-native
speakers might not understand. Likewise, in bilingual workplaces, employees must be careful
not to say anything in one language that they wouldn't say in another. It can be damaging and
disrespectful if a second language becomes a "code" to keep co-workers from understanding
conversations.

Incorporating it in the Hospitality Industry:

If you are working in a restaurant abroad, let’s say in Middle East, not all people are speaking
good English. If you are assigned in the kitchen and you don’t speak the same language, your
chives might turn into parsley or your bell pepper might turn into peppercorn or the like.

Religion
Although Philippines is a catholic country, many denominations
are present. People don't always understand each others' belief
systems, which can cause stereotypes and biases that create hurt
and even legal liability if they leak out in the workplace.

Incorporating it in the Hospitality Industry:

In different companies, including hotels, spiritual activities are also being executed. One example is the
first Friday mass. Not all workers are catholic. There are also other s that are having prayer meeting in
their resort, not all workers may participate because of different views in religion.

THC 4 – Multicultural Diversity in Workplace for Tourism Professionals Page 27

Gender
Companies can also face civil suits for discrimination
and sexual harassment. Smart employers not only have
policies on sexual harassment and gender
discrimination, but also provide training on these issues
to ensure a respectful, comfortable workplace in which
everyone feels valued and has equal opportunity.

Incorporating it in the Hospitality Industry:

There are restaurants who only want to hire men since they believe that only men are strong enough to
carry heavy trays in serving food or clearing tables. Others also are hiring women as cashier because
they believe only women are smart enough for this job

How to resolve conflict at work

It’s fair to assume that nobody likes living in a state of conflict in the workplace. Conflict
is wearing and demoralizing. But how to manage it – and how to perceive it – depends on the
culture of the individuals concerned. Developing cultural awareness could help reduce conflict
in multicultural teams.

Individualists and low-context communicators – in other words, people from the United
States, Australia, the Netherlands, the UK, Germany and Scandinavia – accept that conflict is a
part of life. Not necessarily a welcome one, but something that can be handled. Conversely,
people from high-context, collectivist countries and regions like China, Japan, Arab nations,
Greece, Latin America and India, have a strong sense of ‘face’. Emphasis is placed on harmony,
and getting along, and to be in conflict with someone is a sign of social failure. Consequently,
conflict is avoided and people may let resentment simmer, or take a passive-aggressive
approach to their job and their team.

Either way, conflict that doesn’t evaporate on its own needs to be addressed. Here are
some pointers on dealing with disagreements and disputes in a
multicultural team.

1. Recognize when something is wrong

Not all cultures wear their hearts on their sleeves and often, it is
up to a team leader to spot when something is wrong, as team
members will keep problems to themselves. Individuals may
blame others, or the system, for their mistakes. A team with a foreign manager may adopt
passive aggressive behavior, like speaking to one another in their own language or dialect in
front of that manager. A team member who continually greets a manager or colleagues with
silence is probably harboring a grievance.

2. Listen

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Don’t just listen to the words people are saying; people from some cultures, like Japan or China,
may struggle to articulate their feelings, as discussing one’s feelings in public is not done. Look
for non-verbal clues that an individual is unhappy: body language like fidgeting, slumped
posture, continually crossed arms and lack of eye contact.

3. Look beyond
Don’t see everything through the lens of your own culture – and bear in mind that the people
who are involved in the conflict may be operating not just from the point of their own culture,
but a corporate culture, or a culture common to their profession. Try to understand what their
expectations are, and what they see as normal behavior.

4. Don’t assume
The conflict may not be the result of cultural difference; it could be
the result of a clash between genders, or generations. Conflicts like
these may occur in countries where, for example, seniority is valued,
like Asian nations, or parts of Africa, and a younger manager is
brought in to manage an older team. Or in traditionally more male-
orientated societies, like Muslim cultures, where perhaps female
managers are a relatively new phenomenon, and may struggle to
earn the respect of a male team. Conflict within what an ex-pat manager sees as one single
cultural group could be tribal, or political, or related to social class, or caste.

5. Empathize
Try to imagine, in the context of their culture, how
each individual feels and try to encourage them to
do the same. For example, if team member A
berates colleague B for missing a deadline and the
two get into an argument, try to get the
individuals to look a little deeper. Did B miss the
deadline because of some external factor? Or
because they are a perfectionist, or the deadline
was unrealistic? Did A get annoyed because
missing the deadline had knock-on implications
for them? Or because they thought B hadn’t taken it seriously enough and took that
personally? Think of culture as an iceberg: 90% of an individual’s conditioning and culture is
hidden below the surface.

6. Know when to step in

In some cultures, individuals expect to be able to solve most conflicts by themselves. In Israel,
for example, or the United States, or Germany, or Scandinavian countries, people are
conditioned to speak up for themselves, to problem-solve and to say what they’re thinking. In
cultures like South Korea, the hierarchy will usually resolve a conflict; the structure is so
entrenched that the senior person in a dispute will pull rank. In cultures where harmony is the

THC 4 – Multicultural Diversity in Workplace for Tourism Professionals Page 29

main goal, like India, or China, or Kenya, situations can simmer as workers try to maintain the
status quo while still harboring resentment about whatever the conflict is.

7. Mediate
If individuals clearly can’t solve a problem themselves, the most
common approach, however informal, is to introduce a third
party to mediate. But even this role varies between cultures.
Individualist cultures welcome an independent mediator – an
HR person, or a qualified mediator, who will simply listen while
the individuals talk through the situation. Collectivist cultures
prefer a mediator who is known to both parties, and respected,
so perhaps a senior manager, or a tribal elder, or religious leader, and that individual is
expected to guide the mediation and help the individuals come up with a solution.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7-bbd1F9bk

Watch the
video for
more ideas

THC 4 – Multicultural Diversity in Workplace for Tourism Professionals Page 30

NEGOTIATIONS AND CULTURAL DIFFERENCES

When you are in the business world, negotiations are part of your life. In negotiating with
people that are very much common with you, it’s just so easy but if you are dealing with
different people, it’s the challenge!

Negotiating: The Top Ten Ways that Culture Can Affect Your Negotiation

These “top ten” elements of negotiating behaviour

constitute a basic framework for identifying
cultural differences that may arise during the
negotiation process. Applying this framework in
your international business negotiations may
enable you to understand your counterpart better
and to anticipate possible misunderstandings. This
article discusses this framework and how to apply
it.

1. Negotiating goal: Contract or relationship?

* Some cultures’ priority goal in making a deal is signing of contract while others prioritize first
their relationship with the other parties.

(in a survey of over 400 persons from 12 nationalities reported in Global Negotiator)
CONTRACT RELATIONSHIP
- 74% of Spanish nationals - Asians
- 33% of Indian nationals\
- North Americans

Trying to build relationship while negotiating to Convincing this type, you should persuade them
this type would be a waste of time from the very first meeting that you two
organizations have the potential to build a
rewarding relationship over the long term

2. Negotiating attitude: Win-Lose or Win-Win?

Because of differences in culture, personality, or both, business persons appear to approach
deal making with one of two basic attitudes: win-win or win-lose.

Win-win Win-lose
- Both can gain - One side wins, one side loses
- Negotiators see that deal-making is - Negotiators see deal-making as
collaborative, problem solving process confrontational

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3. Personal style: Informal or formal?
In negotiating, depending on their culture, they could go formal or informal.

Formal Informal
- Example are Germans - Example are Americans
- addressing counterparts by their titles, - calls the other party on a first-name
avoids personal anecdotes and refrains basis, quickly develops personal and
going personal friendly relationship, and become too
comfortable with his outfit like taking off
jacket and rolling up sleeves.

However, each culture has its own formalities with their own special meanings. They are
another means of communication among the persons sharing that culture, another form of
adhesive that binds them together as a community.

Ex. - For an American, calling someone by the first name is an act of friendship and
therefore a good thing.
- For a Japanese, the use of the first name at a first meeting is an act of
disrespect and therefore bad. Negotiators in foreign cultures must respect
appropriate formalities.

As a general rule, it is always safer to adopt a formal posture and move to

an informal stance, if the situation warrants it, than to assume an informal
style too quickly.

4. Communication: Direct or indirect?

Methods of communication vary among cultures. It could be direct or indirect

Direct Indirect
- Examples are Americans and Israeli - Example are Japanese
- they give you clear and definite response - they usually use vague comments,
to your proposals or questions. gestures, and other signs.

*The confrontation of these styles of communication in the same negotiation can lead to
friction. For example, the indirect ways Japanese negotiators express disapproval have often led
foreign business executives to believe that their proposals were still under consideration when
in fact the Japanese side had rejected them.

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*In the Camp David negotiations that led to a peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, the Israeli
preference for direct forms of communication and the Egyptian tendency to favor indirect
forms sometimes exacerbated relations between the two sides. The Egyptians interpreted
Israeli directness as aggressiveness and, therefore, an insult. The Israelis viewed Egyptian
indirectness with impatience and suspected them of insincerity, of not saying what they meant.

5. Sensitivity to time: High or low?

High Low
- Germans are always punctual - Latins and Filipinos are habitually late
- Americans are quick to make a deal - Japanese negotiate slowly
- Indians also are one example

Commentators sometimes claim that some cultures value time more than others, but
this observation may not be an accurate characterization of the situation. Rather, negotiators
may value differently the amount of time devoted to and measured against the goal pursued.
- For Americans, the deal is a signed contract and time is money, so they want to
make a deal quickly. Americans therefore try to reduce formalities to a minimum
and get down to business quickly.
- Japanese and other Asians, whose goal is to create a relationship rather than simply
sign a contract, need to invest time in the negotiating process so that the parties can
get to know one another well and determine whether they wish to embark on a
long-term relationship. They may consider aggressive attempts to shorten the
negotiating time as efforts to hide something.

6. Emotionalism: High or low?

Accounts of negotiating behavior in other cultures almost always point to a particular group’s
tendency to act emotionally.

High Low
- Latin Americans and Spanish show their - Germans, English, Japanese and many
emotions at the negotiating table other Asians hide their feelings

7. Form of agreement: General or specific?

Whether a negotiator’s goal is a contract or a relationship, the negotiated transaction in almost
all cases will be encapsulated in some sort of written agreement. Cultural factors influence the
form of the written agreement that the parties make.

General Specific
- Chinese prefer a contract in the form of - Generally, Americans prefer very detailed
general principles rather than detailed contracts that attempt to anticipate all
rules because, it is claimed, that the possible circumstances and eventualities,
essence of the deal is the relationship no matter how unlikely because the deal

THC 4 – Multicultural Diversity in Workplace for Tourism Professionals Page 33

 between the parties. If unexpected is the contract itself, and one must refer
circumstances arise, the parties should to the contract to handle new situations
look primarily to their relationship, not that may arise.
the contract, to solve the problem - stronger party always seeks a detailed
- weaker party prefers a general agreement to “lock up the deal” in all its
agreement to give it room to “wiggle possible dimensions
out” of adverse circumstances that are
bound to occur

According to this view, it is context, not culture that determines this negotiating trait.

8. Building an agreement: Bottom up or top down?

Related to the form of the agreement is the question of whether negotiating a business deal is
an inductive (bottom up) or a deductive process (top down).

Bottom up Top down

- From specific to general - From general to specific
- Americans, Japanese, Mexicans and - Specific includes prices, delivery date,
Brazilians prefer this product quality, etc.
- French, Argentineans and Indians this

9. Team organization: One leader or group consensus?

In any negotiation, it is important to know how the other side is organized, who has the
authority to make commitments, and how decisions are made. Culture is one important factor
that affects how executives organize themselves to negotiate a deal.
Some cultures emphasize the individual while others stress the group. These values may
influence the organization of each side in a negotiation.

INDIVUDUAL GROUP
Ex. Americans Ex. Japanese, Chinese, Filipino

*with one supreme leader who has *not apparent who the leader is or who
complete authority to decide has the authority to commit the side
* negotiating team is usually small *the negotiating team is often large
* usually prepared to make commitments *they are organized on the basis of
more quickly consensus, which usually takes more time
to deal

10. Risk taking: High or low?

Research supports the conclusion that certain cultures are more risk averse than others.

High Low
- divulges information - Requires large amount of information

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 - tries new approaches before deciding
- tolerates uncertainties in a proposed - Japanese are an example
course of action
- Americans, French, British and Indians
are an example

Faced with a risk-averse counterpart, how should a deal maker proceed? The following are
a few steps to consider:

1 Don’t rush the negotiating process. A negotiation that is moving too fast for one of the parties
only heightens that person’s perception of the risks in the proposed deal.
2 Devote attentions to proposing rules and mechanisms that will reduce the apparent risks in
the deal for the other side.
3 Make sure that your counterpart has sufficient information about you, your company, and the
proposed deal.
4 Focus your efforts on building a relationship and fostering trust between the parties.
4 Consider restructuring the deal so that the deal proceeds step by step in a series of
increments, rather than all at once.

You deserve this badge of excellence for

doing great. You are halfway in finishing this
subject.
Remember excellence is one of JBLCF-B’s core
values where you are encouraged to be
outstanding in anything you do; this one is a
perfect example. Kudos!

THC 4 – Multicultural Diversity in Workplace for Tourism Professionals Page 35

THC 4 – Multicultural Diversity in Workplace for Tourism Professionals Page 36
 Unit 4: Organizational Culture
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this unit, you should be able to:
 determine common characteristics in making up an organizational culture;
 determine how cultures are adapted by employees; and
 describe customer-responsive culture.

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Take note of the following terms that you will encounter in this Unit:

Organizational culture- A system of shared meaning held by members that distinguishes the
organization from other organizations.
Hierarchy – a body of persons in authority

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
Organizational culture is quite complex. Every
company has its own unique personality, just like people
do. The unique personality of an organization is referred
to as its culture.

Organizational culture/corporate culture includes-

 The ways the organization conducts its business,
treats its employees, customers, and the wider
community,
 The extent to which freedom is allowed in decision making, deve loping new ideas, and
personal expression,
 How power and information flow through its hierarchy, and
 How committed employees are towards collective objectives.

Organizational Culture’s Functions

What do organizational cultures “Do”?

Culture is the social glue that helps hold an organization together by providing appropriate
standards for what employees should say or do.
· It has a boundary-defining role.
· It conveys a sense of identity for organization members.
· It facilitates the generation of commitment to something larger than one’s individual self-
interest.
· It enhances social system stability.
· It serves as a "sense-making" and control mechanism that guides and shapes the attitudes
and behavior of employees.

Organizational Culture vs. National Culture

National culture has more influence on employees than org culture – so, for
multinational orgs, the goal could be to hire applicants who fit the organizational (dominant)
culture

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Creating & Sustaining Culture

How a culture begins: founders, vision set the pace. First – hire and keep employees who match
the vision – then socialize individuals – then the founders’ behavior acts as a role model and the
“personality” of the organization (ex: David Packard of Hewlett-Packard, Bill Gates of Microsoft,
Herb Kelleher of Southwest Airlines, Mary Kay of Mary Kay Cosmetics, etc)

How to keep it alive? There are many ways…First, it’s reflected and sustained via HR policies
– selection (after minimum qualifications are established, then hire for “fit”), perf evaluations,
training and career development, promotions, reward those who support culture, remove
those who do not. Next, top management behavior exemplifies culture (norms filter down – is
risk taking desirable? How much freedom do managers give employees to make decisions?
What should we wear to work? What behaviors get rewarded and lead to promotions?, etc).
Finally, socialization methods (the process that adapts employees to the organization’s culture)
are key (pre-arrival, encounter, metamorphosis stages).

How Employees Learn Culture

 Stories – (ex. Nordstrom and car tires, Microsoft and “calling in rich”, and Krispy Kreme’s
“minister of culture”)
 Rituals – repetitive sequence of activities expressing and reinforcing key values (ex.
Getting tenure, Mary Kay cosmetics annual award meeting)
 Material Symbols – convey to employees what is important, who holds power and what
kinds of behavior are appropriate (ex. Limousines, jets, offices, dress)
 Language – identifies members of cultures or subcultures, if used by all then it’s
accepted and preserved (ex. Slang used by companies like Boeing)

Matching People with Cultures

 Sociability (friendliness) and solidarity (task orientation) dimensions can be used to
understand different “types” of culture: networked, mercenary, fragmented or
communal.

Creating an Ethical Organizational Culture

 Be a visible role model

 Communicate ethical expectations
 Provide ethical training
 Visibly reward ethical acts and punish ethical ones
 Provide protective mechanisms

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CULTURE ADAPTATION
Accepting changes in the work culture is the toughest thing to do for an employee. Not
all employees can happily adapt to organizational changes.

Employees need time to cope up with a new culture. Miracles can’t happen overnight
and habits do not change all of a sudden. The employees must spend some time to understand
and adjust to the new culture. One should work with an open mind and willingly accept things.
Don’t always crib as it leads to no solution. The employees must try their level best to accept
the changes with a smile and work accordingly. One should never be in a rush. The
management must also give time to the employees for them to gel with the new culture. Don’t
pressurize anyone to accept changes all of a sudden.

The employees must design new strategies, new plan of actions and policies to meet the
new challenges. Try to find out the exact reasons for the change. The ideas which were
successful earlier might now fall out of place. One should not be adamant. Sit with your team
leader, discuss all possible options and try to implement something which would work best in
the new culture and benefit you as well as your organization.

An employee must change his behaviour and thought process as per the culture. It is
essential to be flexible. Being adaptable at the workplace always pays in the long run.
Remember everything happens for the best. One should always try to look at the positive
aspects of life rather than cribbing on things which are beyond anyone’s control.

Janet worked with an organization of repute. Her organization followed a culture where
the employees never reached office on time. There were no strict rules and regulations for the
employees. Janet found her work culture very comfortable as there was no pressure on her to
reach work on time.

Very soon her organization hired someone from its competitor to take charge of the
organization. He made several changes in the work culture, the first and the foremost being
fixed timings for all the emloyees. Everyone irrespective of the designation had to reach office
on time. All the employees had to adhere to the guidelines and policies of the organization.

Condition A
Janet found it very difficult to adjust to the new culture. She could not accept the sudden
change in the work culture, cribbed amongst her fellow workers and found her work as a
burden.

Condition B
Janet happily accepted the change and tried her level best to adjust to it.She was intelligent
enough to understand that after all the change was for the benefit of the organization. She got
up little early everyday and reached office on time. She gave her best everyday and won the
appreciation of her superiors as well as the management.

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Which situation do you feel is better ?

Obviously Situation B

One should always remember that a little change in one’s behaviour can make the organization
a better place to work.

Few tips to adjust to the changing organization culture.

 Give time to adjust
 Be flexible
 Work with an open mind
 Never crib
 Look at the positive side
 Develop alternate plans
 Don’t get too attached to someone at the workplace

Customer-Responsive Culture

One of the best ways to ensure your team is great at customer service is to create a company
culture focused on caring.
Happy employees that understand and embrace company values will become exceptional
advocates.

Follow these 5 tips to create a culture in your company that thrills both your
employees and your customers.

1. Start at the top

If you want your team to care about customers, start by making it a priority at the top. Don’t
just “say” that you value great service or write it in a memo, but live it. Reward it on a regular
basis, recognizing those that go over the top publicly and often. Leave an open seat in every
meeting and at every company function for your customer. Make it clear to everyone that
customers have a say at your company.

2. Hire people who fit

When evaluating potential new hires, consider whether or not they’ll fit into the culture you
have created and fostered. Of course, that doesn’t mean hiring a bunch of people who look and
act the same. Rather, if you want to build a customer-first company, for instance, do your best
to build a team full of people who are enthusiastic about customer service.
Zappos does this especially well, as they are known for paying employees to quit just to make
sure they have the perfect culture. The quicker you realize that someone isn't a fit for your
organization, the quicker you can move on to the right person.

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3. Get everyone involved
At Help Scout, everyone does at least a little bit of customer service, no matter what their job
title is. We love this because it gets everyone involved and excited to talk with customers,
which are the heart and soul of our company. It’s clear to our team that customers are the
reason we have jobs, so we all participate in service to say thanks.
Another great benefit is that requiring designers, engineers and everyone else to talk with
customers means they all have a good understanding of what our customers want. Being on the
front lines supporting and using our own product is critical to making it a success.
Tons of successful companies use this strategy with great success.

4. Trust your team

Once you’ve implemented your company values and hired the right people, be sure to let go!
Not only will this encourage employees to develop creative ways to serve customers, but your
employees will also be happier. Happier employees do a great job and like working for you!
Everyone likes to take ownership in their job. By throwing away the scripts and formulaic email
responses, you free employees up to delight customers in their own voice. That’s why you hire
so rigorously in the first place! Let them do whatever it takes to make your customers happy.

5. Establish good lines of communication

Make sure it’s easy for everyone to communicate and stay on the same page so that nobody
feels like they’re facing a difficult problem alone. We consider this our job at Help Scout. Our
product provides tools to make collaboration easy and be sure nothing slips through the cracks.
If you don’t know the right answer, make sure your team can get the inquiry in the hands of
someone that does, as quickly as possible.

Above all, remember to value and thank your employees regularly. Do this and you are on your
way to an outstanding culture, which in turn means better service for your customers.

Creating a Customer-Responsive Culture

 Select “customer” focused individuals

 Use a structure with a low level of formalization (flexibility to deal w/customers)
 Use empowerment
 Use good listening skills
 Role clarity
 Display “helping” or Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB)

Congratulations for
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finishing Module 2!
COURSE OUTLINE FOR FINAL TERM (MODULE 3)

Unit 5 Organizational Culture Change

Topic 1 Stimulants to Change
Topic 2 Innovative Organizations

Unit 6 Stress Management

Topic 1 Potential Stressors
Topic 2 Effectively Managing Stress

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 Unit 5: Organizational Culture Change
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this unit, you should be able to:
 describe forces that act as stimulants to change;
 summarize sources of individual and organizational resistance to change;
 identify properties of innovative organizations; and
 list characteristics of a learning organization.

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STIMULANTS TO CHANGE
Take note of the following terms that you will encounter in this Unit:

Stimulate – to excite to activity or growth or to greater activity

Inhibitions – is something that forbids, debars or restricts.
Inertia – indisposition to motion, exertion, or change

Forces that Act as Stimulants to Change

In this changing world, we really have to cope up or else we will be left out. That is the reason
why companies are planning out or making some changes to the company to suit the changing
needs also of the market. Following are the forces that stimulate change in a company:
External forces are those changes that are part of an organization’s general and business
environment. There are several kinds of external forces an organization might face:
 Demographic. A changing work demographic might require an organizational change in
culture. For instance, Avon built and grew their business around door-to-door cosmetic
sales, with the stay-at-home wife and mother as their primary front line employee.
When more women entered the workforce in 9-to-5 jobs, Avon had to shift gears and
find new ways to get their products in front of their customers.
 Social. Changing social trends can pressure organizations into making changes.
Consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious, a trend which has pushed
fast food restaurants to replace Styrofoam containers with paper. Manufacturers of
cleaning products changed product formulas to omit phosphorus and other
environmentally threatening chemicals. Tobacco companies have buckled under the
changing image of smokers, the dangers of their products, and some have started
looking into eCigarettes and other smoking alternatives to stay in business.
 Political. Government restrictions often force change onto organizations. This can be
something as simple as a change in minimum wage for employees, or as complex as
rules and restrictions governing fair competition in business. For instance, when the
Affordable Health Care act was put into place, businesses had to change their
operations and put steps into place to confirm that all employees had healthcare
coverage to comply with the new law.
 Technology. Still have your VHS player? The founder of Blockbuster wishes you did.
Technological changes can make or break a business. Whether new technology is
introduced industry-wide, as when the laser was introduced to modern medicine,
making surgeries easier and safer; or when it’s introduced to end users, as when
consumers stopped renting videos to enjoy the cheaper, more convenient streaming

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 services like Netflix, organizations must change to accommodate new technologies or
suffer the consequences.
 Economic. During the 2008 recession, consumers lost their jobs and cut back on their
spending. These economic downturns had a major impact on businesses. Banks failed.
General Motors and Chrysler filed for bankruptcy. Survival meant adapting to change.
Companies like Lego, who experienced stagnant U.S. sales during this time, took the
opportunity to build their markets in Europe and Asia. Netflix realized the potential of
providing in-home entertainment to families that had cut back their entertainment
budgets and grew their subscriptions by 3 million subscribers in 2009 alone. Meanwhile,
in the midst of spiking fuel prices, gas guzzling Hummers were no longer en vogue and
quietly went out of business.
Companies can also experience internal forces of change, which can often be related to
external forces, but are significant enough to be considered separately. Internal forces of
change arise from inside the organization and relate to the internal functioning of the
organization. They might include low performance, low satisfaction, conflict, or the introduction
of a new mission, new leadership.

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Sources of individual and organizational resistance to change
Individual sources of resistance towards a change exist in the basic human tenets or
characteristics and are influenced by the differences in perception, personal background, needs
or personality-related differences. It is important to understand those triggering factors or
issues which refrain individuals from endorsing change or extending their support and
cooperation towards any change initiatives at an organizational level.
Criticizing the individuals or the teams for not being supportive in the stages of transition or
compelling them cannot be an effective solution for implementing change smoothly or in a
hassle free manner.
The resistance towards change at an individual level can be due to various reasons:
 How satisfied they are with the existing state of affairs
 Whether they appreciate the overall end product of change and it’s outcome on them
 How much practical or realistic the change is
 What will be the possible cost change on the individual in terms of potential risks
involved, pressure to develop new competencies and disruptions
The following factors explain why individuals may pose resistance towards change:
 Habits: We individuals are influenced by our habits in our ways of working and accept or
reject a change depending upon the effect which a change may have on the existing
habits of the individuals. For example, change in the office location might be subjected
to resistance from the individuals as this might compel them to change their existing life
routine and create a lot of difficulties in adjustment or coping with the schedule. The
individuals might have to drive a longer way for reaching their office, or start early from
home for reaching their office in time, etc.
 Lack of Acceptability or Tolerance for the Change: Some individuals endorse change and
welcome a change initiative happily while few individuals fear the impact of change.
Over a period of time change fatigue also builds up.
 Fear of a Negative Impact Economically or on the Income: During the process of
organizational restructuring or introduction of organization-wide change as a strategic
move on the part of the management, several inhibitions, and fear rule the thought
process of the individuals. Fear of possible loss of a job as a result of change or a change
in their income structure or may be a change in their work hours could be one amongst
the possible reasons.
 Fear of the Unseen and Unknown Future: Individuals develop inertia towards the
change due to the fear of unknown or uncertainties in the future. This can be tackled
through effective communication with the participants of change and making people
aware of the positives of change and the course of action which individuals are expected
to follow to cope with the changing requirements successfully.

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  Fear of Losing Something Really Valuable : Any form of threat to personal security or
financial security or threat to the health of the individuals may lead to fear of losing
something precious as a result of the implementation of change.
 Selective Processing of Information: It can be considered as a filtering process in which
the individuals perceive or make judgments by gathering selective information which is
greatly influenced by their personal background, attitude, personal biases or prejudices,
etc. If an individual maintains a negative attitude towards any kind of change, then they
are having a usual tendency of looking at the negativities associated with the change
and involve all the positive aspects of it.
 A Rigid Belief that change cannot bring about any facilitating change in the organization
and it only involves the pain and threats to the individuals.
Now, we will look into the organizational factors which result in resistance to change.
 Resistance Due to the Structural Rigidities or Limitations: Structural resistance is a
characteristic feature of bureaucracies, which focus more on stability, control, set
methodologies or routine.
 Ignoring all the interconnected factors which require change or lack of clarity in
understanding the ground realities.
 Inertia from the Groups: Groups may resist change because just like individuals, groups
equally follow set behavioural patterns, norms or culture and as a result of change the
groups might have to change their existing ways of conduct or behaviour.
 Possible threats to Power, Resources or Expertise can also result in resistance towards
an organization level change. Any kind of devolution of power or transfer of resources
from some agency or group to some other agency or a group will definitely lead to a
feeling of fear or inertia towards a change initiative.
In the end, it can be concluded that any kind of change will surely involve heavy resistance at
the individual as well as organizational level. But through effective communication during all
stages and consulting, desirable outcomes can be ensured by breaking all the possible barriers
or resistances towards a change. What is more important is identifying the main source of
resistance and accordingly developing action plans for dealing with it.
Successful change in an organization will require strong commitment and involvement on the
part of the top management, focused and an integrated approach, strong and a stable
leadership, effective and open communication from the internal change agent for making
people sensitive and more aware of the realities and the ultimate need for change.
For minimizing the resistance towards the change employee participation and involvement in
the overall process plays a crucial role in building acceptability and seeking the cooperation of
the employees towards the change. Hence proper planning, coordinated approach and
complete involvement of all the stakeholders, play a decisive role in implementing strategic
decisions and determining the success of change.

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PROPERTIES OF INNOVATIVE ORGANIZATIONS

What makes a company innovative? Innovation is nothing more than a tool that enables
companies to achieve unique, strategic goals. It should not simply be a slogan, nor an end unto
itself, argues Jeffrey Baumgartner. To be truly innovative, an organization should have seven
essential characteristics.
What makes for an innovative company? An innovation initiative is not enough. Having the
word “innovation” in your company slogan or all over your web site is not enough. Indeed, I
would argue that any kind of focus on innovation as an end is detrimental to innovation.
Innovation is nothing more than a tool that enables companies to achieve unique, strategic
goals. Here are seven essential characteristics of innovative companies. How well does your
organization do?
1. Unique and Relevant Strategy
Arguably, the most defining characteristic of a truly innovative company is having a unique and
relevant strategy. We all know what companies like Apple, Facebook and Google do. That’s
because they make their strategies clear and relentless follow them. An innovative smaller
player may not be recognised globally, but its leaders, employees, business partners and
customers all will have a clear idea of the company’s strategy. If a business does not have
definable, unique strategy, it will not be innovative. Bland strategies, such as “to be the best”,
do not provide a path to innovation in the same way clearer strategies, such as “to be on the
cutting edge of mobile communications technology,” “to build the world’s safest cars”or “to
deliver anything anywhere” do. If your strategy is vague or fails to differentiate your company
from the competition, you should change this situation as quickly as possible!
2. Innovation Is a Means to Achieve Strategic Goals
Highly innovative companies do not see innovation as an end, but rather as a means to
achieving strategic goals. Just as a good camera is an essential tool that enables the
photographer to take professional images and the saw is an essential tool for the carpenter,
innovation is an essential tool for visionary companies intent on achieving their strategic goals.
Indeed, if you look at the web sites of the world’s most innovative companies, they tend not to
trumpet innovation, but rather corporate vision.
3. Innovators Are Leaders
The one thing innovation provides more than anything else is market leadership. When
companies use innovation to achieve strategic goals, they inevitably take the lead in their
markets. Unfortunately, this does not always translate to being the most successful or
profitable. Amazon has been an innovator from the beginning, setting many of the standards
for e-commerce. Nevertheless, it took some years for the company to become profitable. Cord

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was one of the world’s most innovative car companies, launching cutting edge innovations such
as front wheel drive and pop-up headlights – in the 1920s and 30s. However the company was
never very successful financially and went out of business in 1938. On the other hand,
innovators like Apple and Google have been financially successful as a result of their innovation.
In short, innovators are leaders, but not always profitable leaders!
4. Innovators Implement
Most businesses have a lot of creative employees with a lot of ideas. Some of those ideas are
even relevant to companies’ needs. However, one thing that differentiates innovators from
wannabe innovators is that innovators implement ideas. Less innovative companies talk more
about ideas than implementing them!
5. Failure Is an Option
I would argue the the most critical element of business culture, for an innovative company, is
giving employees freedom and encouragement to fail. If employees know that they can fail
without endangering their careers, they are more willing to take on risky, innovative projects
that offer huge potential rewards to their companies. On the other hand, if employees believe
that being part of a failed project will have professional consequences, they will avoid risk – and
hence innovation – like the plague. More importantly, if senior managers reward early failure,
employees are far more likely to evaluate projects regularly and kill those projects that are
failing — before that failure becomes too expensive. This frees up resources and budget for
new innovative endeavours. However, in businesses where failure is not an option, employees
will often stick with failing projects, investing ever more resources in hopes that the project will
eventually succeed. When it does not, losses are greater and reputations are ruined. As a result,
companies that reward failure often fail less than those that discourage it.
6. Environment of Trust
The Innovative company provides its employees with an environment of trust. There is a lot of
risk involved in innovation. Highly creative ideas often initially sound stupid. If employees fear
ridicule for sharing outrageous ideas, they will not share such ideas. Likewise, if employees fear
reprimand for participating in unsuccessful projects, they will not participate (see item 5
above). If employees do not trust each other, they will be watching their backs all the time. If
they fear managers will steal their ideas and claim them as their own, employees will not share
ideas. On the other hand, if employees know they can take reasonable risks without fear, if they
know outrageous ideas are welcome, if they know that their managers will champion their
ideas and credit them for those ideas, these employees can be creative, implement ideas and
drive the company’s innovation. In short, creativity and innovation thrive when people in an
organization trust each other and their organization.

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 7. Autonomy
Along with trust, individual and team autonomy is a key component of innovation. If you give
individuals and teams clear goals together with the freedom to find their own paths for
achieving those goals, you create fertile ground for innovation. But, if managers watch over
their subordinates’ shoulders, micro-managing their every move, you stifle the creativity and
individual thought that is necessary for innovation. Of course giving employees autonomy
means they may make mistakes. They may choose inefficient routes to achieving goals. But at
worst, they will learn from their mistakes and inefficiencies. At best, they will discover new and
better ways of accomplishing objectives. Most importantly, if you hire intelligent, capable,
creative people and give them the freedom to solve problems, they will do so. And, in so doing,
they will help innovation to thrive throughout the company.

Characteristics of a Learning Organization

teristics-

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 Unit 6: Stress Management
LEARNING OUTCOMES
In this unit, you should be able to:
 describe potential sources of stress;
 explain individual difference variables that moderate the stress-outcome
relationship; and
 determine how to manage stress.

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POTENTIAL STRESSORS
Sources of Stress
The workplace is an important source of both demands and pressures causing stress,
and structural and social resources to counteract stress.

Situations that are likely to cause stress are those that are
- unpredictable/ uncontrollable;
- uncertain;
- ambiguous or unfamiliar;
- involving conflict;
- loss or performance expectations;
- limited events, such as the pressures of examinations or work deadlines; and
- ongoing situations, such as family demands, job insecurity, or long commuting
journeys.

CAUSES OF STRESS
 long hours;
 work overload;
 time pressure;
 difficult or complex tasks;
 lack of breaks;
 lack of variety; and
 poor physical work conditions (for
example, space, temperature, light).

Historically, the typical response from employers to stress at work has been to blame
the victim of stress, rather than its cause. Increasingly, it is being recognised that employers
have a duty, in many cases in law, to ensure that employees do not become ill. It is also in their
long term economic interests to prevent stress, as stress is likely to lead to:
12. high staff turnover;
13. an increase in sickness absence and early retirement;
14. increased stress in those staff still at work;
15. reduced work performance and increased rate of accidents; and
16. reduced client satisfaction.

Good employment practice includes assessing the risk of stress amongst employees. This
involves:
 looking for pressures at work which could cause high and long lasting levels of stress
 deciding who might be harmed by these
 deciding whether you are doing enough to prevent that harm.

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INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

FIGURE 1

As is evident from figs 1 and 2, individuals differ in their risk of experiencing stress and in their
vulnerability to the adverse effects of stress. Individuals are more likely to experience stress if
they lack material resources (for example, financial security) and psychological resources (for
example, coping skills, self esteem), and are more likely to be harmed by this stress if they tend
to react emotionally to situations and are highly competitive and pressured (type A behaviour).

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 FIGURE 2

The association between pressures and well being and functioning can be thought of as an
inverted U, with well being and functioning being low when pressures are either high or very
low (for example, in circumstances of unemployment). Different people demonstrate different
shapes of this inverted U, showing their different thresholds for responses to stress. A
successful strategy for preventing stress within the workplace will ensure that the job fits the
person, rather than trying to make people fit jobs that they are not well suited to.

INTERACTIONS BETWEEN WORK AND HOME STRESS

Increasingly, the demands on the individual in the workplace reach out into the homes and
social lives of employees. Long, uncertain or unsocial hours, working away from home, taking
work home, high levels of responsibility, job insecurity, and job relocation all may adversely
affect family responsibilities and leisure activities. This is likely to undermine a good and
relaxing quality of life outside work, which is an important buffer against the stress caused by
work. In addition, domestic pressures such as childcare responsibilities, financial worries,
bereavement, and housing problems may affect a person's robustness at work. Thus, a vicious
cycle is set up in which the stress caused in either area of one's life, work or home, spills over
and makes coping with the other more difficult.

Women are especially likely to experience these sources of stress, since they still carry more of
the burden of childcare and domestic responsibilities than men. In addition, women are
concentrated in lower paid, lower status jobs, may often work shifts in order to accommodate
domestic responsibilities, and may suffer discrimination and harassment
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EFFECTIVELY MANAGING STRESS

Individual Stress Management

Most interventions to reduce the risk to health associated with stress in the workplace involve
both individual and organisational approaches. Individual approaches include training and one-
to-one psychology services—clinical, occupational, health or counselling. They should aim to
change individual skills and resources and help the individual change their situation. The
techniques listed in fig 3 mirror the active coping (fight/flight) and rest phases (habituation) of
the stress model presented earlier.

Figure 3
Techniques for managing stress.
Training helps prevent stress through:
 becoming aware of the signs of stress
 using this to interrupt behaviour patterns when the stress reaction is just beginning.
Stress usually builds up gradually. The more stress builds up, the more difficult it is to
deal with
 analysing the situation and developing an active plan to minimise the stressors
 learning skills of active coping and relaxation, developing a lifestyle that creates a buffer
against stress
 practising the above in low stress situations first to maximise chances of early success
and boost self confidence and motivation to continue.

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A wide variety of training courses may help in developing active coping techniques—for
example, assertiveness, communications skills, time management, problem solving, and
effective management.
However, there are many sources of stress that the individual is likely to perceive as outside his
or her power to change, such as the structure, management style or culture of the organisation.
It is important to note that stress management approaches that concentrate on changing the
individual without changing the sources of stress are of limited effectiveness, and may be
counterproductive by masking these sources. For example, breathing deeply and thinking
positively about a situation causing stress may make for a temporary feeling of well being, but
will allow a damaging situation to continue, causing persistent stress and, probably, stress to
others. The primary aim of the individual approach should be to develop people's skills and
confidence to change their situation, not to help them adapt to and accept a stressful situation.

ORGANISATIONAL STRESS MANAGEMENT

The prevention and management of workplace stress requires organisational level
interventions, because it is the organisation that creates the stress. An approach that is limited
to helping those already experiencing stress is analogous to administering sticking plaster on
wounds, rather than dealing with the causes of the damage. An alternative analogy is trying to
run up an escalator that's going down! Organisational interventions can be of many types,
ranging from structural (for example, staffing levels, work schedules, physical environment) to
psychological (for example, social support, control over work, participation).
The emphasis on the organisation, rather than the individual, being the problem is well
illustrated by the principles used in Scandinavia, where there is an excellent record of creating
healthy and safe working environments (box 3).
Box 3: Principles of preventing work stress in Scandinavia
 Working conditions are adapted to people's differing physical and mental aptitudes
 Employee is given the opportunity to participate in the design of his/her own work
situation, and in the processes of change and development affecting his/her work
 Technology, work organisation, and job content are designed so that the employee is
not exposed to physical or mental strains that may lead to illness or accidents. Forms of
remuneration and the distribution of working hours are taken into account
 Closely controlled or restricted work is avoided or limited
 Work should provide opportunities for variety, social contact, and cooperation as well as
coherence between different working operations

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  Working conditions should provide opportunities for personal and vocational
development, as well as for self determination and professional responsibility
Assessing the risk of stress within the workplace must take into account:
 the likelihood and the extent of ill health which could occur as a result of exposure to a
particular hazard
 the extent to which an individual is exposed to the hazard
 the number of employees exposed to the hazard.
The analysis of stressful hazards at work should consider all aspects of its design and
management, and its social and organisational context. 9 Although the priority is prevention,
protective measures can be introduced to control the risk and reduce the effects of a given
hazard. A detailed account of how to assess and reduce risk associated with exposure to
stressful hazards is summarised in box 4.
Box 4 : A risk assessment strategy—six stages9
 Hazard identification:
Reliably identify the stressors which exist in relation to work and working conditions, for
specified groups of employees, and make an assessment of the degree of exposure
 Assessment of harm:
Collect evidence that exposure to such stressors is associated with impaired health in the group
being assessed or of the wider organisation. This should include a wide range of health-related
outcomes, including symptoms of general malaise and specific disorders, and of organisational
and health related behaviours such as smoking and drinking, and sickness absence
 Identification of likely risk factors:
Explore the associations between exposure to stressors and measures of harm to identify likely
risk factors at the group level, and to make some estimate of their size and/or significance
 Description of underlying mechanisms:
Understand and describe the possible mechanisms by which exposure to the stressors is
associated with damage to the health of the assessment group or to the organisation
 Audit existing management control and employee support systems:
Identify and assess all existing management systems both in relation to the control of stressors
and the experience of work stress, and in relation to the provision of support for employees
experiencing problems.

THC 4 – Multicultural Diversity in Workplace for Tourism Professionals Page 58

  Recommendations on residual risk:
Take existing management control and employee support systems into proper account, make
recommendations on the residual risk associated with the likely risk factors related to work
stress
Increasingly, legislation requires employers to assess and address all risks to employee health
and safety, including their mental health (for example, the European Commission's framework
directive on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health
of workers at work). Creating a safe system of work requires targeting equipment, materials,
the environment and people (for example, ensuring sufficient skills for the tasks). It also
requires having monitoring and review systems to assess the extent to which prevention and
control strategies are effective.
Although associations between workplace factors and psychological ill health and associated
sickness absence have been well documented, evidence based interventions to reduce these
problems are scarce.
Successful interventions used training and organisational approaches to increase participation
in decision making and problem solving, increase support and feedback and improve
communication. These studies found that:
 those taught skills to mobilise support at work and to participate in problem solving and
decision making reported more supportive feedback, feeling more able to cope, and
better work team functioning and climate. Among those most at risk of leaving, those
undergoing the training reported reduced depression
 staff facing organisational change who were taught skills of stress management, how to
participate in, and control, their work showed a decrease of stress hormone levels 14
 staff taught verbal and non-verbal communication and empathy skills demonstrated
reduced staff resignations and sick leave
 physically inactive employees undergoing stress management training improved their
perceived coping ability and those undergoing aerobic exercise improved their feelings
of well being and decreased their complaints of muscle pain, but also reported reduced
job satisfaction
 employees undergoing one of seven training programmes emphasising one or more
aspects of stress management—physiological processes, coping with people or
interpersonal awareness processes—showed reductions in depression, anxiety,
psychological strain, and emotional exhaustion immediately after the programme. There
was a further reduction in psychological strain and emotional exhaustion at 9–16
months' follow up

THC 4 – Multicultural Diversity in Workplace for Tourism Professionals Page 59

  those on long term sickness absence who were referred early to the occupational health
department (within two or three months absence) reduced their sickness absence from
40 to 25 weeks before resumption of work and from 72 to 53 weeks before leaving
employment for medical reasons, leading to large financial savings.
Success in managing and preventing stress will depend on the culture in the organisation. Stress
should be seen as helpful information to guide action, not as weakness in individuals. A culture
of openness and understanding, rather than of blame and criticism, is essential. Building this
type of culture requires active leadership and role models from the top of the organisation, the
development and implementation of a stress policy throughout the organisation, and systems
to identify problems early and to review and improve the strategies developed to address
them. The policy and its implementation should be negotiated with the relevant trade unions
and health and safety committees (for a trade union example of a model agreement for
preventing stress at work see the Manufacturing, Science and Finance Union guide).
Last, but by no means least, interventions should be evaluated, so that their effectiveness can
be assessed. Ideally, the method of achieving this should include a high response rate, valid and
reliable measures, and a control group. Two measures that provide a comprehensive analysis of
work stress and have been widely used are the Job Content Questionnaire, which includes
measures of the predictors of job strain described earlier, and the Occupational Stress
Indicator.

Congratulations! You have participated diligently in finishing

this subject since the first module.

We haven’t met face to face but with your integrity, you

reached the finish line!

Integrity is one of JBLCF-B’s core values which means you are

honest in what you are doing. You have studied and answered
the assessments with honesty, great job!

Congratulations
for finishing this
THC 4 – Multicultural Diversity in Workplace for Tourism Professionals Page 60
Criteria for Evaluation
Essay Criteria Description Points
Demonstrates strong knowledge of the topic. 5
Content Demonstrates very general knowledge of the topic 3
Demonstrates limited knowledge or understanding of the topic 2
Writing flows smoothly from one idea to another 5
Sentence structure and/or word choice sometimes interfere with
Organization 3
clarity
and Clarity
Sentence structure, word choice, make reading and understanding
2
difficult
There is no error in grammar, spelling and punctuations 5
Language
There are some errors in grammar, spelling and punctuations. 3
Mechanics
There are multiple errors in grammar, spelling and punctuations 2
Submitted on or before the deadline 5
Timeliness
Submitted after deadline 0
Total 20

Case Study
RUBRIC FOR CASE STUDY
(Total – 30 Points)
Criteria Score Your
5 3 2 1 0 Score

Identification of Identifies and Identifies and Identifies and Identifies and Unable to
the Main understands all of the understands most of understands some understands few identify the
Issues/Problems main issues in the the main issues in of the main issues of the main issues in the case
case study the case study in the case study issues in the case study
study
Insightful and Thorough analysis Superficial analysis Incomplete Failed to provide
thorough analysis of of all the issues in of some of the analysis of all the analysis on the
Analysis of the
all the issues the case issues in the case issues case
Issues
Comments on Well-documented, Appropriate, well Superficial and/or Little action No action
effective solution reasoned and thought out inappropriate suggested, and/or suggested, and/or
or strategies pedagogically comments about the solutions to some of inappropriate inappropriate
appropriate solutions or the issues in the solutions to all of solutions to all of
(The solution may
comments, solutions proposals for case study the issues in the the issues in the
be in the case or proposals for solutions, to most of case study case study
already or solutions, to all issues the issues in the
proposed by you) in the case study case study

Links to Course Excellent research Good research into Limited research Incomplete No research
Readings or into the issues with the issues with links with links to any research and mentioned nor
Additional clear links to class to class readings or readings links to any link to any
readings or other other materials readings readings
Research
materials

Very poor
grammar,
Language Excellent grammar, Very good Good grammar, Poor grammar,
spelling and grammar, spelling spelling and spelling and spelling and
Mechanics punctuations.
punctuations. and punctuations. punctuations. punctuations.
Submitted after
the deadline
Timeliness Submitted on or
before the deadline

THC 4 – Multicultural Diversity in Workplace for Tourism Professionals Page 61

 TOTAL >>>>>>>>>>

THC 4 – Multicultural Diversity in Workplace for Tourism Professionals Page 62

References and Online Resources

countrynavigator.com/blog/global-talent/greetings/

Ferraro, G. & Andreatta, S. (2018). Cultural Anthropology An Applied Perspective. 11 th Edition

google.com/amp/s/www.yourerc.com/blog/post/workplace-culture-what-it-is-why-it-matters-how-to-
define-it%3fhs_amp=true

Hofstede,G. (1980), Culture’s Consequences: International Differences in Work-related Values,

Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.

https://countrynavigator.com/blog/expert-view/managing-conflict-multicultural-team/

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/alamo-sociology/chapter/values-and-beliefs/

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-organizationalbehavior/chapter/forces-of-change/

https://culturalatlas.sbs.com.au/filipino-culture/filipino-culture-do-s-and-don-ts#filipino-culture-do-s-
and-don-ts

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etiquette

https://innovationmanagement.se/2012/12/18/the-seven-essential-characteristics-of-innovative-
companies/

https://iveybusinessjournal.com/publication/negotiating-the-top-ten-ways-that-culture-can-affect-your-
negotiation/

https://medium.com/@beautehealthy/what-is-culture-types-of-culture-elements-of-culture-
characteristics-of-culture-7b4d65caddc7

https://oem.bmj.com/content/59/1/67

https://smallbusiness.chron.com/differences-conflict-diversity-3045.html

https://study.com/academy/lesson/cultural-diversity-in-the-workplace-definition-trends-examples.html
https://www.chrysos.org.uk/blog/top-ten-tips-for-effective-cross-cultural-communi

https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/sociology/culture-and-society/material-and-nonmaterial-
culture

https://www.csus.edu/indiv/s/sablynskic/ch18.htm

https://www.daytranslations.com/blog/20-traditions-around-the-world/

https://www.ethnoconnect.com/articles/1-what-is-cultural-diversity

THC 4 – Multicultural Diversity in Workplace for Tourism Professionals Page 63

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nydailynews.com/newa/world/10-strange-facts-countries-
article-1.2475730%3foutputType=amp

https://www.iedunote.com/organizational-culture

https://www.kuali.com/kitchen-inspirations/7-interesting-eating-habits-from-different-cultures/

https://www.managementstudyguide.com/adjusting-to-changing-organization-culture.htm

https://www.managementstudyguide.com/individual-and-organizational-sources-of-resistance-to-
change.htm

https://www.mic.usi.ch/chinese-restaurant-invitation-stranger-cs-en

https://www.skillsyouneed.com/ips/barriers-communication.html

https://www.sprachcaffe.com/english/magazine-article/amazing-cultural-facts-and-traditions-around-
the-world-2015-08-05.htm

https://www2.palomar.edu/anthro/culture/culture_2.htm

sidekicker.com/au/blog/workplace-culture-really/

Tommy Charles, disfi.com

THC 4 – Multicultural Diversity in Workplace for Tourism Professionals Page 64