Quality of the Cross-Cultural Experience

Post-Experience
Culture shapes people’s identities and influences their behavior. It is a people’s way of living, and refers to their shared beliefs, language, norms, values, materials objects passed down generations, and behaviors. The U.S is made up of people from different backgrounds such as the African Americans who make up 13% of the population, Whites 80%, Hispanic or Latinos 16%, Asians 5%, Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders 0.2%, and American Indians or Alaskan Natives 1%. Although Native Hawaiians make up only 0.2% of the population, they make a huge contribution to the American society (U.S. Census Bureau, 2009). With globalization, organizations and countries experience cultural diversity. Workplaces, countries, and schools increasingly consist of people with different backgrounds in terms of races, cultures and ethnic groups. Cultural differences impact teamwork in organizations, management decisions, and performance differences (Bass, 2008).
Culture also impacts the organizational structures of companies, legitimizing both its functions and existence. It also impacts and conditions organizational commitments. People from different cultures should work together to drive companies forward. However, lack of shared meanings and circumstances cause managers to face serious challenges in their organizations. Based on ethic, national and social scales, an individual’s experience interpretation and its meaning may differ from what’s anticipated, resulting in likely disagreements in the context of businesses. Companies must include cultural differences into their managerial practices. Therefore, cultural diversity management is important to businesses if they want to gain competitive advantage through its employees, an important business asset. In order to overcome the challenges that cultural diversity present in organizations, it is important to understand people from different backgrounds and cultures, to learn from each other and promote cooperation and collaboration (Cacioppe, 1997).
With cultural understanding, managers can better lead in a cross-cultural environment. Therefore, embarking on the cross-cultural experience was key to understanding the Samoan culture in Hawaii. With a proper understanding, knowledge or awareness of other cultures, including different perspectives worldwide, negative stereotypes and personal biases about the different cultures are dispelled. With awareness and proper understanding of other cultures, discrimination against people of other cultures is less likely to occur. The cross-cultural experience involved interactions with people of the Samoan culture in Hawaii. It is a way of promoting cultural diversity to recognize and respect other people’s ways of life. The experience was interactive and aimed at building bridges to respect, trust, and understanding across two different cultures. It is essential to existence of cultural diversity in organizations because people from different cultures contribute new ways of thinking and doing things, language skills, different experiences, and new knowledge (Bass, 2008).
Although the Samoan roast fish and pork in a different way (using hot stones and banana leaves) from other American cultures, they arrive at the same goal of eating delicious roasted fish just like those cooked using different ways or technologies. This means that different cultures can provide other ways of solving problems and still getting the same expected solution. The cross-cultural experience provided a way to interact with the Samoans to increase personal understanding about other cultures. With the understanding, it is also possible to develop meaningful relationships across cultures. It also helps to ensure that values are not imposed on others if they conflict or is not consistent with their culture (Cacioppe, 1997).
During such interactions, it is easy to recognize that the Samoan’s limited English proficiency is not a reflection of their intellectual functioning level. The cross-cultural experience also made it possible to recognize and understand that family and gender roles among the Samoan influence their behavior, and differ from other cultures. During the experience, both women and men took part in the fish and pork roasting, including the dances. The cross-cultural experience was also fun, interesting and motivating. Indulging in the new way of roasting fish and pork, and taking part in a completely new dance motivate individuals to learn even more about the culture. It is the fun and interesting side of the interaction that pushes people from other cultures to persevere throughout the cross-cultural experience (Bass, 2008).
A Rich Qualitative Description of the Cultural Experience
The cross-cultural experience was of the Samoan culture in Hawaii in 2019. It involved a Samoan Umu, a roast for pig or fish using hot stones. A Samoan dance and Ava Ceremony were also carried out to complement the roast. Umu is the traditional Samoan way of cooking food. It indicates the cultural significance of cooking or preparing food in the culture of the Samoa. First, the fish was wrapped in banana leaves in preparation for the Umu (Cep, 2011). Next, the wrapped fish were placed on hot stones, platforms used as stove for meal preparation. More hot stones are then used to cover the fish wrapped in banana leaves, acting as lids for the stove. This ensures that the fish cook evenly all round (The Budding Anthropologist, 2016).
The pig was roasted in the same way, but included a fourth step. The pork is placed on hot stones in a dug area before being covered with other hot stones to act like an oven. The roasted fish is then served on plates and covered in garnish and slices of lemon. The cross-cultural experience is heightened with a Samoan dance, a customary expression of entertainment and happiness among the Samoans. The dance accompanies food preparation and the dining experience for a truly Samoan cultural experience. Dancers wear the traditional Samoan garb, and both men and women take part in the cultural activity. The experience ends with the Ava ceremony, a solemn ritual that involves sharing of the ceremonial beverage amongst the participants to signify the essence of the ceremony among the Samoans. Although the cross-cultural tour involved watching the Samoans engage in the cultural activities, visitors are also allowed to interact with the Samoans and partake in the event (The Budding Anthropologist, 2016).
The cross-cultural experience creates self-awareness of the Samoan culture. The positive experience intrigues the motivation or drive to learn more and understand the different cultures out there. With the knowledge gained, people also stay motivated to experience other cultural interactions, making them more accepting of other cultures even before interacting with such people. The cultural knowledge gives active control over thoughts about other cultures, questioning assumptions and/or stereotypes of those cultures. Apart from gaining cultural knowledge during the cross-cultural experience, the interactions dispel most stereotypes and assumptions previously made about the different cultures. This makes it easy to work with people from other cultures in America and across the world, supportive a more diversity-friendly leadership in organizations (Quinn, 2000).
Communication is a key aspect of running successful businesses that cultural differences impact. Messages can easily get lost in translation when different cultures are involved in an organization. Fluent English can boost a company professionally in a global arena. Although organizations use English as a standard language for communication, people from different cultures convey messages differently. Whereas some cultures are brave and direct, others are nuanced and indirect, making it important to understand how different cultures communicate, especially subtle non-verbal communications between different cultures. Whereas a firm handshake, a kiss on the cheek, or direct eye contact may be a commonplace in one culture, they may be offensive or unusual to another. Therefore, a pre-cross-cultural experience or research into the different cultures you intend to lead or manage can help come up with a better all-inclusive ways to communicate across cultures (Bass, 2008).
Understanding other cultures makes individuals perceptive to body language when communicating with people from a different culture. It takes the openness, sensitivity, and curiosity developed during cross-cultural experiences to approach cultural differences with a positive mindset for successful cross-cultural communication. This is attributed to the understanding, supportive, respectful and curious (motivated) atmosphere and attitude developed in such workplaces. Such organizational environments motivate employees to strive for excellence despite their cultural differences. Cross-cultural experiences help build cross-cultural communication skills and understanding. The self-awareness and knowledge gained from the cross-cultural experience can help an individual looking to lead a diverse organization to determine how to promote cross-cultural communication. The leader can teach its employees how to interact with people from other cultures and help them develop cross-communication skills. Workplace etiquette in terms of how to address people and punctuality can be defined in ways that accommodates the different cultures in the organization. The company manager can also come up with workplace rules, confrontation, and regulations that meets or strikes a balance among the different attitudes out there regarding these organizational factors (Quinn, 2000).
The leader can also determine the right organizational hierarchy based on the different cultures in the company. With respect for other cultures, a leader may adopt a top-down or social hierarchy or flat organizational hierarchy, or even both, depending on the different cultures of employees working in the company. A combination of the two hierarchies would promote respect for seniors with clearly defined roles and responsibilities, while supporting cooperation across the organization. Proper understanding of different cultures ensures that nothing is imposed on employees who may find it offensive or unusual. The knowledge and understanding gained through cross-cultural experiences dispels stereotypes and assumptions about other cultures, empowering individuals to adjust or adapt their behaviors (and attitudes) to accommodate those with different ways of life from theirs (Bass, 2008).
Effectiveness in Applying CQ Concepts
I had negative perceptions of the Samoans and other foreign cultures different from mine. However, the cross-cultural experience was an eye-opener for me. Interacting with people I have always thought were primitive and outdated made me see them in a different limelight. I was amazed at how they prepared their food in a different way from other American cultures such as whites. Even despite the difference in food preparation, the roasted fish and pork were delicious and mouth-watering. I enjoyed a taste of these new delicacies. The Samoan dance was a challenge to my previous believes and attitudes towards the Samoa. When I joined in on the dances, I love and enjoyed the entertainment. However, I was unable to dance as well as they did. This made me aware that people may be good at doing different things, but that does not make one superior to the other (Cross-Cultural Experience, n.d).
Despite their limited English, the Samoans were good what they did and professionals at speaking in their native language. I enjoyed the cross-cultural experience and surprisingly, loved this new culture. However, I experience difficulties in communication because some words I used were unfamiliar to the Samoans and thus I had to explain myself many times. The same applied to the Samoan when communicating with me. Despite being a slow learner, I was able to understand and appreciate this new culture. With knowledge gained from the experience, I can better associate with people from this culture and other different cultures without being judgmental. I am motivated to interact with even other different cultures (Cross-Cultural Experience, n.d.).
With proper understanding and awareness of various cultures, I can become a better leader. I can develop rules and give demands that are not offensive to the diverse workforce in my organization. I can create a workplace that is accommodating of all employees despite their backgrounds to ensure that everyone performs and works hard to improve their productivity and that of the organization. The cross-cultural experience has made me recognize and understand how culture can impact communication, organizational hierarchy, and etiquette in a company, hence general productivity and performance. I can work out ways of avoiding misunderstandings among employees, and even plan for employee trainings on cultural diversity and tis essence in the company. I will be able to advocate for the use of materials, rules, hierarchies, etc. that represent the different cultural groups in the company (Cross-Cultural Experience, n.d.).
When I observe or find out that some employees are engaging in behaviors that show bias, insensitivity, or prejudice to other cultural groups in the company, I will intervene in a proper way. I will also be a proactive listener, and be more accepting and welcoming of ideas from people from a cultural group that differs from mine. Clearly, cultural diversity allows different people to make distinct yet positive contributions to the entire organization despite their differing cultural backgrounds. I will work to ensure that my company is a place where diversity is recognized, understood, and respected; different cultural ideas are acknowledged and valued; and people’s contributions encouraged despite cultural background; and everyone is empowered to attain their full potential. A company where cultural differences are celebrated (Cross-Cultural Experience, n.d.).
References
Bass, B. M. (2008). The Bass handbook of leadership: Theory, research, and managerial applications (4th ed.). New York: Free Press.
Cacioppe, R. (1997). Leadership moment by moment! Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 18, 335-345.
Cep, B. (2011). Samoan Umu. Retrieved from https://www.bard.edu/cep/blog/?p=532
Quinn, R. E. (2000). Change the world: How ordinary people can achieve extraordinary results. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
The Budding Anthropologist. (2016). Samoan Umu. Retrieved from https://thebuddinganthropologist.wordpress. com/food/samoan-umu/
U.S. Census Bureau, USA QuickFacts, accessed December 2019.