Cultural Competence, Research Paper Example

It is very important for both the work unit and the managers to understand the ethnic, cultural and gender difference of all the personnel and leaders in a business setting. It has been reported by Gasconne (2009) that in most working places employees differ in cultures and values; for example in a company where Arabs and Chinese men work there is bound to be a problem if the company has not yet dealt with how to get employees focus on the main goal in the company. Gasconne (2009) reports that the Arabs do not inquire about female relatives and they consider it an insult when someone asks them, while the Chinese are very humble and polite and tend to focus on the family more than anything so they ask their colleagues how their families are doing each morning when they report to work. Some people tend to take it as a curse when a female manager tells them to do anything at the work place because most cultures do not allow women to be the head of the businesses or the family. It is very important for a manager to address these issues so that the whole company can come to an agreement about how different cultures view women in the society and how some people need to embrace and also respect the cultures. While the employees are taught how to accommodate each other with their different cultures, people in the work place are taught about their goals in the company and their goals are to improve in team work and also communication skills.

Gasconne (2009) reported that employees who appreciate the cultures of other people as they would want other people to appreciate theirs are very easy to deal with because they find it fascinating to learn the cultures, ethics and values of their colleagues at work. It is also very important for employees who deal with marketing to learn the cultures of people they are going to sell their products to. This is mainly because people from strict religious backgrounds do not entertain women wearing short skirts or tight clothes while other people misinterpret other words used in marketing to mean obscene words in their own cultures. This is considered as an insult to the various communities. Examples of these words are Pajero which in Spanish slang means masturbation, and Pepsi’s slogan; ‘Come Alive With Pepsi’ for the Japanese meant that the product brings the dead relatives or friends back to life which meant bad luck. It is very important to know what different words, dresses, foods, animals or values mean in different cultures in the world because with globalization, a company can maintain good trade relationships when they understand the cultures of their trade partners and also respect their values. Dr. Knowall (2009) reported that when people in a work place have come to an understanding about the values and ethics of each work mate, it is very easier for the work unit to work as a team and achieve their own goals as well as those of the company. Managers are the role models in learning, embracing and respecting other employees’ life styles.

The management needs to place rules and regulations that diminish racism, tribalism and also disrespect towards gender difference. People in the work place should be mentored so that they learn the qualities of having different people working in the same company. Dr. Knowall (2009) suggests that different cultures and traditional background means diversity in trade because a person of Mexican descent can negotiate trade very well with Mexican business men who do not focus so much on time and might be late without notice or apologies. Managers need to encourage their employees to assist each other in the work place and also at other areas because individualism can only lead to failure in achieving personal goals and also failure in the company due to lack of teamwork. People need each other to survive and live happily. In case a company is experiencing change, employees who have strong positive relationships will help each other adjust and adapt to change faster than the employees who do not accommodate each other in the work place.

In simple words, a group of managers can change the entire company to reach greater heights of growth and development if they help their employees understand how their different life styles make them who they are. The employees can learn to accept each other with their different cultures and norms on different matters. However employees should be advised to respect the life style their colleagues choose to live because they are at liberty to decide for themselves because they are all adults and people who can understand each other.

References

Dr. Knowall (2009). How to promote cultural and ethnic diversity in the work place. Retrieved Jan 7^th 2010 from www.allacademic.com/meta/p107867_index.html

Gasconne (2009). The importance of understanding cultural differences in business. Retrieved Jan. 7^th 2010 from www.helium.com › Business › Human Resources