Exploring the unique contributions of different cultural groups in a hospital in the North West Province
Abstract
Hospitals in South Africa are filled with staff and nurses from diverse cultural groups. This brings about a workforce with unique qualities and contributions. These qualities have, however, become the basis for conflict, separation, mistrust and communication barriers within the workplace. The unique quality that each individual contributes to the workplace is often misjudged as differences or annoying habits. Within the literature, it is evident that, although there is a big focus on diversity management in South African legislation in organisations, there is no specific attention directed towards the appreciation of diversity, and more specifically, cultural diversity.
Differences within cultures in the workplace should be viewed as an opportunity rather than a threat. By viewing diversity as an opportunity, it creates a space in the organisation for positive organisational change with beneficial properties such as improved productivity, creativity, work quality, commitment, trust and overall satisfaction. Research indicates that the strength of a work team can lie in its rich diversity, because diverse teams face more challenges in aligning their goals, establishing trust and relationships, communicating priorities, making decisions together and implementing actions. It is, therefore, essential that the South African workforce and legislation shift their focus from merely complying with the minimum requirements, to creating awareness and respect for cultural differences among people in the workplace, so that transformation can take place, and achieve great success with regard to diversity management.
The focus of this study is to explore how people perceive different cultures within their organisation and to investigate whether people are aware of the cultural contributions from their colleagues to the workplace. The researcher also aims to get an understanding of the employees’ specific needs in terms of cultural diversity and whether they believe that an
awareness of different cultures and their contributions would spill over to foster an appreciation for these diversity aspects.
A qualitative research design from a social constructivist perspective was considered as the most suitable paradigm for the purpose of this study. Purposive sampling was utilised and participants’ responses were obtained by means of one-on-one, semi-structured interviews. The population of the study comprised of participants (N = 16) from two different hospitals within the North West Province, actively involved in the care taking of patients. The responses obtained from the interviews were transcribed and thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. Themes and sub-themes were extracted from the data and direct quotations were added to substantiate the findings.
It became evident that the participants did not have a clear understanding of the meaning of culture, nor what it consists of. It was also found that even though some people were unaware of the unique cultural contributions that their colleagues bring to the organisation, they would indeed like to know and learn more about other cultures in order to work together better and to develop an appreciation for cultural contributions.
Finally, recommendations were made for future research and the contributions of the present study to Industrial/Organisational Psychology in practice.
Hospitale in Suid-Afrika is gevul met personeellede en verpleërs vanuit diverse kulturele groepe. Dit lei tot ʼn werkerskorps met unieke kwaliteite en bydraes. Hierdie kwaliteite het egter die basis geword vir konflik, skeiding, wantroue en kommunikasie-hindernisse in die werksplek. Die unieke kwaliteit wat elke individu bydra tot die werkplek word dikwels misgis as verskille of hinderlike gewoontes. Binne die literatuur is dit duidelik dat, hoewel daar ʼn sterk fokus op diversiteitsbestuur in Suid-Afrikaanse wetgewing in organisasies is, is daar geen spesifieke aandag gerig op die waardering van diversiteit, en meer spesifiek, kulturele diversiteit nie.
Verskille binne kulture in die werkplek behoort as ʼn geleentheid eerder as ʼn bedreiging gesien te word. Deur diversiteit as ʼn geleentheid te sien, word ruimte geskep in die organisasie vir positiewe organisasie-verandering met voordelige eienskappe soos verbeterde produktiwiteit, kreatiwiteit, vertroue en algehele tevredenheid. Navorsing toon dat die sterkpunt van ʼn werkspan kan lê in sy ryk diversiteit, aangesien diverse spanne meer uitdagings in die gesig staar in die belyning van hul doelwitte, en daardeur die daarstelling van vertroue en verhoudings, die kommunikeer van prioriteite, die gesamentlike neem van besluite en die implementering van aksies. Dit is dus van uiterste belang dat die Suid-Afrikaanse werkerskorps en wetgewing hul fokus verskuif vanaf die blote voldoening aan die minimum vereistes, tot die daarstelling van bewustheid en respek vir kulturele verskille tussen mense in die werkplek sodat transformasie kan plaasvind en ʼn groot mate van sukses behaal kan word ten opsigte van diversiteitsbestuur.
Die fokus van hierdie studie is om ondersoek in te stel oor hoe mense verskillende kulture binne hul organisasie ervaar, en om ondersoek in te stel of mense bewus is van die kulturele bydraes wat kan voortspruit vanuit hul kollegas tot die werkplek. Die navorser poog ook om ʼn
beter begrip te bekom ten opsigte van die werknemers se spesifieke behoeftes in terme van die kulturele diversiteit en of hulle glo dat ʼn bewustheid van verskillende kulture en hul bydraes kan oorspoel om ʼn waardering vir hierdie diversiteitsaspekte kan kweek.
‘m Kwalitatiewe navorsingsontwerp vanuit sosiale konstruktiwisme is as die mees toepaslike paradigma vir die doeleindes van hierdie studie geag. ʼn Gerieflikheidsteekproef is gebruik aangesien deelnemers se response bekom is deur aangesig-tot-aangesig-, semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude. Die populasie van die studie het bestaan uit deelnemers (N = 16) vanuit twee hospitale in die Noordwes Provinsie wat aktief betrokke is in die versorging van pasiënte. Die response wat bekom is vanuit die onderhoude is getranskribeer en tematiese analise is gebruik om die data te analiseer. Temas en subtemas is vanuit die data onttrek en direkte aanhalings is ingevoeg om die bevindings te staaf.
Dit het duidelik geword dat die deelnemers nie ʼn duidelike begrip van die betekenis van kultuur, of waaruit dit bestaan, gehad het nie. Daar is ook bevind dat hoewel sommige van die mense onbewus was van die unieke kulturele bydraes wat hul kollegas tot die organisasie kan voeg, hulle inderdaad graag meer wil weet en leer oor ander kulture om sodoende beter saam te werk en om ʼn waardering vir kulturele bydraes te ontwikkel.
Ter opsomming is aanbevelings vir toekomstige navorsing gemaak, sowel as die bydraes van die huidige studie tot Bedryf-/Organisasiesielkunde in praktyk.