Cultural Strategic Thinking

Introduction

This paper analyzes a case study ‘Faith and Health’ using Cultural intelligence, in which Anna, a hospital nurse feels frustrated with the behavior of a male Muslim patient Abdul Hadi, while trying to accommodate his needs, at the hospital. The paper analyzes this situation due to cross cultural challenges in terms of national, regional and individual levels. Applying the Cultural Strategic thinking, the paper tries to provide strategy to address the five behavioral needs outlined in the case study. For identified behavioral needs, the paper develops a cultural strategic thinking and then finds required strategies to resolve the issues. This paper also determines how the hospital can increase their cultural strategic thinking,

The difficulty Adbul Hadi’s has in accepting help from Anna to cleanse his body, could be more related to his personal comfort and beliefs developed from his individual culture. Anna is willing to help him, but that alone doesn’t suffice. Anna should first attempt to understand, each individual may have their own comfort levels and beliefs, which could also be due to their religious and cultural traditions.

Since Anna is the one delivering service to the patient, she should try to understand the cultural difference and accordingly adapt her strategies. For this purpose, Anna should use the technique of Connecting New Information to know more about people’s lifestyle and beliefs in the Islamic countries. Hospital management should provide the required help in this

The same techniques of ‘Gaining Cultural Knowledge’ and taking help from a Coach or Mentor should help.

The issue of many relatives visiting Abdul Hadi, causing disturbance to others, could be due to lack of proper understanding of the negative impact from too many people visiting the patient at the hospital. This might be due to poor educational back ground as-well. Hospital Management should provide counselling to Abdul Hadi and the visitors, sharing the implications of too many visitors visiting the patient at hospital. On her part, Anna should follow the technique of ‘Thinking, Being, and Staying Positive’. This will help her in performing her job better.

Abdul Hadi’s need to have a nurse help him to get out of bed, to perform his prayer on time is again due to his strong religious belief. By gaining better knowledge about Islam, Anna may better understand Abdul Hadi’s beliefs and the importance of on time prayer for