Budaya individu mempengaruhi amalan pembangunan sumber manusia, sensitiviti
budaya tenaga kerja di peringkat negara dan antarabangsa serta pengurusan budaya
dalam organisasi. Semua individu pekerja samada di peringkat atasan atau
bawahan, akan membawa budaya masyarakat masing-masing ke organisasi. Istilah
ini dinamakan Bagasi Budaya (cultural baggage). Bagasi budaya ialah kecenderungan
bagi seseorang untuk membawa nilai dan amalan budaya masyarakat masing-masing
ke tempat kerja. Pekerja akan membawa bersama budaya masyarakat mereka kepada
organisasi. Kecenderungan ini meresapi pemikiran, pertuturan dan tingkah laku
tanpa individu berkenaan menyedari akan penyerapan tersebut.
Di dalam organisasi, pekerja akan cenderung membawa bersama budaya
masyarakat mereka dalam melaksanakan amalan HRD termasuk pemikiran, pertuturan
dan tingkah laku tanpa individu berkenaan menyedari akan penyerapan tersebut
seperti yang disebut dalam konsep Bagasi Budaya (cultural baggage).
- Kesedaran dan kefahaman mengenai nilai dan andaian orang dari budaya yang berbeza
- Pengetahuan tentang amalan kerja sebagaimana yang berlaku dalam budaya yang berbeza: konsep masa, kerja selesai kakitangan, etika, hubungan kerja, protokol, etika dan sensitiviti seperti yang diperhatikan oleh setiap budaya
- Memperolehi kemahiran yang sesuai, strategi dan teknik untuk berinteraksi dengan budaya tuan rumah untuk tujuan perniagaan dan sosial
- Isu dan cabaran pengurusan antarabangsa
- Menguruskan interaksi silang budaya dalam tetapan perniagaan
Types of Cultural Interface at the Malaysian
Workplace
INTRA CULTURAL - Within one ethnic group
Value - Joking relationship, Closeness, Polite, friendly, Simple, Indirect
INTER CULTURAL - With different ethnic groups within a country e.g.
Malays
Value - Rapport building, Code switching, Common grounds and history, Share
experience and meaning
CROSS CULTURAL - Between two different cultures e.g. Malaysian and Americans
Value - Direct and to the point, Proper English, Formal English, Specificity,
Punctuality, Timeliness, Efficiency, and Effectiveness
MALAYSIAN THEMES EFFECTING INTERPERSONAL
RELATIONS
- Preserving Face
- Language of Character
- Consensus-seeking and Cooperation
- To Help One Another
- Member System
Implications of understanding our Malaysian
cultural dimensions for organization
- Harmony is more important than control
- More relationship-oriented than task driven
- More hierarchical than egalitarian
- Driven by shame than guilt
- High Context form of communication
- Polychromic time than monochromic
- A More Related (we) Self than separated (I)
- Religious than secular
Management Practice-
Multicultural Workplace
- Leading
- Communicating
- Motivating
- Making decisions
- Counselling & guidance
- Managing conflict
- Leading – Face, nurturing group, relationship, TOWKAY, TUAN, SMALLMAN (humble), Caring
- Communicating - Face, polite, cooperation
- Making decisions – FACE, respect for age, harmony
- Managing conflict – non-confrontational, face, respect for others
Admirable Qualities of Leader
- Yang mulia (righteous)
- Berbudi bahasa (humble & well mannered)
- Baik tutur bahasa (say pleasant things)
- Murah hati (willing to spend money)
- Berusaha (industrious)
- Tajam & gigih (great alertness)
- Empathy, humility, tactfulness
- Working unobtrusively & enlisting the assistance and moral support of others (imam)
- Warak alim
MOTIVATING
- Malays are motivated by their affiliation to groups, families & individuals.
- They would respond better if they could see benefits not just to the company but also to their family, community, nation and religion.
COMUNICATION
- Good manners
- Indirectness & subtle
- Tactful
- Holistic
- Give and take
- Gentle
- Softness (vocal, tone)
- Proper decorum
- Politeness (BERBUDI BAHASA)
- Diplomatic
- Less disclosure (face saving – jaga maruah)
Terfikir?
Apakah yang dimaksudkan budaya memandang timur ke barat?. Apa yang kita boleh berlajar daripada budaya barat dalam amalan industri?.
Persoalanya kenapa mesyuarat organisasi di Malaysia mengambil masa yang lama? dan kenapa ahli mesyuarat cenderung untuk menunggu ketua membuat keputusan dan
menerima arahan sebelum mereka bertindak.
Membina hubungan sangat penting dalam mesyuarat. Ahli mesyuarat suka berkata "Ya" tetapi apabila mereka tidak dapat memenuhi komitmen dan jarang kata 'tidak'. Kenapa sukar katakan 'tidak'?
Membina hubungan sangat penting dalam mesyuarat. Ahli mesyuarat suka berkata "Ya" tetapi apabila mereka tidak dapat memenuhi komitmen dan jarang kata 'tidak'. Kenapa sukar katakan 'tidak'?
Mengapa organisasi begitu lambat untuk bergerak?. Kadang-kadang mesyuarat panjang lebar dan sukar untuk membuat keputusan.
Mengapa pengurusan organisasi tidak peduli tentang masa?
Menepati tarikh akhir penghantaran selalunya tidak patuhi? Kenapa? Sebab amalan budaya merayu.
Organisasi sukar untuk membuat inovasi kerana tidak sanggup mendapat 'sindrom menyalahkan'.
Bagaimana orang Asia menyatakan berita/maklumat negatif?
Bagaimana orang Asia menyatakan berita/maklumat negatif?
Apakah cara yang tidak langsung dan langsung bercakap?
Apakah sistem yang sopan yang kita ada untuk memahami dan menghormati?
BUDAYA BARAT
- Openness and directness in face-to-face discussion. “If you don’t know, please say don’t know” (uncertainty avoidance)
- Recommended to Malaysian to adapt this value in business activities but have to be sensitive and responsive to Malaysian cultures
Leadership
- Criteria that a leader should have is leading from the front likes military
- Communication skills is important to deliver clear instruction including the objectives and time frame (what, why, when).
- Expected subordinates to work in instruction but need to be sensitive to the way of instructing and asking
- As a leader, it is advisable that not to scold subordinates in public (preserving face)
Direct and explicit
- When conveying negative news, direct approaches are better and efficient
- Equality is important than hierarchy
- Prefer address first-name basis, even in the formal meeting
- All is same level, so that discussion can be more openness and directness
Motivation
- Although working is important but also need to spend time to relax, eg. travel
- Spectrum of reward vs. punishment systems at Malaysia is very wide and broad
- Building relationship with subordinates is important to motivate them to work but the relationship is not in deep and personal basis.
Managing Crises and Problems
- Direct and explicit communication is important to convey clear instruction
- Being open and direct
- Prepare to listen and accept others suggestion where appropriate and relevant in making decision
- Setting clear objectives with time frame
Issues and Challenges of Working across
Cultures
- Need to be always aware and alert of the ways of doing things at Malaysia
- Issues of religion and hierarchy
- Ways of communication (indirect, passing the buck or play ‘taichi’)
- Languages
Expectation for Malaysian Workers
- Values that found from Malaysian are respectful and helpful
- Malaysian are encourage but not a force:
- to be more openness and directness where appropriate and applicable
- not be shy in working relationship
- be on time
CULTURAL SURGERY:
Culture can be both a tool and a trap.
By understanding the values and assumptions of our culture, managers.
- STRENGTHEN (respect) - Shared work practices which we already do well and are supportive of productive work habits
- NURTURE develop - Nurture own local indigenous values and assumptions which can be harnessed to drive productive work practices in order to be globally responsive
- DISCARD ignore - Discard practices (symbols, rituals) which when taken to the extreme tend to create dysfunction- waste time, energy and block work efficiency (pathology)
- SURFACE and REPLACE reinvent - Surface existing values and assumptions which are unproductive and has no value added benefit
