Effects of Kenyan Culture on Foreign Employees Within Airtel Networks Kenya Ltd

Abstract

The study sought to determine the dynamism of Kenyan culture as experienced in social settings and also in the global world of business. The study looked in to how foreign employees with in Airtel Networks K Ltd are impacted by the Kenyan culture during their tenure here by collecting primary data through the use of questionnaire. It was evident that the expatriates when they relocate to Kenya are faced with cultural differences and they have to orient themselves to the new culture to enable them cope with the differences. Culture shock was a common phenomenon among the respondents as each found the Kenyan social setting to be in contrast with their home nations. What they considered to be the norm in their society was quite different in the Kenyan context. The issue of economic, social, education and religious differences were on the forefront of the cultural differences. As an international organization Airtel Networks is engaged in the recruitment of employees from different nationalities and this allows the organization to be ideal for the case study as it incorporates employees from different social backgrounds who were chosen as part of the respondents. The study concludes that for foreign employees to effectively integrate themselves to the Kenyan work environment the management needs to engage in detailed orientation programs that will show case the expatriates the differences in the new culture and come up with mechanism to handle any negative eventually that may arise. The expatriate employees on their part as well need to develop methods on how they can be able to interact with the new culture to enable them understand why and how things are done leading to appreciation of the same. In addition it‟s not only the management and the employee who are to engage in orientation but generally the whole organization should be encouraged to engage with the foreign employees to allow them settle in well in the new culture.