July 2024 International Blog – Cross-Cultural Communication in International Health and Safety Management

Cross-cultural misunderstanding

During a business trip to one of my (then) employer’s overseas subsidiaries in India, I was introduced to the occupational health nurse.  Ever the polite Englishman, I greeted her and stretched out my hand to shake hers. 

Although she shook my hand, her momentary hesitation, blink, and backward step, left me with the distinct impression that she felt uneasy at taking the hand of this unknown European male.

This highlights how even well-intentioned efforts to respect each other’s culture can sometimes backfire when based on incomplete or misunderstood information.

The “Global Village” and its safety challenges

Cross-cultural communication in international health and safety management is a complex but crucial field.  As our workplaces become more diverse and operations more global, the ability to effectively communicate safety across cultural boundaries can literally be a matter of life and death.

In today's interconnected world, the term "global village" is more relevant than ever.  Companies are expanding across borders, and workforces are becoming increasingly diverse.  

While this global integration brings benefits, it also presents unique challenges, especially when it comes to health & safety management.

Imagine this:

You're a manager in a multinational corporation with operations in the US, Asia, and Europe.

How do you ensure that H&S protocols are understood and followed across such diverse cultural landscapes?  

It's not as simple as translating your H&S manual into different languages.

Cultural Dimensions and Their Impact on Safety

To understand the challenges of cross-cultural communication in safety management, we need to look at some key cultural dimensions that can influence how people perceive and react to safety issues:

• Power Distance: refers to how comfortable people are with hierarchical structures.  In high power distance cultures (like many Asian and Middle Eastern countries), employees might be less likely to question authority or report safety concerns to superiors.
• Individualism vs. Collectivism: Individualistic cultures (like the US and UK) tend to emphasise personal responsibility, while collectivist cultures (like many East Asian countries) focus more on group harmony. This can affect how people approach safety issues and report incidents.
• Uncertainty Avoidance: Some cultures are more comfortable with ambiguity than others.  High uncertainty avoidance cultures might be more receptive to detailed safety procedures, while low uncertainty avoidance cultures might prefer more flexible guidelines.
• Long-term vs. Short-term Orientation: This dimension can influence how people view investments in safety measures and long-term prevention strategies.
• Masculinity vs. Femininity: In more "masculine" cultures, there might be a greater emphasis on toughness and risk-taking, potentially affecting attitudes towards safety.

These dimensions aren't rigid categories, but give us a framework to understand how cultural differences might impact safety perceptions and behaviours.

Real-World Examples: When Cultures Clash on Safety

Let's look at some real-world scenarios where cultural differences have led to safety challenges:

• The "Safety First" Dilemma in Japan Some Japanese employees may be reluctant to stop work for safety reasons, fearing it would disrupt production and harm the group's performance.  The collectivist nature of Japanese culture means that individual safety concerns can be suppressed for the perceived good of the group.
• Risk Perception in the Middle East Some workers in some Middle Eastern countries have been found to fail to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) because the local culture's fatalistic attitudes ("It's God's will") influence risk perception and the willingness to take preventive measures.
• Reporting Incidents in India European manufacturer (Phillips) found that incident reporting rates in their Indian facilities were much lower than in other locations.  It turned out that the high-power distance in Indian culture made employees hesitant to report incidents, fearing it might be seen as criticising management or admitting to mistakes.
• Safety Signs in Brazil Multinational company (Siemens) used standardised safety signs across all its global facilities.  However, in Brazil, they found that some symbols were interpreted differently or not understood at all, leading to confusion and potential hazards.

These examples highlight the need for a nuanced, culturally-aware approach to safety management. So, how can we bridge these cultural gaps?

Strategies for Effective Cross-Cultural Safety Communication

• Cultural Intelligence Training Invest in cultural intelligence training for safety managers and key personnel. This helps them understand and adapt to different cultural contexts, making their safety communications more effective. 
• Localisation, not just translation Don't just translate your safety materials – localise them. This means adapting content, images, and even colours to resonate with local cultural norms and expectations.
• Develop global-local safety policies Create a global safety framework that allows for local adaptations. This ensures consistency across the organisation while respecting cultural differences.
• Use universal design principles When designing safety signs and instructions, use universal design principles that transcend cultural boundaries.  Simple, clear visuals can often communicate better than words. 
• Encourage two-way communication Create channels for employees from all cultural backgrounds to provide feedback on safety measures. This can help identify cultural blind spots in your H&S programmes.
• Leverage cultural mediators Identify employees who understand both the corporate safety culture and the local culture to act as mediators and help bridge communication gaps. 
• Adapt leadership styles Train H&S leaders to adapt their communication and leadership styles based on the cultural context they're working in. 
• Use storytelling and local examples Incorporate local stories and examples in safety training to make the content more relatable and memorable for employees from different cultural backgrounds. 
• Address language barriers In multilingual workplaces, ensure critical H&S information is available in all relevant languages.  Consider using interpreters for important safety discussions. 
• Respect and incorporate local H&S practices While maintaining global standards, be open to incorporating effective local safety practices. This shows respect for local knowledge and can increase buy-in from local employees.

So how would you build a Cross-Cultural Safety Culture?

If, for example you discover within your multinational corporation low incident reporting rates in high power distance cultures, resistance to wearing certain PPE in some regions due to climate and cultural factors, misunderstandings of safety signage in several countries, Arinite can help you:

• Develop a global safety framework that outlines non-negotiable safety standards while allowing for cultural adaptations.
• Organise cultural intelligence training.
• Create a multilingual, anonymous incident reporting system to encourage reporting in high power distance cultures.
• Review and adapt PPE requirements where possible to suit local conditions while maintaining safety standards.
• Redesign safety signage using universal symbols and locally-relevant imagery.
• Appoint safety representatives, where employees from different cultural backgrounds help localise and communicate safety messages.
• Redesign safety training programmes to include local case studies and culturally-relevant scenarios.

Wrapping It Up

Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all approach to cross-cultural safety management.

It requires continuous learning, adaptation, and a genuine respect for cultural differences. By embracing these challenges and viewing cultural diversity as an asset rather than an obstacle, we can create safer workplaces for everyone, regardless of their cultural background.

So, next time you're developing an H&S programme or communicating safety messages, take a moment to consider the cultural dimensions at play.  

Are your messages being understood as intended?

Are there cultural factors influencing how they're received?

By asking these questions and seeking to bridge cultural gaps, we can all contribute to building a safer, more inclusive global workplace.

Contact us

Arinite clients appreciate we provide practical, no-nonsense advice about what you need to do to establish and maintain a safe and healthy working environment.

Our team of health and safety consultants take pride in keeping health and safety simple.

If you need to call upon our expert assistance, or just for an informal chat, please call our office +44 (0) 207 947 9581, or type an enquiry to: https://www.arinite.com/contact-us/.

Jan Mirkowski