New report reveals cultural differences in how employees approach their work
Having cultural awareness is an important skill of a global business leader, according to an expert, as a new report reveals the varying attitudes of employees towards work.
Michele Haugh, from EarlyHR Solutions and EarlyEngage, said cultural awareness is a skill that has to be taught, modelled, and talked about consistently.
"When leaders begin learning about the cultural rhythms that matter to their employees, it changes how they lead. It shifts conversations from assumptions to curiosity," Haugh said in a recent blog post from Online DISC Profile.
"Something as simple as acknowledging a holiday, offering schedule flexibility, or asking someone how they celebrate an important day sends a powerful signal of respect."
Haugh, an expert in fostering people-first cultures, underscored that global leadership "requires humility."
"It requires leaders to replace assumptions with learning and to create an environment where cultural differences are recognised rather than ignored," she said.
This quality in practice can be demonstrated by looking at how success is defined in workplaces.
"Success, for example, should be defined by deliverables and results, quality of work, collaboration and contribution, and impact on the organisation," Haugh said.
"How this is achieved may look different across cultures, so it is imperative to clearly define what success, failure, and excellence look like, while allowing for diverse approaches to those outcomes."
Varying cultural attitudes towards work
Haugh's remarks come as a new report from Online DISC Profile unveiled the different cultural attitudes of employees towards work.
The report, which polled 1,339 people globally, found that 60% of employees are very likely or likely to work late, even if unpaid.
However, another 49% of employees said they prefer finishing work only in the allotted time.
But these figures shift depending on the location, according to the report.
Employees in the Philippines are more likely to put work first than those in the United Kingdom. But employees in the UK are more likely to stay late than their counterparts in the Philippines.
Employees in Japan can fall into the "workaholic" type, according to the findings. On the other hand, employees in Finland rank good work-life balance very highly.
Workers in the United States, Brazil, Australia, and Ireland are also shown to work the longest average working days, longer than the OECD average of 36 hours a week.
Addressing the cultural divide
According to the report, management teams need to be considerate about how their employees work.
It also underscored the need for effective communication to understand people's different working styles and attitudes.
Haugh said a good strategy for HR leaders is creating shared awareness and learning moments for leaders and teams.
"This can be done through consistent micro-learning and relationship building through shared experiences, but awareness alone is not enough. HR professionals can also help the wider team establish clear communication expectations," she said.
