Question:
1. What are the principles of culturally appropriate or culturally sensitive development?
2. How do these relate to development theory and practice generally?
3. How may these principles be applied in practice generally within your target community (you may want to focus in on your desired professional area of work here)
4. What may enhance your capacity as a culturally competent development practitioner in this context?
Cross cultural communication is referred as the intriguing area that has tried to empower the understanding about the peoples coming from the different social backgrounds and those communicate, compare and diversify the routes (Blum-Kulka, House and Kasper 1989). In the last work I have mentioned that I belong to the Hindu religion and working as the civil engineer in one of the multinational organization located in New Delhi. It’s noted that in the country like India, there are many religious communities, and cross culture s the work place has become quite common (Blum-Kulka, House and Kasper 1989). In the western countries they have the strong and stable culture; where else in India we have mostly unstable as well as moderately less tolerant culture (Blum-Kulka, House and Kasper 1989). There are many religious communities existing in the country that has enhanced the culture and communication practices in the country, but still the main focus is placed over its advancement and the developments (Blum-Kulka, House and Kasper 1989).
With the changes coming in the international social reforms, the concept of globalization has increased, and made the global business as their priority to take the multinational companies to take hold of the competitive advantage (Blum-Kulka, House and Kasper 1989). The culturally sensitive communities play many challenges at the workplace, and it’s a challenge to manage this kind of workforce (Blum-Kulka, House and Kasper 1989). I have selected Islam as my target culture, as in India there are many Muslims residing in the country. Managing the differences in the target culture is not easy as they vary in languages, cultures and in their tradition and managing them in multinational companies is not easy (Blum-Kulka, House and Kasper 1989). The diversity in the human resources within the company relates to the social setup, but at the same time it also impacts the personality as well as psychology of the stakeholders (Blum-Kulka, House and Kasper 1989). The target culture sleeted by me is Muslim culture. Culture in nation advances its communication and the diversified culture at the workplace also offers many opportunities of learning but at the same time there are many drawbacks of it, as adjusting with people from different backgrounds is not that easy (Blum-Kulka, House and Kasper 1989).
India is considered as the place having the high cultural heritage that influences the people’s originality (Davis 2009). Through India is considered as the highest business hub in the global trade business, but simultaneously, it becomes challenging for the companies in adapt with the cultural shift in the country (Carbaugh 2013). The business in the India holds the cultural etiquettes along with ethics, which is required by the multinational corporations to adapt with both flexibility and tolerance (Davis 2009). The India is the country with diversified cultures, and in which culture is entirely variant in context of attribute in which they pray, religion, and appearance, greetings, environment of workplace, behavior, communication, and women’s working at the workplace, habits of drinking, and eating (Carbaugh 2013).
Therefore, the multinational companies that are doing business in India require to adapt with the cultural norms in context of marketing and various other activities of operations; therefore, they need to follow the legal obligations and also need to create the market loyalty towards the company through increasing the feeling of belongingness (Rogers and Shoemaker 1971). Companies in India have to face various issues mainly the challenges of cross culture in context of the workplace environment and for conducting the marketing activities with the customers of host country; the challenges of culture link with the language, religion, women working in offices, working style, appearances, behavior as well as attitude (Rogers and Shoemaker 1971).
All these factors pay important role in the culture of an organization and the loyalty, and customer satisfaction as the local national that tries to prefer those brands in which they could actually trust and feel the belongingness and the organization that could connect with more customers (Rogers and Shoemaker 1971). Islam is one of the major religions practiced in India and the same encompasses the different aspects of the life in the country (Rogers and Shoemaker 1971). This faith of Islam puts light on the generosity of the religion, along with modesty and respect in the business that is entirely opposite of the organizational culture based in USA (Rogers and Shoemaker 1971).
The individual respect as well as honor is the most prominent and supreme in the culture of Islam and the discussions about the business are actually done through the support of the indirect communication style (Gudykunst 2003). Hierarchy in the organizations is considered as the key concept in the India that focuses over the approach of top down for taking the decisions, authorities and for power to centralize to the one person (Scollon, Scollon and Jones 2011). In the case of direct communication, they try to leave the very less space in comparison with the culture of the organization, but the Islam gives high value towards the civility in the business (Gudykunst 2003). Next factor relates to women shaking hands in the meetings is actually restricted, and women try to avoid shaking hands with the men (Scollon, Scollon and Jones 2011). It’s noted that the person status in the company is considered important and the top person is greeted first (Scollon, Scollon and Jones 2011). Hospitality is also considered as the matter of pride in the Islamic culture and they even try to preserve the honor to host the person or organization (Gudykunst 2003).
The culture of India is actually very vast in context of different factors, and attire is the most important factors in the Islamic culture (Scollon, Scollon and Jones 2011). Women have to wear the Abaya that cover their body. Culture in India tries to initiate the communication that is actually decisive in its nature (Scollon, Scollon and Jones 2011). At certain points the diversity at the workplace, there are certain critical elements that supports in having the successful communication with the associations (Scollon, Scollon and Jones 2011). By considering the experience of the Ting-Toomey and Chung, it can be mentioned that the hierarchical setup in the companies it becomes critical to have the equal appreciation within the culture, along with religion value and confidence (Ting-Toomey and Chung 2012). For example, while working in the civil engineering company there is many people who come from different religions who adopt their certain set of practices societies and perspectives (Scollon, Scollon and Jones 2011).
While this can be considered as imperative in having the association to give guarantee, as it provides equal administration and also give space in every group through breaking the authoritative target (Ting-Toomey and Chung 2012). It is also observed that due to the cultural contrasts in musings; therefore, they are not conveyed properly, and there are many reasons for it, for example an expert who comes from the Hindu religion might talk with the dialects, where else the person from the Islamic culture might not do the same (Groeschl 2003). These factors come in the perplexity due to the dialect befuddle that often comes in the mistakes which comes by providing the data (Ting-Toomey and Chung 2012).
It is explored that there are three development process stages of culturally sensitive communities, which includes incompetence, and cultural competence through having various cognitive, skilled based and affective elements (Groeschl 2003). The Groeschl tries to maintain the basic impacts of the delivered services through the help of practitioners that are actually culturally sensitive, incompetent, or culturally competent and are also damaging, beneficial, as well as neutral (Groeschl 2003). However, there is a detailed explanation of the process that is given through Lung-Tan and Yuan-Ho (2005), under which they includes six stages of the culturally sensitive development (Lung-Tan and Yuan-Ho 2005).
In this way practitioners such as systems and organization, advance through the cultural capacity, cultural destructiveness, cultural pre-competence, cultural blindness, cultural proficiency, as well as cultural competence (Lung-Tan and Yuan-Ho 2005). As per Hofstede (1984), for progressing with the practitioners one require to appreciate the diversity of culture at the workplace and should also try to acknowledge the biases of culture and need to be aware about what happens when the two culture interact with each other (Hofstede 1984). Furthermore, the actions taken by them need to undertake the cultural background of every person working in multinational company (Gray 1988).
There are many experts and the scholars who are trying to create the impact on the differences lying in the cross culture and on the behavior of the people in order to support them in reducing the risks of intercultural of the global business (Gray 1988). According to the founder of Intercultural Development Institute of research, it is believed that there are many experienced person, who has to face the cultural differences and there are many people who has tried to develop the intercultural competence by making it more effective while working across the different cultures (Hofstede 1984).
As per the Hofstede (1984) of developmental Model of Intercultural sensitivity, there are round six stages over the path of developing the competence of intercultural, and it’s noted that every characteristic through the help of specific behavior and perception is towards other as well as their own culture (Hofstede 1984). It is noted that the key changes in the intercultural competence mainly happens through the ethno relativism and ethnocentrism. In different context, through having the knowledge about various cultures for becoming superior helps in understanding about own culture, as its equal to the complexity and value with other culture (Hofstede 1984). These six stages of Bennett’s Model of development in the intercultural sensitivity are explained below:
1. Denial- in this stage, individual denies every interaction with the other people from other cultures and depicts having no interest in discovering the differences in the culture (Arredondo 1999). They might act in aggressive way in different situations of cross culture (Arredondo 1999).
2. Defense- In this stage, people considers every culture to be more inferior then their own culture and they try to criticize the behavior of others from different culture (Arredondo 1999).
3. Minimization- At this stage, individuals start to believe that the cultures often share the similar values (Arredondo 1999). They even try to reduce the differences in culture through making other people correct in order match with their expectations (Arredondo 1999).
4. Acceptance- In this stage, people might try to judge the other cultures in negative way, but at the same time they try to explore that are cultures are actually different and they might get curious about the differences in cultures (Arredondo 1999).
5. Adaptation- In this stage, individuals tries to attain the ability to get adapted with the behavior in effective way through changing their own communication style and behavior (Arredondo 1999).
6. Integration- In this stage, they tend to achieve it by the expatriates for long term and working abroad (Arredondo 1999). In this stage people change their communication style and behavior while interacting with the people from other culture (Arredondo 1999).
Through progressing from the Ethnocentrism towards the Ethno relativism over the scale it actually takes time, yet it is important to achieve success from any business that work towards enhancing the international economy (Australian Government: National Health and Medical Research Council 2006). Through becoming more sensitive towards inter-culture could only be attained through combining the first hand experience with various other cultures and participating in the training courses of inter-culture such as effective international leadership (Australian Government: National Health and Medical Research Council 2006). In the stage of integration could be reached, and the combination between the living experience and while working in Islamic culture and then taking part in the intercultural courses of training permits the international business to reach towards the stage of adaptation in order to acquire the high intercultural level competence, which will even ensure about the working in international environment (Australian Government: National Health and Medical Research Council 2006).
Individualism/ collectivism- Individualism implies society’s individuals are usually loose and it’s expected that everyone take care for them and their family. The Muslims have the high collectivism level as they believe that being loyal with the community is the significant cultural value. They give priority to well being of the group, instead of their personal desires.
Uncertainty avoidance- The dimension of uncertainty avoidance implies the extent to which the cultural members could feel threaten through unexpected situations and ambiguity degree. In case of Muslim culture they have low tolerance in case of risk, ambiguity and uncertainty (Hofstede 1984).
Power distance- Power distance implies the extent to which the less powerful institutional members in the company accept that the power is distributed in not equal manner. It’s noted that Islamic culture has high power distance, as they have high degree of authority and they project themselves as leader.
Masculinity/ Femininity- This dimension implies the dominant role pattern of gender that relates with values and behavior (Hofstede 1984). In case of Islamic culture males prefer that women should be submissive with them, if they are having relation with them. In Islamic culture man holds the conservative attitude towards socio-culture.
Differences in gender- Hofstede (1984) mentions, that woman have strong involvement towards purchasing, and in terms of emotional involvement, but men are high over efficiency and quality. In Islamic culture gender matters more in the patterns of consumption. In Islamic culture there are differences in male and female in terms of decisions (Hofstede 1984).
Differences in culture among the Islamic culture and in my Hindu culture are expressed through the nature of our interpersonal relations (Bin-Sallik 2003). In the case of Islamic clients it becomes challenging to accept their formal distance system among the client and the workers, which is actually the norm of the present situations and it might be that employees might get bended principles (Bin-Sallik 2003). In the case of Islamic culture, it is significant to build the relationship in order to solve the issues (Bin-Sallik 2003). Relationships are also building by the Islamic conception of the trust. Once the clients trust in build on the workers, they offer helping alliance and could even maintain (Bin-Sallik 2003).
In the situation when the workers and the clients are of similar gender, the workers should consider the requirements of the clients in order to express the intimacy as well as they should sometime relax the style of formality, which is considered as helping in Hindu culture (Bin-Sallik 2003). When the client and the workers are of different gender, it’s important that the workers should try to build greater distance than the normal distance in order not to get involved in impropriety of sex (Bin-Sallik 2003).
The style of Islamic communication is actually formal, restrained, instead of personal or either expressive (Brach and Fraser 2000). It is also challenging for the Islamic clients to divulge the personal issues as well as feelings towards the one, who is outside from the community (Brach and Fraser 2000). During my working as a civil engineer at multinational company, we have adopted different techniques that are mainly applied in western cultures in order to limit the application towards the Islamic clients (Brach and Fraser 2000). I have noted that effects of client, self disclosure, and self exploration often become challenging, mainly if they perceive the risk, which even damage the honor of family (Brach and Fraser 2000). These challenges need no to be constructed as per the resistance of the client. It’s of no surprise that the miscommunication among the workers and the clients are usually unfamiliar with the culture of the clients (Brach and Fraser 2000). I have observed that the challenges in the deciphering and communication with the clients are usually verbal and nonverbal that could often lead towards errant assessment due to the existence of the symptoms that are bounded by culture, and select the approaches as well as practice technique, which is not appropriate from the cultural perspective of client (Brach and Fraser 2000).
There are different ways through which I could enhance my capacity of cultural competence in my company while working as civil engineer:
1. Acknowledge the cultural influence- It is important to analyze and understand the people having immersed of their own culture and link the same with the attitudes, beliefs as well as behavior that could help in guiding the professional as well as personal communication (Zborowski 2000). However, it is noted that the human nature is the one that tend towards ethnocentric, which mean believing that our own culture is norm and standards through which we judge others (Zborowski 2000). I have learned that we often forget that the other people from other culture might also be ethnocentric. Therefore, this kind of self awareness is actually critical when the employees work with customers from other cultures (Zborowski 2000).
2. Assess the relations of cross-culture along with concern about the dynamics that result through different culture- Through the interaction between the people from different culture comes with the possibility that the other persons actions are actually not judge properly (Ladyshewsky 1999). Every party comes with certain experiences as well as communication ways while interacting with others (Ladyshewsky 1999). It’s important that the workers need to be vigilant for reducing the misinterpretation, perception and judgment about other person (Ladyshewsky 1999).
3. Increase the knowledge about the culture and incorporating the knowledge in day to day practices- If the assumption relates with the professionals who can work in effective ways with other clients from other cultural backgrounds, this enhance the knowledge about the client or either the social cultural clients, this can even improve their bonds (Campinha-Bacote 1999). I have learned that it’s important that one should seek the information about socio-culture that could support them relatively in modifying the communication like what they should ask and the way it is ask and this can even modify the interventions that are relied over the cultural reality of the person (Campinha-Bacote 1999). I think that professionals should ask the customers about their culture and lifestyle and should try to understand it and they should even indicate about their willingness to learn about their culture (Campinha-Bacote 1999). In this manner, every party interacting with other people could be able to presume the desire to give as well as take the data (Campinha-Bacote 1999).
4. Adapt with the cultural diversity- Professionals should try to develop the examination of cultural sensitivity along with the techniques of intervention, which could permit the customers to feel more comfortable (Bates and Edwards 1998). The workplace environment at the multinational corporation needs to get adapted in order to create the better fit among the requirements of the people and the needs of the staff (Bates and Edwards 1998). It is also significant to remember the cultural competence. It’s also important that it should not be abandoned with the own culture along with the members of other culture by considering their values, behavior and attitude (Bates and Edwards 1998).
Conclusion
The report has discussed about the cultural sensitive development in the targeted culture of Islam. The report has tried to discuss about the challenges faced by the people while working in multinational companies as it includes diversified culture. The concept of cultural sensitive is explained through the help of theories and different ways are suggested for improving the cultural competencies.
References
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