Cultural Sensitivity in the Workplace
Cultural sensitivity is a set of skills that enables
us to learn about and understand people who
are different from ourselves, thereby becoming
better able to serve them within their own
communities. It is an acquired ability to see
many values and behaviors as cultural rather
than universal.
“No one is born fully-formed: it is through
self-experience in the world that we become who we
are.” — Paulo Freire
Introduction
Given that most agricultural businesses work with people from
two or more different cultural backgrounds at the same time, it
is important to promote effective communication among
employees and employers. But communication in all of its
facets has many implications and potential barriers, as it
includes both verbal (language) and non-verbal (gestures,
personal space, etc.) methods of expressing meaning or
emotion. Within the workplace, internal communication
(mission statement, vision, training, meetings, etc.) and most
importantly, intercultural communication, are the biggest
challenges since the most persistent problems often occur
when we believe ourselves to be culturally sensitive when the
reality is that we live in a state of constant ethnocentrism.
Challenges to Effective
Communication
The main barrier in verbal communication is the language, in
which language differences themselves are not the only
problem, but also the understanding that it is the responsibility
of both parties to learn enough of the other language to
communicate with others. It is equally important to be clear,
concise and avoid idioms that could cause misinterpretation of
the message or could even be offensive to another person.
These misconceptions or offenses usually occur in nonverbal
communication because even though there are emblematic
gestures (gesture of peace, thumb up, etc.) these can mean
different things in different cultures and we don’t inherently
know the connotation. Another important issue is personal
space. In Latin American it is common for conversation to
happen with a fairly short distance between people, unlike
North American culture, where personal space is of greater
importance. A good way to politely establish a comfortable
space is with a handshake.
Another important factor to consider when implementing
effective communication within the organization (internal
communication) is that employees must have a clear
vision/respect for the way the organization works, a clear
description of each job position and what is expected of each
employee. To accomplish this, the most important thing is to
first ensure that senior managers adequately understand the
project goals and expectations. This creates unity and
consistency among team members. Similarly it is crucial to 1)
train all employees consistently regardless of rank or
hierarchical level, 2) encourage teamwork and pride in the
outcome of a project, and 3) organize regular staff meetings to
enhance communication.
The best tools for effective internal
communication in a bi-cultural environment
are:
• Posters: an inexpensive and effective resource. The
information must be clear so it can be seen from a
distance and include pictures/graphics. Posters should be
bilingual and located in places that receive the most traffic
in the company.
• Employee Manual. The advantage of such a manual is
that the mission statement and vision of the organization
as well as company policies can be incorporated into a
single document.
• Newsletter. A company newsletter creates a constant flow
of communication. Cost can be reduced if it is sent
electronically to employees who request it.
All of the suggestions above are directly related to the concept
of intercultural communication. These methods are an
important part of the empathy and effort that must be realized
day to day in order to improve and maintain professional
relationships, the workplace and, importantly, production and
profits.
How do I know if I am culturally sensitive?
Unfortunately, many people live in the misconception that
they are empathetic with other cultures when the reality is
very different. To better understand our own personal outlook
we must ask ourselves if we’ve used any of these phrases
lately or ever at all:
• “People from ____________ country are…”
• “It has nothing to do with a cultural issue”
• “It’s really hard to work with _____________ people
because….”
By engaging in or stating our own generalizations of people
from a country, race or religion, we actively perpetuate or
create stereotypes. These are generally extremely negative,
and restrict our ability to relate to any individuals outside our
own culture.
Culture will always be involved when discussing and
understanding the human being; to lack knowledge of others’
customs, values, and habits leads to poor communication and a
lack of sensitivity. This causes negative reactions, and even
worse, negative consequences. Finally, the fact that people
from other cultures work differently does not mean they are
wrong—they still may accomplish the desired results.
Developmental Model of
Intercultural Sensitivity
In good intercultural communication, understanding depends
on the ability to perceive, react and accept differences and
similarities. The developmental model of intercultural
sensitivity by Milton J. Bennett explains this in six
stages--three of them ethnocentric, and three of them
ethnorelative.
• Denial: recognizing cultural differences perceived by the
naked eye (schedules, holidays, food, dress, etc.) but
denying deeper intrinsic differences.
• Defense: criticizing other cultures with negative or
derogatory terms as a result of feeling threatened, which
leads to negative stereotypes, prejudices and
discriminatory attitudes.
• Minimization: thinking that values and behavior are
universal principles and are equal to one’s own.
The second stage is ethnorelativism, a learned skill, where a
person consciously recognizes values and behaviors as a
cultural matter rather than a universal one. The stages of
ethno-relativism are:
• Acceptance: recognizing that cultural differences must be
respected in order to improve interactions We may not
agree with a specific cultural practice or difference but we
respect a co-worker’s values.
• Adaptation: to be able to change a cultural outlook or
behavior, which improves understanding and
communication in different cultural contexts.
• Integration: an effort to integrate different cultural
elements and feel comfortable with multi-cultural
situations.
The concept of developing intercultural sensitivity reflects that
our perception is flexible, and we all have the ability to
reformulate our sensitivity according to new experiences.
References
• “… el desarrollo de la sensibilidad intercultural hace a las
personas más humanas, más tolerantes aceptando las
diferencias y, sobre todo, más abiertas al dialogo con
personas que poseen otras ideas. Quienes están en el viaje
de la sensibilidad intercultural contribuyen a una mejor
comprensión, a un mundo armonioso y a la paz.”
• Bhawuk, D. P. S., Sakuda K. H., y Munusamy V. P.
(2008) Intercultural competence development and triple
loop cultural learning. En Soon Ang inn Van Dyne
Hadbook of cultural intelligence; theory measurement and
application, Armonk, NY: M. E Shape. (342-345).
Contact Information
Developmental model of intercultural sensitivity by Milton J.
Bennett.
The first stage defines ethnocentrism as the attitude or point
of view by which the world is analyzed according to the
parameters of our own culture. It often involves the belief that
one's own ethnic group is the most important, or that some or
all aspects of our culture are superior to those of other
cultures. The stages of ethnocentrism are:
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Montserrat Fonseca Estrada
Program Assistant – Next Generation Farming/Specialty Crop
Innovations
[email protected]
717-334-6271 x315
Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences research and extension programs
are funded in part by Pennsylvania counties, the Commonwealth of
Pennsylvania, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Cultural Sensitivity in the Workplace
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Cultural Sensitivity in the Workplace