Tajana_B

//On return from the travels, you begin work in a large 5 star establishments that deals with many international guests.//

Cross cultural conflict is conflict that usually occurs due to cultural differences and ignorance or misunderstanding of those differences. This kind of conflict can occur with a colleague or a customer.

In hospitality industry it is of crucial importance to cater for individual's needs and wants. If the person is not aware of cultural/religious needs of a particular group, it could create great problems for the organisation.

There may be a situation where a person from Middle Eastern background is served pork by staff at the hotel restaurant. It is Ramadan period and the family came from Turkey for a holiday. None of the family members can speak English. The father starts complaining and raising his voice. The situation has attracted attention from other guests. My approach to this problem would be:
 * 1) collect and discuss the facts
 * 2) clarify my position
 * 3) identify alternative solutions
 * 4) agree on solution
 * 5) implement the decision


 * approach the table where the family is sitting and ask the gentleman what seems to be the problem and how can i be of assistance
 * if the person continues complaining in Turkish, I would call an interpreter at the National Interpreter Service. While calling it, it would give the client a chance to calm down.
 * After listening to the clients story through the interpreter, I would let th client know that i understand the problem and offer him the alternatives. The alternatives would be free meal at the hotel, complimentary basket, take away or a free meal from a Middle Eastern cuisine restaurant.
 * If the person refuses the alternatives and continues complaining, blaming the waiter for purposely serving pork, the family will be asked to move to the lobby. The interpreter will be asked to come to the premises.
 * I would ask the person to retell the story to clarify why he blames the waiter. After I would call the waiter to apologise to minimise the chance of the person becoming aggressive.
 * In a calm voice, the person will be notified of the alternatives again.
 * Should they refuse, they will be escorted to their rooms by security. The issue will be discussed with the main manager should the guest continue complaining.


 * Other aspects of complaint handling**

Responsiveness

-the amount of time taken to address the issue. In this case I would've approached the guest immediately. This would prevent an incident occurring and notifies the guest that they have my attention.This means thinking ahead, being perceptive and using initiative.

Body language

Body language often tells us more about the person's feelings then what they express verbally. In this case my body language would need to convey that i care and i want to help. I would approach the guest with a smile and looking directly at the person I'm talking to. This would create a positive image. being aware of the customs and behaviours in Middle Eastern countries, in this case i would not:
 * get to close to the person
 * avoid eye contact with the female members of the family
 * avoid passing anything with a left hand as it is considered unclean.

Vocal image- In this situation my voice should be calm and act in an interested manner. Verbal image-In this case my language should be simple with straight forward phrases because the person does not speak English. If the person's name is difficult to pronounce, I would avoid repeating it. The ability to express ourselves and to be certain others understand is a crucial element in resolving problems.

Politeness

In hospitality industry, service providers must maintain certain levels of politeness to keep customers returning. Greeting the client- I would approach the guest and say Good afternoon or Hello because it is more universally known. Give my name- This is particularly important in longer transaction requiring follow up. In this case i would let the guest and the interpreter call me by my first name.

Recognising their needs and wants- It is important to acknowledge the guest's culture and accommodate their needs. Alternatives to resolution would be a free meal prepared in a specified way, take away or free meal at a Middle Eastern cuisine restaurant.

Give the guest a clear message that i am there to help- In this situation I would approach the guest by saying "Is there anything I can help you with"

Respect

Service staff should communicate a genuine respect for clients. respect involves acknowledging a client's right to want something and to have needs and wants. In this particular case, I would have to show and express my respect for their need and their culture.

Flexibility

Flexibility is a mean of being adaptive of guest's needs and wants even if they are out of the ordinary. In this case, we would have to provide food made n a special way according to Islamic religious customs.


 * Complaint handling strategy**

Listen and Acknowledge
 * listen to the client's version of the story
 * acknowledge they are important as well as their feedback
 * use words like "yes, i understand"

Express concern and empathy
 * express empathy that they have been presented with something which has caused them great discomfort
 * express concern for the mistake thats been made

Take responsibility
 * immediately and sincerely apologise on behalf of the organisation
 * let them know that hotel take full responsibility for the mistake made
 * offer the guest alternatives to make up for the inconvenience cause

Indicate what action will be taken
 * offer alternatives and let the guest choose

Take action
 * act now and enforce and deliver the alternative chosen

Follow up
 * let the manager know should the guest want to take the matter further


 * Difficult Situation with a staff member from a different cultural background**

Conflicts in workplace are common occurrence. It is important to recognise there is a problem and learn how to manage it. The conflict can arise between employees from different cultural backgrounds**.** A situation that can arise in the workplace could be related to festivals or religious holidays and observances.Persons from different religious backgrounds need to take different holidays then their colleagues. This can create tension because others may need to do their work or may feel disadvantaged. In a situation where a person is from Serbian Orthodox background, he/ she will require extra days off as Orthodox Christmas in on 7th January and Serbian Orthodox New Year is on the 14th January. Other employees complain that that is not fair and saying things such as " Why can't she be like normal people and celebrate Christmas in December." This means the tension has been created because person's fellow employees were not understanding of her religion.

My approach to this problem would be:
 * 1) Identify the problem
 * Discomfort- employees at the organisation are complaining on the fellow worker who receives extra days off to celebrate Christmas and New year in January. They feel it is not fair and that they are disadvantaged.
 * Incident- there were rumours started by some of the employees making unflattering remarks about her and her religion
 * Misunderstandings- other employees do not have adequate understanding of the religion the person is observing and they feel it is not necessary for him/her to take extra days off
 * Tension- the employee who needs to take days off and other employees have not spoken since the rumours started
 * Crisis- The work efficiency is dropping because the employees are protesting as they feel disadvantaged

The steps to resolution to this conflict would be: - communicate thoughts and ideas clearly - communicate using appropriate words or gestures - effectively listen to other person's opinion and perceptives - display sympathy, empathy and understanding - be attuned to others' needs and wants
 * Respect and acknowledge that everyone has different expectations and needs
 * Verbalise what you want
 * Enforce the solution agreed upon. The outcome may be win-win, win-lose or lose-lose

The solution to this problem would be:
 * win-win outcome- other employees will receive equal days off for religious holidays ( other employees will receive days off for when they celebrate Christmas and Easter and the other individual will receive days off whenever they celebrate these holidays)

Possible cultural misunderstandings with Brazilian people

Brazilian people are very outgoing and like to celebrate. While talking to them, people may find them aggressive or rude because they speak loud and use their hands often. A person may feel like they are being shouted at which may result in them avoiding the person or be rude or shout at them in return.

How would my cultural experience help me when dealing with customers and colleagues with cultural and social differences?

Forms of address:In some countries persons are addressed by their last name and in some they are addressed by their first name. In Brazil, people like to be addressed by their first name to avoid any formality.My cultural experience has thought me to take greater care when addressing personnel to avoid being disrespectful and rude.

Levels of formality/informality- Some persons may not like formal situations because they make them feel uncomfortable. In hospitality industry, it is important to accommodate customer's needs wants.In Brazil, people act in a casual manner and are rarely involved in formalities.

Work ethics- Different cultures have different perspectives on what is right and whats wrong. This can impact on person's behaviors directly. One person's right might be someones view of wrong. It is important not to try and pursue other people to think like we do. By knowing this, i would try to make a medium between the two different perspectives to avoid conflict.

Personal grooming- Different cultitres require different attires/clothing. In Middle Eastern culture women wear a hijab, in India women and men wear colourful clothing, in Brazil there is little difference between daily clothes and work clothes. I have become aware of that our culture impacts our personal presentation. It is important to be aware of the person cultural background before judging what they wear and how they look.

Family obligations- There are many types of families in our society ie. big families, small families, single parent families, foster families, same sex couples etc. In some cultures family is the most important factor in our lives therefore some persons may ask for extra days off to spend with their family or some may ask for extra days work to earn more for their family. This would create understanding in the workplace to avoid other employees feeling disadvantaged.

Religious Holidays- Different cultures and religions have different festive seasons. Muslim people practice Ramadan at the end of the year, Christians celebrate Christmas in December and January, Chinese celebrate New Years in February. These people may come into an establishment where we work to celebrate these festivities. It is important to accommodate their needs and show respect for them. In the workplace, these people may be required to take extra days off to celebrate. By being aware of this, i will show respect and care for them.

Customs and Special Needs- Many cultures have different customs that they practice. In Brazil there are many festivals and celebrations where women are required to make food for extended family. These customs may follow up with special needs such as extra days off, seclusion(Muslims pray 3 times a day), vegetarians meals supplied at the workplace( Buddhists do not eat meat) etc. While working, i will take great care to accommodate customers needs and wants to make the experience enjoyable for both of us. I will show respect and understanding towards other employees from different cultural backgrounds.

Reference- The Road to Hospitality, Skills for the new professional, Second Edition. Vivien O'Shannessy and Dean Minett, 2003, pages 90- 96 Chapter 3, pages 224-228 Chapter Eight