Cultural Awareness

        Culture covers tangibles and intangibles which make up the perspective, assumptions, and
behaviors of people learning from one another and experiencing the culture. Tangibles include
foods, fashion, geography, etcetera. Intangibles include beliefs, values, behaviors, attitudes,
language, music, etcetera. Culture is ever-evolving and changing the ways people think, believe,
and act through learning, sharing, dynamism,  systemic changes, and culture. Culture exists
nationally, regionally, within organizations, within teams, and individually (Cultural Intelligence For
Leaders, 2012).
Accurately Identifying The Elements Of An Organization’s Own Culture
        Numerous methods can be used for identifying an organization’s culture including beliefs,
practices, and behaviors. Articles and materials such as vision/ value/ mission statement(s),
marketing materials with information about how the company sees itself, and shareholder or annual
reports can provide cultural insight. Organizations may interview or do surveys of a cross-section
staff to understand the organization’s culture. Some staff may be more hesitant to disclose details
during interviews, yet interviews can provide in-depth detail due to dynamic questions, so it is best to
use a mix of methods (including anonymous surveys) for understanding the culture. Organizational
cultural audits should provide five to 10 attributes that will be a mix of both positive and negative.
Effective companies can positively spin what may be thought of as negative attributes to attract
talent who will fit in, or they may choose to work at changing the ever-evolving company culture
(Monster Worldwide, n.d.).
How Organizations Promote Critical Awareness of Culture Among Its Personnel 
More organizations than ever are operating or interacting globally, calling for a greater need
for cultural awareness. Organizations can promote cultural awareness by providing training on
business operations/ customs/ etiquette in various cultures, improve communications by limiting
colloquialisms/idioms/humor and providing language training or using skilled translators, training on
international etiquette and manners for the other cultures served, celebrating the holidays/festivals of
the cultures served with traditional foods and including these celebrations in the company
communications, promote observing/ listening/ learning from other cultures. Organizations can
promote being available to serve their customers/ associates in various time zones. Organizations
should strive for culturally literate employees as this leads to better communications and the ability to
serve customers (DeakinCo, 2017).
Cultural Awareness As A Role In Organizational Success
Cultural awareness plays a key role in organizational success both for international and
domestic organizations. Organizations that choose to view cultural awareness as optional risk
growth opportunities internationally and across various cultures. For individual employees, cultural
awareness can mean the difference between being accepted or rejected by colleagues. In business
negotiations, cultural awareness can be the difference between failure and success… particularly
with mergers and acquisitions. Providing employees with cross-cultural training can help them avoid
miscommunications and failures with the international market (Maclachlan, 2010).
21st Century Organizational Obligation To Provide Employees Opportunities To Become
More Culturally Sensitive Or Increase Cultural Awareness
  In the 21st century, most organizations do have an obligation to provide employees
opportunities to become more culturally sensitive and to increase cultural awareness. Particularly in
the United States, where a melting pot of cultures exists which has lead to culturally inclusive laws
that prohibit many forms of discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin,
disabilities, or age. In many instances, these qualifiers may play a part in culture, therefore it is in the
best interest of employers to provide training in cultural sensitivity and awareness to avoid situations
which may be offensive to others and lead to potential legal embarrassments in court (FindLaw,
2019) or in public relations. 
What Organizations Stand To Lose By Not Providing Employees Opportunities To Become
More Culturally Sensitive Or Increase Cultural Awareness.
Beyond legal risk and poor public relations over a lack of cultural insensitivity and
awareness, organizations that do not provide opportunities to become more culturally sensitive or
increase cultural awareness stand to lose out in other ways too. First, a culturally sensitive and
aware team encourages team members to feel free to express and share their thoughts, feelings,
and ideas which may benefit organizations to move forward through new perspectives, ideas, and
strategies. Cultural sensitivity, competence, and awareness can lead to better understand and
mutual respect among teams. This leads to more trust, cooperation, participation, and involvement.
Cultural awareness/ sensitivity also decreases negative surprises and arguments, replaces fear of
mistakes with the feeling of acceptance/inclusion, and decreases competition and conflict. Cultural
awareness and sensitivity are good for customer relations, but both are also imperative for effective
teams (University of Kansas, n.d.).
References
DeakinCo. (2017, September 22). How does an organization accurately identify the elements of its
own culture? Deakinco.com. https://www.deakinco.com/media-centre/article/seven-practices-you-
can-implement-to-increase-cultural-awareness-in-the-workplace
Cultural Intelligence for Leaders. (2012). Saylor Academy. Creative Commons by-nc-sa 3.0.
https://my.uopeople.edu/pluginfile.php/848207/mod_page/content/5/BUS5211Textbook.pdf
FindLaw. (2019, May 31). Employee Rights 101. FindLaw.
https://employment.findlaw.com/employment-discrimination/employees-rights-101.html
Maclachlan, M. (2010, March 2). Importance Of Cultural Awareness Skills For An International
Workforce. Communicaid. https://www.communicaid.com/cross-cultural-training/blog/cultural-
awareness-training/#:~:text=Cultural%20awareness%20is%20essential%20for%20all
%20employees%20working%20across%20cultures.&text=By%20providing%20your%20employees
%20with,major%20miscommunication%20or%20international%20failure.
Monster Worldwide. (n.d.). Identify Your Company’s Culture. Monster.ca.
https://hiring.monster.ca/employer-resources/recruiting-strategies/employee-sourcing-
strategies/attract-candidates-by-your-company-brand/
University of Kansas. (n.d.). Section 7. Building Culturally Competent Organizations. University of
Kansas. https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/culture/cultural-competence/culturally-competent-
organizations/main