Africa, a continent characterized by its rich diversity in culture, resources, languages, and climate, presents a unique blend of opportunities and challenges.
Despite the potential strengths rooted in this diversity, the spotlight often focuses on the challenges it presents.
To transform Africa into a formidable force in project management, there is a need to harness the synergy between our strengths and differences to foster effective cooperation and inspiration, ultimately leveraging the power of diversity.
Project managers and their teams must cultivate an environment where all stakeholders, both individuals and participants, feel a sense of ownership.
Before integrating the benefits of diversity into projects, it is crucial to address certain issues in "diversity" itself, which can be categorized into five main areas: (1) racial, ethnic, and regional differences; (2) work style, social class, and sexual orientation; (3) religion and political beliefs; (4) individual backgrounds, skills, and age diversity; and (5) abilities and disabilities.
These categories encompass the complex issues often encountered in managing diversity.
A thorough understanding of these challenges is vital to building a diverse, yet cohesive team aimed at achieving shared objectives. Otherwise, potential conflicts could arise.
Despite these challenges, there are recommended solutions that, if applied, will not only resolve existing issues but also identify future conflicts, patterns of discord, and weaknesses among project managers and their teams.
These solutions include: (1) establishing a robust work culture and ethics; (2) developing a common and acceptable professional language; (3) emphasizing preference and competence; (4) managing human behavioral diversity; and (5) ensuring excellent communication and cooperation protocols.
By implementing these strategies, project managers can engage in comprehensive analyses and adeptly manage human behavioral diversity in projects, facilitating a seamless implementation process.
The project management community will gain foresight into the strengths offered by diversity and acquire a deeper understanding of effective project handling and management. [...]
DIVERSITY IS THE STRENGTH OF PROJECT MANAGEMENT IN AFRICA. Keywords: Diversity, Strength, Innovation, Project Management, Organization Culture. Dami-Lare Marshall
Global Project Management.
Africa, a continent characterized by its rich diversity in culture, resources, languages, and climate, presents a unique blend of opportunities and challenges.
Despite the potential strengths rooted in this diversity, the spotlight often focuses on the challenges it presents.
To transform Africa into a formidable force in project management, there is a need to harness the synergy between our strengths and differences to foster effective cooperation and inspiration, ultimately leveraging the power of diversity.
Project managers and their teams must cultivate an environment where all stakeholders, both individuals and participants, feel a sense of ownership.
Before integrating the benefits of diversity into projects, it is crucial to address certain issues in "diversity" itself, which can be categorized into five main areas: (1) racial, ethnic, and regional differences; (2) work style, social class, and sexual orientation; (3) religion and political beliefs; (4) individual backgrounds, skills, and age diversity; and (5) abilities and disabilities.
These categories encompass the complex issues often encountered in managing diversity.
A thorough understanding of these challenges is vital to building a diverse, yet cohesive team aimed at achieving shared objectives. Otherwise, potential conflicts could arise.
Despite these challenges, there are recommended solutions that, if applied, will not only resolve existing issues but also identify future conflicts, patterns of discord, and weaknesses among project managers and their teams.
These solutions include: (1) establishing a robust work culture and ethics; (2) developing a common and acceptable professional language; (3) emphasizing preference and competence; (4) managing human behavioral diversity; and (5) ensuring excellent communication and cooperation protocols.
By implementing these strategies, project managers can engage in comprehensive analyses and adeptly manage human behavioral diversity in projects, facilitating a seamless implementation process.
The project management community will gain foresight into the strengths offered by diversity and acquire a deeper understanding of effective project handling and management.
Implementing these outlined solutions will enable project managers to operate efficiently and execute projects effectively across Africa and beyond, irrespective of their backgrounds.
Ultimately, the project management community will purposefully utilize and visualize the value derived from diversity in the leadership of project work.1
INTRODUCTION
Africa stands as the second-largest continent globally, forming one of the three in the Old World. It extends from the Mediterranean Sea in the North to the South Atlantic Ocean at the southern extremity.
The continent is characterized by its vast cultural, resource, linguistic, and climatic diversity, which brings both opportunities and challenges.
Nevertheless, the focus often leans more towards the challenges rather than the strengths.
To become a robust continent in terms of advancements in project management, there needs to be a unification of strengths and differences to achieve effective cooperation, inspiration, and the overall power of diversity.
To realize this goal, project managers and their communities must cultivate an environment that fosters ownership among individuals and their colleagues. To achieve this objective, several problems and challenges associated with "diversity" need to be addressed before the strengths of diversity can be effectively integrated into projects by participants, managers, and managements.
These problems and challenges can be categorized into five main areas:
Racial, Ethnic, and Regional Differences In Africa, one of the most sensitive aspects of diversity is cultural pluralism, which manifests in social life and the ongoing issues of race, ethnic, and regional differences.
These divisions frequently pose challenges in interethnic relations across the continent. There is a prevalent belief that race serves as the primary determinant of human traits and capacities, suggesting that racial differences lead to the inherent superiority of certain races.
However, recognizing an individual's race or ethnicity is not inherently problematic; rather, it must be acknowledged as part of a natural disposition.
Race and ethnicity encompass a complex blend of factors, including social values, skin color, cultural traits, physical attributes, dietary habits, region of ancestry, institutional power dynamics, and education.
Neglecting to acknowledge the differences, diversity, and subtle similarities across gender, race, and ethnicity can result in confusion and misunderstandings, which persist widely throughout Africa today. (Catalyst, Getting Started with MARC 2016).
Research indicates that individuals of European descent who advocate for color-blind ideologies tend to display greater bias, resulting in diminished engagement and commitment among non-dominant ethnic groups towards their projects and professional responsibilities.
Additionally, some members of these ethnic groups may develop distrust, a sense of inferiority, and feel threatened in organizations where they are under-represented and where leaders actively promote color-blind ideologies.
Consequently, these individuals of European descent may subsequently feel excluded from multiculturalism, which is a pluralistic approach that acknowledges and celebrates diversity and differences, recognizing its inherent strengths.
The ethnic challenges in Africa are most effectively explored through a historical analysis of specific cases, examining the unique historical trajectories of different nations.
These trajectories vary based on factors such as size, regional location, the resilience, and unity of ruling classes, and the leadership qualities of marginalized groups.
Additionally, factors like the extent of foreign influence, the dominance of prevailing ideologies from other nations within the continent, the structure of government, as well as social customs, traditions, culture, and kinship systems play significant roles.
Moreover, the ethnic issue remains intriguing primarily because it unveils the nature and scope of various social processes, such as conflict and competition.
These conflicts are especially pronounced in areas pertaining to governmental interests and social and economic development. They are not merely the outcomes of unsuccessful diplomacy or aggressive policies but are deeply rooted in the inherent cultural characteristics of nations, encompassing languages, religious and regional beliefs. Legal institutions, historical events, and stereotypes of other groups also form part of the socio-political environment shaping nations.
Within this broader context of ideologies, mentalities, and values, governmental goals are set, and policies are formulated, often leading to adverse consequences. The consequences often result in certain ethnic groups, regions, or even entire nations viewing themselves as superior to others, contributing to racial and organizational ego, as well as fostering racial, ethnic, and regional discrimination (Anthropologist, 5 (2): 93-99 2003; M.A.O Aluko)
Work Style, Social Class, and Sexual Minority Work refers to the methods we employ to structure, reason, organize, and manage tasks.
This concept serves as the foundation upon which organizations, businesses, and projects emerge, operate, and flourish.
However, within organizational and governmental sectors that maintain a routine, highly analytical, linear, and planned approach to completing projects, there is often little appreciation for the disruption of new methodologies and bold ideas grounded in intuitive strategies from more advanced sources. Such an approach may consequently result in these organizations or sectors lagging behind in terms of business, organizational, and project growth and development over time.
When work style intersects with the African social class, the continent finds itself in a complex scenario. Traditional systems and Western institutions and policies dominate modern Africa, conflicting one another and considerably affecting individual behaviors. Nonetheless, the social class structure is highly intricate and diverse, rendering it difficult to succinctly summarize. This complexity remains because the social class framework is still evolving. (Carson Tate, 2015)
In considering context of urbanization, societies are navigating the ongoing processes of modernization. The elite class, characterized by individuals possessing power and influence, continues to grow but remains largely homogenous.
This group enjoys access to numerous amenities, economic advantages, psychological freedom, private healthcare, and educational opportunities, as well as high-quality services.
In contrast, the middle and lower classes, comprising many young and educated Africans, experience limited or no access to the aforementioned amenities. They possess only some economic traits associated with middle-class status in other regions. Without regular income and robust social networks, and lacking the professional development and mentorship opportunities available to the genuine upper class, they stand as evidence of an educational system increasingly misaligned with the social and economic realities of modern Africa.
This striking contradiction—the simultaneous rise of an educated underclass and an economically ascendant yet 'uneducated' class—explains the challenges faced by the African economy. It further highlights the limited perspective on diversity, essential traits expected from an economy with a burgeoning middle-lower class.
Essentially, despite the growth of the middle and lower classes, there is no assurance that market behaviour, consumer trends, or social-economic equality will evolve similarly to other societies, where access to basic amenities like healthcare and education is more equitably distributed among various classes. (Bright B. Simon, 2013). From this standpoint, qualitative factors should outweigh quantitative ones in determining access to amenities in Africa.
Even when capable individuals are available to lead projects or organizations, a significant gap often exists between their competence, and that of surordinate middle and lower classes and their disadvantaged position in educational and socio-economic development.
This results in a flawed system, where qualitative profile of the middle-lower class in African nations has far-reaching implications for project implementation, human resource strategies, public relations, government relations, and corporate responsibility.
This often leads to a dependence on upper-class personnel and a disregard for the competencies of the middle-lower class, resulting in operational and organizational stagnation, aside issues such as the stigma associated with sexual minorities that still persist on the African continent.
Organizations and managements may subconsciously undermine other minorities due to cultural norms that hinder their development, regardless of competence, qualification, race, or background. While progress has been made over the past decade, the pace at which African societies are working to eliminate discrimination against sexual minorities in the workplace and socio-economic environments remains slow.
This ongoing issue continues to deny these minorities the platforms or opportunities to demonstrate their leadership abilities.
In Africa and globally, skin tone contributes to social stratification. Women with lighter skin frequently achieve greater educational, occupational, and economic success compared to Latina and Black African women with darker skin tones.
This disparity can lead to discrimination in recruitment and hiring practices, resulting in economic disadvantages for women not only in Africa but also in various regions worldwide. When this dynamic is prevalent, women with lighter skin tend to occupy an advantageous position than darker women, with same educational qualification or experience, ultimately perpetuating social injustice.2
Religion and Political Affiliation in the majority of individuals in Africa currently identify with a specific religion, such as Christianity, Islam, ancestral worship, or other religious beliefs.
Additionally, they are typically associated with at least one political group.
Contrast this with the religious and political landscape of Africa a century ago.
Sub-Saharan Africa, in particular, was more religiously diverse compared to the northern African region, where the population remains predominantly Muslim with limited political group diversity.
Overall, however, Christians outnumber Muslims in sub-Saharan Africa by a ratio of approximately two-to-one, with the proportion of Christians increasing further south in the continent.
Muslim communities are notably concentrated across a broad geographic belt extending from west to east, while Southern Africa is chiefly Christian.
Reflective of the global Islamic composition, Sunni Muslims generally surpass Shia Muslims in numbers across most African nations, alongside communities such as Ahmadiyya and Sufi Muslims.
Christianity globally exhibits denominational diversity, encompassing Catholics, Protestants, Orthodox, Presbyterians, Anglicans, Methodists, Pentecostals, among others.
Within society, religious affiliations often align with political affiliations to advance specific agendas and organizational interests, sometimes at the expense of other religious groups.
This alignment has fostered segregation within the broader society, as individuals of the same religion often restrict institutions, organizations, projects, and socio-economic endeavours to members of their faith, creating a distinctively divided societal environment within African communities.
Research has demonstrated that individuals tend to prioritize employing members of their own religion, with Muslim employers more likely to hire fellow Muslims before considering Christian candidates. (www.pewforum.org)
Religion can influence various aspects of life, including project management, especially in diverse regions like Africa where multiple religions coexist and strongly influence cultural norms and societal structures. Here are several ways in which religion may act as a hindrance to project management in Africa: Different religious beliefs can lead to cultural misunderstandings and conflicts within teams. Project managers may face difficulties in ensuring cohesive collaboration among team members from different religious backgrounds, which can impact project timelines and objectives. Managers may face ethical dilemmas when project goals conflict with religious principles. This can place project managers in challenging positions where they need to navigate sensitive issues while maintaining project integrity. While religion has the potential to hinder project management processes, it can also foster strong community ties, ethical practices, and collaborative frameworks when appropriately integrated into the project environment. Successful project managers in Africa often employ strategies to navigate religious considerations and leverage them for positive outcomes.
Religion significantly influences various life aspects, including project management, particularly in diverse regions like Africa, where multiple religions coexist and substantially impact cultural norms and societal structures.
In Africa, religion may hinder project management in several ways. Different religious beliefs can lead to cultural misunderstandings and conflicts within teams.
Project managers often encounter challenges in ensuring cohesive collaboration among team members from diverse religious backgrounds, which can adversely affect project timelines and objectives.
Moreover, managers may confront ethical dilemmas when project goals conflict with religious principles.
This situation can place project managers in difficult positions, requiring them to navigate sensitive issues while upholding project integrity.
Despite the potential for hindrance, religion can also foster strong community ties, when ethical practices, and collaborative frameworks are appropriately integrated into the project environment.
Successful project managers in Africa often adopt these strategies to navigate religious considerations effectively and leverage them for positive outcomes.
Individual and Employee Background, Skills, and Age Span have faced unfair treatment throughout history a reality that persists today. Many organizations and their leaders struggle to recognize and appreciate the diversity in attitudes and attributes among individuals, even when they hail from the same region.
This misunderstanding often leads to the erroneous assumption that all individuals from a specific area possess the same characteristics and behaviors.
Such misconceptions impede the socio-economic progress of multinational enterprises. When negative perceptions about a region prevail, there is a high tendency to stereotype every individual from that region, attributing identical traits to them.
This oversimplification prevents the recognition of individual uniqueness.
Individualism is often considered an attribute of culture, reflecting one's place within society.
However, people can express independence from societal norms by prioritizing personal goals over communal expectations. In contrast, individuals in collective societies strive to maintain harmonious relationships and avoid conflict.
Consequently, as global businesses acknowledge the critical need for thorough employee vetting to prevent unforeseen incidents and gain a comprehensive understanding of prospective employees, they encounter challenges.
For multinational companies operating in Africa, these tasks are daunting due to diverse legislative frameworks concerning personal privacy, human rights, employment, and background checks.
In many regions, the lack of specific regulations governing background screening complicates the ability of multinationals to adhere to legal recruitment practices, causing organizations to frequently adopt regional stereotypes to interact with individuals, rather than recognizing them as unique entities with distinct goals and aspirations.
This practice results in the disregard for individual skills, professionalism, and experience, ultimately neglecting the diversity that strengthens the continent.
In examining regional development and work experience across the continent, notable variations emerge based on skills and age.
Despite haste in overlooking these factors, research indicates that the banking experience of a professional in Western Africa over ten years is not equivalent to their counterpart in Southern Africa, even within the same age group.
Herein lies the importance of embracing diverse experience, knowledge, and strengths in organizational settings.
By incorporating this diversity, organizations across the continent can fortify their strengths and address inherent weaknesses.
Ability and Disability, requires fostering a productive organizational environment, it is essential to adopt an approach that assumes positive and genuine intent from all individuals, irrespective of regional and other differences.
This involves consciously choosing to believe in and empower individuals to act and communicate to the best of their abilities and knowledge, while also considering the benefit of others and the organization.
By adopting a mindset of positive intent, one can set aside regional biases, judgements, and viewpoints to focus on the true meaning and intentions behind a person's words or suggestions.
This approach also entails expecting individuals to be responsible for their choices and behaviours, holding them accountable for the positive intents presumed from others and themselves.
The capability and limitations of an organization or team, as well as its growth, rely on effectively leveraging the strength found in diversity and ensuring everyone is fairly heard.
Unfortunately, many organizations and regions inadvertently create segregation within their structures, leading to scenarios where some individuals are perceived to have ability or privilege while others are not.
Such distinctions, often identified, celebrated, and even institutionalized, overlook the value of differences and can lead to long-term challenges for those deemed capable.
Statistically, complex issues within diversity often align with these segregated categories. Addressing these issues thoroughly is crucial for building a diversified yet unified team capable of achieving common goals.
Without such understanding and action, the probability of conflict becomes unavoidable. Despite the challenges highlighted, there are proposed solutions that, if implemented, can not only resolve current issues but also aid in identifying potential future conflicts and weaknesses within teams, organizations and project management structures.
The Connection: Having identified the major problems and challenges, to address the primary issues and challenges associated with diversity, it is crucial to enhance awareness regarding racial, ethnic, and regional differences.
This involves understanding both our own experiences and those of others.
Initiating dialogues concerning race, ethnicity, and diversity is essential to foster an ideal work and organizational environment that celebrates, honors, and values these differences.
An inclusive multicultural approach enables multinational companies and organizations to cultivate a community where individuals feel a sense of belonging, uniqueness, and unity.
This approach ensures that no one feels excluded or marginalized. The most effective instruments in this endeavour are our voices and opinions, which help build environments and social communities that respect, value, and listen to everyone’s ideas while providing equal attention to all.
Every workplace, organization, and community, along with project managers, holds the responsibility to understand regional working styles and social classes within different areas. It is imperative to avoid giving preferential treatment to certain groups, thereby inadvertently relegating others.
The skill of separating religious and political affiliations from organizational matters must be mastered. Organizations and communities should develop preventive strategies that depersonalize religion and political differences, ensuring these do not become factors for consideration.
Furthermore, the potential impact of language and its delivery concerning religious and political regional differences must be managed carefully across all professional levels.
Nevertheless, individuals should be treated as unique entities, beyond traits or characteristics linked to their origin, culture or beliefs. However, valuing individuals, embracing diverse perspectives, and learning from them as distinct beings can effectively challenge biases and aid in resolving potential conflicts.
This responsibility falls upon manager, leader, and individual, in necessitating self, and combined equipping, with the necessary tools, required to create a common platform that allows everyone the opportunity for self-expression, professional exploration, to derive success in their respective fields.
Despite the challenges posed, certain proposed solutions, if implemented, offer not only resolution but also assist in identifying future potential problems and conflict patterns among project managers, their teams and respective organization in Africa.
The solutions will be elaborated upon in the subsequent section.
Creation of a Positive Work Culture and Ethics- As a project leader or head of an organization, it is crucial to establish a positive work culture. This undertaking helps in formulating procedures, directing projects, and establishing a framework for the organization. It also fosters a team culture that evolves, develops, and matures through collaborative efforts.
A project leader must distinguish between planning the work and executing the plan.
The formation of this team work culture and ethical standards should be carried out in a controlled and conscious manner.
The leader is tasked with cultivating a work culture that channels and conditions the team to fulfil their responsibilities. This includes establishing effective communication, sharing ideas and knowledge, utilizing proven experiences, showing appreciation, and adopting solutions. To achieve the desired outcomes, it is essential to create a work culture and ethics that are conducive to team collaboration.
This approach is necessary to attain efficiency in communication, cooperation, and success in both projects and organizational tasks. By planning and implementing projects alongside corporate organizational practices within various teamwork and leadership environments, the potential benefits of diversity can be maximized. This strategic implementation of diversity measures will enhance acceptance and amplify the strengths of diversity from a new perspective. (Cox 1993; Aretz and Hansen 2003).
Three systems are recommended for fostering a strong work culture and ethics: First, the P sychological Cultural System focuses on personality traits, individualism, educational background, work style, mentality, and mindsets of teams.
These elements reflect the organizational values, mission, and vision and are evident in team members' behaviours.
Second, the S ocial Trust System is essential for fostering unity and trust among teams, the organization, and the broader community. This approach also enhances equality among peers.
Third, the Organizational System aims to manage factors such as age and experience brackets, ability levels, idea development, and the establishment of work ethics within defined parameters.
Successful implementation of these systems can lead to more comprehensive and effective problem-solving approaches. A higher level of flexibility fosters greater innovation, creativity, and collaboration toward achieving common goals.
Additionally, cultivating a diverse work culture and ethics invites individuals from various cultural backgrounds, each contributing unique perspectives and methods of problem-solving and scenario analysis.
This diversity is challenging to achieve with a homogenous workforce and offers significant benefits to an organization by enriching its knowledge base. (Al-Janaibi, 2011). An additional advantageous aspect of cultural diversity in the workplace is the enhanced ability of organizations to address culture shock when expanding business and projects into other countries within the continent.
Creation of a Common and Acceptable Work Language is essential for leveraging and visualizing the values and advantages that arise from cultural diversity within an organization or project. This approach fosters increased tolerance for differences. Additionally, implementing a simple and common language is vital as a prerequisite for bridging our differences.
It allows us to regularly determine what aspects to emphasize or diminish, which involves setting aside personal preferences or the linguistic norms of one's background (Larson, 2009).
This approach facilitates the most effective processes for completing tasks and assignments efficiently. Although it may not always be straightforward, speaking a common language enhances mutual understanding and promotes clarity in communication. A common and acceptable work language contributes to unity in diversity by utilizing widely accepted language.
It involves developing a particular method of communication in both speaking and writing that is known and embraced, which aids project teams in subconsciously overcoming differences. Consequently, communication flows in a pattern comprehensible to all involved parties.
When perspectives, strategic approaches, product development, marketing plans, ideas, assessments, trends, and operations are communicated in a unified language, it strengthens fundamental strategies and enhances diversity within the workplace and projects by improving interactions and instruction delivery.
The absence of a common business or project language can lead to slow and ineffective reporting solutions. This hinders project leaders and organizations from making timely decisions on presented information, as lengthy discussions are required for interpretation, understanding, and analysis.
To harness the strength of diversity, project leaders and organizations must adopt various approaches. These include facilitated work sessions involving cross-functional resources, grassroots initiatives resembling wiki efforts, consensus-building endeavours, and dedicated teams with executive support.
In particular, executives' active involvement is crucial for driving cross-project activities and teams, leveraging strong facilitation and negotiation skills.
Furthermore, establishing standardized processes for disseminating common language throughout the organization supports its usage and adaptation at all levels, as required: (Line Larsen 2009)
- Competence in documenting terms and definitions in both non-proprietary and proprietary formats.
- Facilitation and illustration of consensus.
- Proficiency in managing the change management process for terms or definitions.
- Capability to scale with the increasing number of terms.
- Efficiency in searching and retrieving terms, definitions, and historical discussions.
- Preservation of historical discussions and decisions
- Publishing and formalizing agreed-upon terms within the project or organization.
The aforementioned list facilitates the dissemination of procedures and mediums through which a project or organization addresses emerging situations consistently.
This ensures that every individual within the project or organization is aware of the appropriate steps to take in response to external situations affecting the organization or project.
As a result, members, staff, and executives within a project or organization will achieve a more nuanced and clearer understanding, meaning, and interpretation of the communication phase.
This improved understanding will metaphorically diminish perceived differences in diversity while simultaneously strengthening it by enabling the team to operate more actively, explicitly, and accurately.
Preference and Competence It is crucial to recognize that preference should not be mistaken for competence.
Although there is a connection between preference and competence, which relates to personal and professional strengths, being competent in a task does not necessarily ensure the desired or expected outcome. While individuals often excel in activities they prefer, competent personnel may not always meet expectations.
It is essential for a project leader and organization to identify and address the missing link.
When team members operate outside their areas of preference for extended periods, it can lead to stress, reduced synergy, and a lack of motivation and engagement in the project.
Leaders should be adept at organizing and delegating tasks within projects and operational frameworks (Line Larsen 2009). To maximize the benefits of diversity, it is necessary to integrate preference and competence.
Preference influences how individuals behave, value differences, express creativity, make decisions, handle changes, process thoughts and information, communicate, organize tasks, and solve problems.
However, preference does not necessarily align with competence.
To effectively merge preference and competence, the focus should be on.
- Leadership, which encompasses the establishment of goals, articulation of vision and mission, provision of support, reception of feedback, and formulation of strategy.
- Decision-making involves adopting critical stances, identifying specific causes, devising universal solutions, exploring alternatives, and maintaining flexibility.
- Communication necessitates precision and neutrality, with data that is analytical, conclusive, and quantitative, fostering common understanding.
- Information should be logical and subject to rigorous examination.
- Performance is characterized by the demonstration of clear and valued results.
- Operations rely on a collegial team dynamic, which emphasizes involvement, cooperation, productivity, and effective interpersonal interactions.
The highlighted points encompass both preference and competence. To clarify this distinction, consider the example of information.
An individual with a preference for information is inclined to gather it and can source necessary data for any project or organizational requirement. In contrast, a competent individual can skilfully analyse and interpret this information.
Nevertheless, in many situations, a competent individual may not possess the ability to generate information, which could also be true in reverse.
Ultimately, the integration of preference and competence fosters diversity. This synergy allows an individual with competence from one region to collaborate effectively with local personnel who prefer information, thereby addressing complex tasks in organizational and project settings. (Line Larson,2009)
Human Behavioral Diversity Management naturally leans towards resisting diversity, particularly when it involves becoming acquainted with and understanding various aspects of diversity. Instead, individuals often prefer to associate with local groups, which does not contribute to strengthening diversity.
Human behavioral diversity management involves guiding human behavior to respond to, comply with, exhibit, and reinforce the value of diversity. From a project and organizational management viewpoint, the unique abilities, competencies, and qualifications of human resources are crucial success factors for organizations.
This holds true as long as team members continue to embrace the flexibility required to work with multicultural individuals, engage in continuous learning, and develop a profound understanding and interest in cross-cultural exchange. Such actions enhance the effectiveness of projects and promote organizational growth by transcending differences (Aretz and Hansen, 2003; Narayanaswamy and Henry, 2005).
Similarly, human behavioural diversity management assists project leaders and organizations in transitioning from traditional office settings to contexts where individuals are socially adept.
In this way, teams do not perceive complexity in merging factors such as skin color, race, cultural traits, diet, ancestry, education, physical characteristics, institutional power dynamics, bias, and discrimination (Adler, 2002; Catalyst, 2016).
This approach is crucial for reinforcing diversity in Africa, creating a foundational point where barriers are non-existent, and people view each other as a unified community without any bias regarding their differences.
However, this requires courageous dialogue and accountability for potential impacts.
To effectively direct human behaviour towards embracing diversity within project and organizational settings, it is essential to acknowledge that all individuals are equal, with no race being superior to another. Embracing our differences is vital for our global advantage and achievement (Journal of Diversity Management, 2014)
Excellent Communication and Rules of Cooperation and Engagement enables project teams and organizations to establish effective methods to teach employees how to communicate proficiently.
It is essential to recognize that body language and listening are components of exceptional communication skills.
Effective communication encompasses the following elements:
- Good listening.
- Smiling and demonstrating interest in the conversation.
- Patience.
- Avoiding interruptions while the other person is speaking.
Methods to enhance cross-cultural communication include:
- Allocating ample time and attention during communication.
- Refraining from judgement and neglecting evaluation.
- Exercising caution with humour.
- Avoiding assumptions about the accuracy of your interpretations.
- Building self-awareness.
- Verbalizing your non-verbal cues.
- Asking for clarification when needed.
- Describing and identifying before interpreting.
- Expressing concern and hesitation when uncomfortable.
- Resisting the urge to hastily conclude discussions.
- Avoiding slang - Speaking a bit more slowly.
- Ensuring statements are specific.
- Being mindful of pronunciation.
- Keeping your lips visible.
- Striving for connection at all times.
Finally, establishing rules of cooperation and engagement is important to create a set of guidelines that articulate work formalities and cooperation under the direction of the project leader or organization.
This approach ensures the leader can effectively integrate their leadership style with organizational relations, adhering to standards and working procedures. This process strengthens diversity by ensuring everyone, regardless of differences, operates under the same standardized mode of working within the project's or organization’s guidelines.
Conclusion
The implementation of the proposed solutions will enable project leaders and organizations to operate efficiently and execute large-scale projects across Africa and beyond, irrespective of the project leader's background.
Ultimately, the project management community will consciously acknowledge and leverage the value generated by diversity in project work under individual leadership.
REFERENCES
1. Carson Tate is a productivity consultant and the founder of Working Simply, Inc. She is the author of Work Simply: Embracing the Power of Your Personal Productivity Style.
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3. Al-Jenaibi, B. (2011). The scope and impact of workplace diversity in the United Arab Emirates an initial study. Journal for Communication and Culture. 1 (2), 49-81.
4. www.pewforum.org
5. Line Larsen, 2009) (lla@implement.dk)
6. Victoria C. Plaut, Kecia M. Thomas, and Matt J. Goren, “Is Multiculturalism or Color Blindness Better For Minorities?” Psychological Science, vol. 20, no. 4 (2009): p. 444-446.
7. Catalyst, Getting Started with MARC (2016).
8. Aretz H-J, Hansen K (2003) Erfolgreiches Management von Diversity. Die multikulturelle Organisationals Strategie zur Verbesserung einer nachhaltigen Wettbewerbsfähigkeit. Z Pers Forsch 17(1):9–36.
9. Thapelo Nambo. Race, Class, Gender in an unequal South Africa.
10. Bright B. Simons (2013) invented the SMS shortcode system for authenticating pharmaceuticals, and currently leads the effort by the company he founded, m Pedigree Network, to deploy the system across Africa and South Asia. He is based in Accra, Ghana.
11. Anthropologist, 5 (2): 93-99 2003; M.A.O Aluko Kamla-Raj 2003.
12. Journal of diversity management, 2014 Gillian Coote Martin, South Florida College of Arts Science & Technology, USA.
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1 Keywords: diversity, strength, innovation, project management.
2 Sissoko, D.R., Lewis, J.A. and Nadal, K.L. (2022) ‘It’s more than skin-deep: Gendered racial microaggressions, skin tone satisfaction, and traumatic stress symptoms among black women’, Journal of Black Psychology, 49(2), pp. 127–152. doi:10.1177/00957984221137957.
- Quote paper
- Dami-Lare Marshall (Author), 2024, Diversity is the Strength of Project Management in Africa. Managing Diversity in Projects, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/1525669
