Workplace conflict can happen anytime two or more people have different perspectives or goals, and disputes can happen for many different reasons. When diverse groups of people work together, cross-cultural conflict in the workplace may develop. It’s not always obvious when conflict is culturally driven, and it’s also not always obvious what to do about cross cultural conflict in the workplace.
Diverse Backgrounds
Each individual has their own unique set of life experiences. In the workplace, there may be a mix of people of different races and ethnicities as well as different socioeconomic backgrounds. While companies often preach inclusivity and diversity, people from very different backgrounds often have a hard time communicating with or understanding each other.
People from different cultures may dress differently, talk differently and have different priorities and work ethics. Disputes can happen between people simply because of misunderstandings and beliefs rooted in very different cultural backgrounds. People from different cultural backgrounds may have different perceptions of the importance of schedules and time, as well as different beliefs about confrontation and how to deal with conflict.
Becoming More Aware of Unconscious Bias
Cross-cultural conflict in the workplace is often triggered by unconscious bias. It’s not uncommon for people to jump to conclusions about other people based on assumptions they have about groups of people, which may impact the way they relate to each other.
People are frequently drawn to others who are like them, which may be based on background, beliefs or appearance. When people all look alike, think alike or have the same underlying beliefs, it limits accessibility to different ideas and points of view. At the same time, people may hold negative beliefs about others who aren’t like them, and they aren’t always aware that they are driven by these unconscious beliefs. What seems to be a personality conflict between staff members may be based on a deep-seated bias that a person isn’t even aware of.
While unconscious bias is often related to race or ethnicity, there are several other types of unconscious bias. People may have an unconscious bias about others that are much younger or much older than they are, which is generational culture. Young workers may feel older people are slow or too serious, while older workers may feel young people are inexperienced or don’t take their work duties seriously enough. Men and women sometimes have beliefs about each other based on gender.
Reducing Cross Cultural Conflict in the Workplace
Periodic training in unconscious bias, diversity and inclusion can help staff become more aware of beliefs they have that affect how they’re relating to other members of the team. Understanding different types of unconscious bias and cultural differences can help staff members recognize their own reactions to others and be better able to identify when someone has been a victim of bias. Bringing unconscious bias into conscious awareness may help to inspire change and prevent cross-cultural conflict.
Free Consultation for Team TrainingPromoting an Inclusive Workplace
Having an inclusive workplace depends on establishing an environment where people are treated with respect regardless of their ethnicity, gender or age. Differences between people should be celebrated rather than allowing different perspectives to trigger conflict.
For an inclusive workplace, leaders need to make meaningful efforts to promote a sense of belonging. Inclusivity means ensuring everyone’s opinions are considered and valued, and different treatment for people with different cultural backgrounds can never be tolerated. Underrepresented groups need to have the support and resources they need to share their perspectives and meet their true potential.
Reach out to Pollack Peacebuilding Systems for information on conflict resolution services and training.
