Tolerance and Diverse Workplaces

In order to achieve intercultural proficiency, one must practice tolerance.  The global world is no place for those who are close-minded and perceive themselves as superior.  The global market is becoming increasingly multi-ethnic making tolerance a vital trait to have.

Workplaces are also becoming highly diversified and have started to keep quotas of hiring people from different cultures.  Some job descriptions also state that they require people who “must be able to interact with ethnically diverse personnel”.

Moreover, empathy is also a preferred attribute.  This shows one’s ability to understand an issue or matter through another’s eyes and wanting to reach a common ground.

An example of tolerance is when the cross-cultural business project took place between Germany’s Siemens, Japan’s Toshiba, and America’s IBM.  Scientists from these companies worked together in New York to develop a revolutionary computer chip.  The Siemens employees had been briefed about the North American managers and their “hamburger style” management.  According to the Germans, when managers need to criticize their subordinates they start with small talk like “How are you and how’s the family?” which is the bun on top of the hamburger.  After that comes the meat, which is the criticism.  Finally, they end with encouraging words which is the bun at the bottom of the burger.  The cross-cultural trainer at Siemens mentions, “With the Germans all you get is the meat.  With the Japanese all you get is the buns; in fact you have to smell the meat.”

In other words, Germans are more direct, North Americans are less direct, and the Japanese are very modest.   

Despite such differences in the contexts of their cultures, they managed to work together and accomplish their goals because they accepted the differences between them and adapted by tolerating and empathizing with others and their cultural backgrounds.  Thus, creating a harmonious compromise and ideal workplace.