Definition of Cultural Competence and Cultural Sensitivity

The increasing diversity of different countries

The increasing diversity of different countries presents both challenges and possibilities for enterprises to develop and deliver culturally competent and sensitive services. Cultural competence refers to a company’s and its workers’ capacity to provide successful services that fulfill the language, cultural, and social needs of prospective customers. A culturally competent workforce can help the international organization improve the quality of its offerings. Furthermore, such employees contribute to the elimination of ethnic and racial imbalances in organizations. There are many ways to develop cultural awareness, the provision of appropriate training on the cross-cultural issues and cultural competence to the organizational professionals, and establishment of policies that decrease communication and administrative barriers to the prospective clients, are among others (Trimble, 2012).

Cultural sensitivity

On the other hand, cultural sensitivity refers to the act of acknowledging the existence of cultural similarities and differences between individuals without assigning such individuals a particular value. In the context of workplace environments and life, employees normally face certain circumstances where secondary and dominant cultures to be found. For example, the dominant culture in the United States workplaces is the European-American while secondary cultures include Chinese, African-American, and Hispanic (Kapoor & Griffith, 2015). Therefore, cultural sensitivity illustrates that both individuals respect and understand the qualities and values of one another. It, as a rule, poses a significant challenge in different organizations since employees are normally required to accept the dominant culture. What is important is that the individuals in the company should understand simple fact that only human beings are very different and all cultures are the same. Nevertheless, the matter becomes a serious problem in the workplace environment when not everyone agrees with the above statement (Trimble, 2012).

Discussion of Cultural Identity, Values, and Worldview

Cultural Identity

Cultural identity refers to the feeling of belonging to a particular group. It is very important in workplace environments. Cultural identity forms part of individual perception and conception. It is related to locality, generation, social class, religion, ethnicity or nationality that is of its own unique way of life. Modern culture is very important in a workplace environment due to the fact that it helps employees to understand the global markets and themselves. Different contemporary social theories and cultural studies have examined cultural identity in many organizations. Over the past few years, cultural identifiers have emerged to assist identification of individuals in various companies. Cultural divisions might be very good in other parts of the world. The issue is rather sensitive in big cities where there is ethnical diversity within the population. Therefore, culture is an essential factor in the transformation of individual identities (Witkin, 2016). Due to the fact that historical reservoir is one of the major cultural attributes; revisions are entertained by better part of the cultural groups. According to the anti-cultural identity society, the protection of cultural belonging is a crucial divisive force in different communities. Organizations might consider practical associations in situations where they might have common cultural identities. Different countries offer distinct frameworks for cultural affiliation, hence impacting the internal cultural realities. Instead of representing associations of people within a particular group in the organization, social networks of individuals might define the cultural identity. People may learn social norms from other sources such as the media rather than acquiring the knowledge and behaviors from the cultural groups which would help to develop individual cultural identities. There are various factors that influence cultural identities of individuals. Some of them are political and family attitudes, skills, profession, education, class, language, skin color, ancestry and religion of an individual. These constituents are essential as they influence the development of the cultural identity of an individual (Witkin, 2016).

Cultural Values

Cultural values denote the concepts of culture about what is just, fair, right, and good. Nevertheless, there are some sociologists who are in a dispute about the ways to conceptualize them. The conflicting theory concentrates on differences of cultural values exercised by certain groups in a particular culture. On the other hand, functionalism concentrates on shared values of individuals within a specific culture. American sociologist Robert Merton claims that the majority of the essential values in the US society are prestige, power, success and wealth; however, individuals do not have equal rights to accomplish such them similarly (Witkin, 2016). Talcott Parsons, a functional sociologist, argues that American citizens normally share common cultural values of the work ethics that persuade them to perform harder and better (Witkin, 2016). Other sociologists put forward some of the other essential American values such as accountability, responsibility, individualism, justice and equality, freedom, charity, patriotism, democracy, dependence on science and technology as well as achievement (Witkin, 2016).

Culture is of utmost importance since it may harbor the different conflicting values of individuals. This might come to the fore in cases when the value of charity conflicts with the material prosperity. Alternatively, the cultural individualism may clash with the value of individual equality. Therefore, such forms of contradictions occur because of the level of inconsistencies between professional values and actions of individuals. This demonstrates why different sociologists have to differentiate about what individuals say and what they actually do. Ideal culture is the norms and values prophesized by the society to believe, whereas real culture can be defined as the norms and values that are actually followed by the society.

Worldview

The concept of worldview can be defined as a mental framework through which groups and people interpret the role and nature of life, laws that govern human relationships, and the essence of reality. Human life experiences shape the worldviews. Similarly, the human approach to life is formed by the worldviews. Every individual possesses one. Human beings normally develop their viewpoints in the course of life which are normally transferred from one generation to another through different techniques such as mass media, political orientation, religious belief, family custom, and education. Evolution of worldviews occurs as a direct reply to the development of human consciousness. In many instances, human beings are partially conscious about the different attitudes that they hold. In the modern world, the majority of people understand and experience life from a perspective that is conflict-centered. This is mainly due to the fact that the scientific theories, concepts, and philosophies inform the dominant worldviews in the modern world. Human attitudes towards the surrounding environments are not affected by their worldviews. Nevertheless, the nature of human relationships is determined by its standpoints. The matter is essential in the workplace environment and requires employees to relate with the other members of the organization. Therefore, the worldviews of human beings determine the manner in which they approach and deal with various challenges and opportunities they might come upon in the process of executing their work in any company. Everything that individuals do is affected by their worldviews (Ordeix, Carayol, & Tench, 2015).

According to the theory of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin, human lives revolve around conflict, competition, and struggle. It is therefore essential for every individual to understand how to cope with the challenges that they might encounter in their lives. The economy, psychology, society, and human life are founded on conflict. Thus, acquiring maximum power in life so as to gain pleasure and attain optimal survival is paramount. In addition, people are to be competitive in life and assess some of the things that might be useful in accomplishing individual interest. As a matter of fact, life is just an area where the aggressive in the society survive. The one could be a loser or a winner depending on the efforts initiated to achieve particular goal (Ordeix et al., 2015).

Communication Styles

One of the most vital assets an employee can bring to his or her organization is the effective communication skills. In point of fact, confident socializing reduces errors and enhances efficiency in the company. Nevertheless, there are no high quality techniques that can cure the individual errors in the communication styles of employees. Understanding the communication styles of employees is essential in the modern organizations. Effective contact between employees helps to improve efficiency and understanding at the workplace. Excellent communicators distinguish various communication styles that assist them in accomplishing their goals. The organizational staff can employ some of them to facilitate its intercourses. Some of the communication styles include formal, informal, external and internal (Chun & Evans, 2016).

Formal communication style in an organization constitutes the downward communication. This is the intercourse between the management of the organization and the subordinate staff. The downward communication might constitute feedback, procedures, anticipations and job tasks as well as other vital information that is required by the employees to execute their duties effectively. Formal communication style also involves upward communication where the subordinate staff communicates with the management. It is mainly utilized to enquire about the procedures, job duties, policies, job-related issues as well as any other problems that the staff might be experiencing in the organization. Horizontal communication is another form of formal communication in which managers or employees contact people of the same rank in the company. It enhances task coordination and provides solutions to certain workplace problems (Vasconcellos, 2017).

Informal communication is another example of communicative style. It relates to the undesignated methods through which managers and employees communicate in the organization. It might involve discussions about some of the social problems and individual interests of staff. The company’s employees feel much comfortable after sharing their views with the other members of the organization. The informal communication style, in case it becomes a form of distraction, may have a negative impact on the staff performance. As a result, it is important to minimize informal communication in an organization where there is a formal one (Vasconcellos, 2017).

Internal and external communications are other styles that can be directed to other individuals within or outside the organization. Internal communication style constitutes particular intercourse of the company. It might include discussions on issues related to internal reports, performance assessment or job tasks. On the other hand, external communication style comprises the society, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the company. It can be represented in the form of marketing to the customers, shipping orders as well as ordering from external suppliers. These types of communications have their merits and drawbacks since they can be applied to different situations (Chun & Evans, 2016).

Prejudice and Stereotypes

Prejudice is a term that many people wrongly interchange with stereotypes. It refers to the preconceived concepts or negative attitudes that are formed prior to knowing the facts about an issue. On the other hand, stereotypes are the fixed concept or an inflated belief about a group or an individual that other individuals hold. They are accomplished by selective forgetting and insight. Stereotypes are normally developed throughout the life of a particular person, moreover, they also originate in the professional life cycle of an individual. It might be undertaken due to limited experience or deformed information. Within any workplace environment, prejudice and stereotypes are anticipated. Stereotypes assist in formulating the culture of an organization due to the fact that they affect trust and interactions among different employees (Maude, 2016).

Stereotyping might make individuals within the company treat other groups or people in a particular manner based on the fixed perception about that particular group of individual. The tendency of stereotyping in an organization might occur due to various diversity factors such as age, gender, religion, culture, race, and ethnicity. Negative effects of conventional images are possible to prevent by enhancing the non-discriminatory workplace environment, thus allowing cultural diversities and honesty. Besides, stereotyping negatively affects the morale of the people, hence making the entire organizational atmosphere very dangerous. The employees of the company who experience criticisms and constant negative comments tend to lose interest and motivation to execute their tasks effectively. Staff might be indirectly affected by low morale. As a result, it would contribute to a decline in the production level of the organization (Cohrs & Kessler, 2013).

Both prejudice and stereotype are normally very destructive due to the fact that they establish certain insinuations of inferiority and superiority that influence the mode of communication in the organization. Therefore, it is essential for the organizational managers to acknowledge the value and distinctions of prejudice and stereotype in order to ensure there is understanding of the cultural assumptions such as ethnic, national, or inside values. In case the executive comprehends the most effective procedure that would help to change the cultural assumptions, he can put an end to the approval and acceptance of prejudice and stereotypes in the organization (Maude, 2016).

Organizational leaders and managers have the power to change the cultural assumptions that contribute to prejudice and stereotypes. Diverse education is one of the techniques that can be employed to make the difference. It presupposes a situation where the organizational employees flashback on the prejudices and stereotypes that they have experienced in their lives. Reflecting might include instances of staff subjections to prejudice and stereotypes. This method will help the manager acknowledge the origin and context of the existing preconceived and hackneyed ideas in the organization. In addition, this way manager will learn to show appreciation to the employees for their contributions instead of recognizing them through their ethnic or cultural background. They will also recognize the fact that every employee in the organization has his or her opinion regarding certain issues. Such practices encourage employees not to be persuaded by the opinions of other individuals, hence contributing to the acceptance of the organizational culture and creation of openness (Maude, 2016).

Acculturation

Acculturation is the process of adjustment that occurs when various bodies without the same values get into direct contact for a particular duration. It is a type of change that relates to the behaviors and attitudes of groups and individuals. Besides, it also happens between and within various groups or individuals. These might be organizations, countries, cultures, societies, clubs as well as teams (Hurst, 2014).

According to a historical perspective, it has been considered that acculturation affects just any group that is the minority in a particular circumstance. For instance, in case an individual from Kenya or Germany migrates to the US, he or she experiences acculturation. Nevertheless, the person might be un-acculturated if he or she fails to learn anything about America after a particular period. Therefore, it was believed that acculturation occurs in various phases. The acculturated stage was considered to be the final one. The theory that acculturation occurs in phases was later challenged. Therefore, it is designated as a dynamic process in an organization that might move in numerous divergent directions. Thus, primary techniques must be understood in order to develop good strategies that might help create effective organizational cultures (Hurst, 2014).

Within the business environment, each company has a unique culture that it would like to adopt and maintain among its employees and operations. The atmosphere of any organization is anchored on its rationale, vision, and mission. All the employees normally enter different settings with a set of beliefs and cultural values. During the orientation process of the new staff, the culture of the organization is normally taught to the recruits. The training process helps to enhance the general understanding of the employees about the operations and values of the company. In addition, it is anticipated to boost the sense of loyalty of the employees to the organization. This is essential due to the fact that it promotes company’s cohesiveness. Employees who are able to quickly understand and adapt to the values of the organization normally prosper in their new roles (Lu, Samaratunge, & Härtel, 2015). The human resources staff members who undertake enrollment and recruitment as well as helping and understanding the acculturation of the new employees into the current organizational structure are very valuable. It is of utmost importance for managers of an organization to understand acculturation since it contributes to the successful accomplishment of the tasks assigned at the right time (Hurst, 2014).

List of resources that could assist employees become more culturally competent:

- Dauvrin, M., & Lorant, V. (2015). Leadership and Cultural Competence of Healthcare Professionals. Nursing Research, 64(3), 200-210. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/nnr.0000000000000092

- Hiranandani, V. (2012). Diversity Management in the Canadian Workplace: Towards an Antiracism Approach. Urban Studies Research, 1-13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/385806

- Kulkarni, S. (2012). A Study on Cultural Diversity Management for Indian Organizations. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 37, 267-276. doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2012.03.293

- McCalman, J., Jongen, C., & Bainbridge, R. (2017). Organisational systems’ approaches to improving cultural competence in healthcare: A systematic scoping review of the literature. International Journal for Equity in Health, 16(1). doi:10.1186/s12939-017-0571-5

- Truong, M., Paradies, Y., & Priest, N. (2014). Interventions to improve cultural competency in healthcare: A systematic review of reviews. BMC Health Services Research, 14(1). doi:10.1186/1472-6963-14-99

References

Chun, E., & Evans, A. (2016). Rethinking Cultural Competence in Higher Education: An Ecological Framework for Student Development. ASHE Higher Education Report, 42(4), 7-162. doi:10.1002/aehe.20102

Cohrs, J.C., & Kessler, T. (2012). Negative Stereotypes, Prejudice and Discrimination. In A.G. de Zavala & A. Cichocka (Eds.), Social Psychology of Social Problems. The Intergroup Context (3-29). London, Palgrave Macmillan.

Hurst, R. (2014). The Role of Organizational Culture in Cross-border Acquisitions: A Look at the Process of Acculturation. Organizational Cultures: An International Journal, 13(3), 67-80. doi:10.18848/2327-8013/cgp/v13i03/50934

Kapoor, R., & Griffith, E.E. (2015). Cultural competence. Oxford Medicine Online. doi:10.1093/med/9780199360574.003.0060

Lu, Y., Samaratunge, R., & Härtel, C.E. (2015). Predictors of acculturation attitudes among professional Chinese immigrants in the Australian workplace. Journal of Management & Organization, 22(1), 49-67. doi:10.1017/jmo.2015.19

Maude, B. (2016). Managing Cross-Cultural Communication. London, Palgrave Macmillan.

Ordeix, E., Carayol, V., & Tench, R. (2015). Public Relations, Values and Cultural Identity. Paris: Presses Interuniversitaires Europeennes.

Trimble, J.E. (2012). Advancing Understanding of Cultural Competence, Cultural Sensitivity, and the Effects of Cultural Incompetence. In M.J. Prinstein (Ed.), The Portable Mentor (57-80). New York, NY: Springer Publishing.

Vasconcellos, V.C. (2017). Time Pressure, Pacing Styles, and Polychronicity: Implications for Organizational Management. In E.R. Neiva, C.V. Torres, & M. Helenides (Eds.), Organizational Psychology and Evidence-Based Management (205-225). New York, NY: Springer Publishing.

Witkin, S.L. (2016). Transforming Social Work. London, Palgrave Macmillan.