Managing cultural differences to improve industrial efficiency

The construction industry is a microcosm of a country's socio-economic development. The stresses that the industry suffers are only increased in a country such as South Africa, with its broad sweep of cultures. The challenge in such an environment is to shift perceptions and attitudes that result in misunderstanding and loss of efficiency. The route to changing perceptions is through training supported by qualitative and quantitative feedback and assessment. Employees of a major construction company followed an in-house training programme comprising theoretical input on groups, management and culture, and experiential exercises based on the philosophy of ubuntu. There were follow-up interviews on site with participants and, two years later, assessments of participants' progress in the company. Employees representing three primary cultures (English, Xhosa, Afrikaans) and 28 secondary cultures (tribes), totalling 160 employees, were randomly chosen. They attended the programme in groups of 20-30 people. After the programme, meetings took place on five sites and at the head office to gather data on the extent of change in behaviour. The data showed that subjects who had attended the programme could cooperate across cultures more efficiently than who had not attended.