Changing workplace demographics in the U.S. are everywhere, even in our industry. Since the last Census count, diversity in the workplace has been dramatically transformed. People of color make up nearly one-third of the labor force, women make up more than half, gay and transgendered people comprise more than six percent, and the number of people with disabilities in the labor force is on the rise. Day to day interactions with our clients and customers are always a priority for us, especially when there are disagreements and when conflict arises; but what about the conflict within our own organizations? Do we have standard approaches to conflict resolution? Even if we do, are those traditional approaches aligned with the different cultural orientations within our own companies? 

Historic conflict management practices suggest that disputes were more easily resolved with commonly understood and accepted resolution processes. Many of these processes were quite informal and relied on long-established personal work relationships, understood boundaries for behavior, and closeness of employees to their managers. However, in today’s workplace, differing cultural orientations are also critical in defining, acknowledging, and resolving workplace conflicts. Culturally based conflict involves not only how we look at different attitudes that are rooted in cultural norms, but also how we respond to and resolve conflicts. Suffice it to say, there are different cultural triggers for and expectations around conflict and what constitutes fairness in resolving those conflicts. The following is an illustration of culturally based conflict and possible solutions to that conflict.

Some years ago, as a manager employed by an industry-leading company in another business (this industry is closely associated with motor vehicles as well), I was faced with a situation where conflict arose between two of my customer service employees who practiced Islam and the rest of the customer service team who were non-Islamic. The Islamic religion requires its members to pray at least five times per day (termed Salaat), and three of those prayer times occurred during the workday. When the Islamic employees were hired at my location, they requested from me and my superiors that they be allowed to perform Salaat during their work shifts. I didn’t think this was an unreasonable ask, so I convinced my manager that I could make this work without disrupting work schedules or team chemistry. And thus, an accommodation for prayer had been made for these Islamic team members. The other team members seemed to be on board with this accommodation, as they trusted my judgment to ensure that service would not be compromised. After several weeks of operations, making this exception for the Islamic customer service team members did not sit well with most of the non-Islamic customer service team as the peak hours for business coincided with those prayer times. This conflict made it very difficult to service customers with efficiency and it significantly increased stressful situations between employees and customers and among team members as well. The non-Islamic team members felt that service should not be sacrificed for religious accommodations. This attitude made the Islamic employees feel alienated and unwanted and as their manager, I was faced with a dilemma that needed a resolution that I was not equipped to offer. Naturally, I turned to my manager and our local human resources (HR) office for guidance and answers to this situation that was escalating. While HR met with my management team and discussed what, if any, policy could be drafted and implemented, the Islamic team members resigned from the company, as they felt that management would not see their side of this argument. 

Not only did the Islamic team members feel like they were forced to choose between work and religion, complicating this employee relations matter was the absence of a personnel policy that could have resolved this conflict. Today, I work in a much smaller organization, yet I could be facing the very same situation previously mentioned. I have an employee who works in a customer service role who has recently reembraced his commitment to the Islamic faith. He takes his prayer during working hours but is supported by his immediate supervisor and his teammates when he needs that time for spiritual communion. I am equally supportive of his prayer time as well, and the schedule we have created to accommodate his need has not been problematic at all. But what if this wasn’t the case? What if his teammates and supervisor rejected his request for individual time for prayer during work hours? As the chief of operations, and a member of executive management, how would I deal with this conflict? Because of my previous experience with a similar matter, I would employ a three-pronged approach to this culturally based conflict. First, gather all parties and openly and honestly address the conflict. Due to the impact on the entire team, this conflict could not, and should not, be resolved in a silo. Next, allow the team members to craft a resolution process where they outline techniques to resolve conflicts. Finally, agree to let team members assist HR and executive management with drafting an organization policy that recognizes religious practice during the workday as an employee right and establishes guidelines for all employees regardless of their religious orientation.

Culturally based conflict can be problematic for frontline managers, HR managers, and organization leaders. Employees expect their employers to provide guidance in the resolution of all conflicts, but in today’s diverse workplaces, generic conflict resolution practices are not as effective. However, to expect businesses to create culturally based conflict resolution methods for every diverse group is simply not practical. So how does an organization manage conflict while recognizing that individual constituencies bring differing cultural norms and orientations to the workplace? Well, it’s not easy, but there are some measures that organizations can employ to manage culturally based conflict, one of which is to recognize that this type of conflict is a real business issue. That is, if it is not recognized and managed, culturally based conflict can have a direct impact on your bottom line, productivity, customer service, and legal stance. While some business leaders may have serious doubts about this impact, others, including HR professionals or employee relations managers, can sway these questioners by increasing their understanding of the financial impact of such conflict. To demonstrate this, managers should calculate the actual dollar cost of conflict or identify indices that effect customer service satisfaction and trustworthiness on productivity and/or goal attainment.

Another action that organizations can take to manage culturally based conflict is to remedy the conflict as soon as it arises. Most commonly, conflict is created at the individual level, which is where it is best addressed. However, this can be extremely difficult for many employees, especially if the conflict is within one’s own peer group, as oftentimes no one wants to be the one to broach the matter and possibly risk being ostracized. Nevertheless, action and/or communication is warranted. The action can be overt or subtle, but taking no action or stance often indicates tacit approval of the conflict which could escalate. Therefore, it is imperative that employees are adequately trained and possess the skills and abilities necessary to both identify and resolve such conflict in its infancy. This is critical to minimizing any negative impact on the business. In fact, a leading financial services firm has created a training course where employees and managers are taught to resolve problems cooperatively. The instruction includes considering and communicating perspectives, discussing, and generating creative options, and drafting mutually acceptable agreements.

Last, as previously mentioned organizations must recognize the need for addressing culturally-based conflict and make a commitment to educate its HR professionals and managers to communicate with diverse populations and develop those conflict resolution skills that would be appropriate for those diverse populations. HR managers and company leadership need to set the tone, the guideline, and the policy for managing culturally based conflict. They can also serve as diversity coaches helping employees and managers to clarify those disputes, uncover their causes, and create effective approaches to resolving the conflict. Another role for HR professionals and business leaders is that of consultant. They can work with teams, designing and crafting interventions that can assist employees in establishing acceptable, and respectable, communication and behavior when it is suspected that culturally based conflict has surfaced.

Modern day organizational performance, financially and operationally, is impacted by the diversity of our workforce. Businesses that want to reach certain markets are now compelled to staff their firms with individuals who are representative of that target market and who understand how to “reach” that target market. Companies that are committed to positive growth realize that there is a direct correlation between their diversity management strategy and the effect on their bottom lines. These organizations understand that culturally based conflict management is a key component of their overall business plans.