What is ‘culture’?

1. Global Aspirations, Local Inclinations: Bridging the Cultural DivideBarry Winbolt, IACM, BACPAnn Clark, PhD

2. What is ‘culture’? • “Values, norms, artifacts…” • A set of shared beliefs • Tastes and manners • Attitudes and behaviours • Knowledge and values • History and experience (Armenia vs. Turks)

3. Culture, language and perception • High vs. low context cultures • Monochronic vs. polychronic cultures • ‘Relationships’ vs. business or work • Collective vs. individual Our language shapes our thoughts and experiences but we are largely unaware of this. As a result there is often a perceived ‘mismatch’ when communicating across cultures.

4. Verbal and non-verbal combine • Verbal: • Ideas, information, beliefs (Report) • Non-verbal: • Identity, emotions, attitudes (Command) • Language is linear, single-channel and rule governed • Behaviour is non-linear, multi-channel and open to interpretation

5. The implications for business communications • The ‘message’ can get lost • People won’t tell you when you get it wrong • Service delivery must be culturally adapted • Literature may need re-writing, not just translating • There may be training issues for managers

6. The corporate ‘must-do’s’ when working cross-culturally • Ensure that all EAP staff fully understand the implications • Demonstrate understanding and respect to the user group • Show cultural sensitivity (interpretation, translation services and cultural awareness) • Test information in the local culture • When planning, allow for and respect global time differences

7. Bridging the gap: 1 • Speaking a language does not mean understanding the culture (or even the words) • Second language speakers may not understand context or idioms • How we speak may be more important than what we say (relationship vs. content) • We must know our own culture-specific values • We must check our resulting assumptions, beliefs and behaviour

8. Bridging the gap: 2 • Keep messages simple • One sentence, one idea • Regularly check understanding • Backup verbal information in another format • Ask for clarification if in doubt • Always check for mutual understanding

9. Cultural influences in health and support • Every culture has its own beliefs about concepts such as ‘health’ and ‘work’ • These will affect motivation, priorities etc. • Services may not be equally valued or accepted in all cultures • Specific conditions may not be ‘accepted’ in all cultures (e.g. alcohol, depression)

10. Culturally Competent Leadership • Values Diversity • Demonstrates Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity • Communicates Effectively Across Cultures • Communication • Respect • Examine • Ask • Take Responsibility • Engage

11. Cultural Competency • A model developed by David Hoopes which is outlined in the article “Intercultural Communication Concepts and the Psychology of Intercultural Experience” from Multicultural Education: A Cross-Cultural Training Approach. • This model outlines the development of cultural competency in each and every one of us. Cultural competency implies that individuals have the capacity to function effectively. • Even though an individual might be culturally sensitive or culturally competent, the work environment may not be at the same level. • Culturally competent leaders will be able to CREATE a culturally competent workplace.

12. Cultural Competency Path of Intercultural Learning for an Individual Ethnocentricity Awareness Understanding Acceptance/Respect Appreciation/Valuing Selective Adoption Multiculturation

13. Cultural Competency in the Workplace Continuum of Cultural Competency Cultural Destructiveness Cultural Incapacity Cultural Blindness Cultural Pre-Competence Cultural Competence Cultural Proficiency

14. EAP Core Technology • Consultation with, training of, and assistance to organizations seeking to manage troubled employees (Number 1) • Use of feedback, motivation, and short-term intervention with employee clients to address problems that affect job performance (Number 3) • Referral of employee clients for diagnosis, treatment, and assistance (Number 4) • Assist organizations in support of employee health benefits covering medical/behavioral problems, including but not limited to alcoholism, drug abuse, and mental/emotional disorders (Number 6) • Identification of the effects of EAP services on organization and individual job performance (Number 7)

15. Promoting Workplace Diversity • Define culture • Define diversity • What are Primary and Secondary Dimensions of Diversity? • Describe Management Styles that are Culturally Competent Examples from an EAP training

16. Pick a Piece of the Pie-What racial groups are represented?Based on 2004 American Census Bureau

17. 2004 Census Bureau reports

18. EAPs Role in Bridging the Gap • Provide support and training for companies to encourage cultural competence • Increase awareness and sensitivity in a diverse workplace • Create Cultural diversity resource teams that address needs of diversity in the workplace