American Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research (AJHSSR)
2019
American Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences Research (AJHSSR)
e-ISSN: 2378-703X Volume-3, Issue-2, pp: 22-28 www.ajhssr.com
Research Paper
Open Access
Cultural Diversity and Organizational Performance and Organizational Performance of Food and Beverages Firms in Port Harcourt, Nigeria TANTUA, Ebikebina PhD1, OPARA, Irene Ure2 1
Department of Office and Information Management, Faculty of Management Sciences, Rivers, State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, PMB 5080, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. 2 Post Graduate Student, Department of Office and Information Management, Faculty of Management Sciences, Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, PMB 5080, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
ABSTRACT: This study examined the influence of cultural diversity on organizational performance in food and beverages firms in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. A cross sectional research design was adopted for the study. Primary data was collated through self-administered, structured questionnaire. A cross sectional research design was adopted for the study. The population of this study comprised of the entire Food and Beverages Firms in Rivers State. A survey by the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN), Rivers State branch revealed that seventeen (17) registered Food Beverages Firms in Port Harcourt Rivers State Nigeria. The population was made up of 115 managers made up of plant managers, depot managers, trade managers and commercial managers in three selected Food and Beverages Firms. A sample size of 89 was determined using Taro Yamene sample size determination formula. The research hypotheses were tested using the Pearson Product Moment Correlation coefficient. The study findings revealed that cultural diversity significantly influences organizational performance in food and beverages firms in Port Harcourt. The study recommends effective organizational policies and strategies regarding the management of diverse workforce for a better organizational performance at the Food and Beverages Firms in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Keywords: Cultural Diversity, Organizational Performance, Market Share, Productivity Introduction
I.
INTRODUCTION
Organizations and their employees do not exist in a vacuum, separated from their cultural surroundings, but in a specific culture or socio-cultural environment (Hofstede, 1991). For an organization to remain relevant in a competitive environment, it’s necessary for the management to hire employees who represent its demographics (Jehn & Bezrukova, 2004). This could include people who represent a particular ethnic community, who understand and know the needs of their culture. It could also mean having a representative from a particular religion, who may be able to give insight on the acceptable and non offensive traditions that could be used by the organization, for example during a marketing campaign (Worman, 2006). Worman (2006) further explains that understanding the effect of culture on human behavior is crucial to the business success of any organization. Farrer (2006) believes that, organizations aiming to expand their market and increase their performance need to give greater attention to relating to a multi-cultural workforce. Jehn & Bezrukova (2004) state that the trend of having different work functions and departments in an organization that have different cultures, adds a strong element of cultural diversity to today’s workgroups in many organizations. For an organization to succeed and have a competitive edge over the rest in the industry, it has to greatly embrace diversity to be able to realize its benefits, Farrer (2006). Being able to successfully handle workplace diversity issues as well as develop and implement diversity plans gives an organization several benefits (Stahl, Maznevsk, Voigt & Jonsen, 2010). Cultural diversity is the representation, in one social system, of people with distinctly different group affiliations of cultural significance (Ang,Van, Koh, Templer, Tay & Chandrasekar, 2007). Tayeb (2003), describes culture as the shared norms and values of a social system which characterize a society, and lie beneath its art and architecture, clothes, food, ways of greeting, working together and ultimately ways of communicating. On the other hand, Hofstede (2001) defines culture as the collective programming of the mind based on values that distinguishes one group or category from another. To Tayeb (2003) cultures are different
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