Diversity In The Workplace

The phrases “two are better than one” or “a group can achieve more than an individual” are something I hear often. However, the diversity of opinions, cultures, and ideas among the members in a group can cause unconformity and conflicts. Working in a group means that individuals have to cooperate with each other to achieve a certain goal, despite the differences that may exist. In order to get a better understanding of the influence of diversity in the workplace, I interviewed Luis Overcast, the director of an English school in Mexico composed mainly by people from Mexico and the United States, including a couple of Chinese teachers. The positive outcome that the students get from learning about different cultures is remarkable, said Luis. …show more content…
In a casual situation, when you are introduced to somebody you kiss each other’s cheek. This just happens between people from the opposite sex or between woman, never from men to men. However, this is not something that applies to a work situation. If you are introduced to somebody in the workplace, a gentile handshake is the appropriate way to greet someone. Maybe I scared a few male colleagues I had because I could not remember the “kissing on the cheek rule”, said Mr. Overcast during the interview. Second, punctuality is not as valuable in Mexico as it is in the United States. Most Mexicans consider acceptable to get ten to fifteen minutes late, even when they may interrupt or delay a meeting. According to Mr. Overcast, he would get very frustrated when he had to start a meeting and the members where not there, but he learned that it is something part of the culture, not something Mexicans do on purpose. I learned this very well that now, I am the one who usually gets late to meetings …show more content…
Overcast noticed that the teaching method was very different among teachers from different cultures. A couple years ago, they had two Chinese teachers teaching English. It seemed like they would always practice what they were going to say before class. “I remember this Chinese professor, Esther Chan” She would always have an outline of the class in her desk and follow every single aspect in that outline, said Mr. Overcast. Chinese people prefer to plan ahead and follow an order to do things instead of improvise things. On the other hand, Mexican teachers are very spontaneous. They certainly cover the material they are supposed to cover in one class but do not follow a specific “outline”. Mexicans appreciate building relationships a lot, thus, getting to know the student is very important for