Why Cross Cultural Understanding is More

or Less...Important
National culture has always been a complex and difficult construct to define. All cultures are
more nuanced than we might ever imagine. In todays globalizing world where cultures
increasingly connect and collide, the art of finding distinctive or even unique characteristics of
any national culture is becoming harder. reater access to !nowledge, data and multiple opinions
adds complexity rather than simplifies our ability to capture and distil the essence of a nations
culture accurately.
"o how does this impact on the challenges of preparing managers for wor!ing internationally,
where cultural awareness is often cited as being #the critical ingredient for success$
%he truth is its not always essential for success. Indeed information on customer preferences,
organizational talent, local laws rules and regulations and organizational performance may have
much more of a positive impact on a managers performance than acutely tuned cultural insight.
&ut this is far from being true in all cases.
'hen it comes to the relative importance of cultural awareness in international business, there is
an uneven landscape(
"ome industries require more cross cultural awareness than others.
"ome countries require greater cross cultural sensitivity and analysis than others.
"ome functions need more specific cross cultural !nowledge than others.
"ome people, because of their role and personality, need more cross cultural insight than
others.
'hilst the global financial services industry is highly integrated and can easily cohere
cosmopolitan individuals from diverse cultural bac!grounds through seamless technology, the
management of extractive industries li!e mining, oil, gas and utilities is often far more localized.
)perating in Australia, as an American headquartered multinational company may be
considerably more straight*forward compared to establishing operations in +ussia where political
savvy and context may be the central differentiator between success or stalemate. A manager
with minimal international wor! experience, regardless of how internationally connected he or
she is on social or professional networ!s, will have different needs to those who can process their
experience on the bac! of #lived international exposure.
In short, cultural awareness is relatively important, but ,ust how important it is, is differentiated
around the globe and determined by its context. %here is a dangerous tendency to over
familiarize the similar -its all ,ust common sense., whilst mystifying the exotic or unusual, to
point of incompatibility.
%here are many considerations that might help you assess the level of emphasis you should place
on cultural awareness before specifying what type of cultural learning is appropriate for your
international managers. /ere are five(
Priorities 0 %he relative importance of a country 1 mar!et in relation to your international
strategy.
Economics 0 %he alignment of favorable national economic conditions at a macro and
mar!et level.
Politics 0 %he relative compatibility of national political intentions and prevailing
ideology.
Legal 0 %he consistency of legal infrastructure and the fit of ethical codes with company
requirements.
Linguistic Compatibility 0 %he ease of linguistic clarity between !ey people operating in
different languages.
Engagement 0 %he degree of success dependent or reliant on high levels of local
wor!force performance.
%he greater the lac! of compatibility...the greater the need to enhance your organizations cross
cultural capability.
http://www.tmaworld.com/news-insights/blognews/why-cross-cultural-
understanding-is-more-or-lessimportant/
Culturally Appropriate Geriatric Care:
Promoting Cross-Cultural Understanding
Nine Aspects that Promote Cross-Cultural Understanding
Assessing and providing culturally competent care is challenging and rewarding.
The Healing by Heart Model of Culturally Responsive Care describes nine aspects for providers
to learn in order to promote cross*cultural understanding and maximize quality health care
-2awter, 3ulhane*4era, 5iong, &abbitt, 6 "olberg, 7889.. In the model, health care professionals
are guided to:
1. Be aware of the infuence of culture on health status, beliefs,
practices, and values. This is a basic but critical step toward the concept of
culturally responsive care.
2. ncrease self-awareness about !our own health beliefs, practices,
and values. It is essential that providers recognize the cultural inuences
that shape their own views of the world! health! illness! and treatment! as
these will inuence how they respond to other people"s cultural worldviews
about health and illness.
#. "earn about the prevailing health beliefs, practices, and values of
the cultural groups !ou serve. $efore providers listen to their patients"
needs! they need to understand the cultural group"s bac%ground! including
their history! social structure! cosmology! and traditional healing practices.
&. dentif! potential areas of congruit! and di#erence between !our
personal health beliefs, practices, and values and those of the
cultural groups !ou serve. 'nce these areas are identi(ed! providers can
accentuate similarities! (nd common ground to compromise! and deect
arguments! in order to ma)imize care.
*. ncrease self-awareness about !our cross-cultural health care ethics.
+roviders" cross-cultural health care ethics reside on a continuum! from
valuing the ,estern system over traditional healing to valuing patients"
choice of traditional healing for all patients regardless of the ,estern options.
-any providers feel most comfortable in a middle ground! where adults can
chose traditional healing over ,estern healing regardless of conse.uences!
but where families cannot chose traditional healing over ,estern healing for
minors if minors have life-threatening conditions. /ust as providers need to be
aware of their cultural beliefs! practices! and values! they need to be aware of
their cross-cultural ethical orientation.
0. "earn s$ills to identif!, evaluate, and respond to cross-cultural
ethical conficts, with special attention to issues that challenge
professional integrit!. ,hen providers are uncomfortable with patient"s
demands! it may be that their personal preference! moral beliefs! or
professional integrity is challenged. 1hallenges to professional integrity may
be the most di2cult to address! re.uiring specialized assistance 3i.e.! an
ethics committee consultation4.
5. %evelop attitudes that are culturall! responsive to the groups !ou
serve. ,hile understanding other people"s cultural perspectives is important!
attitudes of trust! respect! and accommodation are essential to .uality cross-
cultural health care.
6. "earn communication s$ills that are culturall! responsive to the
groups !ou serve. The s%ills of as%ing open ended .uestions to elicit
patients" cultural needs7 active listening and reecting7 and cross-cultural
non-verbal communication are tools used for the improvement of cross-
cultural health care.
8. %evelop culturall! responsive $nowledge, s$ills, and attitudes that
can be applied to speci&c clinical relationships. This (nal step
integrates the previous steps of self-%nowledge! general cultural %nowledge!
culturally responsive attitudes! and communication s%ills allowing providers
to as%! listen! and respond to patients" cultural needs in a way that ma)imizes
.uality health care for patients of all cultural bac%grounds.
http://geriatrics.stanford.edu/ethnomed/hmong/understanding/