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Summary of cultural sensitivity
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Introduction
Cross-cultural sensitivity refers to the ability of a person to decrypt and understand other people’s values and beliefs in a new environmental setting using emic and situated knowledge structures. According to Karen, Moriah & Stephanie (n. d), the construct of cultural sensitivity is includes an array of dissimilar features such as; awareness of cultural differences; being tolerate of behavioral norms that exist in different cultures; and being open to new experiences found in different cultures.
The Negative effects of Cross-cultural insensitivity among managers in organizations
Poor management of cultural diversity often results to reduced productivity and relational capabilities among employees. It makes the disadvantaged employees to feel disengaged and may lead to withdrawal from teamwork hence lower performance. Stereotyping leads to uncertainty and tensions in cross-cultural interactions among employees and managers. Some managers exhibit ethnocentric attitudes towards some employees from different religious and social backgrounds. This leads to dysfunctional relationships between employees and managers. This is evident from over-generalizations about foreign employees regarding their suitability to undertake work related assignments. This results in employee discrimination and communication breakdown. Inequalities and exclusion of some employees may also arise which is a form of social injustice. Employees who have been subjected to being stereotyped usually become frustrated. Organizations that are involved in stereotyping employees create a negative reputation among potential employees making it difficult to attract new talents in the global workplace.
Cross-cultural sensitivity training for managers to En...
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Works Cited
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Karen, P., Moriah, M. & Stephanie, R. (n. d). Components of a global mindset: corporate social responsibility andcross-cultural sensitivity. Journal of International Business and Cultural Studies.
Mor, S., Morris, M. & Joh, J. (n. d) Identifying and Training Adaptive Cross-Cultural Management Skills: The Crucial Role of Cultural Metacognition.
White, R. D. (1999). Managing the Diverse Organization: The Imperative for a New Multicultural Paradigm. Public Administration & Management: An Interactive Journal 4 (4) pp. 469-493.
Zakaria, N. (2000). The effects of cross-cultural training on the acculturation process of the global workforce. International Journal of Manpower, 21(6), pp. 492-510.
As leaders, enterprises give them authority and require them to act responsibly to create a hospitable work environment by guiding others in practicing mutual respect. Overt or implicit bias in the workplace undermines potential. People of varying ages, genders, ethnicities and regions all have valuable contributions to offer, and as the corporate world draws from a global talent pool, fostering understanding is increasing in importance even for small organizations.
Workforce diversity refers to the existence of individuals with different cultural, economic and social backgrounds within an organization (Claretha, 2014). In the modern world, there is increased level of diversity in the workforce due to increased level of awareness and socioeconomic interactions among people. Therefore, organizations have become multicultural places which require effective communication to ensure organizational success. That is, in the modern global community, the workplaces in various organizations have become more culturally diverse (Claretha, 2014). This has had serious impact on the personal and professional relationships among employees depending on the communication model that is established in an organization. In addition, due to the increased level of competitiveness in the business environment, organizations have been forced to establish suitable framework to effectively manage human diversity. This paper will analyze the concept of workforce diversity and organizational communication and determine its benefits and possible disadvantages in relation to business success.
Leadership can be defined as the method in which one influences a group of individuals for a common goal. There have many great leaders in the world but these leaders are not born leaders. One must have willpower and the desire to become an effective leader. These leaders become dependent upon based upon their abilities and their success. A leader is looked upon for guidance and the inspiration to know what the right thing to do is. The theoretical foundations of the research of leadership are firmly supported. To better understand the foundations and understand the focus of leadership, it is essential to have knowledge of the history of leadership, the meaning and concept of leadership, types of leaders and leadership styles, and issues in leadership such as issues with culture and gender. According to Antonakis (2004), “leadership researchers have struggled for most of the last century to put together an integrated, theoretically cohesive view of the nature of leadership, invariably leading to disappointment in those who studied it” (p.4). An overview of the history of leadership is necessary to understand the concept of leadership because it also provides a framework for other areas of leadership. In any conventional group, individuals fill different role and one of those roles must the leader which is essential for the group to achieve it purposes.
...e backgrounds, to do business or work together. If, by any chance, this people do not understand each other in terms of cultural backgrounds, the company is at a risk of underperforming. Among other factors, a company’s exceptional performance depends on a favorable relationship among the employees. People from diverse backgrounds often crush on each other at the work place because the frequency of misunderstanding each other is very high. This owes much on prejudice and stereotypes which people hold on those from different backgrounds. It is in such scenarios that the importance of diversity training cannot be underscored. This is due to the fact that diversity training aim at ironing out all the differences emanating from diverse backgrounds and help in establishing impeccable cohesion among all the stakeholders in an organization (Bezrukova, Jehn and Spell 218).
The impact of diversity in the workplace is contingent upon several factors. Across companies diversified workforces are becoming increasingly common. To successfully manage a diverse workforce, organizations are ensuring that employees understand how their values and stereotypes influence their behavior toward others of different gender, ethnic, racial, or religious backgrounds; are gaining an appreciation of cultural differences among themselves; and behaviors that isolate or intimidate minorities are being improved (Noe et al., 2010, pg. 302).
In spite of mis-representation, certain culture is prone to be seen in corporation. Managing any variety of cultures will require some form of flexibility an understanding of personality that may not their personal environment. In the next few paragraphs, diversity will be dissected how some minority thrive and struggle in some areas. Mr. Taylor and Kachanoff worked on a theory that emphasizes, there is a psychological aspect of diversity which may influence the horizontal and vertical aspect of multiculturalism (2015,
TURAN, S., & BEKTAŞ, F. (2013). The Relationship between School Culture and Leadership Practices. Eurasian Journal Of Educational Research (EJER), (52), 155-168.
Wanasika, I., Howell, J.P., Littrell,R., Dorfman, P., 2011. Managerial Leadership and Culture in Sub-Saharan Africa. Journal of World Business, 46(2), pp.234-241.
In the workplace, it is common to encounter individuals of different cultures, ethnicities, and genders. This diversity can either lead to an introduction of new work methods, or it can lead to conflict between coworkers. In order to avoid conflict, and have all employees work as a cohesive team, managers must educate themselves, and their employees on the topic of cultural diversity. In order for your practices to be considered effective, you must not only respect and recognize an employee’s diversity, you must use their difference to benefit them.
Within an organization, there are always people that think and behave differently, all dependent on their personal values and cultures. Efficient managing of the human resources is an art, and it is hard to find a perfect solution/combination. It is important that management recognize and understand that people work differently. This is why it is important to have strong cultural foundations that also guides how employees are expected to behave and work. Thereby it should be easier for management to utilize the work force diversity to something meaningful.
Can the effects of cultural misunderstandings can be painful for the individuals, but also for the organization as a whole. Embarrassing situations and inadvertently insults, offenses and failure to achieve individual and organizational goals are among the consequences of the joint. Experience of many managers and researchers in the field of strategy, organization, and the development of the theory of the organization suggests all this ", the study of cultural issues at the organizational level is absolutely essential to a basic understanding of what goes on in organizations, and how it works, and how to improve" (Shin 1990).
Cultural sensitivity occurs when people recognize and are aware that each country or various ethnic groups of people have their own set of experiences, beliefs, values, and language that affect their perceptions toward life. Addressing Cultural sensitivity permits people to comprehend that there are differences between cultures. Furthermore, having awareness in the differences between cultures permits a culturally competent person to communicate effectively with others that are outside of one’s realm. Some of the differences of Cultural sensitivity can be discovered while traveling outside of the country, such as through Cross-cultural sensitivity experiences. Likewise, a culture has its own norms and beliefs to how one should dress; how one should greet others, such as by referring to a significant individual by his or her first name or surname (comprehending which name should be stated first in foreign names); and/or what foods are permitted to eat or forbidden to eat or understanding what may offend a person (e.g. not accepting a home cooked meal). There are norms, taboos, cultural cues, and cultural etiquette standards that are significant to learning about one’s culture before exploring another country or while working with people who are from your country but who are part of another racial group. It takes time and patience to build a high level of Cultural sensitivity. Educating oneself with a culture’s psychology and its norms is significant toward achieving an increasing awareness toward Cultural sensitivity.
Nowadays, the phenomenon of globalization has massively affected the social and cultural values and has made an assembled standard of uniqueness and obstacles. Moreover, international organizations such as multinational companies, corporate brandings, non-governmental organizations, and global media play a critical part by quickening communications among social societies worldwide (Ghodrati, Joorabchi & Muati, 2015). Especially for the effect of globalization, world has started become more culturally diverse and incorporated each and another. In today’s workplace, a constructive effect of cultural diversity in the work environment is that employees having a place
...tly creating an internal racial divide, and giving off a sense of superficial diversity. Organizations can overcome these challenges by administering a company wide survey to collect the thoughts of the employees and by giving the employees a means for anonymous opinion sharing during meetings. The challenges of implementing a diverse workforce structure more than outweigh the problems that arise from a racist and sexist organization. It is necessary for companies in our society to be diverse, and for that reason, overcoming the challenges that occur is something that organizations simply have to deal with. In my personal experience, working for companies that are diverse in their culture are immensely more successful. Having unique insights from males, females, African-Americans and whites lead to the most collaborative and successful organizations in the country.
Shaping a culture is a difficult task, because many of the valuable qualities a leader might have are never taught in a classroom. These qualities can be learned through out a life of experiences. Emotional development, genuineness, and a strong character are all essential qualities if leadership in a culture-driven company is to be effective. This analysis will discuss the relationship between a successful leader and the organization cultural change in today’s business.