“Oh East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet.” Rather than reinforcing the idea that people from divergent cultures will never truly understand each other others’ value and beliefs, Rudyard Kipling was being provocative: his Ballad of East and West is, in fact, a hymn to mankind’s essential homogeneity.
Despite its irony, Kipling’s much-quoted line does reflect popular sentiment. We all work better in familiar surroundings and react adversely when confronted with ideas and practices that challenge long-held beliefs. Equally, it is human nature to be tribal. Aside from providing a sense of security and an understanding of where we fit in society, being a member of a tribe – whether defined by social standing or ‘function’ – enables us to exclude other people. In the working environment, this ‘them and us’ approach can produce benefits. We develop a collegiate culture involving greater commitment to our colleagues’ welfare and blame culture is diluted through working for a common cause.
