Cultural Competency Research

The topic of cultural competency in public administration tends to be seen as a necessity during times of change. Within the last two decades the Unites States has continue to move toward a culturally diverse and ever changing demographic population, especially with a large growth in the Hispanic and Latino communities. Organizations are continuing to adapt to the changes within the population through the implementation and delivery of public program and services to underserved populations with different backgrounds, beliefs, practices, and languages have never been more essential. Research indicates that organizations that manage diversity well show a reduction in workforce turnover, an increase in productivity, an edge in attracting talented

Rice and Audrey L. Mathews attempt to take a more in-depth approach to understanding new patterns of behavioral approaches for cultural competency within public administration organizations and issues surrounding culture competency within higher education. Rice and Mathews also focus on developing culturally competent service delivery professional through the cultural competence cycle and clarification of the differences between cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, and cultural skills. By having an understanding of cultural competency public service organizations and service delivery professionals can ensure culturally specific integration and transformation of the practices and policies for the future.

When reviewing A New Kind of Public Service Professional it clear that the purpose of the piece is to highlight the importance of integration of cultural competency within public administration, in higher education, and to have an understanding of the key elements of the cultural competency cycle with the three distinctive areas of focus including cultural awareness, cultural knowledge, and cultural

To emphasize this point, Rice and Mathews highlight the lack of cultural competency being a required part of the core curriculum in Master of Public Administration programs and the evidence that a lack of understanding cultural competency leads to poor working or failed community-oriented programs (Rice and Mathews). Rice further explains, “The teaching of cultural competency in university based public administration education program and core curricula must be required. Second, steps much be taken to get public agencies to implement cultural competency programs, strategies, and practices in service delivery (Rice 2006, 91-92.).” When future public agency service delivery professionals are provided the basic knowledge cultural competency prior to entering the work force, they have to opportunity to gain a better understanding of the key elements of the cultural competency cycle, develop cultural (or self-awareness) of their views of a particular culture in the form of stereotypes (Pope and Reynolds 1997), and to be further prepared in providing services to a diverse