Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Management

Advisor

Judith Forbes

Abstract

The increasing globalization of businesses presents the need for increased understanding of cultural differences in the work place. The central problem addressed in this study was the challenges and management of multicultural workforce organization in Nigeria. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory single case study was to explore misunderstandings and workplace inefficiency related to cultural differences, often resulting in decreased company profitability, and how these can be managed. Social learning theory and the cultural competence framework constituted the theoretical foundation and conceptual framework. Participants consisted of 10 managers of a multicultural insurance company in Nigeria, selected using a combination of purposive and snowball sampling strategy. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews. Data analysis was a combination of the three aspects of data analysis outlined by Miles et al., and the four general strategies for analyzing case studies as identified by Yin. Eleven themes emerged consisting of 6 main themes and 5 subthemes. The main themes were: (a) cultural differences, (b) cultural conflicts, (c) cultural conflicts and productivity, (d) cultural competence, (e) cultural attitudes & perspectives, and (f) management-multicultural and performance. A conclusion was that cultural differences in a multicultural workforce organization can cause conflicts and misunderstandings which can lead to workplace inefficiency and reduced productivity. Recommendations include implementing an effective multicultural and performance management system that covers key areas of operations. This study may contribute to positive social change by providing additional knowledge on ways of managing cultural conflicts in the society.

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