Multiculturalism and Diversity
Part 1: Impact of an organization’s history on its change towards multiculturalism and reduction of cynicism
Due to the increased globalization, the concepts of multiculturalism and cultural diversity in an organization are important in facilitating operations. However, various classical parts of an organization can significantly hinder the process of multiculturalism among individuals. For instance, an organization can long be established to operate within one specific cultural community (Mor-Barak, 2017). With the inclusion of culturally diverse colleagues, opinions, traditions, values, and norms would differ and impact on development. Adverse effects associated with multiculturalism would include increased miscommunication and dysfunctional adaptation behaviors. In order to reduce the possibility of cynicism in an organization due to unproductive experiences with multiculturalism, several preliminary activities have been established. These activities, such as enhanced problem solving, social responsibility, and increased loyalty, aim at promoting multicultural relations among colleagues (Carroll, 2015). Therefore, initiatives aimed at raising workers’ capacity to develop and grow despite their cultural differences should incorporate diversity management approaches to cultivate collaboration.
Part 2: Civil rights laws and legal frameworks for foreign operations
I believe that civil rights laws should apply to United States companies’ international operations. Under these laws, legal employee practices in the host nation can be illegal based on U.S. civil rights, discrimination, and labor acts when applied to expatriate United States citizens. When expanding petroleum products distribution operations overseas, the company tends to face various cultural diversity policies. Among the major policies include “Title VII of the Civil Rights of 1964,” which protects U.S. expatriates harassment and discrimination based on national origin (www.eeoc.gov). However, differences such as gender equality in Middle Eastern nations can occur and negatively impact employment and promotions within the distribution center.
It is essential to comprehend and comply with the host’s legal system while working in a foreign nation. First, the expatriate will confidently establish base salaries and compensations based on the type of assignment (Al-Jenaibi, 2011). Additionally, the employee will effectively become responsible for tax filing and reimbursement procedures. Nevertheless, the petroleum distribution company’s employees’ shared belief that the U.S. legal system is more effective than others can negatively affect their culturally diverse assignment. Employment without an establishment framework would prevent the application of legal systems in the host country (www.eeoc.gov). Therefore, special reporting rules and compliance are applied, which in most cases, hinder the U.S. legal system’s effectiveness.
References
Al-Jenaibi, B; (2011). The scope and impact of workplace diversity in the United Arab Emirates an initial study. Journal for Communication and Culture. 1(2): 49-81.
Carroll, A. B; (2015). Corporate social responsibility. Journal of Organizational Dynamics, 44 (2): 87–96.
Employee Rights When Working for Multinational Employers | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2020). Retrieved 12 August 2020, from https://www.eeoc.gov/laws/guidance/employee-rights-when-working-multinational-employers
Mor-Barak, M; (2017). Managing diversity: Toward a Globally Inclusive Workplace (4th ed.). Los Angeles [etc.]: Sage Publications. ISBN: 978-1-4833-86126