Moving From Plural to Multicultural Organization: The Case of SafeHarbor International

Abstract

The integration of culturally-distinct employees remains a desirable, yet challenging, dream to realize in the modern workplace. Field research at a multinational, multilingual organization, SafeHarbor International, was conducted as a means of investigating multiculturalism in organizations. The case of SafeHarbor explored the sensemaking cues employees received regarding multicultural integration, and how these cues influenced organizational outcomes. The study addressed two primary objectives: What cues did employees receive for and against multicultural integration (RQ1) and what are the outcomes of those cues in relation to Cox’s (1991) model of integration (RQ2). Findings for RQ1 revealed conflicting cues, which created an ambivalent sensemaking environment with both “Green Lights” (indicating support for integration) and “Red Lights” (indicating resistance to it) reported. For RQ2, outcomes relating to Cox’s dimensions of integration reflected both pluralistic and multicultural organizational status. This study contributes to the literature by offering insights into the liminal organizational space that can exist between pluralism and multiculturalism within a single organization, documenting ambivalent cues, and advancing research on sensemaking in multicultural contexts. Findings also offer the original concept of silicon curtain (i.e., management’s overuse of specific technologies at the expense of relationship development), which involves the limitations of technology in facilitating integration between culturally-distinct groups within an organization.