Social identity and sociocultural theories are vital in explaining the reasons why people behave the way they do. The social identity gives a group a sense of belonging, pride, and identity. In the workplace, the employees tend to come from different cultural backgrounds. While cultural diversity is vital, an organization ought to have shared values, beliefs, and norms. The policies in organizations also play an imperative role in promoting the cultural identity. One of the purposes of sociocultural social identity perspectives is to prevent cultural conflicts in the workplace from occurring. The ingroup tends to establish rules that guide the way they conduct themselves. The ingroup tends to be very protective of their values and will reject any external forces that threaten their cohesion. Therefore, most of the outgroup, especially the minorities will be assimilated in to the dominant culture. The sociocultural and social identity theories help to explain the conflicts in the workplace and the need for training on cultural competence. In the case provided, Aalia (Muslim) finds herself in a difficult position because the workplace policies do not allow her to wear a hijab when interacting with customers. The cultural difference between herself and the workplace environment is the main cause of the misunderstanding. The following discussion will focus on the case provided, the theoretical framework, and a couple of studies, to demonstrate the practicability of the theoretical perspectives.
Brief Summary
Aalia (new employee) found herself in a predicament because the management stated that she could not be allowed to serve customers in a hijab. Despite her qualification and experience, she was not allowed to work in her preferred specialization. The management insisted the store policies did not allow employees to wear hijabs, especially those serving clients. Instead, the management offered her the book-keeping position, which she rejected and threatened to sue because she felt that her rights were violated.
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Theoretical Framework
The social identity and socio-cultural theories can explain the case of Aalia . The social identity theory states that individuals derive pride from groups to which they belong. The ingroup members tend to establish values, norms, and beliefs that help them to interact and avoid conflicts. Members of a given group, such as employees in an organization might not necessarily share background or culture. However, in the new environment, they require shared values and organizational culture to enhance teamwork, communication, and the day-to-day interactions. The social identity in the workplace helps the employees and the management to feel like a family. When a new element (outgroup) comes into contact with the group and fails to assimilate, there could be conflict. This is what happens when Aalia joins a team of employees in the jewelry shop. She is expected to adhere to the established norms, policies, and values to be accommodated to the team .
The social identity theory can also explain the attitude of Aalia towards the employer. Like the organization, she has been brought up in a religion (Islam) that believes women should wear a hijab. To her, the hijab is not just attire , but an integral part of her religion . The religious practices give her the sense of belonging and identity. Taking away her right to wear the hijab is deemed to be a violation of her values, beliefs, and norms. The cultural conflicts cause the conflict arising between Aalia and the management . Each party seeks to protect personal values that give them a sense of identity and pride. The lack of cultural competence and cultural identity are other possible explanations for the issue. Cultural competence allows one to understand the cultural beliefs, values, and norms of others. As a result, one will know what to expect when interacting with different cultures, such as in the workplace. For instance, if Aalia had understood the workplace culture, she would not have imagined that her rights were being violated . On the other hand, if the management had fostered cultural diversity, Aalia should have been allowed to work despite the wearing the hijab. Cultural diversity will enable people from different cultures to work together without prejudice or discrimination.
Lev Vygotsky developed the sociocultural theory . The theory explains why people behave the way they do. People tend to have different cultural values and beliefs. In groups, there is a tendency to establish rules, social norms, and structures that help the social groups to interact. Like in the social identity theory, there is the formation of shared values and beliefs that help to prevent conflicts in the workplace or an other social setting . The cultural difference between Aalia and the organization explains the arising conflict. The organization understands how things should be done , the perceived consequences of going against the norms, and the importance of protecting the in-group’s interests. Similarly, from the microenvironment (family, friends, school, and religion levels), Aalia has acquired values that determine her perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes. It is difficult to change such views explaining why she is not willing to change.
Related Research
A study by Al Ramiah, Schmid, and Hewstone (2011) sought to establish the relationship between social identity and the intergroup conflicts. The population of the study was the majority and minority groups. The researchers used a qualitative research design to conduct the study . The findings indicated that there is always tension between the ingroups and outgroups. The majority status and minority status have a varied perspective on different social issues. The majority group considers their beliefs and norms to be superior to that of the minority groups. Therefore, when it comes to interactions, especially in different social institutions, the values of the majority groups are dominant.
The findings showed that there is a tendency for some minorities to identify with the values of the majority. The self-fulfilling prophecy causes the minorities to think that their culture is inferior. This explains the reason why assimilation of the minority groups occurs. Contrary to the beliefs that disagreements characterize the relationship between the ingroup and outgroup members , the study had interesting findings. The ingroup can advance the interests of the outgroup, but without losing the sense of cultural identity. For instance, it is possible for the majority to advocate for the rights of the minorities such as access to affordable healthcare and equal employment opportunities. However, the support does not mean that the ingroup has abandoned its values, beliefs, and norms that hold it together. What happens is that there are shared values that also make the larger society. This study can also explain the conflict in the organization where Aalia is expected to change. The organization is trying to assimilate Aalia. This is because the culture in the workplace is considered to be superior to that of Aalia.
Korte (2006) conducted a study with an aim to review the social identity theory in the workplace and the need for training. The population of the study was workers in various organizations. The methodology involved the multidisciplinary review of the literature on social identity. The study found that the social identity tends to be a unifying factor that helps to avoid conflicts in the workplace. The study indicated that while employees came from different backgrounds, they had to find common ground / common values that would help them to overcome negative attitudes, perceptions, and feelings of inferiority/superiority complex. The research also established the social identity was imperative in fostering teamwork, employee job satisfaction, and healthy relationships between employees. Korte (2006) concluded that there was a need for training and learning about the importance of social identity in the workplace .
This study can also help to explain the conflict between Aalia and the organization. The organization has to create a favorable working condition for employees. Organizational culture is established to ensure that all employees have shared values that include the dressing code (Turner & Reynolds, 2010). Therefore, the organization was not wrong in demanding that Aalia adheres to the code of conduct. However, she should have been notified during the interview that if hired, she would not be allowed to wear the hijab.
Erdogan (2015) did a study in which sociocultural factors were found to be imperative in learning science. The study design involved the online review of literature related to social learning. The researcher reviewed 15 different studies . The findings indicated that researchers from the same geographical location/setting tended to use similar sociocultural theories. Erdogan (2015), concluded that the sociocultural aspects were imperative in learning science. People tend to use the knowledge that is related to their values and beliefs. The findings are essential in understanding the importance of sociocultural perspective on interactions, attitudes, and beliefs.
The studies are vital in explaining the application of the sociocultural and social identity theories to social interactions. The studies do demonstrate the importance of values, norms, and beliefs in determining the behavior. Cultural values also assess the attitudes of ingroups towards the outgroups (Krumm & Alexandra, 2010). There is a tendency to judge people based on how they act if one does not understand why they operate the way they do. For instance, Aalia feels that her right (cultural) has been violated . However, every organization has its policies that seek to promote unity, cohesion, and shared values (Li & Tsai, 2010). The organization, on the other hand, felt that Aalia was noncompliant and decided to provide alternative opportunity. This demonstrates that the company was not being discriminative, but had to abide by the rules on attires, especially when interacting with customers. It is important to note that an organization has the prerogative to protect its interests. The organization has to understand the culture of the target customers.
Conclusion
The social identity and sociocultural perspectives are essential in understanding why people behave in a certain way. Aalia and the organization had different cultural expectations leading to conflicts. Culture, especially in the workplace , is important in fostering the interaction between the employees. There is a need for unity and prevention of conflicts. Organizations tend to enhance organizational cultures that provide shared values, norms, and practices. The policies in organizations also help to protect the shared values. Aalia felt that her rights were violated because of being forbidden to wear a hijab. However, it is the lack of cultural competence or understanding the culture of others, which leads people to make such judgments.
References
Al Ramiah, A., Schmid, K., & Hewstone, M. (2011). Social Identity and Intergroup Conflict. Psychological Studies 56(1):44-52
Erdogan, N. (2015). Sociocultural Perspective of Science in Online Learning Environments. International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science, and Technology , DOI:10.18404/ijemst.20679
Korte, R. (2006). A review of social identity theory with implications for training and development . Journal of European Industrial Training Vol. 31 No. 3, 2007
Krumm, J., & Alexandra, F. (1 December 2008). "Who Believes Us When We Try to Conceal Our Prejudices? The Effectiveness of Moral Credentials with In-Groups Versus Out-Groups". The Journal of Social Psychology . 148 (6): 689–709
Li, C., & Tsai, C. (2013). Game-based learning in science education: A review of relevant research . Journal of Science Education and Technology , 22(6), 877-898.
Turner, J. C. & Reynolds, K. J. (2010). "The story of social identity ." In T. Postmes & N. Branscombe. Rediscovering Social Identity: Core Sources . Psychology Press
