DIVERSITY AWARENESS – CROSS CULTURAL CHALLENGES -

Luci Bonini, CPC

OBJETIVES

Understand the world like a Mosaic Understand the concept of diversity

thinking globally and acting locally. Exercise diversity in different situations

in our lives Understand that many companies is

creating the CDOs to help them to understand diversity

Appreciate differences

WHAT IS DIVERSITY?

IF YOU BELONGED TO A DIFFERENT CULTURE

Take a few minutes to imagine that you woke up tomorrow morning and found that you belonged to another culture, another ethnic group, or some other dimension of diversity. You might be Hispanic, Asian, African, or White. You might have a physical or mental disability. You might belong to a different religious group—

perhaps you are Jewish, Moslem, or Christian. You might be a teenager or a very elderly person. You might live in a distant country.

CONSIDER THE ITEMS BELOW WITH YOUR NEW CULTURE/GROUP IN MIND. THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE AREAS IN YOUR LIFE THAT MIGHT BE AFFECTED.

The friends you associate with The social activities you enjoy The foods you prefer The religion you practice The clothing you wear The neighborhood you live in The job/position you hold The vehicle you drive The music you enjoy The language(s) you speak The political party you belong to

NOW ANSWER TO YOURSELF THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

WHAT PARTS OF YOUR LIFE WOULD REMAIN THE SAME?

WHAT PARTS OF YOUR LIFE WOULD BE DIFFERENT?

ARE YOU SURPRISED TO SEE HOW MANY THINGS IN YOUR LIFE WOULD CHANGE IF YOUR CULTURE CHANGED?

WOULD YOU BE SATISFIED TO BE THIS NEW PERSON?

ARE YOU PREPARED TO FACE A NEW COUNTRY, A NEW CULTURE AND APPRECIATE IT?

WHAT IS DIVERSITY?

WHERE DID YOU RECEIVE YOUR CULTURAL PROGRAMMING?

WHERE DID YOU LEARN OUR VALUES, BELIEFS, ATTITUDES, AND PATTERNS OF THINKING AND ACTING?

Each of us is born into a culture. Our beliefs begin with those of our

family, but they continue to be shaped by all of our experiences after birth.

For the most part, family attitudes, beliefs, languages, and other behaviors are accepted without question.

Take a few minutes to list on a sheet of paper the various influences on your cultural programming. You probably listed some of the following:

family , economic status Ethnicity, neighbors Church, media , travel Age, education , work Spouse, friends Geographic location other

WHY DO WE NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT DIVERSITY?

Two powerful points in our society have made diversity an important issue. First, the global market in which many corporations do business became highly competitive.

Second, the population of some countries began changing dramatically.

POINT 1: THE GLOBAL MARKET

We always make mistakes when the subject is diversity: like Chevrolet made when it first tried to sell the

Chevy Nova in Spanish speaking countries. In Spanish, “No va” means “It does not go.”

Needless to say, the Nova never sold well in Spanish speaking countries.

Similarly, when Pepsi started marketing its products in China a few years back, the Chinese translated the slogan “Pepsi brings you back to life” quite literally.

This slogan in Chinese really meant, “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave.”

POINT 2: CHANGING DEMOGRAPHICS

By the year 2050 approximately 50 percent of the U.S. population will be non-White.

Shortly thereafter (by 2056), there will be no single majority group in this country. The United States will be composed of multiple minority groups.

THE GREAT COMPANIES ARE REFRAMING THEIR THOUGTS

What is a CDO …commonly found in the corporate world. See more in: http://www.insidehighered.com/workplace/2006/04/18/williams

Here you can know more: http://www.workforcediversitynetwork.com/docs/Article_goldemwilliams_WhatisaChief%20DiversityOfficer.pdf

Here you can find many materials to understand why you need pay attention to diversity! learn more http://diversityofficermagazine.com/magazine/

THE HISTORY OF DIVERSITY MANAGING Diversity education is becoming a solution for many

businesses. In the European Union, it is offered to small and medium-sized businesses to develop their capacity to include people of across states in the union and cultures. Australia’s government utilizes diversity education to end a history of discrimination against Aboriginal and Islander people. Asia finds it useful for increasing productivity in multinational companies, and for addressing the historical challenges of achieving harmony between Muslim and Hindu citizens. South Africa has implemented diversity education to adjust to the removal of the Apartheid system. The United States has offered diversity education for decades, although the rationale for its use haschanged over time.

By BILLY E. VAUGHN, PhD, on http://diversityofficermagazine.com/magazine/?page_id=65

THE WORLD IS A MOSAIC

DIMENSIONS OF DIVERSITY

Gender Religious

beliefs Race Marital status Ethnicity Parental status Age Education

Physical and mental ability Income

Sexual orientation

Occupation Language Geographic

location

THE MOSAIC IN COMPANIES

Gender Age Race Ethnicity Culture Religion Language/Accent Disability Height/Weight Sexual Orientation

Education Job Title Job Function Job Skills Union/Non-Union Part-Time/Full-Time Marital Status Political affiliation

DIVERSITY: STEP BY STEP TO AN AWARENESS

1. Knowledge What can you do to get information about another culture? Books, magazines, video programs, popular media, casual conversation, and other sources. The more accurate information we have about others, the more likely we will develop appropriate opinions, feelings, and behaviors.

2. Stereotypes How do you generalize individuals or groups? These generalizations we often keep in our minds. As learning leaders we must reframe, find out other perspectives to understand people

3. Behavior what is your ability to interact with different people? Are you shy? Do you use open communication?

4. Self-Awareness Are you able to understand personal values, motives, and beliefs? At this level, are you conscious of personal strengths and weaknesses, and are you sensitive to the effects of those characteristics on others.

5. Understanding Understand how others feel and why they behave the way they do. Awareness of others helps us to see that our personal reality may not be the only reality, and it gives us a basis for contrasting our cultural viewpoint with that of another person.

6. Empathy Empathy shows our ability to make connections with others on an emotional level by allowing us to put ourselves in other people’s shoes, trying to perceive how it feels to “walk their way.” The extent to which an individual respects and values the diverse characteristics and behaviors of others.

7. Receptiveness Receptiveness is being open to others who are different from oneself. We are able to accept the notion that all people should be allowed to reflect their background and culture in their behavior.

8. Respect, Compassion, Appreciation Respect goes beyond simply “putting up” with others’ differences. We must develop a feeling of compassion. With respect, we are able to fully appreciate every individual.

SKILLS

Take personal responsibility for the way you respond to difference.

Make continued and sincere attempts to understand the world from others’ points of view.

Develop skills in cross-cultural communication.

Develop problem-solving skills. Develop skills in conflict management. Look for ways to work effectively with diverse

groups of people.

STUDYING DIVERSITY 1

How to use space There are differences between concepts of space

and territory in interpersonal relationships across cultures (intimacy, personal, public, and social space)

How to understand touching What is appropriate will vary from one cultural

group to another Body Language

We can see that there are different body motions and gestures

STUDYING DIVERSITY 2

The time Different cultures see time, days and years differently

Examples- Punctuality is not defined in the same way in different

countries Some cultures are more monochronic (one thing at a

time); others are more polychronic (many things at a time)

People talk and move at different ways (slow motion, quickly)

Make different pauses

STUDYING DIVERSITY 3

The eye The study of eye movement and contact is

important Examples

Direct gaze is appropriate in Latin America, the Arab world and Southern Europe,

Peripheral gaze or avoidance for many Asians and Northern Europeans

STUDYING DIVERSITY 4

Smell and Taste Can be useful study this before experience

a different food Can you think of smells or tastes that

are acceptable in one culture but unacceptable or offensive in others?

STUDYING DIVERSITY 4

Language Prerequisite for communication to occur Human perception and thinking is

influenced by the language we acquire first Denotative and connotative meanings Culture impacts on language

comprehension

EXAMPLES

When American Airlines wanted to advertise its new leather first class seats in the Mexican market, it translated its “Fly In Leather” into “Vuela en cueros” (“Fly naked”) in Spanish.

When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same packaging as in the US, with the smiling baby on the label. Later they learned that in Africa, companies pictures on the labels of what is inside, because of many people cannot read.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF DIVERSITY Diversity enriches all experiences (in

workplace, school, university) Diversity prompts personal growth – and a

healthy society. Diversity empowers communities and the

workplace. Diversity helps economic competitiveness.

CLOSING QUESTIONS

WHAT IS YOUR PERCEPTION OF DIVERSITY?

WHAT IS THE MAIN POINT THAT YOU ARE TAKING OUT FROM MY PRESENTATION?

WHAT HAVE YOU TAKEN FROM THIS PRESENTATION THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO CHANGE PERCEPTION AND CONCEPT ABOUT DIVERSITY?

REFERENCES

C O L L E G E O F A G R I C U LT U R A L S C I E N C E S PENN STATE, Prepared by Patreese D. Ingram, assistant professor of agricultural and extension education. Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences on: http://www.cas.psu.edu

Rosinski, P (2008) Coaching across cultures – new tools for leveraging national, corporate & professional differences

VAUGHN, B. History of Diversity Management, in http://diversityofficermagazine.com/magazine/?page_id=65

Zayas, L., Burgos, L., Ortolaza, R. Cultural Diversity in the Classroom - A new world of opportunity, Council for Adult and Experiential Learning San Francisco, CA www.agmusventures.com

Wade-Golden, K.O & Williams, D.A. What Is a Chief Diversity Officer, in http://www.insidehighered.com/workplace/2006/04/18/williams