Hilton Worldwide is one of the largest and fastest growing hospitality organization with more than 4,600 hotels in over 100 countries employing more than 300,000 multi-cultural people from all over the world. This diverse, multigenerational work environment however has its pros and cons. People from different countries, with different backgrounds, are expected to form teams and work together. How can they do it efficiently if their vision of the company and their ideas of leadership are so different? They have to learn how to communicate with each other efficiently. It may not be as easy as it sounds, and as a result of that, one of the most critical factors that companies face nowadays is the lack of effective communication.
The amount of multicultural teams has increased incredibly over the past decades. Employers seek for well educated individuals who speak multiple languages, and also have international work experience. Wolff (2015) explains that multinational teams are often thought of as innovative, creative and forward thinking; although the issues behind language barriers and cultural differences tend to be left unspoken (p. 37). People who find it difficult to express themselves in a foreign language have the tendency to stay quiet and withdraw. When this happens valuable opinions and ideas may be lost. People from the same ethnical groups may form groups and isolate themselves from others because they can relate to each other. Also, in a situation where native speakers have trouble understanding what was said, it is frustrating and time consuming for the non-native person to having to repeat himself. No matter what the situation may be, trust and good communication is essential for a well functioning team.
Johnson (2015) explains in her research, that in some Asian countries the hierarchy of authority within the company is quite different from what is used to in Canada. People are considered selfish if they focus only on their own achievements, rather than keeping the team in mind. They find it difficult to call their boss on his or her first name, and also to receive direct orders from them (p. 14). This structure is very similar to the military, and although it is organized and well managed, it might seem strange at first if someone is not accustomed to it. It is the responsibility of the organization to communicate well with their employees and implement rules to ensure everyone is on the same page. When thorough communication does not get passed up and down the chain of command, information gets lost, tasks do not get accomplished, and the organizations cannot function efficiently.
Leadership should provide effective training and orientation when a new person starts with the company. It is essential to know how to communicate in every level of leadership as well as among each other if we want to be successful in what we do. Some companies implement policies and focus on this matter more than others. Hospitality companies like Hilton puts their employees first and understands that in order to provide great customer service, first they need to create a work environment where all employees feel equally respected.