Multicultural Familiarization Manual

Introduction 

Amid heightening globalization, migration of populations and demographic modifications has become an essential component of the modern, global economy. The freedom of globalization is represented by the free movement of capital, goods, services, and labor force. Multiculturalism is one of the primary consequences of the globalization-related movement as populations move across borders to seek employment (Kapai, 2012). The relationship of cultures across the globe results to multiculturalism, and is associated with ethnicity, minority-majority relations, social preferences, race, gender, and individuals with disabilities. The force of globalization has obliged firms to expand their operations across borders to remain relevant in the industry. Such a move implies that employees have to work in foreign regions where they are not familiar with the new societal practices and culture, traditions, leadership styles, alongside an array of other elements. Considering the need for employees, working in foreign environments, to adapt the different situations, organizations are required to develop familiarization programs for their workforce. In the midst of increasing business internalization, there is increased focus on the need employee capability of working effectively in new cultural environments, adopt new social and cultural adaptations, and appreciate the differences among people, which are related to multiculturalism.

Background 

Geography 

Argentina is a South American country which borders the South Atlantic Ocean between Uruguay and Chile. It is the second largest country in South America, strategically located relative to the lanes of the sea between the South Pacific and South Atlantic Oceans. The country exhibits diverse geographical landscapes including the largest waterfalls system in the world; tropical climates; the tallest mountain in the Western Hemisphere; and the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. The climate of Argentina is mostly temperate with arid and subantarctic in the southeast and southwest respectively. The country’s terrain is characteristic of rugged Andes along the western border; rich plains of the Pampas; and the flat rolling Patagonia plateau. Natural resources in Argentina are inclusive of lead, copper, manganese, uranium, tin, zinc, iron ore, arable land, and the pampas. Concerning land use, 53.9% of land is for agricultural use, 10.7% is under forest cover, and 35.4% for other uses (CIA, 2018). Argentina faces the environmental challenges related to industrializing economies; the problems are inclusive of soil degradation, water pollution, deforestation, desertification, and air pollution.

Currency 

Argentina uses the Argentine Peso (ARS) as its official currency. According to currency rankings, the USD to ARS rate is the most popular Argentina Peso rate of exchange (CIA, 2018). Notably, Argentina uses $ as its currency symbol. The current exchange rate is 1 Argentine Peso for 0.050 dollar.

Agriculture 

The country Argentina exhibits relatively capital intensive agriculture which provides approximately 7% of the total employment in the country. More than 50% of the country’s foreign exchange is accounted for by agricultural products (whether processed or raw) (CIA, 2018). Argentine raw agricultural products are inclusive of maize, wheat, and soybeans while the processed goods are the likes of vegetable oils, animal feed, and flour. The government also exhibits great effort in improving cattle farming and fishing in the country.

Ethnicities 

The ethnicity composition of Argentina shows 97.2% European and mestizo origins; these are mostly people with Spanish and Italian descent, and mixed European and Amerindian ancestry (CIA, 2018). Spanish is the official language in the country with others being English, French, German, and indigenous languages (CIA, 2018). 

Education 

Argentina uses 5.5% of its GDP on education making it the 32 nd highest budget in the world. The country has a literacy level of 98.1% and a school life expectancy of 17 years (CIA, 2018).

Health 

Regarding health, Argentina displays 0.4% adult HIV/AIDS prevalence rate implying that 12000 people are living with HIV/AIDS.

The country has a record of Zika virus transmission by Aedes mosquitoes; there are other ways of the virus’ transmission including blood transfusion, sex, and in the course of pregnancy (CIA, 2018). The country is also characteristic of 28.3% adult obesity prevalence.

Economy 

The economy of Argentina is driven by the country’s wealth in natural resources, export-oriented agriculture, diverse industries, and high levels of literacy. Major economic indicators include $911.5 billion GDP purchasing power parity, $619.9 billion official exchange rate, 2.5% GDP rate o growth, 12.8% of GDP gross national saving, $59.69 billion exports, and $60.78 billion imports (CIA, 2018).

Government 

Argentina has a presidential republic type of government with 23 provinces as the administrative divisions. The president is the head of state and head of government and has powers to appoint the cabinet. A qualified majority vote elects the president and deputy president on the same ballot, after which they serve for a four-year term (CIA, 2018).

Key items need for employees 

Leadership style 

Argentina exhibits a leadership style in which managers are less task-oriented and more people-oriented. The main leadership style appreciates hierarchy where respect is highly recommended for an older person or one who is higher in rank. Considering that Argentina is a hierarchical country, there is need for managers to invest in the establishment of outstanding relationships with their subordinates. Such an initiative is essential as it helps a manager to win more trust and loyalty employees in lower ranks.

Senior managers in Argentina are capable of making decisions based on personal preference. This trend implies that personal events and views influence the process of decision making in Argentina. Leaders are principal determinants considering that decisions hardly depend on consensus but rather dictating.

Therefore, the hierarchy leadership style is imminent in Argentine organizations where managers know their power and expect respect from their subordinates on grounds of having a higher hierarchical position (Zimmer, 2016). In this style, the people holding senior positions are engaged in the process of decision making without any form of agreement or consultation with their subordinates. This leadership style is typical in Argentina as illustrated by the ability of Argentines to work well in teams, in the presence of clear hierarchy.

Etiquette 

The employees being transferred to Argentina ought to know that the country has a relationship-driven culture hence the need to establish networks and utilize them. It is a common practice for the people of Argentina to uphold and use intricate networks of friends and families with the objective of calling upon for favors or assistance. 

These networks imply that an individual will be called upon to repay a favor which was previously done to him/her (Zimmer, 2016). Unlike the Western culture, nepotism and name-dropping do not have negative effects, but can rather be used at the advantage of an individual.

The etiquette in Argentina also appreciates trust as the people always prefer to interact with trustworthy individuals. In the course of business interactions, Argentines do not like written messages or conversations over the telephone, but rather prefer to have face-to-face meetings. The employees being moved into Argentina will also be required to note that citizens in the country hardly admit mistakes in public, hence need to avoid confrontation.

The etiquette in Argentina also outlines various principles that ought to be observed in the course of business meetings. Employees have to note that, according to Argentines, it is necessary to book business appointments at least one week in advance. On the meeting day, punctuality has to be observed regardless of the arrival time of the other party. Indeed, Argentines believe that the more important the individual being met, the longer one might have to wait. Upon the start of the meeting, the employee is expected establish a rapport before initiating the business discussion (Zimmer, 2016). The employee should carry into the meeting printed material of the business agenda done in Spanish and English. Notably, one should not expect decisions in the course of the meeting considering that this is just a forum for exchange of ideas.

Image management 

Regarding image management, the Argentine-based worker ought to always initiate all business meetings with a few words of Spanish. The contact will note that the foreigner has made some effort thus inviting him/her to use another language. The foreign employer should begin by providing a personal introduction, subsequently followed by an introduction of the company. Notably, unlike the West, people in Argentina hardly use surnames and, indeed, refer to each other using the first name (Zimmer, 2016). In the course of business meetings in Argentina, good image is also maintained through eye contact as the people consider a part on the shoulder a friendship sign. One should also avoid sweeping gestures originating from the chin as these are taken to imply that the person neither knows nor cares. In addition, the foreigner should maintain a good image by covering his/her mouth when coughing or yawning, and by not placing feet on furniture.

Appropriate dress for meetings 

Argentina is one of the countries where people term dress code an extremely essential factor in making a good impression. However, the dress code primarily depends on the nature of activity. For instance, if the meeting involves people from the banking sector, one is expected to be in suit and tie. However, this form of dressing is not mandatory for other sectors as an individual can wear trousers and a shirt (Zimmer, 2016). Generally, for the first meeting, the dress code ought to be stylish and discreet and not conservative. In addition, it should be adapted on grounds of the appointment.

Appropriate negotiation techniques 

The appropriate negotiation style in Argentina requires the employee to first establish an outstanding social relationship, before proceeding to the main agenda of the business meeting. This recommended style implies that the employee who had booked the meeting should avoid settling on the business matter once the meeting commences. Instead, the individual is required to initiate some talk before and after the negotiation; indeed, it is not advisable for one to rush out immediately after the meeting (Zimmer, 2016). The traditional negotiation style in Argentina reveals that the people tend to be formal during the first meeting, and display humor and more friendliness in proceeding meetings.

Communication techniques 

When planning a business appointment, any of the employees shifting to Argentina ought to realize the essence of patience. They have to appreciate that the negotiations may take a long time, alongside having to wait even longer for the decisions. Employees have the obligation to avoid confrontations; however, they are at liberty to engage in a debate with the objective of defending their point of view.

Upon arrival at the meeting, one ought to initiate the engagement by a handshake. It is highly recommended for the employee to use tittles when addressing others especially the elderly, or individuals with such other titles as Doctor, Professor, Abogado, Arquitecto, or Ingeniero (Zimmer, 2016).

Decision making strategies 

Contrary to many conventional business environments, the process of decision making in Argentina is left upon the person holding the highest position in the hierarchy (Zimmer, 2016). Therefore, an employee in the lower levels of the organizations should not expect invitations to all processes of decision making. Indeed, the employees shifting to Argentina should expect a scenario where managers, and their personal decisions, significantly influence the decisions being made within the organization.

Problem solving and conflict management 

Before getting involved in problem solving and conflict management negotiations, workers should keep in mind that the people of Argentina have a business-oriented culture. Argentina is characteristic of frequent economic disturbances implying that the population advocates for short or medium term business deals. Therefore, a conflict could easily arise because of the failure of one party to get immediate returns on investment.

In the course of problem resolution, an employee should exercise patience because people in Argentina are reluctant on publicly admitting to failures (Zimmer, 2016). Therefore, heated debates during conflict resolution negotiations could easily turn to physical confrontations. A worker hoping to participate in the process of problem solving and conflict management should first identify the problem and understand the interests of everyone. This approach will ensure that everyone taking place in the process is aware of the cause of the particular problem and the position of all stakeholders. Also, foreign employees moving into Argentina should appreciate the essence of listing available options for the ideal solution and carrying out a deep evaluation of the options (Zimmer, 2016). Negotiations should be used to choose the best option, after which the agreement ought to be documented.

Cultural orientation values (COV) 

Individualism vs. Collectivism 

Argentina is more of a collectivistic society than an individualistic one. The Argentine population appreciated personal relationships, implying that they would advocate for social strategies rather than individual strategies. Ideally, the citizens of Argentina are focused n social strategies that can lead and influence others into relationships, formation of networks, and alliances with others. Argentina is a typical collectivistic society in that people have the tendency of using the definition term ‘we’, and their membership of groups. Organizational members in the country are integrated into cohesive in-groups where they function as a group; this trend is an indicator of high value for collective harmony and social interdependence ( Livermore, 2015) . Argentina represents those societies where relational; obligations and ties are significant determinants of behavior, as group goals are given priority over individuals. One unique characteristic of a collectivistic society is that love is not the principal determining factor in marriage decisions yet there are low rates of divorce.

Masculinity-Femininity 

Argentina can be category of highly masculine cultures. The masculinity-femininity dimension entails the extent to which a certain society favors the characteristics of one sex more than the other sex. Basically, Argentines value such male-associated traits as dominance, achievement, and aggression over such feminine traits as affiliation, nurturance, and helpfulness. It is noteworthy that childbearing-biological constraints have had great influence over norms regarding the roles of women and men in several societies. However, setting the childbearing role aside, sex-role distinctions can purely be regarded social constructions. From basic observation, many societies exhibit differences regarding their definition of different emotional and social roles for females and males.

The case of Argentina is also referred to as low gender egalitarianism cultures where distinct emotional and social roles for men and women are evident. With men being perceived as competitive, assertive, and focused on material success, they have more authoritative positions than women.

Time orientation 

Societies tend to exhibit differences on grounds of whether they are oriented towards the future, the past, or the present ( Livermore, 2015) . Argentina has a present orientation as people consider the past as unnecessary and the future as unpredictable. This orientation can be illustrated using the behavior of Argentines in which they advocate for short and medium term business deals, primarily owing to the unpredictability of the future. Consequently, for Argentina and most other Spanish-American cultures present orientation is the only way of life that makes sense.

Uncertainty Avoidance 

Argentina is characteristic of relatively high avoidance of uncertainty. This cultural value entails the extent to which a society shows willingness to tolerate uncertainty and ambiguity. Future uncertainty has the capability of creating stress and anxiety, while societies exhibit differences regarding the existence of such uncertainties, and the avoidance or tolerance of the uncertainty ( Livermore, 2015) .

Activity Orientation 

The Argentine society is high on activity orientation. Basically, activity oriented societies hold the belief that an individual has control over his/her destiny; therefore, all people are capable of attaining success provided they try their level best (Livermore, 2015). The society of Argentina has the tendency of placing a premium on action and activity. Indeed, the country’s citizens observe the tradition of valuing accomplishments, and this is only done through doing. The activity oriented culture is different from being cultures which focus on reflection.

Human’s Relationships with Nature 

The Argentine society is moderate human-nature relations as it does not believe on human dominance. This cultural value relates to the way in which people view nature and their relationship with it. Three levels of human’s relationship with nature have been observed: some cultures tend to live in harmony with nature; others attempt to dominate it; while others show a subjugated relationship ( Livermore, 2015) . The dominant relationship refers to societies that believe in controlling and changing natural forces, where else, subjugated relationships refer to societies that believe that no much can be done about natural forces.

Power distance 

Argentina is high on power distance; this is a society which believes that less powerful people readily accept inequalities as they expect their existence in social structures. The society exhibits a high hierarchical structure as people perceive power to have the capability of providing relational harmony; role stability; and social order. As an illustration for power distance, the Argentine society shows significant differentiation into classes, characterized by scarce and stable power bases. Also, the culture is characteristic of limited upward social mobility where not everyone has access to skills, resources, and knowledge. Indeed, various social units have differential involvement in the country’s governance. Narrowing down to organizations, many Argentines have a high regard of managers holding top positions in the organizational hierarchy. This trend explains why major organizational decisions in Argentina are left for those in top leadership positions with minimum involvement of subordinates.

Humane Orientation 

The Argentine culture is high on the humane orientation value. Essentially, the population of Argentina believes in the essence of others, with the concern being extended to people and all aspects of nature. This culture has the tendency of having a high regard of love, benevolence, and altruism. Also, the society displays an immense deal of sensitivity to at least every form of racial discrimination ( Livermore, 2015). 

People living in high humane orientation societies are highly responsible for the promotion of the welfare of others. The people believe in the provision of protection by family and personal relationships considering that financial, social, and material support is provided by the small social circle than state. Notably, children from families on high humane orientation societies show great participation in labor force aimed at assisting in family work. Consequently, members from these families tend to be psychologically healthy. 

Indulgence vs. Restraint 

The Argentine culture is moderate regarding the values of indulgence and restraint. Despite the trend of society members pursuing fun activities aimed at personal enjoyment, a great deal of regulation is exercised. Notably, over 50% of the population members are followers of the Catholic denomination which is deemed to be conservative. 

The highest and lowest cultural orientations 

The Argentine society is highest in the cultural value of time orientation and lowest in the value of individualism. Basically, Argentines are oriented to the present and hold on the assumption that the past is of no essence, and they cannot do much about the future. This orientation can be illustrated using the behavior of Argentines in which they advocate for short and medium term business deals, primarily owing to the unpredictability of the future. In addition, the people of Argentina are highly sensitive about time; this trend can be illustrated by emphasis on punctuality in the events of business meetings. Upon booking a business appointment, the other party will expect the employee to be at the meeting venue on time. Concerning the value of individualism, organizational leaders in Argentina hold low regard for individual achievements. Basically, Argentina is a typical collectivistic society where people use the definition term ‘we’, and their membership of teams or organizations. Also, organizational members in the country are integrated into cohesive in-groups where they function as a group; this trend is an indicator of high value for collective harmony and social interdependence

Theory explaining the most prominent leadership style in Argentina 

Autocratic leadership is the most dominant leadership style in Argentina. Also know as authoritarian leadership, this form of leadership entails an individual controlling all decisions, hence little contribution from members of the group. Ideally, autocratic leaders have the tendency of making decisions based on their judgments and ideas, and hardly consider the advice of followers ( Chishty-Mujahid, 2016) . Essentially, this form of leadership entails absolute, authoritarian control over a team or an organization. 

The primary characteristics of autocratic leadership are inclusive of little or no input from members of the teams, as leaders have the responsibility of making almost all the decisions. Argentina has a tradition in which the personal experiences and preferences of leaders dominate the process of decision making in organizations ( Chishty-Mujahid, 2016) . The employees being transferred to Argentina should expect a highly hierarchical organizational structure in the country. Leaders hardly negotiate with their followers in the course of making major decisions for the organization. Also, most organizational leaders in the country hold low regard of the suggestions and views of members of the subordinate staff. 

Autocratic leadership is also characteristic of processes and methods utilized in the routine operations of the organization being dictated over by the management. Basically, organizations are characteristic of an array of methods which tend to be firm specific. In an ideal situation, one would expect all members of the organization to be involved in the process of developing and implementing these procedures ( Chishty-Mujahid, 2016) . However, under the autocratic leadership style, the development and enforcement of the procedures is solely the responsibility of the top management. 

In organizations governed by autocratic leadership, work is very rigid and highly structured. As observed with the Argentine case, the working environment is evident of centralized command and control, several management layers between bottom and top, independent control of functional control, little talent movement within the organization, and small spans of control ( Chishty-Mujahid, 2016) . 

Conclusion 

The employees being transferred to Argentina will have to understand the nature and culture of the country so as to achieve excellent performance, both at individual and organizational levels. It will be necessary for the individuals to create awareness of such background elements as geography, economy, ethnicities, education, and form of government. The foreigners ought to understand that the main leadership style appreciates hierarchy where respect is highly recommended for an older person or one who is higher in rank. Regarding etiquette in the country, the people should know that the Argentina has a relationship-driven culture hence the need to establish networks and utilize them. Other essential elements for the employees are appropriate negotiation techniques, dress code, maintenance of image, problem solving and conflict management, and decision making strategies It is also essential for the employees to go through different cultural orientation values as observed in the country. Notably, the country is highest in the cultural value of time orientation and lowest in the value of individualism. As a consequence of globalization, the employees will have to interact with people of different nationalities working in Argentina. Therefore, besides the fore-discussed cultural issues, the workers will have to observe an immense deal of respect for the various cultural backgrounds. 

References 

Chishty-Mujahid, N. (2016). The Prevalent and Persistent Virtues of Autocratic Leadership in the Corporate Sector: An Analysis. IBA Business Review , 11 (1), 62-68.

CIA. (2018). The World Factbook. Retrieved April 20 th , 2018, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ar.html 

Kapai, P. (2012). Developing Capacities for Inclusive Citizenship in Multicultural Societies: The Role of Deliberative Theory and Citizenship Education. Public Organization Review , 12 (3), 277-298.

Livermore, D. (2015). Leading with Cultural Intelligence: The Real Secret to Success . New York: AMACOM. 

Zimmer, Z. (2016). Late Book Culture in Argentina. Hispanofila , (176), 212-214.