 |
 |
| Saturday, 01 August 2009 00:26 | |||||
Mascots, dancers, bright lights, luscious food and ethnic displays draw tourists and locals to Folklorama pavilions year after year. Witnessing the great shows and displays, we also see the beauty of Canada’s multiculturalism and we learn to appreciate the influences of immigration. The celebration of multiculturalism and embracing diversity cover a much broader spectrum. It involves much more than acknowledging physical and language differences. In the workplace, cultural diversity plays a very significant role. It involves recognizing the unique talents and contributions each individual has to offer regardless of cultural origin. In spite of the promising role of diversity in the workplace, we still see two sources of career frustration for immigrants. They are the lack of recognition of foreign credentials and the lack of Canadian experience. Surely, we can say that the challenge of assimilating into a new culture can look frustrating at times. However, frustration manifests itself as a result of a specific situation, but it is normally short-lived. At times, we see a cultural disorientation that causes emotional stress resulting in the inability to respond appropriately to situations. In the workplace, a new immigrant employee realizes that his or her behaviours and values that were once accepted as appropriate are no longer the norm. Hundreds of day-to day events and factors are involved. This includes the inability to communicate with co-workers due to a language barrier and differences in technology and practices that have impact on everyday tasks. Annually, Canada welcomes approximately 220,000 to 260,000 new immigrants, many of whom are highly trained professionals. However, many end up being employed in jobs where they don’t get an opportunity to leverage their skills and education. According to the Canadian HR Reporter’s Report on Recruitment & Staffing, once immigrants are in the workplace, particularly visible minorities, they feel undervalued compared to their Canadian colleagues. From what I have observed, some of our new kababayans who come from management and executive roles in the Philippines find it the most challenging to adapt into the new culture. Some of them really have to start from scratch and that can be very trying. Experiencing change is not necessarily a bad thing, because eventually life will get better and the adjustment will become much easier. The good news is times are changing! According to the Conference Board of Canada, the increasing number of visible minorities is not only changing the face of Canada, it is also contributing in boosting our economy. In seven years, almost one in five workers will belong to a visible minority group. In an article, A Business Case for Diversity prepared by Dr. Jeffrey Gandz, Professor and Associate Dean at the Ivey School of Business, it indicated that organizations in both private and public sectors are under constant pressure to improve their bottom lines. While it is all about profit and profitability in the private sector, it is all about efficient service delivery for all members of the general public. Furthermore the study talks about the importance of diversity in terms of helping organizations considering business today is conducted between companies worldwide, and also considering the fact that the distinct characteristics of the population are evolving. Living and working in a new culture give us time to observe, learn and adjust. I would say, probably the best approach for minimizing the impacts and coping with the effects of culture change is to really make a conscientious effort to integrate into the new culture. Sources: Michele Majul is an HR Professional with Canada Post Corporation in Prairie Region. She graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and a Certificate in Human Resource Management. E-mail her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Have a comment on this article? Send us your feedback
|
