In the run up to Heritage Day, Lyndy van den Barselaar, Managing Director of workforce solutions provider Manpower South Africa explores the ways in which individual’s heritage plays a part in the everyday business environment, and how best to draw positive results from this.
“On this day, South African citizens from all the different cultural backgrounds will be celebrating their heritage through food, clothing and dance. South Africa is a diverse country, housing people from many local and international cultures, such as Zulu, Sotho, Xhosa, Ndebele, Swazi, Venda, Afrikaans, Chinese and Hindu, to name just a few. It is important to note that these cultures and belief systems can affect the way employees behave within the workplace,” says Van Den Barselaar.
Due to the manner in which South Africa’s economy started and grew, South African companies, and further - their senior management, generally ascribe to more Western or European organisational culture models. These models often do not take different cultures and customs into account, which may lead to conflict between a company and an employee.
“It is often assumed that once employees enter into the business environment in the morning, their personal cultures fall aside and a more a universal business culture is adopted. However, employers and management must remember that an individual’s culture can have an effect on the way they interact, present themselves, communicate and behave – all of which are important within the working environment.”
In today’s ever evolving business landscape, human resource practitioners are faced with the challenge of understanding and respecting different employee cultural beliefs (with some of those beliefs being contrary to organisation’s culture) and dealing with the consequences when others in the workplace do not behave in the same manner.
“It is vital that each person’s culture and belief system is respected within the workplace. Celebratory days like Heritage Day present a good opportunity for colleagues to learn more about each other’s cultures, which can assist in removing cultural boundaries and changing negative perceptions around certain cultures,” van den Barselaar explains.
For example, when maintaining eye contact or constantly nodding when spoken to may be seen as signs of paying attention, it could also be seen as disrespectful to individuals coming from certain African backgrounds, as looking at a person of authority in the eyes and consistently nod is a challenge of their authority.
Other cultures have more obvious practices, such as wearing specific clothing or not eating certain foods. In some cases this can cause other employees to misjudge or misinterpret what they see, and perhaps make them feel uncomfortable.
“It is up to senior management, guided by the HR department, to create an environment where each person feels comfortable. In the modern business environment, cultural diversity is important, especially for businesses that aim to provide services on a global basis,” says van den Barselaar.
“When cultural diversity is created through understanding, performance and communication is enhanced between employees and management. This is vital for the successful running of a company, no matter how big or small.”
Adapting a more holistic organisational culture is the solution to ending cultural segregation, which is especially important in a country like South Africa where the population is made of up individuals from hundreds of different cultures.
“South African employers should use the opportunity of Heritage Day to promote education and facilitate conversation around the different heritages and cultures present in the workplace. This can be done in a way that fits the business’ corporate culture,” says van den Barselaar.
“Employers could encourage employees to dress in cultural clothing on the day, or make a cultural dish for everyone to try. Certain phrases could be translated into all the different languages present in the organisation, or each person could provide an interesting fact around their culture and share it with the team. Be creative in your approach, and the results could be positive for all involved.”
Van den Barselaar points out that cultural diversity should not only be celebrated on certain days, but should be engrained in the companies identity and culture.
“Businesses should aim to achieve cultural awareness within their organisation, through making all those involved in the organisation aware of the benefits of cultural diversity,” she says. “Celebrate the diversity of your workforce by including more than just the basic celebrations into your work calendar – take note of all the special days or holidays of each culture, and allow for a small celebration of this. Even something as small as an email about it, or a short explanation of the holiday by a willing employee can create more understanding around each culture and their values and beliefs, and make all employees feel valued.”
She also suggests planning a culturally diverse leadership team. “Identify potential future leaders within your organistion, and begin mentoring them early on in their career. Building a future leadership team of culturally diverse individuals will bode well for the business in future in terms of developing processes and programs that enhance employee engagement and the overall productivity of the business.”
Van den Barselaar concludes by encouraging employers to learn about each of the cultures present within their business and encouraging their employees to do the same. “By establishing a culture of cultural diversity through education and interaction, businesses can assist in eradicating cultural prejudices and assumptions and building a truly diverse business environment for the South African economy.”
