How Cultural Diversity Affects Workplace Behavior
T
he workplace is an arena of forced rela- tionships. Ordinarily, social circles are
created voluntarily. People choose their friends and they also make a conscious choice if they wish to maintain a friendly relationship or end it. In the workplace however, these rules don’t apply. In the workplace people from all dif-
ferent ethnic cultures and backgrounds come together. Unlike social circles, where you choose who your friends, workplace relationships are for better or worse, imposed upon us. Your team members come together at random and; out of necessity, you mut learn to co-op- erate and collaborate in order to function in a successful as a productive team. It’s interesting to note that there are
over 300 languages spoken in America today. In addition to the sound of foreign languages, we are exposed to unfamiliar behaviors, different interpersonal com- munication styles, cultural norms and re- ligious beliefs. The American workplace is truly a reflection of the “melting pot” concept. For better or worse, Americans have
always had the luxury of travelling abroad without having to worry about communication issues. Almost every metropolitan European city is able to accommodate the American tourist and offer tours, services and accommodation in English. It’s astounding how many people outside the United States speak English. There is no single group any- where in the world that can boast of this privilege. The opposite is certainly not true. You
would be hard pressed to find the same level of communication for Polish, Aus- trian or French travelers to America. But; perhaps it is this huge convenience that has also made it so difficult and inconve- nient for Americans to learn a language other than English. Generally, Americans have not expended the same effort as their European counterparts in attempt- ing to understand other ethnic groups and become more culturally educated. While it’s quite common for Europeans
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Our vision is to Be the Best Beverage Business in the Americas and we’re well on the way. Passionate people and powerful brands have made Dr Pepper Snapple Group the #1 flavored carbonated soft drink company in the United States.
Corporate headquarters is in Plano, TX. We operate across Canada and have more than 200 distribution centers and 25 manufacturing and bottling facilities in the United States and Mexico.
to speak two or three languages, Ameri- cans are by and large uni-lingual. The point is that American employees
are to a large degree, culturally isolated. While the culturally diverse, first genera- tion employees are immersed in making the transition to the American culture, it may be useful for the rest of us to assist these individuals during this dynamic process.
By Isaac Botbol In today’s workplaces where cultural
diversity is commonplace, it is impor- tant to attempt to increase our sensibili- ties and learn to become more culturally aware. Perhaps we should begin to think how we can enrich each other by taking the best from each others cultures and use that as a springboard to develop bet-
ter working relationships. Source:
www.hispanicsintheworkplace.com Reprinted with Permission
Dr Pepper Snapple Group is an equal opportunity employer and affirmatively seeks diversity in its workforce.
www.dpsg.com
Celebrating 19 Years of Diversity HISPANIC NETWORK MAGAZINE 33
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