Managing Diversity: Toward a Globally Inclusive Workplace 2e

Michalle Mor Barak

Diversity Management: Toward a Globally Inclusive Workplace

Michàlle Mor Barak, Ph.D.

Chapter 9:

Interpersonal Relationships in a Global Context

What are relational Mental Models?

Relational Mental Models – are schemas that structure our perceptions and the way we communicate and relate to others.

Cultural Styles and Relational Mental Models

Relational mental models that emphasize interconnections in business relationships:

China – guanxi – one is expected to attend carefully to the interconnections among business colleagues and partners
Korea – chaebol – or company familialism, structures business relationships to reflect both work and personal features
Mexican simpatia – places importance on proactively creating rapport and personal connections)
Cultural Styles and Relational Mental Models

In contrast:

The Protestant relational ideology in European-American culture maintains a sharp distinction between the relational mental models used at work and outside work.
Cultural Styles and Relational Mental Models

Emotional Detachment vs. Emotional Involvement

Cultural Styles and Relational Mental Models

Social-Emotional Mental Models

People guided by a social-emotional mental model focus their attention and efforts on emotional and interpersonal concerns as well as the task at hand (for example, focusing on the team’s productivity as well while closely managing interpersonal harmony).

Task-focused Mental Models

People guided by a task-focused mental model focus exclusively on elements of the situation directly related to the task (such as whether progress on the agenda is being made, steps are being taken to meet upcoming deadlines, and other issues related more to the job than the people involved)

Combined versus Differentiated Relational Styles

Cultural Styles and Relational Mental Models

Conflict and Harmony

Cultural Styles and Relational Mental Models

Task-focused Mental Models

Managers in these cultures, although not enjoying conflict and interpersonal discord, do not perceive it necessarily to be a limiting factor for a team’s success.

Social-Emotional Mental Models

Managers in these cultures interpret conflict as an inherent barrier to success: a team, collaboration, or partnership without interpersonal harmony can rarely be productive.

Hofstede’s Individualist vs. Collectivist Cultures
Interpersonal Relationships and Communications

Individualist Cultures Collectivist Cultures
Individual autonomy Group unit and harmony
Self-oriented Group-oriented
Individual values Group values
Self pride in accomplishments Shame avoidance
Cultural Context and Communication Orientation

Interpersonal Relationships and Communications