Assignment

26 April 2018

SOC240 World Cultures

Cultural Differences

The Importance of Cultural Intelligence for Success in the Workplace

The immediate instinct of most of humanity when exposed to something different is fear, distrust, hatred, aversion. When differences are instead explored and celebrated, new heights of success and accomplishment are achieved. When considering the impact of cultural intelligence on workplace success, one must only look to the tale of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Recall that Rudolph, being physically different from the other reindeer, is initially rejected by his peers. When confronted by a freak snowstorm, though, Santa and the reindeer discover that Rudolph’s differences make him uniquely qualified for confronting the problem. When differences are accepted in the workplace, productivity goes up because new angles are possible for finding solutions to problems. Applying this anecdote specifically to my workplace, I know that if I’m accepting of differences in my coworkers, I will be more successful personally and as part of a group. I will be more useful because of my “ability to integrate diverse resources and help the business make best use of the multiple perspectives that a multicultural workforce brings to the workplace” (Liao, 2015).

Cultural Differences in the Workplace

As an example, one of my coworkers is Russian. When I first asked her about her nationality, she was nervous because she thought I would not be accepting of her because of where she came from. Instead, I expressed happiness. My sister has been trying to learn about the Russian culture and language, so I asked her if my sister could speak with her outside of work. We arranged the meeting, and they got to speak with each other for a half hour or so. My sister was ecstatic, and my coworker was happy to meet someone that had such a love for her culture. Because we celebrated our differences as coworkers, me and this coworker now have a much greater level of trust in each other. We work together better because she feels more approachable to me, and she knows I won’t judge her for who she is. I’m also personally more successful because I feel like my family is now a part of my work, so I feel more personally invested in what I do. This is why cultural intelligence is so important in the workplace.

Power Dynamics in Leadership

My boss is especially good at being understanding of other people and their differences, which has led to him being a powerful leader. There is a large variance in education in my workplace, from people with some college experience to people with multiple doctorates. My boss constantly emphasizes to us that it doesn’t matter what type of education we have, he considers all of us a critical addition to his team. On a personal level, this is valuable to me because studies have shown that your self-identity and self-esteem are negatively impacted when someone treats you as though you are inferior (Whitbourne, 2017). Because my boss treats me as an equal, my sense of self is safe. On a professional level, this respect he shows to me means I respect his authority and power when he makes a decision. Our team accepts changes when he presents them, and we immediately set out to implement them. I also feel comfortable contributing to him and his team professionally because I know he’ll take me seriously. Because he treats me as an equal, I trust and follow his leadership.

Past Experiences with Cultural Diversity in the Workplace

I’ve worked in wildly different environments over my life. From Russians to Latinos, from teenagers to older adults, I’ve worked with a wide variety of races, ages, genders. One thing I want to improve on is my interactions with females in positions of leadership. I have had few experiences at work where such was the case, and I know that, due to my conservative background, I associate women with family and the home. I have struggled with treating women with the respect they are due in the professional environment. In the future, if I ended up with a female supervisor, I would approach her and make her aware that it is something I am working on, and ask her to let me know when she feels I am not treating her with respect. This would hopefully lead to a level of trust between us, and allow us to work together more effectively.

References Liao, E. Y. (2015, March 24). Why You Need Cultural Intelligence (And How To Develop It). Retrieved from Forbes: https://www.forbes.com/sites/iese/2015/03/24/why-you-need-cultural-intelligence-and-how-to-develop-it/#7f5eac417d68 Whitbourne, S. K. (2017, December 26). How to Handle People Who Make You Feel Inferior. Retrieved from Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201712/how-handle-people-who-make-you-feel-inferior?collection=1111135