cultural awareness in a multicultural workplace essay

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Why is Cultural Awareness so Vital in the Multicultural Workplace?

"Understand the differences; act on the commonalities." - Andrew Masondo, African National Congress

The nature of our workplaces has changed.

Many have moved away from the monochromic make-up of our offices to one that is now diverse and multicultural.

With this new multicultural make-up come differences in cultures which in turn bring differences in areas such as communication styles, approach to time, managerial styles and a plethora of other cross cultural differences.

Cultural awareness is now crucial if multicultural teams within businesses are going to maximise their potential.

Although cross cultural differences do not always cause obvious problems, it is their more subtle manifestations that can and do lead to a lack of clear communication and poor performance.

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Why is Cultural Awareness Necessary?

Cultural awareness is important to help members of a multicultural team identify where things may be going wrong or how to best leverage their differences. Without some sort of formal cross cultural awareness training it is difficult for multicultural teams to identify areas that need attention.

Cultural differences manifest in many ways. Within a multicultural team, a person's cultural background will impact how they act and behave. There will be differences in areas such as communication, attitude to towards conflict, approaches to task completion and decision making styles. Unless people come to realise these differences between them through cultural awareness, problems can continue and even intensify.

How Can We Develop Cultural Awareness in a Multicultural Workplace?

Building real cross cultural synergy is only accomplished through properly considered cultural awareness training. However, below are some tips for people working in multicultural workplaces who wish to implement some basics.

• Build your cultural knowledge: Try and learn a bit more about other cultures and countries. Information is easily found on the internet and in books. You can also ask your colleagues. Start to build some sort of cultural awareness.
• Treat people as individuals: Information in other cultures is usually based on generalisations. This means that the information will not apply to every single member of that culture. Be aware of this and try and deal with people as individuals.
• Implement your cultural knowledge : If you have discovered some useful information about a culture that is represented in your multicultural team put it to the test. It is only by putting these things into action that you will come to see the benefits and learn more.
• Withhold assumptions: Try to avoid jumping to conclusions about people. One of the first rules of cultural awareness is refraining from assuming one way is wrong and one is right.
• Avoid blame: Blame is simply not constructive. When you see a situation break-down rather than apportion blame, pick the situation apart with your 'cultural awareness glasses' on and see what the cultural mechanics were. This helps resolve issues and act as a precedent for the future.
• Listen actively: Active listening is another cornerstone of cultural awareness. Rather than listening to people you should really pay attention to the words used, the way it is said, the context and also read between the lines.
• Relay your knowledge: Work with colleagues in your multicultural team to relay knowledge to one another. Help build up the skills set of the team.

Although not an exhaustive set of tips on cultural awareness, these simple pointers offer some sort of guidance on how to go about realising change in the multicultural workplace.

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Cultural Awareness In The Workplace 

• September 21, 2021
• Team RallyBright

Cultural awareness refers to the ability of an individual, team or organization to recognize and appreciate cultural differences in order to successfully interact with people from other backgrounds. 

According to the National Center for Cultural Competence , cultural awareness can be defined in one of two ways. First, cultural awareness is understanding, recognizing, and observing both the similarities and differences between multiple cultures. 

Second, cultural awareness is a way to see how a person’s behavior is impacted by their culture. It’s essential to value and understand different cultures to be competitive in a diverse business environment and to thrive in an increasingly global world. 

For example, if you’re an American business owner, and you want to go to Germany to meet with a customer, you need to know a little more about their culture. In German culture, it’s extremely frowned upon to be late to a meeting. You don’t want to offend and possibly lose a client because you are unaware of certain cultural differences. 

Download our June 2022 Inclusive Collaboration at Work study for fresh insights about how US and UK workers currently think about work and what they need to engage, stay, and thrive.

When you’re more culturally aware, it’s easier to cultivate an inclusive and more productive environment, where everyone can work as a cohesive team. Understanding other cultures is important because it helps you adapt and adjust the way that you interact with others.

Globalization has made the world a smaller place where we interact with people from different cultures every day. When you become educated about other cultures, it helps strengthen relationships and creates mutual respect between all parties involved.

What Do We Mean by “Culture”?

Culture is made up of a wide variety of characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, and spans a person’s race, geophysical location, religion, values, musical tastes, language, and family history, to name a few. All of these factors influence the way you act, speak, and react to others. In the United States, we tend to think of culture as based solely on race. However, this isn’t true.

The term “culture” refers to a group’s shared norms of behavior and attitudes. Understanding this means understanding that people from diverse backgrounds can have comparable ways of thinking about their own experiences, making communication easier, despite superficial difference. Because different cultures may hold different cultural beliefs, the meaning behind various events might be vastly distinct depending on their culture. 

For example, some people believe that deadlines are set in stone. In Spanish culture, deadlines are seen more as a guideline than the actual due date. With this type of cultural awareness, you can save yourself the frustration of a missed deadline and factor in a little extra time. 

Cultural awareness makes it easier for you to understand the influences that have created the mindset of another person and their actions. 

Why Is Cultural Awareness Important?

Cultural awareness is vital because understanding people’s unique backgrounds and traditions can help you build stronger relationships with others. 

Here are a few reasons why cultural awareness is important:

• It can help you see how your culture shapes the way that you perceive other people, actions and events. 
• You can better understand the people you know and new people that you meet. 
• The ability to understand why people behave a certain way will lead to mutual empathy, respect and appreciation of our differences.
• You become more sensitive and empathetic to the needs of others around you. 
• Building trust is easier when you understand and practice cultural awareness. 
• Cultural awareness can make you a better leader or manager. 
• It can help you improve your relationships with people of cultures different from your own. 
• Creating an environment of cultural awareness can help teams communicate more effectively and work to create a more inclusive — and therefore more positive and successful — work environment for everyone. 

By understanding that there are cultural differences between people of different backgrounds, you’ll be more mindful and sensitive to those differences, so you can adapt and develop greater insight on how to best manage and work with a diverse team.

Cultural awareness is important for everyone. It’s especially important if you’re in a leadership position. It’s almost guaranteed that the people you manage, teach, or guide will come from a variety of cultural backgrounds. 

How to Develop Cultural Awareness

To develop cultural awareness, you must be open to learning how others view the world and why. When you engage with people of different backgrounds, it’s important that you are receptive to understanding and respecting cultural differences. This can help you empathize with others and more effectively lead your group. You also want your team to become more culturally aware, so that together you create an inclusive and compassionate work environment. 

Here are a few tips and tricks for developing cultural awareness:

Open Communication

This is especially important if you’re a manager. Strive to foster an environment where everyone feels safe and valued when they express their thoughts and views. It’s also a good idea to have an open-door policy for anyone who feels offended or misunderstood. 

Celebrate Holidays and Events

When you’re working with a group of people or managing them, you can develop cultural awareness by encouraging open communication and a safe environment where people can talk about holidays important to their culture and when appropriate, even celebrate together. When you celebrate or recognize holidays and events of other cultures, it helps make your team more aware of other traditions and creates sensitivity to their differences. 

Revisit Organizational Mission

If you’re a manager, review all the documentation on your company. You want to make sure the mission statement and all the information about your company from website content to pamphlets are inclusive. 

While you’re doing this, look at the cultural makeup of your team. Are you representing each culture with the organizational values and mission statement? If not, it might be time to rethink these things. You want your company or group to practice cultural awareness and that starts with the mission statement. 

Observe and Listen

When you’re working with employees, teammates and customers from different cultures, you can learn a lot by observing them and listening to what they say.

In time, it’s a good idea to discover the underlying reasons why they do and say things the way they do. A more diverse staff has a lot to bring to the table, and you want them to share their ideas and culture to help make positive changes within your team and company. 

Cultural Awareness Training

As a manager, you might wonder if cultural awareness training is the right move for your team. It almost always is. In a globalized society, cultural awareness training is as essential for a company as is processing payroll. The workforce is becoming more diverse, and you want everyone to feel welcome. What’s more, your customer base is growing more diverse as well, and higher cultural awareness can help you connect and win customers.

Cultural awareness training can help each team member be more aware of their own perspective as well as those of their colleagues. You’ll find this type of training can help your employees work better together as a team. 

Most cultural awareness training is done in a workshop setting. You can determine the length and intensity of the material presented. If your team is diverse and already shows signs of cultural awareness, you might opt for a short workshop. However, if you’re dealing with staff that hasn’t experienced diversity in the workplace before now, it might take a few sessions and a deep dive into the topic. 

Cultural Awareness Is Important. Don’t Neglect It. 

In a business environment that is more and more diverse and global in nature, it is essential to understand cultural awareness and practice it. It will help you create a respectful environment and enable you to better communicate with your team. 

At RallyBright, we understand how important it is for your team to work well together, and we’re ready to partner with you to evaluate your team’s performance and create a plan to improve. Drop us a line and let’s talk! 

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Cultural Awareness in the Workplace

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Organizations are changing to welcome a multicultural and diverse workforce. They promote representation and invite people from different corners of the globe to bring in their unique perspectives. Diversity is a powerful source of inspiration that can empower performance and innovation within the organization.

However, to reap the benefits of diversity, an organization needs to promote cultural awareness at all levels and make everyone feel like they belong. Employees should learn how to empathize with one another and understand the differences in cultural beliefs, ethics, values, and perceptions. It’s the only way to create real unity in the workplace and achieve success as a team.

In this article, we’ll focus on the meaning of cultural awareness in the workplace and discuss several strategies to develop it in your organization.

What Is Cultural Awareness?

Cultural awareness refers to the consciousness and sensitivity of different cultural beliefs, values, perspectives, and behaviors. It supports productivity and communication in the workplace. Cultural awareness helps people who come from different countries, speak different languages, and have different religions work together.

Cultural awareness influences employees’ attitudes and perceptions of other cultures and their own cultural backgrounds. It’s a complex concept that includes:

• consciousness and sensitivity of one’s culture;
• attitude to cultural differences;
• knowledge of diverse cultural values and behaviors;
• skills for dealing with cross-cultural matters.

Why Is Cultural Awareness Important?

Students often struggle to articulate the importance of cultural awareness in organizational culture. If you need some help with this task or any other assignment for your business studies, a reliable essay writing service online can do it for you, you just need to make my essay . Professional writers will explain how cultural competence allows leveraging the talents and perspectives of a multicultural workforce in an essay for you.

Here are some examples of how cultural awareness can boost the performance of any organization.

• Improved conflict resolution. Culture shapes the way people behave when there’s a note of discord in teamwork. Some might try to avoid conflict at all costs or try to resolve it through third parties, while others will address any disagreements immediately and directly. Knowing cultural differences, employees will be better at handling conflicts.
• Respectful relationships . Unless people understand cultural differences, they might cause misunderstandings or show a lack of respect without even giving a thought. For example, the ways people maintain eye contact, position themselves in space, and use gestures vary depending on their cultural background. Awareness helps to identify cultural behaviors and show that you respect them.
• Flexible and adaptable workplace . Culture may influence the workplace at many different levels: from leadership styles and strategic direction to one’s attitude to deadlines and task completion. Cultural awareness increases employees’ level of adaptability and teaches them to be more flexible and open-minded. As a result, they can adapt to any work environment and continue to be productive.
• More ideas and creative inspiration. Each member of a multicultural team brings new perspectives and views. Cultural competence increases the chances to leverage this diversity and use it for better decision-making and problem-solving.
• Effective communication . Cultural awareness enables people to be good listeners and communicators. They are more sensitive to cultural perceptions and behaviors and thus are more likely to get their message across without misunderstandings. It may not be obvious at first, but it is exactly what students are required to do when writing essays in college – to deliver their message and opinion without any misunderstanding. And that is what writing services that do my essay for me by quality authors are required to do as well.

6 Strategies to Improve Cultural Awareness in the Workplace

Building a culturally literate workplace requires commitment from all employees and the leadership of a company. These strategies will help you reach the goal.

• Celebrate holidays and festivals . You can support cultural literacy by creating a shared calendar of holidays and festivals that are traditional to different cultures. Encourage employees to fill it out and share events that matter to them. It promotes acceptance and respect for diversity. You can send information about each holiday and its origin in company emails and host special staff dinners with traditional food and beverages that are typical to a certain culture.
• Create opportunities for employees to connect . Employees need to have opportunities to network and share their culture with colleagues. Exchanging ideas about their values and traditions helps to strengthen their relationships and improve team building. Employees who share a common culture can develop affinity groups to support each other and nurture their individuality.
• Provide cultural awareness training . As we’ve already discussed, knowledge is an integral part of cultural awareness. To become culturally competent, employees need training. Share information about different cultures and hold workshops where people can learn about values, conflict resolution, negotiation, etiquette, and nonverbal behavior in a cross-cultural work environment. The knowledge of cultural differences will make employees better communicators.
• Encourage open discussions . Open communication will increase cultural awareness in an organization. Encourage employees to gather and discuss culture-related issues. It will help to prevent cultural conflicts and eliminate bias. It might be helpful to create an online platform where employees can share their thoughts and voice concerns without hesitation or fear.
• Support diversity with corporate policies . Cultural awareness should be reflected in the policies of the organization. Intentions to build a diverse and multicultural workplace need to be supported with corresponding rules and guidelines. They’ll inform employees on what is considered acceptable and ethical behavior in the workplace.
• Ask for feedback . Building a harmonious cross-cultural workplace isn’t easy. It requires everyone to be equally committed to the promotion of inclusion and diversity. Ask employees for help with developing workplace policies and rules. You can also conduct surveys to find out more about their needs and evaluate the level of cultural awareness in the organization. This creates an ongoing conversation that allows everyone to be heard.

Being conscious of other cultures and their values enhances unity in the workplace. It allows employees to get along with colleagues as well as understand the needs and values of their clients. They become aware of how culture shapes people’s beliefs, perceptions, and behaviors. This helps people to empathize with each other to make communication effective and improve decision-making.

Lucas Garcia

Lucas Garcia is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology with a degree in Civil Engineering. He has been a key figure in tools and home improvement for over 17 years. His previous experience includes working in residential construction and as a project manager. He has provided insights into modern construction methods, effective use of tools, and sustainable home designs. In his leisure time, he is an enthusiastic woodworker and a volunteer in housing development projects. He advocates for DIY home upgrades and enjoys creating instructional videos in his free time.

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Cultural Awareness—How to Be More Culturally Aware & Improve Your Relationships

Wendy Wisner is a health and parenting writer, lactation consultant (IBCLC), and mom to two awesome sons.

Ivy Kwong, LMFT, is a psychotherapist specializing in relationships, love and intimacy, trauma and codependency, and AAPI mental health.  

The Importance of Cultural Awareness

How to be more culturally aware, what if i say the wrong thing, cultural awareness and sensitivity in intercultural/interracial relationships, can i ask someone to help me learn about their culture, pitfalls of not developing cultural awareness.

Cultural awareness, sometimes referred to as  cultural sensitivity , is defined by the NCCC (National Center for Cultural Competence) as being cognizant, observant, and conscious of the similarities and differences among and between cultural groups.

Becoming more culturally aware is a continual process and it can help to have curiosity, an open mind, a willingness to ask questions, a desire to learn about the differences that exist between cultures, and an openness to becoming conscious of one’s own culturally shaped values, beliefs, perceptions, and biases.

The Value of Cultural Awareness

Cultural awareness is important because it allows us to see and respect other perspectives and to appreciate the inherent value of people who are different than we are. It leads to better relationships, healthier work environments, and a stronger, more compassionate society.

Read on to learn more about cultural awareness, including the impacts it can have, how to become more culturally aware, how to approach conversations about cultural awareness, and how to address cultural awareness in intercultural relationships.

Cultural awareness involves learning about cultures that are different from your own. But it’s also about being respectful about these differences, says  Natalie Page  Ed.D., chief diversity officer at Saint Xavier University in Chicago. “It’s about being sensitive to the similarities and differences that can exist between different cultures and using this sensitivity to effectively communicate without prejudice and racism,” she explains.

5 Reasons Why Cultural Awareness Is Important

Here are five reasons why it’s important to become more culturally aware:

• When you strive to become more culturally aware, you gain knowledge and information about different cultures, which leads to greater cultural competence, says Dr. Page
• Engaging in cultural awareness makes you more sensitive to the differences between cultures that are different than your own, Dr. Page says; you also become less judgmental of people who are different than you.
• Studies have found that greater cultural awareness in the workplace leads to an overall better workplace culture for everyone involved.
• Research has found that cultural awareness creates better outcomes for people in healthcare environments, and in other environments where people are receiving care from others.
• According to Nika White, PhD, author of Inclusion Uncomplicated: A Transformative Guide to Simplify DEI , cultural awareness can improve your interpersonal relationships. “Just like any other relationship, you must understand their culture to truly understand someone’s lived experiences and how they show up to the world,” Dr. White describes.

Knowing about the importance of being more culturally aware is one thing, but actually taking steps to do so is something else.

It’s about being sensitive to the similarities and differences that can exist between different cultures and using this sensitivity to effectively communicate without prejudice and racism.

Here are a few tips for how to go about becoming more culturally aware.

Understand That It’s a Process

“Becoming culturally aware is a process that is fluid, birthed out of a desire to learn more about other cultures,” says Dr. Page.

She says it can be helpful to study the model laid out by Dr. Ibram Kendi, the author of How To Be An Antiracist . Dr. Kendi says that there are basically three paths to growing cultural awareness:

• “The first is moving from the fear zone, where you are afraid and would rather stay in your own culture comfort zone,” Dr. Page describes.
• Next is moving into the learning zone, where you strive to learn about different cultures, how people acquire their cultures, and culture's important role in personal identities, practices, and mental and physical health of individuals and communities. The learning zone can also include becoming more aware of your own culturally shaped values, beliefs, and biases and how they impact the way you see yourself and others.
• “The last phase is the growth zone, where you grow in racial advocacy and allyship,” says Dr. Page.

Ask Questions

Dr. White says that asking questions is a vital part of becoming more culturally aware. You can start by asking yourself some important questions, such as: “How is my culture affecting how I interact with and perceive others?” Dr. White suggests.

You can also respectfully ask others about their lives. But make sure the exchanges aren’t one-sided, she recommends: when you ask others about their cultures, tell them about yours, too. “Tell your own stories to engage, build relationships, find common ground, and become more culturally aware of someone from a different culture,” she says.

Educate Yourself and Do the Work

There’s no way around it: if you want to become more culturally aware, you need to take action and educate yourself.

“Don’t lean on assumptions,” says Dr. White. “Actually research cultures different from yours.” This can help you become more aware of how culture affects every aspect of your life and the lives of others. In addition to research, educating yourself often involves seeking and participating in meaningful interactions with people of differing cultural backgrounds. “Expand your network to include people from different cultures into your circle,” Dr. White recommends.

Study the Cultural Competence Continuum Model

The Cultural Competence Continuum Model is an assessment tool that helps us understand where people are on their journey to becoming more culturally competent.

Different people fall into various categories along the continuum. Categories include cultural destructiveness, cultural incapacity, cultural blindness, cultural pre-competence, cultural competence, and cultural proficiency.

Studying this model can help us become more aware of the process of moving toward more cultural sensitivity, and become more patient with ourselves and others as we move through the process.

Acknowledge Your Own Bias

We all have our own biases when it comes to cultural awareness, because we all begin by looking at the world and at others through our own cultural lens.

It is important to acknowledge this as it can help us see how our cultural  biases  may prevent us from being as culturally sensitive as we wish to be.

Often, people don’t want to address topics having to do with culture or race because they are afraid they will say the wrong thing or make a mistake while talking to someone.

The truth is, most people make mistakes on their journey toward cultural awareness, and that’s understandable, says Dr. Page.

“If you make a mistake, simply apologize and let the person that you may have offended know that you are learning and be open to any suggestions they may have,” she recommends. Sometimes it even makes sense to apologize in advance, if you are saying something you are unsure of. You can say, “I may have this wrong, so I apologize beforehand but…” Dr. Page suggests. “The key is to be sincere in your conversations and always open to learning from others,” she says.

Making mistakes is a necessary part of the learning process and it is important to approach these topics and conversations with shared respect, compassion, and grace.

If you are in a relationship with someone who is of a different race or culture than you, it’s important to have open, honest discussions about this. “If a person is going to grow in interracial and intercultural relationships, you have to step out of your cultural comfort zone and seek an understanding about other cultures,” says Dr. Page.

Questions to Ask Someone to Learn About Their Culture

Having a genuine discussion with someone about your differences can feel awkward, and it can be helpful to kick-start the conversation with a few open-ended questions. Dr. White shared some helpful questions:

• Can you tell me about your culture?
• Tell me a little something about how you were raised?
• What role does religion play in your life?

Here are some additional questions that could be asked with respect and consent, to another (and also to yourself!):

• What holidays and celebrations are important in your culture?
• What customs and etiquette are important in your culture?
• What is your favorite food in your culture?
• Is religion an important part of life in your culture? If so, what religion do people practice most often and why do you think that is?
• How do you express your cultural identity?
• What stereotypes or misconceptions do people from your culture often face and what do you wish more people knew?
• Is there anything about your culture that you find challenging?
• How has your culture changed over time?
• How do you think your culture has influenced your personal values and beliefs?
• What is the importance of family in your culture?

One of the important ways to develop culture awareness is to educate yourself about other cultures. Learning directly from people of different cultures is a fantastic way to get authentic information. But it’s important to engage in conversations with others about their cultures in respectful , appropriate manners.

When you decide to ask others about their culture, be mindful that they may not want to answer, and know that that’s okay, says Dr. White. It’s also important to make the conversation a two-way street. Don’t just ask them about their culture—talk about your culture as well. “Share your culture first to model the behavior and let others know it is safe to talk about their culture,” Dr. White suggests.

Finally, make sure to take it upon yourself to do some of the work. “Once you learn of someone’s culture you wish to cultivate a relationship with, do your homework to learn as much as you can,” Dr. White says. Don't simply rely on others to educate you—this may be seen as insensitive, Dr. White says.

The main pitfalls of not developing cultural awareness is that we don’t expand our understanding of other cultures, we don’t deepen our relationship with people who are different than we are, and that we risk continuing to have a narrow view of the world around us. 

“We live in an ever-changing diverse world,” Dr. Page says. “We rob ourselves when we only hang out with people from our cultural groups. We have to branch out and experience the beauty that others bring.”

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Shepherd SM, Willis-Esqueda C, Newton D, et al. The challenge of cultural competence in the workplace: perspectives of healthcare providers . BMC Health Services Research. 2019;19:135. doi:10.1186/s12913-019-3959-7

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Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. Improving Cultural Competence .

By Wendy Wisner Wendy Wisner is a health and parenting writer, lactation consultant (IBCLC), and mom to two awesome sons.

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13 benefits and challenges of cultural diversity in the workplace

As national politics and discourse seem to grow more inward-looking and divisive across America and Europe, successful businesses must continue to think inclusively and globally. Embracing cultural diversity in the workplace is an important first step for businesses that want to be competitive on an international scale.

From the Virgin Group to Disney and PricewaterhouseCoopers, organizations across industries are embracing the benefits of a diverse workforce. But with benefits necessarily come challenges of working across borders, cultures, and languages.

At Hult, diversity and global mindedness are integral to our DNA. Our mission is to prepare our students to thrive in a fast-paced, unpredictable, and fundamentally international business environment. As our students develop into the global business leaders of tomorrow, they can certainly expect to encounter these 13 key benefits and challenges of cultural diversity in the workplace .

• Diverse cultural perspectives can inspire creativity and drive innovation
• Local market knowledge and insight makes a business more competitive and profitable
• Cultural sensitivity, insight, and local knowledge means higher quality, targeted marketing
• Drawing from a culturally diverse talent pool allows an organization to attract and retain the best talent
• A diverse skills base allows an organization to offer a broader and more adaptable range of products and services
• Diverse teams are more productive and perform better
• Greater opportunity for personal and professional growth

Challenges :

• Colleagues from some cultures may be less likely to let their voices be heard
• Integration across multicultural teams can be difficult in the face of prejudice or negative cultural stereotypes
• Professional communication can be misinterpreted or difficult to understand across languages and cultures
• Navigating visa requirements, employment laws, and the cost of accommodating workplace requirements can be difficult
• Different understandings of professional etiquette
• Conflicting working styles across teams

1. Benefit: Diverse cultural perspectives can inspire creativity and drive innovation

Our culture influences the way in which we see the world. A variety of viewpoints along with the wide-ranging personal and professional experience of an international team can offer new perspectives that inspire colleagues to see the workplace—and the world—differently.

Diversity of thought has been shown to breed creativity and drive innovation, helping to solve problems and meet customer needs in new and exciting ways. For example, cosmetic giant L’Oréal attributes much if its impressive success in emerging markets to its multicultural product development teams.

Multiple voices, perspectives, and personalities bouncing off one another can give rise to out-of-the-box thinking. By offering a platform for the open exchange of ideas, businesses can reap the biggest benefits of diversity in the workplace. A recent study from Forbes echoed this notion, concluding that “the best way to ensure the development of new ideas is through a diverse and inclusive workforce.”

2. Benefit: Local market knowledge and insight makes a business more competitive and profitable

A multicultural workforce can give an organization an important edge when expanding into new markets. Often, a product or service needs to be adapted to succeed overseas. Understanding local laws, regulations, and customs, as well as the competitive landscape, can help a business to thrive. Moreover, local connections, native language skills, and cultural understanding can boost international business development exponentially.

And being more competitive ultimately means being more profitable. Diversity Inc annually recognizes the top 50 most diverse companies and measures their success against the broader market. Recent research from McKinsey also underscores the fact that diversity is good for a business’s bottom line. In fact, ethnically diverse companies were shown to be 35% more likely to have financial returns above the national industry median.

3. Benefit: Cultural sensitivity, insight, and local knowledge means higher quality, targeted marketing

Cross-cultural understanding, along with local market knowledge, lends itself the production of more effective marketing strategy and materials. For example, high quality and culturally sensitive translations of websites, brochures, and other assets are essential. But these can be overlooked without the input of a native speaker.

Even brand taglines can get badly lost in translation. A frequently cited example is from KFC in China, whose chicken was marketed as so tasty, you’ll “eat your fingers off!” (A poor translation of their brand tagline, “Finger lickin’ good.”)

Market-specific knowledge and insight is invaluable when it comes to for imagery and design, too. What might work well on a billboard for a British company could fail or offend elsewhere. A memorable McDonalds print ad in Finland may have been considered clever locally, but it was seen as confusing and even grotesque by foreign audiences.

The danger of making a serious marketing blunder, which can cause irreparable damage to a brand or business abroad, can be mitigated by employing a diverse workforce with local marketing savvy.

4. Benefit: Drawing from a culturally diverse talent pool allows an organization to attract and retain the best talent

According to a Glassdoor survey, two thirds of job hunters indicated that diversity was important to them when evaluating companies and job offers. In a competitive global job market, demonstrating that your business is invested in fostering a multicultural and inclusive environment can make you stand out to the right candidates. Making diversity an important part of the recruiting process will broaden your talent pool of prospective employees.

Not only does hiring from a more diverse talent pool makes your business attractive to ambitious, globally minded candidates, it also helps you to keep them on board. Diversity, including diversity of gender, religion, and ethnicity, has been shown to improve retention and reduce the costs associated with employee turnover.

In a diverse workplace, employees are more likely remain loyal when they feel respected and valued for their unique contribution. This, in turn, fosters mutual respect among colleagues who also value the diverse culture, perspectives, and experiences of their team members. An inclusive atmosphere of cross-cultural cooperation is an excellent way to bond colleagues and teams across the business.

“One of the main reasons I chose Hult was the incredible diversity of students and the international element we possess here. Studying and sharing a campus with students from different nationalities has been an awe-inspiring experience. Diversity and international exposure have always been important to the decisions I have made in my career.” Vishnu Subramanian,  Hult MIB Class of 2017

  Download a brochure to find out more about the programs at Hult

5. benefit: a diverse skills base allows an organization to offer a broader and more adaptable range of products and services.

By drawing from a culturally diverse talent pool, companies benefit from hiring professionals with a broad range of skills that are often not accessible when hiring locally. Globally oriented companies can add to their service range by leveraging the skills and experience their international employees bring to the table.

A broader skills base and a more potentially diverse offering of products and services can help your business to have the competitive advantage of adaptability. In today’s volatile and uncertain global business environment, nimble and adaptable organizations are the ones that thrive.

Adaptability means faster and more effective planning, development, and execution. A company with cultural and cognitive diversity can be quicker to spot a gap in the market. It will also have the global (or market-specific) insight and experience to help a new or adapted product to meet changing consumer behavior—and succeed.

6. Benefit: Diverse teams are more productive and perform better

The range of experience, expertise, and working methods that a diverse workplace offers can boost problem-solving capacity and lead to greater productivity. In fact, studies have shown organizations with a culture of diversity and inclusion are both happier and more productive.

Where working in homogeneous teams can seem easier, it can cause a business to settle for the status quo. Diversity, on the other hand, can breed healthy competition, stretching a team in a positive way to achieve their best. This atmosphere of healthy competition can lead to the optimization of company processes for greater efficiency. As a recent article in the Harvard Business Review argues, the challenges of working in a diverse team are one of the reasons why diverse teams perform better: “working on diverse teams produces better outcomes precisely because it’s harder.”

7. Benefit: Greater opportunity for personal and professional growth

Fundamentally, an inclusive and culturally diverse business will attract talented, ambitious, and globally minded professionals who will appreciate the opportunity for personal and professional growth.

Working across cultures can be a truly enriching experiencing, allowing others to learn about perspectives and traditions from around the world. Bonding over similarities and differences can help you to become a global citizen, abandoning prejudices or an ethnocentric world view—something that is increasingly valuable.

A diverse set of colleagues can be professionally enriching too—exposing you to new skills and approaches to work, and developing an international network that can take your career in exciting new directions or abroad.

8. Challenge: Colleagues from some cultures may be less likely to let their voices be heard

However, the presence of diverse brain power alone is not enough. It’s also critical to create an open and inclusive workplace environment, so all team members feel empowered to contribute.

This can be particularly challenging for colleagues from polite or deferential cultures. For instance, professionals from Asian countries such as Vietnam or Japan may feel less comfortable speaking up or sharing ideas, particularly if they are new to the team or in a more junior role.

Conversely, assertive colleagues from the U.S. or Western Europe, or those from Scandinavian countries who emphasize flat organizational hierarchy, may be more inclined to speak up meetings or negotiations when others don’t.

9. Challenge: Integration across multicultural teams can be difficult in the face of prejudice or negative cultural stereotypes

While local expertise is an invaluable asset, it’s also important to foster integration among teams to avoid colleagues from different countries working in isolation and limiting knowledge transfer.

This can be a challenge to overcome, particularly if there are underlying prejudices between cultures, making them less inclined to work together. Negative cultural stereotypes can be seriously detrimental to company morale and affect productivity. For instance, the centuries-long antipathy between the British and French, or the Polish and Germans can sometimes creep into the workplace.

Although not all stereotypes are necessarily negative—like the notion that Americans are confident or Asians are intelligent—all are simplifications that can prove limiting or divisive in the workplace. And while outright prejudice or stereotyping is a serious concern, ingrained and unconscious cultural biases can be a more difficult challenge of workplace diversity to overcome.

10. Challenge: Professional communication can be misinterpreted or difficult to understand across languages and cultures

While quality translations are key for effective marketing, there can also be a real risk of communication getting lost in translation among multicultural colleagues. Language barriers are just one challenge. Even in an office where everyone speaks English, comprehending a range of accents, or understanding a native-speaker’s use of idioms, can be difficult.

Moreover, effective cross-cultural communication comes down to much more than just words spoken. Non-verbal communication is a delicate and nuanced part of cultural interaction that can lead to misunderstandings or even offense between team members from different countries. Things like comfortable levels of physical space, making or maintaining eye contact, and gesturing can all be vastly different across cultures.

Even something as simple as a greeting or handshake has cultural implications that should be considered in a work environment. Business Insider put together this useful infographic to highlight the differences in handshakes and professional greetings around the world:

11. Challenge: Navigating visa requirements, employment laws, and the cost of accommodating workplace requirements can be difficult

Despite the clear benefits, hiring talent from overseas can present an HR challenge. Not least among this is the complicated process of navigating employment laws and visa requirements for international workers. Requirements and regulations are different in each country and between countries, and can change frequently.

Beyond visas, further accommodations for a recruiting and retaining a culturally diverse workforce should be taken into account. For instance, providing a quiet space for prayer can make a workplace more welcoming and inclusive for employees with a range of beliefs, as can taking into account different cultural or religious holidays. Of course, these considerations and accommodations can sometimes be an added business cost as well as a logistical challenge.

12. Challenge: Different understandings of professional etiquette

Colleagues from different cultures can also bring with them different workplace attitudes, values, behaviors, and etiquette. While these can be enriching and even beneficial in a diverse professional environment, they can also cause misunderstandings or ill feelings between team members.

For instance, the expectation of formality (or relative informality), organizational hierarchy, and even working hours can conflict across cultures. Where a Japanese colleague may not feel it appropriate to leave work before their manager (or, indeed, anyone else), a Swedish professional may be used to a 6-hour working day.

Additionally, different approaches to punctuality, confrontation, or dealing with conflict can prove an issue.

13. Challenge: Conflicting working styles across teams

However, working styles and attitudes towards work can be very different, reflecting cultural values and compounding differences. If not recognized and accounted, conflicting approaches to work can put the brakes on productivity.

For instance, approaches to teamwork and collaboration can vary notably. Some cultures, including many in Asia and Central America, value collective consensus when working towards a goal. Whereas others, such as Germany and America, put emphasis on the independence of the individual. Likewise, emphasis on order, rigor, and organization in the workplace versus flexibility and spontaneity can also reflect underlying cultural values.

In many ways, the Hult classroom mirrors this experience, immersing you in a diverse and collaborative working environment from day one. By studying around the world and learning with peers and professors from over 150 different countries, you will master the skill of communicating effectively across cultures and embrace the value of diversity in the workplace.

Interested in giving your cultural competency and business acumen a boost?

Download a brochure to find out more about the programs at Hult

Have you experienced any particularly positive or negative aspects of working in a culturally diverse team? Do these influence your professional life today? Let us know in the comments below.

Make the most of what your career has to offer with a Masters in International Business from Hult. To learn more, take a look at our blog How volunteering prepared me for business school , or give your employability a huge boost with an MBA in international business . Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to explore everything about the business world, the future, and yourself.

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Katie Reynolds

Related posts, hult international business school breaks guinness world records ™ for class diversity, alumni success story: peter windischhofer and kilian kaminski of refurbed, get a reality check on entrepreneurship at hult, hult hires hult: salesforce edition with laura french and sophie bauermeister, how i became a tiktok “realty star”, look who’s #headingtohult.

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• Knowledge Base
• College essay
• How to Write a Diversity Essay | Tips & Examples

How to Write a Diversity Essay | Tips & Examples

Published on November 1, 2021 by Kirsten Courault . Revised on May 31, 2023.

Table of contents

What is a diversity essay, identify how you will enrich the campus community, share stories about your lived experience, explain how your background or identity has affected your life, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about college application essays.

Diversity essays ask students to highlight an important aspect of their identity, background, culture, experience, viewpoints, beliefs, skills, passions, goals, etc.

Diversity essays can come in many forms. Some scholarships are offered specifically for students who come from an underrepresented background or identity in higher education. At highly competitive schools, supplemental diversity essays require students to address how they will enhance the student body with a unique perspective, identity, or background.

In the Common Application and applications for several other colleges, some main essay prompts ask about how your background, identity, or experience has affected you.

Why schools want a diversity essay

Many universities believe a student body representing different perspectives, beliefs, identities, and backgrounds will enhance the campus learning and community experience.

Admissions officers are interested in hearing about how your unique background, identity, beliefs, culture, or characteristics will enrich the campus community.

Through the diversity essay, admissions officers want students to articulate the following:

• What makes them different from other applicants
• Stories related to their background, identity, or experience
• How their unique lived experience has affected their outlook, activities, and goals

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Think about what aspects of your identity or background make you unique, and choose one that has significantly impacted your life.

For some students, it may be easy to identify what sets them apart from their peers. But if you’re having trouble identifying what makes you different from other applicants, consider your life from an outsider’s perspective. Don’t presume your lived experiences are normal or boring just because you’re used to them.

Some examples of identities or experiences that you might write about include the following:

• Race/ethnicity
• Gender identity
• Sexual orientation
• Nationality
• Socioeconomic status
• Immigration background
• Religion/belief system
• Place of residence
• Family circumstances
• Extracurricular activities related to diversity

Include vulnerable, authentic stories about your lived experiences. Maintain focus on your experience rather than going into too much detail comparing yourself to others or describing their experiences.

Keep the focus on you

Tell a story about how your background, identity, or experience has impacted you. While you can briefly mention another person’s experience to provide context, be sure to keep the essay focused on you. Admissions officers are mostly interested in learning about your lived experience, not anyone else’s.

When I was a baby, my grandmother took me in, even though that meant postponing her retirement and continuing to work full-time at the local hairdresser. Even working every shift she could, she never missed a single school play or soccer game.

She and I had a really special bond, even creating our own special language to leave each other secret notes and messages. She always pushed me to succeed in school, and celebrated every academic achievement like it was worthy of a Nobel Prize. Every month, any leftover tip money she received at work went to a special 509 savings plan for my college education.

When I was in the 10th grade, my grandmother was diagnosed with ALS. We didn’t have health insurance, and what began with quitting soccer eventually led to dropping out of school as her condition worsened. In between her doctor’s appointments, keeping the house tidy, and keeping her comfortable, I took advantage of those few free moments to study for the GED.

In school pictures at Raleigh Elementary School, you could immediately spot me as “that Asian girl.” At lunch, I used to bring leftover fun see noodles, but after my classmates remarked how they smelled disgusting, I begged my mom to make a “regular” lunch of sliced bread, mayonnaise, and deli meat.

Although born and raised in North Carolina, I felt a cultural obligation to learn my “mother tongue” and reconnect with my “homeland.” After two years of all-day Saturday Chinese school, I finally visited Beijing for the first time, expecting I would finally belong. While my face initially assured locals of my Chinese identity, the moment I spoke, my cover was blown. My Chinese was littered with tonal errors, and I was instantly labeled as an “ABC,” American-born Chinese.

I felt culturally homeless.

Speak from your own experience

Highlight your actions, difficulties, and feelings rather than comparing yourself to others. While it may be tempting to write about how you have been more or less fortunate than those around you, keep the focus on you and your unique experiences, as shown below.

I began to despair when the FAFSA website once again filled with red error messages.

I had been at the local library for hours and hadn’t even been able to finish the form, much less the other to-do items for my application.

I am the first person in my family to even consider going to college. My parents work two jobs each, but even then, it’s sometimes very hard to make ends meet. Rather than playing soccer or competing in speech and debate, I help my family by taking care of my younger siblings after school and on the weekends.

“We only speak one language here. Speak proper English!” roared a store owner when I had attempted to buy bread and accidentally used the wrong preposition.

In middle school, I had relentlessly studied English grammar textbooks and received the highest marks.

Leaving Seoul was hard, but living in West Orange, New Jersey was much harder一especially navigating everyday communication with Americans.

After sharing relevant personal stories, make sure to provide insight into how your lived experience has influenced your perspective, activities, and goals. You should also explain how your background led you to apply to this university and why you’re a good fit.

Include your outlook, actions, and goals

Conclude your essay with an insight about how your background or identity has affected your outlook, actions, and goals. You should include specific actions and activities that you have done as a result of your insight.

One night, before the midnight premiere of Avengers: Endgame , I stopped by my best friend Maria’s house. Her mother prepared tamales, churros, and Mexican hot chocolate, packing them all neatly in an Igloo lunch box. As we sat in the line snaking around the AMC theater, I thought back to when Maria and I took salsa classes together and when we belted out Selena’s “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” at karaoke. In that moment, as I munched on a chicken tamale, I realized how much I admired the beauty, complexity, and joy in Maria’s culture but had suppressed and devalued my own.

The following semester, I joined Model UN. Since then, I have learned how to proudly represent other countries and have gained cultural perspectives other than my own. I now understand that all cultures, including my own, are equal. I still struggle with small triggers, like when I go through airport security and feel a suspicious glance toward me, or when I feel self-conscious for bringing kabsa to school lunch. But in the future, I hope to study and work in international relations to continue learning about other cultures and impart a positive impression of Saudi culture to the world.

The smell of the early morning dew and the welcoming whinnies of my family’s horses are some of my most treasured childhood memories. To this day, our farm remains so rural that we do not have broadband access, and we’re too far away from the closest town for the postal service to reach us.

Going to school regularly was always a struggle: between the unceasing demands of the farm and our lack of connectivity, it was hard to keep up with my studies. Despite being a voracious reader, avid amateur chemist, and active participant in the classroom, emergencies and unforeseen events at the farm meant that I had a lot of unexcused absences.

Although it had challenges, my upbringing taught me resilience, the value of hard work, and the importance of family. Staying up all night to watch a foal being born, successfully saving the animals from a minor fire, and finding ways to soothe a nervous mare afraid of thunder have led to an unbreakable family bond.

Our farm is my family’s birthright and our livelihood, and I am eager to learn how to ensure the farm’s financial and technological success for future generations. In college, I am looking forward to joining a chapter of Future Farmers of America and studying agricultural business to carry my family’s legacy forward.

Tailor your answer to the university

After explaining how your identity or background will enrich the university’s existing student body, you can mention the university organizations, groups, or courses in which you’re interested.

Maybe a larger public school setting will allow you to broaden your community, or a small liberal arts college has a specialized program that will give you space to discover your voice and identity. Perhaps this particular university has an active affinity group you’d like to join.

Demonstrating how a university’s specific programs or clubs are relevant to you can show that you’ve done your research and would be a great addition to the university.

At the University of Michigan Engineering, I want to study engineering not only to emulate my mother’s achievements and strength, but also to forge my own path as an engineer with disabilities. I appreciate the University of Michigan’s long-standing dedication to supporting students with disabilities in ways ranging from accessible housing to assistive technology. At the University of Michigan Engineering, I want to receive a top-notch education and use it to inspire others to strive for their best, regardless of their circumstances.

If you want to know more about academic writing , effective communication , or parts of speech , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Academic writing

• Writing process
• Transition words
• Passive voice
• Paraphrasing

 Communication

• How to end an email
• Ms, mrs, miss
• How to start an email
• I hope this email finds you well
• Hope you are doing well

 Parts of speech

• Personal pronouns
• Conjunctions

In addition to your main college essay , some schools and scholarships may ask for a supplementary essay focused on an aspect of your identity or background. This is sometimes called a diversity essay .

Many universities believe a student body composed of different perspectives, beliefs, identities, and backgrounds will enhance the campus learning and community experience.

Admissions officers are interested in hearing about how your unique background, identity, beliefs, culture, or characteristics will enrich the campus community, which is why they assign a diversity essay .

To write an effective diversity essay , include vulnerable, authentic stories about your unique identity, background, or perspective. Provide insight into how your lived experience has influenced your outlook, activities, and goals. If relevant, you should also mention how your background has led you to apply for this university and why you’re a good fit.

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Home — Essay Samples — Social Issues — Cultural Diversity — The Importance Of Cultural Awareness

The Importance of Cultural Awareness

• Categories: Cultural Competence Cultural Diversity

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Published: Mar 18, 2021

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Importance of Cultural Awareness: Everything to Know

The importance of cultural awareness is growing with time. Cultural awareness means understanding the dynamic values and beliefs of different cultures. For better opportunities, understanding and respecting various cultures are necessary. By doing so, people from different backgrounds can work together quickly. Lack of cultural awareness may mislead crucial decisions.

Globalization has led to a vast impact on the expansion of businesses worldwide. Hence, organizations need to be wise to become culturally aware of dealing with international clients. As a result, organizations will work more effectively and comfortably. Cultural awareness promotes people to build successful and professional relationships in diverse backgrounds.

What is cultural awareness?

The word 'culture' refers to the respective community's ethics, beliefs, and lifestyle. So, cultural awareness means to be aware of different cultures. Cultural awareness can be understood and recognised by different values, beliefs, and customs of other groups and societies.

The ultimate goal is to understand the difference between yourself and people from different countries and backgrounds, especially with unique attributes and values. In short, the main motive is to understand the impacts and know the differences of diverse cultures . Cultural awareness teaches us to understand how different cultures may help us in terms of communication or collaboration.

Cultural awareness can be defined as being aware and respecting the impacts and influences of different cultures. Cultural awareness leaves a positive impact on every person's roles and responsibilities. It helps us to avoid misjudging people from various cultural backgrounds. It allows a way for better relations than having a conflict.

Why is cultural awareness so important?

Cultural awareness matters for many reasons that influence the entire society. Hence, enhancing your cultural awareness is essential. The following points cover why cultural awareness matters.

• Effective communication

The great advantage of cultural awareness is it allows us to communicate effectively with people of different cultures. Lack of cultural awareness may lead us to misjudge people from other cultures. However, a lack of cultural awareness may lead to innumerable problems in communicating and understanding the intentions of others. As a result, cultural awareness helps us communicate and build strong relations with others.

• Respect for cultures

Being able to communicate with people from diverse cultures is not just enough. Cultural awareness allows us to respect various cultures. As a result, the people start supporting cultural differences and embrace new ways to get along in society. It helps people break down all the cultural barriers and integrate respectfully with diverse communities. In short, cultural awareness teaches us how to respect and appreciate others.

• Promotes leadership

Cultural awareness benefits people in leadership roles and management roles. For such roles, developing cultural awareness results in better outcomes. It helps them in making appropriate decisions and motivating employees. In such a way, leaders and managers can take decisions with a global mindset. The employees feel acknowledged and valued in the organization.

• Better workplace

As cultural awareness promotes leadership roles, the leaders promote a diverse work culture. Promoting diversity means allowing employees with different cultures to work together as a team equally. It results in turning the organization into a better workplace. Hence, the employees feel more motivated. So, the work is done more effectively.

• Self-awareness

Being culturally aware allows us to acknowledge our worldviews and heritage. We get a better understanding of the differences in the customs and beliefs of others. Exploring and educating ourselves with different cultures helps us to strengthen ourselves. Eventually, we discover that self-awareness and cultural awareness are tied-up with each other.

• Successful globalization

As we begin to explore the world, we begin to relate to people with cultural differences. As a result, the cultural connection becomes stronger and reduces the risk of any cultural conflicts. When we are culturally aware, we can consider what may be inappropriate to people with diverse backgrounds. Indirectly, this helps us globalize more easily and effectively and reduces the barriers.

How can organizations promote cultural awareness?

Unity is the strength. Hence, people with diverse cultures form the best team. It provides businesses with an unlimited pool of talents and ideas. According to the Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) , cultural differences impact the productivity of businesses.

Acknowledging and understanding diverse cultures improves communication and interaction among the employees. As a result, cultural awareness leads to a highly motivated workforce. Cultural awareness can be promoted in businesses by implementing the following:

The first and foremost task to promote cultural awareness in the workplace is to educate the employees. Companies should design a training program for the employees. It should include all the different ways to deal with diverse people. The training program must teach the employees how to work effectively in the increasingly diverse economy. It should cover all the topics, including communication, marketing, and negotiation skills. We provide such diversity and inclusion training to businesses.

Ethics and policies have always been an important part of every organization. To ensure the employees are culturally aware, the next step is to create some cultural awareness policies and norms. Such policies provide a clear view of how employees from different backgrounds can interact with each other. All these anti-discriminatory policies serve all employees equal opportunities to work effectively.

•  Religious holidays

The best way to promote cultural awareness is by celebrating diversity and cultures. During all the religious and cultural festivals, businesses should welcome the holiday. So that employees from different cultural backgrounds may not misunderstand the higher authority and avoid unwanted disputes. Businesses should respect all religions and cultures and treat them accordingly without discriminating.

• Communication

Clear and precise communication is always important. People from different cultural backgrounds have different physical appearances and communication styles. For instance, the way of greeting a senior in one culture may feel very respectful while the same in the other culture may feel very rude. So, while working with people from different parts of the world, it is important to be aware of the communication norms of various cultures. The businesses can avoid misunderstanding and confusion between the two parties by doing so.

Developing cultural awareness among the employees enhances the productivity of the business. Cultural awareness among the employees promotes effective communication and unity in the workplace. Hence, it becomes easier for businesses to deal with global clients effectively. By understanding different cultures and beliefs, businesses create a diverse and inclusive culture. By creating anti-discriminatory policies, businesses can eliminate the differences among the employees.

In a nutshell

In today's modern era, cultural awareness is gaining much importance. By being culturally aware, we emphasize diversity in different meaningful and beautiful ways. Cultural awareness is all about recognizing and understanding that we all have various values formed by our diverse cultural backgrounds. Cultural awareness makes it easy to explore the world. It allows us to understand the differences and acknowledge them. Being self-aware about different cultures prevents us from offending others. In this process, we can work more effectively across cultural lines. We get a better understanding and broader views of different cultures. As a result, we can build deeper connections with people worldwide.

Cultural awareness promotes effective communication and successful globalization. Every business should prioritize cultivating cultural awareness. A culturally more diverse and inclusive environment allows organizations to collaborate and interact easily. Cultural diversity strengthens the work environment in the organizations. In this multicultural world, people feel interconnected with each other.

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Increasing Cultural Awareness in Healthcare Essay (Critical Writing)

Introduction, importance of education, on-field training, promotion of personal exposure, resources and action items.

Despite the recent tendency of offsetting globalization due to the pandemic, the international movement of people still exists, and the cultural diversity will remain. The recipients of healthcare include representatives of numerous ethnicities, social affiliations, and other groups. Equal indiscriminate treatment of all patients can lead to conflicts between practitioners and clients, which may result in negative care outcomes. Promoting cultural awareness is essential in creating a medical environment that respects diverse identities.

People carry their personal beliefs and experiences into all spheres of life, including work. One of the ways to develop a culturally sensitive environment is to select health professionals who have received training in intercultural communication. The more culturally competent the medical staff is, the fewer conflicts would arise out of misunderstanding on the basis of gender, race, age, sexuality, or culture. The administration of a healthcare organization can adjust its hiring policy accordingly.

Another venue for cultural promotion in healthcare is to actively propagate the inclusion of cultural training in education. Hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare organizations can influence medical educational establishments to correct the curricula to cover cultural sensitivity. For instance, introducing corresponding subjects with mandatory completion or having cross-cultural practice may increase future health professionals’ understanding of sensitive areas. Subsequently, it will lead to an overall friendlier medical environment when the students graduate and start working.

The deficit of cultural competence in healthcare will not be resolved by proper education alone. Current practitioners are going to stay in the field of patient care, even though a large number of them do not satisfy the requirements posed by modern diversity. A logical solution to the issue would be improving the skills of the active workforce. According to Henderson et al. (2018), “instead of focusing on training, cultural competency in community healthcare implies that one must attempt to develop a higher level of moral reasoning in community practitioners” (p. 611). By combining the immediate patient care experience with the knowledge relating to diversity issues, it is possible to make the healthcare setting more culturally sensitive.

Educating the already working practitioners may even provide better results than accentuating changes in the curriculum. For instance, Govere and Govere (2016) write that “a systematic review of 34 studies by Beach et al. (2005) found that training improved knowledge in 17 of 19 studies and skills and attitudes in 21 of 25 studies” (p. 408). As a result, implementing educational courses for the staff during their workdays can foster cultural sensitivity in healthcare.

Another way of enhancing personnel’s communicative skills is by influencing their experiences outside of the work. Anyone who is exposed to foreign or unfamiliar groups, whether they are social, ethnic, sexual, or cultural, is more tolerant and welcoming of people of different backgrounds. Therefore, the administration of an organization can encourage their subordinates to establish cross-cultural connections on their own, for example, by offering vacations in foreign countries.

There is also research that proves that the inclusion of communication with people with different social orientations elevates cultural sensitivity at work. A study by Gözüm et al. (2020) delved into the causes of low cultural competence in hospitals. Their findings asserted that “health professionals’ frequently establishing contact with friends or neighbors from different cultures in their private lives was one of the major factors positively affecting cultural competency levels” (p. 15). Subsequently, promoting personal exposure is a viable way of making healthcare organizations appreciate differences.

Changes in group behavior are accomplished via properly motivating its members. A healthcare organization possesses resources, which can compel the staff to adopt a less rigid view of other identities. Santana et al. (2018) argue for the adoption of a person-centered-care, which acknowledges patients’ gender, sexuality, race, and culture. The researchers point that an organization can “provide adequate incentives in payment programs; celebrate small wins and victories to ensure resources for staff to practice PCC” (p. 432). Ultimately, the employee policy decides the staff’s attitude to patients.

As for the actual steps an organization can take to strengthen cultural sensitivity, there are three major initiatives. According to Hollinger-Smith, entities can involve their members in “assessing their perceptions of cultural problems and conflicts, and plan how they should be fixed” (p. 8). She also argues for the adoption of policies respecting cultural differences, for instance, by adjusting when and how meals are served according to respective traditions. Finally, an organization can provide the working personnel with information on cultural subtleties, which may complicate communication.

Altogether, it is evident that in order to make the healthcare setting more appreciative of differences, it is necessary to work with the working staff. Promoting cultural education will make medical graduates more competent. Administrations can set up courses for the medical staff, which would raise their awareness. Encouraging personal first-hand experience of communicating with various identities will help in culturally sensitive patient care. Overall, healthcare organizations should create conditions motivating health professionals to increase their cultural competence.

Govere, L., & Govere, E. M. (2016). How effective is cultural competence training of healthcare providers on improving patient satisfaction of minority groups? A systematic review of literature. Worldviews on Evidence‐Based Nursing , 13 (6), 402-410.

Gözüm, S., Tuzcu, A., & Yurt, S. (2020). Developing a cultural competency scale for primary health care professionals. Studies in Psychology . 1-22. Web.

Henderson, S., Horne, M., Hills, R., & Kendall, E. (2018). Cultural competence in healthcare in the community: A concept analysis. Health & Social Care in the Community , 26 (4), 590-603. Web.

Hollinger-Smith, L. (n.d.). Diversity & cultural competency in health care settings. Mather. Web.

Santana, M. J., Manalili, K., Jolley, R. J., Zelinsky, S., Quan, H., & Lu, M. (2018). How to practice person‐centred care: A conceptual framework. Health Expectations , 21 (2), 429-440. Web.

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IvyPanda. (2023, January 23). Increasing Cultural Awareness in Healthcare. https://ivypanda.com/essays/increasing-cultural-awareness-in-healthcare/

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1. IvyPanda . "Increasing Cultural Awareness in Healthcare." January 23, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/increasing-cultural-awareness-in-healthcare/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Increasing Cultural Awareness in Healthcare." January 23, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/increasing-cultural-awareness-in-healthcare/.

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Cultural Awareness: Performance Review Examples (Rating 1 – 5)

By Status.net Editorial Team on August 11, 2023 — 4 minutes to read

Cultural awareness means the ability to recognize and appreciate the differences and similarities between different cultures and customs.

Related: Best Performance Review Examples for 48 Key Skills

2000+ Performance Review Phrases: The Complete List (Performance Feedback Examples)

Performance Review Questions: Cultural Awareness

1. Does the employee communicate and collaborate effectively with colleagues from diverse backgrounds? 2. Does the employee show sensitivity and respect towards cultural differences? 3. Does the employee actively promote a culture of inclusivity and diversity within the workplace? 4. Does the employee demonstrate an understanding and appreciation for diverse cultures and customs? 5. Does the employee seek out opportunities to learn about different cultures and ways of life?

Based on the answers to these questions, you can determine which rating to assign to the employee. It’s important to be objective and fair, and to provide specific examples to support your rating. If you’re unsure about an employee’s rating, it may be helpful to seek feedback from colleagues or supervisors who have worked closely with the employee.

Performance Review Phrases and Paragraphs Examples: Cultural Awareness

5 – outstanding, phrases examples.

– Consistently demonstrates a deep understanding and appreciation for diverse cultures and customs – Proactively seeks out opportunities to learn about different cultures and ways of life – Effectively communicates and collaborates with individuals from diverse backgrounds – Demonstrates a high level of sensitivity and respect towards cultural differences – Actively promotes a culture of inclusivity and diversity within the workplace

Example Paragraph

John consistently demonstrates an outstanding level of cultural awareness. He has a deep understanding and appreciation for diverse cultures and customs, and proactively seeks out opportunities to learn about different ways of life. He communicates and collaborates effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds, demonstrating a high level of sensitivity and respect towards cultural differences. John actively promotes a culture of inclusivity and diversity within the workplace, making sure that everyone feels valued and respected.

4 – Exceeds Expectations

– Demonstrates a good understanding and appreciation for diverse cultures and customs – Seeks out opportunities to learn about different cultures and ways of life – Communicates and collaborates effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds – Shows sensitivity and respect towards cultural differences – Actively promotes a culture of inclusivity and diversity within the workplace

Sarah exceeds expectations in terms of cultural awareness. She demonstrates a good understanding and appreciation for diverse cultures and customs, and seeks out opportunities to learn about different ways of life. Sarah communicates and collaborates effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds, showing sensitivity and respect towards cultural differences. She actively promotes a culture of inclusivity and diversity within the workplace, ensuring that everyone feels welcome and valued.

3 – Meets Expectations

– Demonstrates a basic understanding and appreciation for diverse cultures and customs – Occasionally seeks out opportunities to learn about different cultures and ways of life – Communicates and collaborates adequately with individuals from diverse backgrounds – Shows some sensitivity and respect towards cultural differences – Occasionally promotes a culture of inclusivity and diversity within the workplace

Mark meets expectations in terms of cultural awareness. He demonstrates a basic understanding and appreciation for diverse cultures and customs, and occasionally seeks out opportunities to learn about different ways of life. Mark communicates and collaborates adequately with individuals from diverse backgrounds, showing some sensitivity and respect towards cultural differences. He occasionally promotes a culture of inclusivity and diversity within the workplace, but could benefit from more consistent efforts in this area.

2 – Needs Improvement

– Demonstrates a limited understanding and appreciation for diverse cultures and customs – Rarely seeks out opportunities to learn about different cultures and ways of life – Struggles to communicate and collaborate effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds – Shows insensitivity and disrespect towards cultural differences – Rarely promotes a culture of inclusivity and diversity within the workplace

Jane needs improvement in terms of cultural awareness. She demonstrates a limited understanding and appreciation for diverse cultures and customs, and rarely seeks out opportunities to learn about different ways of life. Jane struggles to communicate and collaborate effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds, showing insensitivity and disrespect towards cultural differences. She rarely promotes a culture of inclusivity and diversity within the workplace, and could benefit from additional training and support in this area.

1 – Unacceptable

– Demonstrates a complete lack of understanding and appreciation for diverse cultures and customs – Shows no interest in learning about different cultures and ways of life – Consistently communicates and collaborates inappropriately with individuals from diverse backgrounds – Shows blatant insensitivity and disrespect towards cultural differences – Actively undermines a culture of inclusivity and diversity within the workplace

Tom’s cultural awareness is unacceptable. He demonstrates a complete lack of understanding and appreciation for diverse cultures and customs, and shows no interest in learning about different ways of life. Tom consistently communicates and collaborates inappropriately with individuals from diverse backgrounds, showing blatant insensitivity and disrespect towards cultural differences. He actively undermines a culture of inclusivity and diversity within the workplace, and his behavior is damaging to the overall team dynamic. Immediate action is needed to address this issue.

• Flexibility: Performance Review Examples (Rating 1 - 5)
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• Productivity: Performance Review Examples (Rating 1 - 5)
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NPR defends its journalism after senior editor says it has lost the public's trust

David Folkenflik

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

NPR is defending its journalism and integrity after a senior editor wrote an essay accusing it of losing the public's trust.

NPR's top news executive defended its journalism and its commitment to reflecting a diverse array of views on Tuesday after a senior NPR editor wrote a broad critique of how the network has covered some of the most important stories of the age.

"An open-minded spirit no longer exists within NPR, and now, predictably, we don't have an audience that reflects America," writes Uri Berliner.

A strategic emphasis on diversity and inclusion on the basis of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation, promoted by NPR's former CEO, John Lansing, has fed "the absence of viewpoint diversity," Berliner writes.

NPR's chief news executive, Edith Chapin, wrote in a memo to staff Tuesday afternoon that she and the news leadership team strongly reject Berliner's assessment.

"We're proud to stand behind the exceptional work that our desks and shows do to cover a wide range of challenging stories," she wrote. "We believe that inclusion — among our staff, with our sourcing, and in our overall coverage — is critical to telling the nuanced stories of this country and our world."

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She added, "None of our work is above scrutiny or critique. We must have vigorous discussions in the newsroom about how we serve the public as a whole."

A spokesperson for NPR said Chapin, who also serves as the network's chief content officer, would have no further comment.

Praised by NPR's critics

Berliner is a senior editor on NPR's Business Desk. (Disclosure: I, too, am part of the Business Desk, and Berliner has edited many of my past stories. He did not see any version of this article or participate in its preparation before it was posted publicly.)

Berliner's essay , titled "I've Been at NPR for 25 years. Here's How We Lost America's Trust," was published by The Free Press, a website that has welcomed journalists who have concluded that mainstream news outlets have become reflexively liberal.

Berliner writes that as a Subaru-driving, Sarah Lawrence College graduate who "was raised by a lesbian peace activist mother ," he fits the mold of a loyal NPR fan.

Yet Berliner says NPR's news coverage has fallen short on some of the most controversial stories of recent years, from the question of whether former President Donald Trump colluded with Russia in the 2016 election, to the origins of the virus that causes COVID-19, to the significance and provenance of emails leaked from a laptop owned by Hunter Biden weeks before the 2020 election. In addition, he blasted NPR's coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

On each of these stories, Berliner asserts, NPR has suffered from groupthink due to too little diversity of viewpoints in the newsroom.

The essay ricocheted Tuesday around conservative media , with some labeling Berliner a whistleblower . Others picked it up on social media, including Elon Musk, who has lambasted NPR for leaving his social media site, X. (Musk emailed another NPR reporter a link to Berliner's article with a gibe that the reporter was a "quisling" — a World War II reference to someone who collaborates with the enemy.)

When asked for further comment late Tuesday, Berliner declined, saying the essay spoke for itself.

The arguments he raises — and counters — have percolated across U.S. newsrooms in recent years. The #MeToo sexual harassment scandals of 2016 and 2017 forced newsrooms to listen to and heed more junior colleagues. The social justice movement prompted by the killing of George Floyd in 2020 inspired a reckoning in many places. Newsroom leaders often appeared to stand on shaky ground.

Leaders at many newsrooms, including top editors at The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times , lost their jobs. Legendary Washington Post Executive Editor Martin Baron wrote in his memoir that he feared his bonds with the staff were "frayed beyond repair," especially over the degree of self-expression his journalists expected to exert on social media, before he decided to step down in early 2021.

Since then, Baron and others — including leaders of some of these newsrooms — have suggested that the pendulum has swung too far.

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New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger warned last year against journalists embracing a stance of what he calls "one-side-ism": "where journalists are demonstrating that they're on the side of the righteous."

"I really think that that can create blind spots and echo chambers," he said.

Internal arguments at The Times over the strength of its reporting on accusations that Hamas engaged in sexual assaults as part of a strategy for its Oct. 7 attack on Israel erupted publicly . The paper conducted an investigation to determine the source of a leak over a planned episode of the paper's podcast The Daily on the subject, which months later has not been released. The newsroom guild accused the paper of "targeted interrogation" of journalists of Middle Eastern descent.

Heated pushback in NPR's newsroom

Given Berliner's account of private conversations, several NPR journalists question whether they can now trust him with unguarded assessments about stories in real time. Others express frustration that he had not sought out comment in advance of publication. Berliner acknowledged to me that for this story, he did not seek NPR's approval to publish the piece, nor did he give the network advance notice.

Some of Berliner's NPR colleagues are responding heatedly. Fernando Alfonso, a senior supervising editor for digital news, wrote that he wholeheartedly rejected Berliner's critique of the coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict, for which NPR's journalists, like their peers, periodically put themselves at risk.

Alfonso also took issue with Berliner's concern over the focus on diversity at NPR.

"As a person of color who has often worked in newsrooms with little to no people who look like me, the efforts NPR has made to diversify its workforce and its sources are unique and appropriate given the news industry's long-standing lack of diversity," Alfonso says. "These efforts should be celebrated and not denigrated as Uri has done."

After this story was first published, Berliner contested Alfonso's characterization, saying his criticism of NPR is about the lack of diversity of viewpoints, not its diversity itself.

"I never criticized NPR's priority of achieving a more diverse workforce in terms of race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. I have not 'denigrated' NPR's newsroom diversity goals," Berliner said. "That's wrong."

Questions of diversity

Under former CEO John Lansing, NPR made increasing diversity, both of its staff and its audience, its "North Star" mission. Berliner says in the essay that NPR failed to consider broader diversity of viewpoint, noting, "In D.C., where NPR is headquartered and many of us live, I found 87 registered Democrats working in editorial positions and zero Republicans."

Berliner cited audience estimates that suggested a concurrent falloff in listening by Republicans. (The number of people listening to NPR broadcasts and terrestrial radio broadly has declined since the start of the pandemic.)

Former NPR vice president for news and ombudsman Jeffrey Dvorkin tweeted , "I know Uri. He's not wrong."

Others questioned Berliner's logic. "This probably gets causality somewhat backward," tweeted Semafor Washington editor Jordan Weissmann . "I'd guess that a lot of NPR listeners who voted for [Mitt] Romney have changed how they identify politically."

Similarly, Nieman Lab founder Joshua Benton suggested the rise of Trump alienated many NPR-appreciating Republicans from the GOP.

In recent years, NPR has greatly enhanced the percentage of people of color in its workforce and its executive ranks. Four out of 10 staffers are people of color; nearly half of NPR's leadership team identifies as Black, Asian or Latino.

"The philosophy is: Do you want to serve all of America and make sure it sounds like all of America, or not?" Lansing, who stepped down last month, says in response to Berliner's piece. "I'd welcome the argument against that."

"On radio, we were really lagging in our representation of an audience that makes us look like what America looks like today," Lansing says. The U.S. looks and sounds a lot different than it did in 1971, when NPR's first show was broadcast, Lansing says.

A network spokesperson says new NPR CEO Katherine Maher supports Chapin and her response to Berliner's critique.

The spokesperson says that Maher "believes that it's a healthy thing for a public service newsroom to engage in rigorous consideration of the needs of our audiences, including where we serve our mission well and where we can serve it better."

Disclosure: This story was reported and written by NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik and edited by Deputy Business Editor Emily Kopp and Managing Editor Gerry Holmes. Under NPR's protocol for reporting on itself, no NPR corporate official or news executive reviewed this story before it was posted publicly.