Intercultural Research: Indigenous Approach to Business

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Introduction

Different cultures have different ways of looking at things. Indeed, cultures have affected the way businesses are run since time immemorial. Bajada and Trayler (2014) explain that business has evolved over time and have led to the development of several business approaches. Despite the progression, other companies have remained loyal to their origins and only deal with aboriginal businesses. The essay answers three questions based on the assignment requirements.

The first issue highlights the differences between original business approaches and general ones. The second question highlights some of the intercultural variances that were recorded during a previous visit to a Maori site. The third and last question highlights the evidence of conflict that was also noticed during the tour.

How Does an Indigenous Approach to Business Differ from Traditional (General) Approaches? Discuss those Differences using Examples

There are many differences between indigenous approach and traditional approaches to business. One difference is that indigenous methods tend to stick to the native cultures and value system of the community they are involved in or target. An example can be used to elaborate further. Wolfgramm and Waetford (2007) argue that according to Marsden Maori, the indigenous approach to business is very spiritual. Therefore, many of the strategies that are made within the said context are spiritual in nature. However, the opposite applies to the traditional, or more general, business approach. Paiano, Caione, Guido, Martella and Pandurino (2015) observe that general business strategies are flexible and do not necessarily include any spiritual aspect in their undertakings.

Another significant difference between the indigenous and the traditional approaches is that the traditional are more people oriented than the native. Pompper (2016) explains that indigenous companies value the systems more than the people. The main argument behind the said premise is that indigenous companies survive on the assumption that people are replaceable, but systems are not. It can be argued that in the early centuries all businesses were indigenous in nature. While analysing the concepts of barter trade, which was the first form of operations, one realises that people sold things they acquired naturally.

However, with time, and the introduction of the concept of capitalism, such systems changed and led to the creation and development of the general business approaches. With the change came the value of people, as opposed to systems. Thus, as stated, traditional marketing approaches value people more than the said systems. Two examples can be given to clarify on the said difference. Coca-Cola uses the traditional business approach and is known to invest in the staff fully. The company empowers staff through targeted training and mentorship programs.

A third difference between the two approaches is sustainability. As Wolfgramm and Waetford (2007) explain, organisations that take on the Maori approach also have to think about matters of sustainability carefully. Wolfgramm and Waetford (2007) are of the opinion that very few indigenous companies are sustainable. Important to note, in this day and age, sustainability is also linked with coverage.

In the definition of indigenous, it was established that businesses using the said approach adhere to the values of the culture they are in, or targeting. However, with globalisation, tying the two concepts together is challenging. Since businesses cannot keep changing their value system, it becomes difficult for indigenous companies to be sustainable.

In the same breath, although the traditional/general approach also needs to update their strategies for sustainability regularly, the task is not as hard. Due to the fact, such businesses are flexible and not tied down to one culture; they adapt quickly as well. Pompper (2016) explains that globalisation has allowed organisations to grow to other areas, and in doing so, has been able to ensure sustainability. On the same note, the sustainability issue is also resolved in the general approach to the availability of staff. In indigenous companies, human resource policies are limited to the people who are well versed with the culture and value systems that are in line with the business. The same cannot be applied in the general business approach, which can accommodate different cultures and people.

Another variance between the two approaches is the issue of spirituality. Even in business, the Maori embrace spirituality. Important to mention, spirituality is the learning of oneself, others and the environment. Therefore, the Maori take the time to learn about themselves, and how their relationships with each other affect their systems. Additionally, they take the time to also learn about their interaction with the environment and how that, in turn, has an impact on the community’s quality of life. On the other hand, traditional approaches embrace secular ways to survive the competition.

What Intercultural Issues were Evident to You on Your Marae Visit (E.G. Language as a Barrier, and Cultural Influence on Perception)? Discuss These Issues Drawing on Intercultural Research

Migliorini and Rania (2017) define intercultural differences as variances brought on by the different methods of thinking and seeing life. It goes without saying that intercultural relations are heavily linked to culture and tradition (Sui Sum Bosco, 2016). The visit to Marae revealed a lot about the Maori customs and way of doing things. Due to the said, a lot of intercultural differences were also noticed. One of the inherent differences was the language barrier (Nair-Venugopal, 2015).

The indigenous communities living in the Maori had different languages based on their tribes. However, the visit was illuminating due to the lessons that were learned about the culture of the Maori. The organisation of the communities in iwi, hapu, and whanau, allowed for an easier understanding of the culture. The iwi is the tribe, the hapu the sub-tribe and the whanau are the family unit. Arguably, through the visit, I understood why systems were more important than people in indigenous approaches to business. The issue is intercultural as my culture does not consider such units in the community, let alone in business.

On the same note, communication, in general, can be identified as an intercultural issue (Silva, Campbell & Wright, 2012). Just like in any other language, the different languages that were used in the said set-up were accompanied by non-verbal cues. The cues have to be taught and learned as they are only understandable within the language. One cue that was very different was the high five, which is considered a child-to-child communication technique. In my culture, adults are fond of giving high fives.

A second intercultural factor was perception. As mentioned, to the Maori, systems are more important than people. Having said so, it is crucial to point out that the Maori have systems in all aspects including social, economic and political issues. In the social aspects, the family is divided into the three mentioned units, iwi, hapu, and whanau. Still, on the social, the community has leadership structures based on the community’s value system. Regarding the economic elements, as stated, businesses are also founded on systems. The political scenario is also very similar regarding importance of systems. In their culture, leadership and spirituality go hand in hand.

Differences in perception were also noted in the definition of business and profit. Whereas the Maori ensured that benefits were communal. In my culture, a gain is individual. Even in firms that are sectarian in nature, benefit is crucial in determining who is perceived as the leader of the business team/company.

On the same note, the other intercultural variance observed is spirituality. Spirituality is crucial among the different units of the family in the Maori community. Important to also states as Kensington-Miller and Ratima (2015) observe, spirituality and religion are two distinct things in the indigenous group. Spirituality is more about understanding oneself, others and the environment one is in, whereas religion is the seeking of a God. In my community, religion is more pronounced than spirituality. Therefore, it was interesting noting the difference between the two concepts in a practical sense.

Another intercultural issue that can be cited is diversity. In my community and culture, diversity is crucial, especially in business. Many times, businesses have to change their strategies accordingly to make sure they survive the competition. The realities in the business sector are typically harsh, with many good traders falling off the bandwagon due to lack of needed “street-smarts” to succeed. Also, the strategies keep changing due to the ever changing business environment, which is affected by technology and innovation among other things. When compares this to the subtle nature of business in the Maori set-up, intercultural differences will be noted.

The issue of intercultural communication is very broad (García-Jiménez, Rodrigo-Alsina & Pineda, 2017). Indeed, it is impractical to think that different cultures can fully become culturally competent of one another. However, as Dalib, Harun and Yusof (2017) observe, intercultural competence is viable if the involved parties can at least tolerate each other. Therefore, the issue of tolerance can be identified as a cross-cultural issue that was observed during the visit.

Arguably, the Maori culture is not as tolerant of other cultures. Interestingly, even though we were welcomed to interact with the community, they had little interest in learning about us. Only one boy had the courage to express an interest in other cultures. In my culture, learning is embraced to allow different people to understand the different perceptions of life, as influenced by culture.

What Evidence Did You See on Your Marae Visit of Conflict Between Cultural Approaches/Ideas/Patterns? Discuss These Issues Drawing on Intercultural Research

Several pieces of evidence can be drawn from the Marae visit of conflict between cultural approaches. The conflicts identified were both within the culture, and against other cultures. In the first case, due to the constant interaction, the community members have had with other cultures, some of the younger generations are currently trying to adopt more modern ways in the society. The adoption of foreign and modern cultures and trends brings about conflict.

For example, during the visit, a 15-year-old boy explained that one of the things he desired to do was learn about my culture. The admission did not sit well with the parents, who felt betrayed that the young boy wanted to learn other cultures. Regardless, the curiosity of the boy was impressive and proved that a form of conflict existed between the different generations.

On the same note, there was conflict in business. Even though the Maori customs are communal, some of the younger generations wanted individual businesses. This takes the argument back to the issue of globalisation. Crucial to note, a majority of the younger generations have been exposed to different cultures and different ways of thinking. Therefore, They are not satisfied by the social obligations ad expectations. Ideologies on way of life and how to conduct business have been heavily affected due to the issue of globalisation. It is such beliefs that cause conflict.

Conclusion

In conclusion, traditional and indigenous business approaches differ considerably. One such difference is the role of culture in business. Whereas it is arguable that all businesses have culture, one cannot tie all businesses to a societal way of doing things. Companies that rely heavily on cultural and “original” values are referred to as the indigenous firms. All other businesses are referred to, throughout the document, as traditional companies.

Another difference that can be noted between the two said business approaches is the issue of spirituality. Whereas the indigenous methods also embrace spirituality in their programs and operations, the traditional approaches do not. My interaction with the Maori during a visit to Marae revealed a lot of intercultural differences. Some of the differences that were recorded include communication and language barriers, and perception. It can be argued that the perception differences were brought on by the variances in culture. Through the visit, I also realised that within the Maori culture, some evidence of conflict could be drawn. The conflicts identified were mainly due to the issue of exposure and globalisation.

References

Bajada, C., & Trayler, R. (2014). A fresh approach to indigenous business education. Education + Training, 56(7), 613-634. Web.

Dalib, S., Harun, M., & Yusof, N. (2017). Student intercultural competence in a Malaysian campus: a phenomenological approach. Journal of Multicultural Discourses, 12(1), 42-62. Web.

García-Jiménez, L., Rodrigo-Alsina, M., & Pineda, A. (2017). The social construction of intercultural communication: A Delphi study. Journal of Intercultural Studies, 38(2), 228-244. Web.

Kensington-Miller, B., & Ratima, M. (2015). Māori in partnership: A peer mentoring model for tertiary indigenous staff in New Zealand. Race, Ethnicity & Education, 18(6), 813-833. Web.

Migliorini, L., & Rania, N. (2017). A qualitative method to “make visible” the world of intercultural relationships: the photovoice in social psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 14(2), 131-145. Web.

Nair-Venugopal, S. (2015). Issues of language and competence in intercultural business contexts. Language & Intercultural Communication, 15(1), 29-45. Web.

Paiano, R., Caione, A., Guido, A. L., Martella, A., & Pandurino, A. (2015). Business process management – a traditional approach versus a knowledge based approach. BRAIN, 6(1/2), 54-69.

Pompper, D. (2016). Beyond the business case: Building upon traditional approaches and opening new spaces for multiple perspectives on climate and sustainability communication. Mass Communication & Society, pp. 543-547. Web.

Sui Sum Bosco, L. (2016). Bridging the micro- and macro-levels: Rapport management in intercultural workplaces. Global Studies Journal, 9(3), 31-41.

Silva, L. C., Campbell, K., & Wright, D. W. (2012). Intercultural relationships: Entry, adjustment, and cultural negotiations. Journal of Comparative Family Studies, 43(6), 857-870.

Wolfgramm, M. R., & Waetford, M. C. (2007). Spirituality in the workplace: Contributions from a Maori perspective. Auckland, NZ: University of Auckland.

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