Overview
For this anonymous case model, interviews were conducted in the hospitality business sector, with two prestigious restaurant managers at a significant hotel in the Netherlands. Despite managing two different restaurants, both managers are employed within the same hotel. One manager is a Dutch manager and runs a restaurant with two Michelin stars, whilst the other is an Italian manager and runs an Italian restaurant. The interview’s most interesting aspect is how diverse their ancestries are. Due to the fact that the hotel employs workers with various origins and moreover promotes diversity, it is home to many people with diverse cultures.
The interviewing topics emphasized on how the individuals had faced issues and circumstances that were problematic and discouraging for the team members or organization’s members who were of various ethnicities. Both answered similar questions, for instance : what do you think is the key within the business to achieve a good harmony between the cultural clashes that may exist?; Are there any limitations working with different cultural backgrounds?; How is the power distance within the company and what values do you transmit through your position? Has there been a problem or a customer complaining about a staff member not being able to speak Dutch?
This synopsis aims to give a clear understanding of the interview. Each of these issues are covered in this discussion in order to enable us to comprehend how this organization effectively interacts with individuals from different ethnic backgrounds, heritages, and religious orientations.
The interview revealed, among other things, that both managers embrace cultural diversity. However, the two restaurants’ environments differ, and, as a result, they seek out different sorts of diversity. For instance, the Italian manager, as in charge of an Italian restaurant, looks for a “diversity” of Italians, better explained as people that are from different parts and backgrounds of Italy to be in line with the vibe of the place. On the other hand, the Dutch manager does not look for a specific culture or language speaker, as variety is exactly one of the objectives of his perspective of a team.
Both parties concur that a policy based on decency and meritocracy is necessary for both viewpoints. They claim that getting along with the rest of the group is the most crucial factor to consider when recruiting a new employee. This indicates that the choice of every worker is based not only on their performance, but on their adaptability and congruence in a team setting.
Cultural limitations are therefore mostly related to the customers, rather than the team members. Numerous people who do not understand English as well as others who only speak Dutch frequently come to dine. The managers explained that the ideal approach to handle these situations is to surround themselves with staff members who really can, first and foremost, handle pressure with sensitivity and common sense, as well as identify the appropriate channels of communication with clients. The Italian manager said, “I speak the language of love,” when asked how to cope with people who only spoke Dutch.
However, there are far too many prohibitive and inhibitive actions that apply to workplaces with such a diverse range of backgrounds and, consequently, a multitude of moral circles and social norms. The principal way to avoid issues due these differences is, before all, to acknowledge them. Hence, according to both managers, to make these differences something to learn from and respect everyday, not a barrier.
Hofstede Dimensions
Both restaurants deal with clients from all over the world and a diverse team of staff. The manager of the Italian restaurant is Italian and the restaurant with two Michelin stars has a Dutch manager. Therefore, the main focus lies with the Italian and Dutch perspective and their issues.
The Hofstede dimensions are a framework for understanding cultural differences between countries. According to Hofstede, there are six dimensions: power distance, individualism vs collectivism, masculinity vs femininity, uncertainty avoidance, long-term vs short-term orientation, and indulgence vs restraint.
In terms of power distance, the Netherlands has a relatively low score in this dimension, indicating that there is a strong belief in equality and a flat power structure. On the other hand, Italy has a relatively high score, meaning that there is a high degree of acceptance of unequal distribution of power in society. Throughout the interviews it became clear that there is a certain distance between the manager and others, especially in the restaurant with Michelin stars. However, both restaurant managers are very open to people’s opinions and they have daily briefings where everyone can share their thoughts, but they believe that in the end there has to be one person that has the final say.
Individualism vs collectivism is another dimension, Italy is more collectivistic, meaning that people tend to prioritize their in-groups and the well-being of their families and communities over their own individual needs and goals. The Netherlands is more individualistic, meaning that people tend to prioritize their own individual needs and goals over those of their in-groups. Since the manager and his staff are all Italian we can clearly see that they have created this family where they view the manager as a father figure, and likewise he feels the responsibility to teach them to take responsibility to grow within the company. This shows that they are more collectivistic. Even though there is not a big difference between Italy and the Netherlands according to Hoftstede, we can agree that there is a noticeable difference in the managing style of the two managers.
Regarding masculinity vs femininity, Italy scores relatively high, meaning that there is a strong emphasis on traditional gender roles and a competitive and assertive culture. The Netherlands scores relatively low on this dimension, indicating a more gender-equal culture and a more cooperative and modest culture. Even though the restaurants both want a more feminine environment, when it comes down to making actual decisions this comes from one person, the manager, who needs to be straightforward and make the decision. For both the Dutch and Italian managers’ perspective there needs to be a good balance between the two.
In terms of uncertainty avoidance, Italy scores relatively high, meaning that there is a high degree of anxiety and discomfort with uncertainty and ambiguity. On the other hand, The Netherlands scores relatively low, indicating a more relaxed attitude towards uncertainty and a greater willingness to take risks.
In the matter of long-term vs short-term orientation, the Netherlands scores relatively high, indicating a strong focus on planning for the future and long-term goals. Italy scores a little lower than the Netherlands. They also focus more on planning for the future and long-term goals, but not as much or as far as the Dutch. A good example is that the Italian manager thinks one year into the future whilst the Dutch manager focuses 3 to 5 years into the future.
Outcome
The cultural issues were able to be identified because of the analysis of the interview with the help of the Hofstede Dimensions. There were three main factors discovered that could cause cultural issues: language barriers, high uncertainty avoidance and dress codes.
At first we noticed that a lot of the issues that occur within both restaurants is due to language barriers mostly with customers. The staff are very diverse and many waiters do not speak Dutch, mostly the waiters of the Italian restaurant do not speak the Dutch language. The staff is encouraged to speak English to one another as this is more inclusive. But also when communicating to the customers the staff who do not speak Dutch must speak English. Or if the customer speaks the same language as the waiter then of course they may communicate in that language. Sometimes the staff have issues communicating to the customers because the customers are from all over the world and some do not speak English. It is noticeable to the managers that many customers do speak French or Spanish and therefore have picked up on some words. But if nobody is able to communicate with the customer then it can be a real problem.
The Italian manager has said that he has difficulty speaking English. He mostly recognizes this when trying to explain something quickly to the staff, he starts trembling over the words when speaking at a high pace. He noticed that this is a problem at times, especially when being in stressful situations which need quick responses.
Another language barrier staff complained about in the past was that the system they used was completely in Dutch so the staff had to learn the names of the dishes in Dutch. This issue had been resolved after they renewed the whole system for serving in English.
The second factor that can cause issues is the high uncertainty avoidance. The Italian manager is not a risk-taker and is uncomfortable when something unexpected happens. He tries to prevent any surprises. A good example is when they are hiring a new
employee, this is a risk. Therefore the Italian manager usually likes to hire people who he knows or someone he knows has referenced the new employee. This way he can prevent the risk of having a bad employee. Of course it is not possible to prevent every risk, but it does cause stress for the manager. Unlike the Italian manager, the Dutch manager will take the risk of hiring a new person he does not know.
An issue that could arise between the customer and the restaurants is the dress code for the staff, such as a suite. In both of the restaurants all the staff is matching, hair is tied into a bun and there are no visible tattoos or piercings. But recently the rules have changed within the restaurants, which is that you may wear a piercing on your face even if you are serving the customer. Before this was absolutely prohibitive but as the work environment including management and staff changed it is not prohibitive anymore. However this could be prohibitive to some customers because in most prestigious restaurants this is not allowed and not part of the scene. The customer might feel as if he is not dining in an esteemed restaurant but in some average restaurant. Hence, this could be an issue.
Possible Solutions
A potential solution to the first problem which is the language barrier may be providing extra courses and language training for staff who may have struggles with communicating with customers in English, or who don’t speak Dutch. Additionally, some language tools could be provided in restaurants, like apps translating the menu and facilitating contact with customers.
The manager can also emphasize the “language of love” and patience to overcome the issue of people feeling as if they are not respected because they do not speak the language.
Regarding high uncertainty avoidance, a possible solution may be a different mindset that would open new options for the manager and better facilitate his options, embracing new technologies and innovations. Moreover, he could think of hiring skilled individuals with expertise in the areas in which he considers his weaknesses to help him with risk management.
Finally, the solution for the last issue could be training the employees with visible identification marks such as piercing or tattoos to work in the kitchen during the most sensitive hours. Moreover, the manager would advise the employees to hide their marks if possible and to behave more discreetly in front of customers.
Authors
Student: Anna Spinola (LinkedIn)
Block 2, Semester 1
Student: Manal Boukhamsaoui (LinkedIn)
Block 2, Semester 1
Student: Michelle Tickton (LinkedIn)
Block 2, Semester 1
Student: Aleksandra Frąckiewicz (LinkedIn)
Block 2, Semester 1
Student: Farisha Castro Alarcon (LinkedIn)
Block 2, Semester 6