Employee Counseling Plan - Dealing with Cross-Cultural Differences in the Workplace

PAFF 6306 Public Personnel ManagementSummer 2016, Module TwoMaster of Public Administration Graduate Program

E. Rey Garcia, MPA CandidateThe University of Texas Rio Grande ValleyAugust 8, 2016Employee Counseling Plan

Dealing with Cross-Cultural Differences in the Workplace

Public Personnel Management Employee Counseling Plan

Intentionally Left Blank

2 E. R. Garcia, MPA Candidate

Dealing with Cross-Cultural Differences in the Workplace PAFF 6306

Employee Counseling PlanDealing with Cross-Cultural Differences in the Workplace

(Week Seven Assignment)

By: E. Rey Garcia, MPA CandidateMonday, August 8, 2016

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The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV)The Graduate College

College of Liberal ArtsPublic Affairs Department

Public Administration

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PAFF 6306: Public Personnel ManagementSummer 2016, Module 2

Facilitator: John Milford

Revision 1.0

E. R. Garcia, MPA Candidate 3





Table of Contents

Abstract7

Summary/Background7

The Scenario 7Resolving Difficult Employee Issues

8Defining the Types of Employee Problems

8Irresolvable Employee-to-Employee Problems

9Emerging Context for Cross-Cultural Problems

9Start and End with Assistance from the Human Resources Office

9Discovering the Real Problem or Issue

9Equity Theory 10Working through Emotionally Charged Issues

10Communicating to Resolve Issues

11Moving Beyond the Issues

11When to Use Human Resources in Troubleshooting Difficult Issues

12Traditional Role of the HR Office in Troubleshooting Difficult Issues

12Using Human Resources to Troubleshoot Difficult Issues in a Culturally Competent Organization 12Setting the Stage for Using Human Resources as an Impartial Mediator

12Using Human Resources as an Early Warning System

12Which Legislation Applies?

13Why did this Legislation Pass?

13

Analysis14

Severity of the Problem14

How many employees caused the problem?14

Is this cultural competence problem where two individuals are misinterpreting the social/work cues? 15



What is the real problem and how does each individual contribute to the problem?15

How do employees work through emotionally charged issues?15

How can employees communicate to resolve issues?16

How do employees move beyond the issues?16

Final Recommendations17

Five-Step Plan for Resolving Employee Differences18

Implications, Solutions, and Workplace Values20

Organizational Implications20

Employee-Part of the Solution21

Workplace Values21

Resources 22






Employee Counseling PlanDealing with Cross-Cultural Difference in the Workplace

E. Rey Garcia, MPA Candidate

AbstractThis scholarly research attempts to address the Human Resource

topic of Employee Counseling and dealing with Cross-Cultural

differences in the workplace. It addresses the subject of race and

gender between two employees from different cultural backgrounds.

The analysis defines the role that the Human Resources department

plays, including the enforcing of policies and legislation as it applies,

it defines the severity of the problem and what measures are taken to

resolve the differences. The concluding recommendations outline the

organizational framework and what implications are taken if the

problem persists, and what techniques are used to allow both

employees to be part of the solution.

Summary/BackgroundThe Scenario

The scenario is between two employees, Raquel and Onuka who work

for the same employer but have cultural differences which makes it

socially awkward for both to have an informal relationship or to

communicate, limiting their work interaction. In this scenario, the



elements of cross-cultural differences of racial and gender differences

crosses the line when both are assigned to a project together. This

causes tension between both when Raquel asks Onuka for his share of

the work, which causes them to miss their deadline. This grows into a

full-blown office fight where each feels righteous about their decision

and each blames each other. Raquel feels she is being disrespected

because she is a woman and Onuka feels that Raquel does not like

him because he is African.

What is the issue or what is the problem? - The issue is that of

race and gender differences between two employees. The problem is

the disruption of the day-to-day workflow by two employees from

cultural backgrounds who refuse to work together.

What type of employee problem is it? - The type of employee

problems is that of Cross-Cultural differences between the two

employees. According to Google Online Dictionary, “cross culture is

the interaction of people from different backgrounds in the business

world. Cross culture is a vital issue in international business, as the

success of international trade depends upon the smooth interaction of

employees from different cultures and regions.”

Resolving Difficult Employee Issues: In order to resolve cultural

differences between employees, the problem must be defined. The

origin must be used in determining the root of the problem. Related



legislation must be applied. The Human Resource office should be

involved to play an impartial role. Finally, discover the real

problem/issue, deal with emotional feelings, and communicate and

move beyond the issue.

Defining the Types of Employee Problems – There are two

types of organizational relationships that can be the cause of

cross-cultural problems, employee-to-employee and supervisor-

employee relationships.

Irresolvable Employee-to-Employee Problems – Most

problems can be traced to an incident or attitude that is rooted

to the problem. The most common behavior is employees

mistreating each other.



Emerging Context for Cross-Cultural Problems – The

passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, is a part of legislation

that outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex,

or national origin. The passage of this legislation has opened

work opportunities to minorities and women in the workplace.

Start and End with Assistance from the Human Resource

Office – Anytime that there is a difference between employee

that involves cultural differences, it makes sense to get the

Human Resources office involved. Most employee differences

are dealt with by HR since these problems are bound to the

organization’s policies and appeals process. The HR office

enforces these policies and takes disciplinary action if the

employee(s) does not correct such behavior.

Discovering the Real Problem or Issue – Many employee

differences are related to differences from a multicultural

organization and cross-cultural relationships. A useful

framework for understanding human problems can best be seen

through equity theory, it assumes that employees seek to

maintain an equitable ratio between the inputs they bring to the

relationship and the outcomes they receive from it (Adams,

1965).



Equity Theory involves two comparisons.

Oneself

Equals

Other

Inputs Inputs

Outcomes Outcomes

If an employee concludes that the comparison is equal, there

are no problems. If the employee senses that someone else is

getting a similar reward for less effort or a greater reward for

similar effort, resulting in a sense of being treated unfairly.

Working through Emotionally Charged Issues – These type

of issues may arise from the debate of societal issues that are

often perceived as sensitive. Examples can range but not limited

to, political party affiliation, religious beliefs, same sex

marriage, and pro-choice rights. Organizational culture needs to

promote openness and to be mindful, listen, be empathetic,

communicate, reinforce employee relationships through

solutions that seek to strengthen the organization. Management

must allow employees to have a voice, and to respect each

other’s boundaries. If the problem is seen as insolvable, the

Human Resource office steps in and remind employees of the

consequences if policies are not followed and laws are not



obeyed. Policies are there to protect the rights of the employees

and the interests of the organization.



Communicating to Resolve Issues – Often one must be

reminded what this country is based on, Democracy or a

government by the people. Organizational policies work in a

similar manner and serve as a means of employee awareness

and protection of their rights. Policies serve as instruments of

the law, identifying the consequences before the problem arises.

The organizational culture needs to use democracy as a tool to

promote fairness and equality through policy, training, and

awareness. Employees must be treated with respect through the

adaptation of an organizational norm with zero tolerance for any

form of discrimination.

Moving Beyond the Issues – This step is aimed at managers

and supervisors taking the role of moving beyond and pass the

issue at hand. It is a means of allowing employees to resolve

their differences. The best approach to use is the Problem-

Solution-Results (PSR), such approach has no author to give

credit to. It extends the statement of the problem to include a

possible solution, including results for the solution. Emotional

competencies include awareness, self-control and being more

understanding, and allowing for collaboration as a measure to

be used to resolve the differences. Another method is the

resilient approach, not letting emotions get in the way, and be



less impulsive and have more control, realistic, empathetic, and

the willingness to take on challenges.



When to Use Human Resources in Troubleshooting Difficult

Issues:

a. Traditional Role of the HR Office in Troubleshooting

Difficult Issues – This role is perceived to be less focused on

cultural competence. Ensuring the due process for employees.

b. Using Human Resources to Troubleshoot Difficult Issues in a

Culturally Competent Organization – The non-traditional role

requires for more cultural competence. This role sees the HR office

as an informal partner in minimizing and troubleshooting difficult

issues and problems and requires both employees and managers to

participate in culturally competent training.

c. Setting the Stage for Using Human Resources as an

Impartial Mediator – HR serves the purpose of viewing the

employee differences in a neutral less-biased approach, where the

organizational policies are the determining factor for the final

outcome.

d. Using Human Resources as an Early Warning System – The

HR office can use tools like demographics to collect data on

employee effectiveness. It can measure trends and implications to

flag potential issues that may need attention. Through employee

orientations and trainings, communicate to the organization the



policies and the disciplinary actions for not adhering to these

policies.



Which Legislation Applies? – The legislation that applies to this

case is the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title II – Injunctive Relief

Against Discrimination in Places of Public Accommodation. This Act

was amended by the Equal Employment Opportunity Act (EEOC) of

1972. Prohibits employers with fifteen or more employees from

discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

(Retrieved from:

http://library.clerk.house.gov/reference-files/PPL_CivilRightsAct_1964.

pdf).

Why did this Legislation Pass? – This legislation was passed to end

segregation in public places and banned employment discrimination,

and is to this day, considered one of the crowning legislative

achievements of the civil rights movement. It was proposed first by

President John F., Kennedy, and survived strong opposition from

southern members of Congress, and was later signed into law by

Lyndon B. Johnson, Kennedy’s successor. (Retrieved from

http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-act).

Terms: (by Google Online Dictionary)

Cultural Competence – A set of congruent behaviors,

attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency or


http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-act

http://library.clerk.house.gov/reference-files/PPL_CivilRightsAct_1964.pdf



among professionals and enable that system, agency or those

professions to work effectively in cross-cultural situations.

Cross-Cultural Competence – Refers to the knowledge, skills,

and affect/motivation that enable individuals to adapt effectively

in cross-cultural environments.



AnalysisThe purpose of this analysis is to emphasize the severity of this

problem in the workplace and what measures employers can take to

educate current employees and new hires on the significance of

adhering to the organizational policies and the legislation that

protects all employees and the interests of the employer. The Human

Resources office must continuously promote cultural competence

through education, knowledge, skill and motivation, which enables

employees to adapt effectively to cross-cultural differences.

Severity of the Problem: If the employer allows cross-cultural

differences based on gender and race to go unnoticed, it creates a

work environment filled with hostility, hindering the day-to-day

workflow and affecting employee motivation and the overall

organizational moral up to the administration. Policies must be

current with the legislation and employees must be trained on the

disciplinary actions that the Human Resources office will take if

employees do not follow to the organizational policies, which are

there to protect both the employees and the organization.

How many employees caused the problem? Both employees,

Raquel and Onuka, were equally to blame for the problem. Perhaps

the problem should have been addressed by the Human Resource 20 E. R. Garcia, MPA Candidate


office at an early stage. It is obvious that these two employees did not

work well together and for management to try and make them work

on a project together without first addressing the cross-cultural

differences at hand, is ludicrous. The total number involved is two

staff employees, plus one HR staff member and the Department Head

or manager for whom Raquel and Onuka report to, making the total

number of employees involved in the cause of the problem: Four

Employees.

Is this cultural competence problem where two individuals are

misinterpreting the social/work cues? Yes, if two individuals are

not trained on the organization’s views on cultural competence, and

the policies that apply, a misinterpretation of the social/work cues will

exist until it is addressed by management and the HR office.

What is the real problem and how does each individual

contribute to the problem? The real problem is the lack of

employee-to-employee relationship. If an organization does not

promote teamwork, employees lack the knowledge, skill and

motivation to share ideas, common in a team environment. Employees

must see the benefits of shared-knowledge and see it as an

opportunity to learn from one another. By working together,

employees become comfortable working together and learn from one



another’s diverse cultural backgrounds, allowing for a more tolerant

work environment.

How do employers work through emotionally charged issues?

The following commonalities are methods that managers use to work

through emotionally charged issues. These include:

1) Be mindful that emotional employees will create an emotional

state in the manager.

2) Do not feed the intensity of the emotion by trying to suppress

the emotion.

3) Bleed off the energy by listening dispassionately.

4) Be empathetic and acknowledge that the issue is important to

the employee and that the manager understands that the

employee is upset.

5) Communicate that the employee is a member of a team.

6) Once a common ground is reached, facilitate a discussion to

determine the origin of the problem.

7) Once parameters have been discussed, ask the employee(s) to

help solve the problem. This reinforces a good working

relationship and promotes teamwork. By asking the employee to

be part of the solution reinforces the working relationships,

giving the employee a voice in the solution. The solution should



strengthen the teamwork of the organization. And most

employees want a positive solution once they have been heard.

8) Employees want to be heard and once the manager has listened,

there is great willingness to move beyond the issue.

9) The manager must willingly treat employee complaints

seriously. How management handles the issue will spread

through the informal and social network.

10) The manager must be ready to involved the Human

Resource office when unable to resolve the issue at the

department level.

How can employers communicate to resolve issues? Employers

can communicate before the problem exists, through orientation,

trainings, group discussions, department meetings, inter-office email

and messaging, and policies and by continuously collecting

demographics information and data from employees to see if the

methods in place for communicating with the employees is effectively

promoting cultural competence and addressing the issues before they

arise.

How do employers move beyond the issues? Employers can move

beyond the issue when a common ground is met between both

employees and their differences have been heard by the manager.

This is when a willingness to move forward and this is the time to



effectively promote the primary focus is about the organizational

teamwork and the success of the team.

Final RecommendationsTo resolve or minimize cross-culture differences or conflicts between

employees in the workplace starts with developing a plan for

resolving the employee problems. Before developing such a plan, it is

important to point out cultural differences in negotiations that tend to

occur for two main reasons, stereotypical behavior and

misinterpretation of the others’ behaviors.

First, we often rely on stereotypes, which are often pejorative

and can distort the expectations characterized by behavior and

misinterpretations. Rather than relying on stereotypes, the

employer needs to educate the employees to focus on

prototypes, or cultural averages on dimensions of behavior or

values. For example, it is commonly understood that Japanese

negotiators tend to have more silent periods during a

negotiation process. Furthermore, if the negotiator is Japanese

and especially quiet, awareness of cultural porotypes can help

one anticipate and interpret the bargaining behavior.

Second, we tend to misinterpret others’ behaviors, values, and

beliefs by interpreting them through the lens of our own culture.



Employers need to educate employees on learning about each

other diversified differences and their customs, behaviors, and

the reasons why people exhibit such behaviors, help better

understand and accept the differences which make our culture

rich and unique. (Retrieved from

http://www.pon.harvard.edu/daily/conflict-resolution/a-cross-

cultural-negotiation-example-how-to-overcome-cultural-

barriers/).


http://www.pon.harvard.edu/daily/conflict-resolution/a-cross-cultural-negotiation-example-how-to-overcome-cultural-barriers/




Five-Step Plan for Resolving Employee Differences

According to the American Management Association (AMA), there are

five effective steps to dealing with conflict resolution that employers

should follow when dealing with conflict in the workplace. By

adapting the following steps, organizations address the different

personalities, goals, and opinions from employees, allowing for

efficient conflict resolution. The key is not to prevent it from hindering

employees’ professional career development.

Step 1: Identify the source of the conflict.

Managers and HR staff must gather as much information about the

cause of the conflict. The more information, the easier to resolve it.

Gather information through a series of questions to identify the cause,

for example, “When did the employee first feel upset?” “What is the

relationship between that and this incident?” “How did this incident

begin?”

Both parties must be given and equal chance to share their side of the

story. It will give the manager and HR staff a better understanding of

the situation, as well as demonstrate a non-biased impartiality to the

situation. Employers must listen to each disputant, say, “I see” or “uh

huh” to acknowledge the information and encourage them to continue

to open up. 26 E. R. Garcia, MPA Candidate


Step 2: Look beyond the incident.

Often, it is not the situation but the perspective on the situation that

causes anger to fester and ultimately leads to a shouting match or

other visible—and disruptive—evidence of a conflict.



The root cause of the conflict might be a minor problem that occurred

months before, but the level of stress has grown to the point where

the two parties have begun attacking each other personally instead of

addressing the real problem. Asking probing questions will help, for

example, “What do you think happened here?” or “When do you think

the problem between you first arose?”

Step 3: Request solutions.

After getting each party’s viewpoint on the conflict, the next step is to

get each to identify how the situation could be changed. Again,

question the parties to solicit their ideas: “How can you make things

better between you?”

Managers and HR staff have to be active listeners, aware of every

verbal nuance, as well as a good reader of body language.

Just listen. The key is to get the disputants to stop fighting and start

cooperating, and that means steering the discussion away from finger

pointing and toward ways of resolving the conflict.

Step 4: Identify solutions both disputants can support.

Listen for the most acceptable course of action. Point out the merits of

various ideas, not only from each other’s perspective, but in terms of

the benefits to the organization. (For instance, managers and HR staff 28 E. R. Garcia, MPA Candidate


might point out the need for greater cooperation and collaboration to

effectively address team issues and departmental problems.)



Step 5: Agreement.

The manager and HR staff needs to get the two parties to shake hands

and agree to one of the alternatives identified in Step 4. Perhaps

consider writing up a signed contract in which actions and time

frames are specified. However, it might be sufficient to meet with the

individuals and have them answer these questions: “What action plans

will you both put in place to prevent conflicts from arising in the

future?” and “What will you do if problems arise in the future?”

(Retrieved from http://www.amanet.org/training/articles/The-Five-

Steps-to-Conflict-Resolution.aspx).

Implications, Solutions and Workplace Values

When dealing with employee problems, the Human Resources office

need to establish policies outlining the implications to the

organization if the policy is not followed. Employee problems should

include solutions by both parties and recognize the workplace values

that motivates the employees to do their job and do it well.

Organizational Implications: By employers and the HR office

not addressing cultural differences, the implications can lead to

employees mistreating each other, disrupting the workflow,

hindering employee professional growth, lack of motivation and

distrust of management. The implications can lead to low


http://www.amanet.org/training/articles/The-Five-Steps-to-Conflict-Resolution.aspx



employee morale and can lead to financial burden caused by

employees not caring for their job to legal implications such as

discrimination law suites.



Employee – Part of the Solution: By allowing employees to

have a voice and be part of the solution, the manager and HR

office will see a willingness by the employees to move beyond

the issue. As the employees reach a common ground, they feel

they are part of the solution. This increases management’s

credibility and ethical principles, while addressing the

employees’ workplace values.

Workplace Values: The guiding principles that are most

important to an employee about the way that he or she does the

work. These deeply held principles to choose between right and

wrong ways of working, and they help employees make

important decisions and career choices. (Retrieved from

https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/understanding-

workplace-values.htm).

By adapting a plan for addressing employee cross-cultural differences,

both employees and employers will have the peace of mind that

differences will not get in way of production. Employee differences

can be seen as part diverse creative team of employees working,

sharing and learning from one another. All part of a diversified

culturally competent organization.


https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/understanding-workplace-values.htm



Resources

Borrego, E., & Johnson, R. G., III. (2012). Cultural Competence for Public Managers. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.

The Five Steps to Conflict Resolution. (n.d.). Retrieved August 08, 2016, from http://www.amanet.org/training/articles/The-Five-Steps-to-Conflict-Resolution.aspx

History.com Staff. (2010). Civil Rights Act. Retrieved August 08, 2016, from http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-act

How to Resolve Cultural Conflict: Overcoming Cultural Barriers at the Negotiation Table - PON - Program on Negotiation at Harvard Law School. (2016). Retrieved August 08, 2016, from http://www.pon.harvard.edu/daily/conflict-resolution/a-cross-cultural-negotiation-example-how-to-overcome-cultural-barriers

Klingner, D. E., Nalbandian, J., & Llorens, J. (2010). Public Personnel Management: Social Equity and Diversity Management (6th ed., p. 161). New York: Longman.

Office of the Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives Library. (n.d.). Retrieved August 08, 2016, from http://library.clerk.house.gov/reference-files/PPL_CivilRightsAct_1964.pdf

Understanding Workplace Values: Finding the Best Cultural Fit. (n.d.). Retrieved August 08, 2016, from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/understanding-workplace-values.htm






http://www.pon.harvard.edu/daily/conflict-resolution/a-cross-cultural-negotiation-example-how-to-overcome-cultural-barriers

http://www.pon.harvard.edu/daily/conflict-resolution/a-cross-cultural-negotiation-example-how-to-overcome-cultural-barriers







Education

Employee Counseling Plan - Dealing with Cross-Cultural Differences in the Workplace