Introduction
Society has reached an unprecedented level of cultural diversity due to rapid globalization. People of different backgrounds are able to travel around the globe and partake in professional and educational processes, thus forming international teams. Each individual has a different mindset, being driven by particular feelings and thoughts, which is why any social process is highly complex and difficult to manage. Once cultural differences are added to the equation, complexity attains an extremely high level, fueled by stereotypes. Despite substantial progress made in recent years, prejudices remain the unfortunate reality of 21st-century society. In order to prevent the team from becoming inefficient due to intercultural conflicts, an accurate assessment of the workplace atmosphere is required along with particular steps to solve the issue. The purpose of this paper is to analyze team members of the organization codenamed ABC within the context of workplace stereotyping and provide practical recommendations.
Affective and Cognitive Functioning in Relation to Stereotyping
In order to analyze the particular situation of a diverse team and discern specific underlying issues, one must begin by describing internal psychological processes contributing to the development of stereotypes. Affect and cognition are two primary processes of the human brain, the former relating to feelings and the latter dealing with thoughts. Within the complex psychological framework of the human mind, both aspects become integrated, thus generating the person’s behavior, character, and attitudes. Moons et al. (2017) write that the emotional, or affective, processes play an important role in bias formation. First of all, affect is inseparable from empathic forecasts, which focus on predicting the feelings of others (Moons et al., 2017). Affective forecasts rely on them, taking the alleged reaction of the other party and attempting to predict the person’s own feelings before the interaction even begins. Fueled by stereotypes, affective processes within the human mind become subject to bias, thus harming the nature of the potential interaction.
Stereotyping, along with prejudices, is, therefore, capable of influencing both affective and cognitive functions of a human mind. The concept of cognitive functioning refers to basic processes that allow each person to perceive and interact with the environment (Fisher et al., 2019). Despite the particular nature of cognitive functioning, in reality, it cannot be separated from the affective aspects of the mind. Evidently, one’s feelings have a considerable impact on the way he or she thinks, and, as mentioned earlier, stereotyping concerns affective processes, as well. In other words, affective and cognitive aspects exist in a complex psychological system, and biased feelings caused by stereotypes entails biased thinking and actions. For example, Bijlstra et al. (2017) state that stereotypes and prejudices can alter the way a person perceives physical postures of others. Moreover, some particular instances of stereotyping happen involuntarily or implicitly (Madva & Brownstein, 2018). Whenever the described tendency occurs among coworkers on a considerable scale, there is a substantial threat to the business processes. Accordingly, the situation must be effectively assessed, so that practical recommendations can be proposed and implemented.
ABC Team Members Evaluation
The leadership of the company, hereafter referred to as ABC, has addressed the consulting agency in order to assess one of the organization’s divisions. The purpose of the research is to analyze the underlying issues among colleagues, who come from different backgrounds and do not seem to embrace fully one another’s views. A preliminary examination of the team has demonstrated a substantial level of stereotypes and bias prevailing in the communication. The division, which serves as the area of interest for the present study, is highly diverse in terms of people’s age, ethnicity, and other variables. A comprehensive analysis of each of the five key members of the workforce is required in order to examine the situation and provide recommendations for the management.
John
The first person of interest within the framework of the ABC Team study is John, a seventy-five-year-old Caucasian male. This age group is particularly prone to both being the victim of stereotypes and demonstrating them. According to the data presented by Markov and Yoon (2020), John represents the typical person of his generation, as portrayed in the television shows, the primary source of modern stereotypes. The way he is perceived by his colleagues corresponds with this idea, as they see John as old and forgetful. In fact, it appears to be a typical case of ageism, as an elderly person is disregarded by his younger coworkers. The pace, at which the world is developing, is unprecedentedly high, giving younger people the idea that older adults and their ideas are obsolete compared to the rest of society. As a result, public perception of this age group is affected, leaving them at the margins of modern tendencies. The ABC team is relatively young, which is why John may receive an unfair attitude.
On the other hand, as mentioned earlier, John’s social group is also known for spreading prejudices. It is considered that the gap between John’s generation and modern youth is too large to be encompassed by the modern movement promoting equality of all people. An interview with him revealed that he refers to himself as hip, street, and tech savvy. While it is entirely possible for a person of that age to demonstrate all of these qualities, John seems to follow the typical stereotypes of the youth. It is possible that John’s affective processes are influenced by the emphatic forecasts described earlier. In other words, he expects his younger colleagues to deem him obsolete and unaware of modern trends. Accordingly, John attempts to preventively compensate for it, thus causing an opposition with the rest of the team.
Jill
The next person who plays an important role in the ABC is Jill, a twenty-two-year-old African American woman. She claims that is shy and inexperienced, as compared to the rest of her coworkers. At the same time, the colleagues support this idea, considering Jill too young to have an actual weight in the business. As discussed prior, ageism has become a topical issue. For example, Donizzetti (2019) emphasizes the detrimental role of age-related bias in the creation of prejudices against the elderly. However, the case of Jill demonstrates the opposite extreme of this tendency, where stereotyping is applied to the youth. While older adults are considered to be out-of-date and unfamiliar with modern technological advantages, their colleagues are often denied the chance to prove themselves due to their alleged lack of experience. This is exactly what has happened with Jill and her middle-aged coworkers.
In order to determine the effective solution to this issue, it is vital to discuss its origins. There are two options: either Jill’s passive behavior caused by her fear has translated into the actual lack of trust or the processed was in the opposite direction. In other words, she could have unwillingly convinced the rest of the team of her own inexperience or the colleagues may have put the same idea in her head. Similarly, to John, Jill is likely to have undergone the same process, during which she anticipated the ageist attitude toward her and developed a corresponding persona. At the same time, it is important to note that her ethnicity is not involved in the described situation, which positively characterizes the ABC team.
Joe
Unlike the first two respondents, Joe is a middle-aged immigrant who has recently come to the United States and joined the ABC Company. His command of the English language is far from perfection, making him the subject of multiple jokes. Joe states that he often remains misunderstood by his coworkers and is teased because of his accent. As for the rest of the team, they report immense communication difficulties when interacting with Joe, which pushes them toward the aforementioned teasing. In this case, it is important to note that neither side refers to the relations between Joe and others negatively. The team members claim that the teasing is good-natured and aims at alleviating some of the tension appearing due to the lack of understanding.
As far as Joe’s point of view is concerned, his affective functioning may be an important factor contributing to the continuing teasing. As he readily admits communication issues from his side, it is possible that he expects to be teased and reacts accordingly. Nevertheless, language skill-based discriminator is not a frequent occurrence, especially in the United States. The country receives a large number of immigrants on a yearly basis (Treyz & Evangelakis, 2018). many industries rely heavily on foreigners, including key areas of scientific research (Agrawal et al., 2019). Observations suppose that the team is sincere about the nature of their teasing and its objective of alleviating the tension. None of the colleagues wanted to hurt Joe by their comments, as they probably understand that English is his second language and it is unfair to demand the perfect command of it.
Mary
The case of Mary, a thirty-year-old woman with an Americans with Disabilities Act accommodation, is particularly complicated. During her childhood, Mary experienced severe trauma which has left a lasting impact throughout her life. In addition, her family does not admit that the traumatizing event ever happened, and this fact causes speculations. Mary’s colleagues claim that the woman is often preoccupied with her own thoughts, remaining detached from the rest of the team. Naturally, the coworkers may feel that Mary does not want to be a part of their group, as such an attitude can cause a negative effect. However, it is dangerous to underestimate the impact of childhood trauma on the life of an adult. Hopfinger et al. (2016) state that such events significantly increase the risk of depression. It is possible that Mary’s situation is aggravated by the fact that her family refuses to recognize her issues. As a result, she feels lost and lacks the emotional support from the people around her.
Ahsan
Ahsan, the fifth member of the ABC Team, arrived in the country from India. As the observations at the organization suggest, her commitment to India’s culture is exceptionally strong. Ahsan wears traditional garments and strictly follows the customs, causing misunderstanding from the rest of the team. Her coworkers report that Ahsan seems to not have fully embraced the culture of the country she has arrived in. Indeed, one’s roots and cultural preservation are important in the 21st century. As the globalization rates increase in modern society, the risks appear of some cultures merging and others disappearing as the result of the process. Moving from one country to another is an important step for any person, and it is natural for Ahsan to look for links back to her culture. Simultaneously, the colleagues are required to respect any person’s choices and background. Nevertheless, the process must be mutual, and, since Ahsan has joined the American society, she needs to find a way to preserve her old culture while respecting the customs of the country she lives in.
Practical Recommendations for the ABC Team
An in-depth analysis of the ABC Team’s issues has translated into a list of possible solutions. First of all, the problems are caused by objective differences in age, language, health, and culture, which are, however, not treated correctly. As far as John and Jill are concerned, the team must reconsider their perception of different generations and provide both colleagues with a chance to show their skills regardless of age. Evidently, if it has not happened so far, it would be naive to expect such an outcome to occur without additional factors. It appears to be effective for the organization’s management to set the role model and being by establishing fair and objective leadership. As a result, people should be treated fairly and according to their professional performance, instead of biased assumptions concerning the age group. The first practical step would be to have an honest discussion with the management.
Secondly, it is important to ensure both immigrants, Joe and Ahsan, find their place in the team. It will be easier to provide suitable conditions for the former, encouraging him to continue mastering the English language. However, it should be done in a friendly manner without pressure. Joe’s colleagues could offer some short lessons, focusing on the most significant issues. The lessons can be organized in any way that suits all participants in order to make them enjoyable and contributing to good relations between colleagues. As for Ashan, a cultural exchange should be promoted on the level of the company’s management, as well, because it would ensure good relations between the team members and better results for the company (Mor et al., 2017). Mary’s case seems to be the most difficult one, as it requires professional counseling. It would be appropriate for the management to discuss the issue in a delicate manner during a conversation with her. In addition, the company should cover the expenses and support Mary on her path to closure, while maintaining a tactful distance.
Conclusion
In conclusion, maintaining a healthy atmosphere within a diverse team is a challenging task, which, however, corresponds with the trends of the 21st century. Each member of the ABC Team deserves increased recognition, but they must also make some efforts to improve the relations with others. Overall, the provided recommendations should be supervised by the organization’s management, as it is in their interest to ensure the proper functioning of the team. Accordingly, the ABC will be able to increase significantly its productivity and provide all workers with a comfortable workplace environment where everyone’s particular background will be recognized.
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