The idea that companies -- and workers -- should not only tolerate cultural differences but should open-mindedly embrace those differences is presented in this paper. Examples of companies (like AT&T, IBM, Ford Motor Company and Marriott Hotels) that have specific programs to embrace cultural diversity are presented as well.
Global Leadership
"Diagnosing Your Cultural Intelligence"
What does the DYCI test tell me about my competencies? There are some interesting responses one can make, for example: a) I agree that when "unexpected" things happen while meeting a person from another culture that experience should be chalked up as a learning moment; b) I strongly disagree that I can change my "body language" to "suit people from a different culture; c) I disagree with asking myself what I hope to achieve when meeting a person from another culture and I disagree that I can alter my expression in a new cultural context; and d) I agree I can deal with unfamiliar cultural situations and I disagree that I need to (or can) adapt to the "…lifestyle of a different culture with relative ease" (Earley / Mosakowski).
Diagnosing Your Cultural Intelligence / Multicultural Personality Questionnaire
The differences between the Earley and Mosakowski's test ("Diagnosing Your Cultural Intelligence" - DYCI) (Abele, 2009) and Mendenhall's "Multicultural Personality Questionnaire" (MPQ) (Tamas Consultants) are very obvious in terms of the structure and theory.
The theoretical underpinnings of several questions in the DYCI relate directly to Mendenhall's MPQ. In particular, "Cultural Empathy" -- the #1 personality factor on Mendenhall's Multicultural Personality Questionnaire -- relates to several (if not all) of the questions on the DYCI. For example, theoretically the way to function in a cultural diverse context is to "…acquire some understanding of those cultures" prior to engaging in conversation or any interaction.
In fact, after closer scrutiny, Cultural Empathy applies to every one of the DYCI questions. Cultural Empathy doesn't mean knowing everything about another culture, and "empathy" should never be misunderstood as "sympathy" at all. But empathy is really about a human relating to another human in an honest, open-minded way. Empathy is not a theory; it is a way of thinking and relating to other without prejudging or applying old stereotypes to an individual of another culture. A person that has the capacity for Cultural Empathy would never ask what he or she hopes to achieve by meeting a person of another culture, and would never attempt to change speech patterns, or expressions, and would never attempt to alter body language because those are all superficial physical acts that are shallow and meaningless.
The #2 assessment on the MPQ is "Open-mindedness" and it suggests a total lack of bias on the part of the person meeting another person from a different culture. Several of the DYCI questions are the exact opposite of being open-minded. For example, an open-minded person wouldn't "plan" how to respond to person of another culture; and a person wouldn't modify speech or body language but instead would keep an open mind.
"Social Initiative" (#3 on the MPQ) is really a sub-head under Cultural Empathy and "Emotional Stability" relates to how comfortable a person is in new cultural situations. If the person is emotionally unstable he or she should not be in a position to be engaging in interactions with cultural situations in the first place. #5 on the MPQ is "Flexibility" which is another sub-head under Cultural Empathy; you "go with the flow" because you are open-minded, you have empathy and you understand social initiative.
Examples of intercultural adaptability in corporate America
Paying lip service to intercultural adaptability is one thing (many companies engage in image enhancement) but there are companies who take intercultural dynamics seriously. The Ford Motor Company (http://corporate.ford.com) has a program called "Employee Resource Groups" (ERGs), which conducts outreach, recruiting, and intercultural activities for African-Americans, Asian Indians, Chinese immigrants, disabled persons, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender employees, Latinos, persons of faith, military veterans and "Middle Eastern Community" workers as well. The purpose of the ERGs is to "…develop leadership through seminars, mentoring, counseling and 'dialogues on diversity'" with senior management. Ford is clearly promoting the concept of "Social Initiative" and Flexibility through its ERG campaign.
The Marriott Hotel group supports diversity through its "Committee for Excellence" program, which promotes diversity "…and inclusion in four key areas…associates…guests, suppliers and owners" (www.marriott.com). This program embraces Cultural Empathy and Open-Mindedness as well as Social Initiative.
The Philadelphia Insurance Companies have embraced the Social Initiative concept by providing support for "Right in the Community," an advocacy organization with 22 homes for people with developmental disabilities. The insurance companies support "diverse segments" of Philadelphia by "giving back to the communities in which we serve" (www.phly.com).
The AT&T approach to diversity includes the "Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) Forum" which meets four times a year and seeks to "formally integrate, leverage and grow enterprise-wide initiatives for AT&T to become best-in-class in diversity and inclusiveness" (www.att.com). This is another example of a Social Initiative and suggests that Cultural Empathy and Open-mindedness is a goal for AT&T.
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