Managing Cultural Differences in the Workplace

When we think of cultural differences, we likely turn our heads to the prominent intersectional entities which shape them, such as race, ethnicity, gender, ability, geographical location, etc. Cultural differences stem from our individualized and unique identities, but we tend to not be aware of these differences until put into an environment in which makes these differences clear, such as the workplace. In analyzing a case study derived from previous studies and research along with information from two other scholarly articles, we will explore the prominent cultural differences in the workplace within Italy, analyze what diversity management means in Italian culture, and discuss solutions to feel both valued and respected within the workplace. 

To begin, it is important to understand the history of work within Italy as that has predominantly affected the cultural differences. Due to the growth in employment among the non-EU population, there have been substantial effects on entryways within work which has poorly affected the quality of employment. Along with this, migrants have shifted socio-demographics and the structure of culture within Italian society. Young people are also more likely to be hired on fixed-term contracts while Italy also is faced with the largest proportion of elderly citizens. This places emphasis on the age differences within the workplace which heavily shapes the culture of the workplace. 

Along with this, there are significant gender differences in the workplace making certain industries and sectors heavily dominated by one gender – for example, the services sector being majority held by Women in Italy. This continuing issue has created subconscious stigma on who “belongs” in specific work environments.  The significant wage gap between men and women in the workplace further places emphasis on which roles are valued more highly. Who takes on these roles then are inherently predetermined by statistical repetition of gender in the workplace.

Familial ties are prominent within the culture of the workplace within Italy, generating the term “family capitalism.” This means that many employment opportunities are held for people linked by blood or those who are very close relationship wise to the family. Companies are family assets, which puts a blockade on the positions available to the wider public and the culture of these tightly knit businesses. 

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In a study conducted by Silvia Ravazzani, surveys were derived from 90 companies and two focus groups were interviewed. This study, using previous research as well, aims to understand, according to Ravazzani, “…how companies implement diversity management in practice, and of factors that may explain their approach.”

This table above derived directly from this case study serves as a tool to understand the thought process behind the surveys for each of the 90 companies. Each question was thoroughly thought to address what a company values most, be that “Assimilating minorities”, “Integrating diversity” or “Leveraging Variety.” Each one of the categories, in which you can view at the top column of this table, is followed below by both positive and negative characteristics which encapsulate each “goal.”

The results of the surveys allude to how international firms are more attentive towards diversity, linguistic, and cultural differences/backgrounds when compared the other types of managing companies in Italy. Furthermore, the results of both the survey and the focus group point a finger towards how social expectations are often put at the front and center of thinking when it comes to implementing diversity. Companies have set organizational norms which unfortunately has made work forces attuned to adopting diversity management practices when it fosters “flexibility in thinking and innovation capability”, meaning that the diversity they implement will essentially give back to these companies in the long run. 

The focus group more specifically allowed for opinions from an array of people within different companies to express their thoughts with guided questions surrounding diversity management. Internal and social expectations were brought up as a duty linked to equal opportunity within the workplace. A direct quote from one of the focus groups states, “Italian companies do not have a clear idea about what diversity management means in practice.” Taking this response with the conclusion of this study, this statement attests to how traditional attributes of disability and gender are taken in the workplace and how diversity is turned to as a meaning of expectation and responsibility which questions the motivations behind recruiting certain demographics of people in the workplace. 

With these results, the study states how, “Companies should clarify concrete initiatives [and] available resources…” Along with this, a study done by Giovanni Masino surrounding business organization and Italian culture states how, “Many issues companies are facing can be solved through organizational choices [that can simultaneously continue to adopt the] local context and culture.” Companies must learn to roll with the changing times, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the foundation of Italian culture needs to be erased. This implies that companies need to have intentions set on diversifying their workplace for the purpose of centralizing new identities, voices, opinions, and strategies as that is how a company continues to be successful and have enriching relationships with their employees. Diversity solely marked as checkbox is a continuing issue in many regards. In terms of the workplace though, these social expectations being the driving force to integrate diversity embodies surface level implementation of individuals which calls on certain demographics for the wrong reasons. Viewing your employees as a social strategy blocks the intrinsic and external value of diversity and makes the relationship one-sided instead of working with certain groups of people for mutual benefit.

When navigating the workplace, let that be an entry position or a company you’ve been at for some time now, ask yourself these questions:

• Do I feel valued here?

• Is my voice heard?

• Do I feel like I am making a difference in the workplace? Am I given the opportunity to do so?

• How am I treated compared to my colleagues?

• What are these companies’ diversity and inclusion strategies? Are they performative?

These questions serve as a basis to begin thinking about what type of environment you want to be associated with. The workplace can be hard to navigate in general, but understanding how you fit into your workplace culturally compared to other employees can be extremely helpful in determining if this place is specifically right for you. Furthermore, we cannot change the culture of companies overnight, but we can approach them day by day in hopes of creating businesses and companies that are forthcoming of all identities within the localized Italian context.

Reference:

https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/EDI-08-2014-0062/full/html

https://books.google.it/books?hl=en&lr=&id=OSKeAwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA123&dq=managing+cultural+differences+in+Italy&ots=65mZ7olxLL&sig=OCNzHAh2r-MBCF83b88jmzuzPK8#v=onepage&q=managing%20cultural%20differences%20in%20Italy&f=false

https://amsacta.unibo.it/id/eprint/6776/11/BusinessOrganizationAndItalianCulture.pdf