Introduction
The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the nature of the workplace, placing a greater emphasis on innovative ways to function in an increasingly dynamic workforce environment. The significance of organisational changes has increased due to frequent market changes which need to be considered by companies to stay competitive (Knudsen et al., 2021). The adoption of flexible organisational culture appears to be one of the most crucial elements in such a post-pandemic environment (Schein, 2010). Shared beliefs, actions, and customs that affect how staff members relate to one another, handle difficulties, and cooperate with goals are characteristics of an organisation's culture. It is critical to cultivate a supportive culture, particularly among diverse teams within an enterprise.
This essay explores how corporate culture affects communication to bring about organisational transformation in the context of a multicultural workforce following the COVID-19 pandemic. While a rigid culture would hinder communication, create opposition, and provide resistance to organisational change, an adjusted, inclusive culture would facilitate smooth transitions and encourage collaborative team efforts, ultimately allowing the organisation to thrive with success. The essay includes several arguments examining various viewpoints in the literature are offered, including talks on the significance of a successful organisational culture for bringing about positive change and handling the unique problems posed by a multicultural workforce in the wake of the epidemic.
Main Body
Communication, relationships, and actions in the workplace are all components under the working culture of the organisation. According to Schein (2010) values, norms, and behaviours are the three levels of culture provided under Schein's 2004 Culture Triangle. The cultural triangle determines that in a varied culture where communication failures are unavoidable, these layers assist businesses in identifying what helps or hinders the process of transformation. Understanding the significance of corporate culture concerning varied cultural origins, norms, and values is crucial in the multicultural workforce that emerged after COVID-19. Within the mentioned context, Schein's Culture Triangle can help in establishing a basic code of conduct within the workplace ensuring enough professionalism and development-oriented work culture within the organisations. Caputo, Kargina, and Pellegrini, (2023) state that, fragmented communication can occur in virtual teams, leading to misunderstandings or a lack of shared context. Fostering alignment of fundamental assumptions in Schein's model is crucial. Remote workers, particularly those with a diverse workforce, may find it challenging to embrace or assimilate company principles if their only opportunities for socialisation are through emails and virtual meetings. Schein emphasises the informal, shared values that shape conduct, yet virtual workplaces undermine the frequent, informal encounters that employees have to reinforce these values.
Furthermore, Toegel & Barsoux (2016) outline three scenarios in which cross-cultural communication fails: distinctions between direct and indirect communication modalities, variances in the delivery and acceptance of feedback, and disparate expectations around authority and hierarchy. When it comes to managing change in a multicultural workplace, each of these can pose serious difficulties for leaders. Since all workers must be engaged in the new aims and plans, the method used by leaders and the timing of organisational change is of utmost importance. Clear and effective communication is essential to this. As a result, more modern theories of leadership and communication in virtual settings are required. Ruben and Gigliotti (2017) determined the importance of open communication for enabling effective performance of the leadership function in a remote team. These approaches recognise that in the absence of face-to-face engagement, leaders must consciously create opportunities for dialogue and feedback mechanisms to be started.
Moreover, the importance of communication in leadership and organisational transformation is emphasised by Ruben and Gigliotti's (2017) leadership communication framework. Similarly, Addin, (2020) states that communication is not only a means of conveying information; rather, it is the foundation of leadership, enabling leaders to display clear vision, coordinate team tasks, and implement the changes at the workplace. The findings of the above study align with Ruben and Gigliotti's framework emphasising that effective communication at the workplace affects leadership function. This means that managers must adjust their communication strategies based on the culture of the company, the changing environment, and the traits of the workforce. Establishing a successful organisational culture is mostly the responsibility of the organization's executives. Creating a successful program for leadership development helps leaders in a company become more adept at communicating and adapting to the ever-changing business environment (Ruben & Gigliotti, 2017). The creation of an organisational culture that is capable of managing change is greatly influenced by the focus placed on leaders understanding these distinctions and contributing to the development of their communication strategies. Nonetheless, virtual communication has proliferated in the post-COVID workforce. According to Kargina and Pellegrini, (2023), virtual communication puts an organization's culture at risk for poor communication, which affects interpretation and might lead to employees misinterpreting signals. Some employees may prefer direct communication, while others may need to rely on more formal and indirect means. These are the risks of having a diverse workforce. Schein's concept highlights the part cultural artifacts play in the development of technology and communication channels as variables impacting these exchanges.
Although Schein's model provides a comprehensive picture of the relationship between cultural communication and change, other scholars have broadened the argument by adding other variables. According to Levasseur (2013), change management requires employees to acquire soft skills. According to the aforementioned study, change agents should be aware of their cultural context and engage more directly and beneficially with their employees. Ruben & Gigliotti (2017) provide evidence for this, contending that strong leadership communication is the "sine qua non" of organisational transformation. As a result, leaders need to communicate beyond formal methods. Rather, they ought to be focused on establishing rapport and trust with staff members through ongoing, two-way communication.
To execute organisational change in a multicultural workforce, an efficient communication framework is an essential component of organisational culture. When leaders behave as active communicators, they are in the best position to lead their teams through change. Ruben & Gigliotti (2017) argue that effective leadership communication is necessary to foster an atmosphere of mutual respect, understanding, and collaboration among co-workers. Leaders are crucial in fostering successful communication with individuals in a post-COVID multicultural workforce to enable the necessary adjustments. Employees who are engaged in the communication process not only comprehend the need for change but also feel invested in it, which reduces opposition to it.
When leaders communicate effectively in a multicultural environment, they become aware of the cultural distinctions that exist and how to handle those differences. According to Schein (1993), in some cultures, indirect communication strategies may be important especially if privacy or superiority problems are concerned. Toegel & Barsoux (2016) provide that conversational leadership is a crucial leadership style that enables leaders to spend time conversing with their staff members to learn about issues that impact them, as well as their extrinsic and intrinsic motives and cultural origins. This distinction should be acknowledged by the leader, and communication should reflect that. Change is aided by the leaders' ability to express a life of mutual respect and trust through two-way communication. Additionally, communication guarantees that a diverse workforce is in line with the organisational objectives of change. Levasseur (2013) states that executives must ensure that all team members have a common understanding of the organization's mission through effective communication as a means of addressing a diverse workforce. This is especially true during periods of transition, when misalignment may bring back misunderstanding, resistance, and perhaps even the change initiative's demise.
The phenomenon of globalisation has had a notable impact on organisational developments due to the rise in workplace cultural diversity and the heightened requirement for proficient communication and appropriate leadership. Businesses that grow internationally hire people from a variety of cultural backgrounds, each with their own set of values, manner of communicating, and work ethic. Hanelt et al. (2021) provide that while organisational transformation presents possibilities, it also presents difficulties due to cultural differences and bringing these teams into line with the objectives of the business. Within the modern globalised workplace, it necessitates leaders to have a high level of intercultural competency to manage the adjustments required to keep the diverse workforce developing. Schein (2004) argues that workers' communication and ability to communicate change are facilitated by underlying cultural beliefs. In the new post-COVID environment, companies must be able to manage and implement change in a multicultural setting with efficiency and effectiveness. The cultural variety of teams is the primary source of misinterpretations, poor communication, and ultimately resistance to change that organisations encounter today. The capacity to recognise that there is cultural diversity in the workforce and that this should be recognised and accommodated is known as intercultural competence.
Levasseur (2013) suggests that businesses should develop cultural training programs that educate executives and staff about the diverse communication styles and expectations of different teams within the organisation. These kinds of initiatives can help close some of the cultural divides that typically result in miscommunication and resistance to change. Furthermore, addressing the demands of a multicultural workforce through open, two-way communication is a prerequisite for another adaptive change strategy method. According to Schein (1993), conversation is a process that results in a common knowledge of the process of change rather than just an information exchange. In this instance, cultural problems or misconceptions that might contribute to the failure of the change initiatives would be found by more than dialogical leaders. Such concerns, in my opinion, are important in the wake of the pandemic because, in addition to health and safety standards, there have been rapid movements towards remote work and digital cooperation, which have added layers of complexity to communication.
Furthermore, Toegel & Barsoux (2016) have encouraged more institutions to implement suitable cultural training programs that teach workers not just different communication styles but also how to develop empathy and understanding across cultural divides. These leaders would therefore foster an atmosphere in which cultural diversity was viewed as an asset rather than a liability. An atmosphere like this promotes a better workplace as well since it treats workers from all backgrounds with dignity and respect, allowing for seamless transitions during times of change.
In addition, utilising technology to provide integrated communication among heterogeneous teams in the post-COVID workforce is a calculated move toward adjustment (Hanelt et al., 2021). To deal with various types of distance between geographically and culturally dispersed teams, leaders can employ real-time messaging tools, video conferencing, and collaboration platforms. But using these technologies presents executives with several difficulties, such as personnel with varying degrees of computer literacy and a failure to recognise nonverbal indications. For all of these workers to fully engage in the organisational transformation process, regardless of their cultural origins, the leader would need to give the necessary training and support.
Conclusion
In conclusion, an organisation's culture and communication strategies have a significant impact on whether the organisational transformation is successful in the setting of a post-COVID multicultural workforce. An effective framework for comprehending how actions, norms, and values come together to create organisational dynamics, particularly the impact of culture on transformation. It might be argued that aligning diverse teams with organisational transformation objectives still requires excellent communication, particularly in multicultural settings. In addition to being the facilitating influencers for this communication, leaders should engage in two-way dialogue with staff members to address these problems and close cultural gaps. Additionally, intercultural competency will be a critical skill needed to overcome communication failures and other cultural differences. As a result, communication and change management techniques are customised to fit the unique requirements of a multicultural workforce and an inclusive workplace that values diversity. Last but not least, strong organisational cultures and communication help businesses succeed in increasingly multicultural workplaces rather than only serving as instruments for change management.