Cross-Cultural Awareness Essay

Every country differs in culture which has been there for centuries. The international market is growing rapidly, with more and more multinational organisations entering new markets each day. In this assignment I will evaluate how the difference in cultures affects the performance of international businesses.

Expansion of a company is never easy, especially if the company were to expand overseas to a foreign country. The products or service the company offers or sells must fit into the culture and environment of the country. Ignorance to these factors can lead to a major downfall

acceptable within the Mexican culture and conforms to their local norms and practices. I have travelled

I have scored well on both assessments which consider me to be a particularly cultural sensitive person. The cultural awareness assessment which I scored lower on was due to inexperience for some of the questions that were asked. Question one, for example, asked, "I listen to people from other cultures when they tell me how my culture affects them is one experience I have yet to encounter. I have always considered a person culture and briefs are fascinating in every fashion. Growing up in a very diverse environment allowed me the opportunity to interact with people of many different cultures, religions, beliefs, and practices. My personal experiences dealing with those of different culture different from my own does not equate to providing

I must admit that before I began taking this class I took for granted how much racism still exists in this country. I have started to put more thought in to the way the world really is, the topics discussed in class have started to catch my interest. When I first started reading the Tatum book I was mad when I read her version of the word “racism”. I thought to my self “I personally have never held down the black race, what does she mean?” As I progressed in the book I was starting to understand what she meant about the system of advantages that white people are given. I also understood this better when I read Elizabeth Munich’s list of examples of how there are advantages to being white. I couldn’t help agreeing with her

It is essential for the awareness of ‘cultural difference’, to achieve cultural competence. EYLF states and Department of Education, Employment and Workplace relations (DEEWR) and Council of Australian Governments (COAG) can agree; ‘Cultural competence is much more than awareness of cultural differences. It is the ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures’ (p. 16). Standpoint theory clarifies the understanding of your own identity, in connection to the surroundings you live. This is all affected by the learning you gain from yourself and others all over the world. Some of your comprehension is delivered, which is can be constrained by the limitations that the school curriculum in force and whom you may surround yourself with on a day to day basis.

Being culturally intelligent: In order to work effectively in a team with global mindset, one needs to be culturally intelligent and fit. Evans et al. (2002) believes that international transfers and assignments are the strongest mechanisms for developing global mindset. International assignments not only provides the employee an exposure, it also provides understanding of global strategies, complexities and ability to work with people having different perspective.

As per the 14th Annual Global CEO Survey by Price Waterhouse Cooper for the year 2011, the need had been identified to bridge the gap of global skills as one of the biggest concerns, specifically for companies considering attraction, recruitment, development and retention of talents across the globe (Moran, 2014). Costly mistakes, frustration, and confusion are the main consequences of absence of global skills mainly because of ignorance regarding the effect of culture across the work place. This is because ignorance of culture differences result in unproductivity across the organization (Latimer, 2012).

Many companies today want to expand their business to the international business, which can bring cost down and profits up. Taking a business internationally means knowing the rules and regulations of the countries you are entering. There can be many issues with going global which include cultural barriers, diversity issues, multicultural issues, political issues, and economical issues. It is very important to know how important expansion is to the company and what implications will come from going global.

There are many cultural and ethical differences between countries and it is important for mutual trust and respect that no organization try to strong-arm another into their way of thinking or take a position that their culture is more valuable than the other. According to Pitta, Fung, and Isberg (1999), it is vital for success to have a basic understanding of the culture and the expectations within cultures as they affect all business transactions. Failing to understand and consider the cultural differences will likely result in failure.

Making business abroad can be risky, but it can also be profitable for a company as well; thus the necessity to study in deep the country where the company will bring the business to. International companies are faced with many cultural challenges, when doing business across and inside of different borders. Identifying the significant cultural issues involved when evaluating the attractiveness of a particular location as a place for doing business can be crucial for a business. Aspects to consider when studying culture in a new place

As counselors, it is our professional responsibility to be aware of the biases we possess. In the context of diversity, and from the viewpoint of multicultural competence one must delve into the core of their individual value system. Upon acknowledgment, of one’s personal values, one embarks on a journey of self-discovery, a process which is essential. Through being cognizant of the lens through which one, views the world, can one recognize that each of our clients, despite their sociocultural, socioeconomic status, or ethnicity; they too observe the world through their lens. Therefore, it is the counselor's responsibility to recognize the differences that exist amid counselor and client, to assure the needs and values of the client are satisfied. In the end, an experienced counselor proceeds to broaden their cultural competency.

I think if the U.S. had a more ethnically sensitive society that no one would would follow religion or tradition anymore. Some struggles with U.S. becoming more ethically sensitive are acceptance, speech patterns, and following tradition. There are some good points about our nation being culturally diverse such as…. Being exposed to other cultures, shown different lifestyles, and meeting new people.

Culture, we all have grown up knowing one, or at times more than one, kind of culture. Everyone has different beliefs and ways of doing things and this usually has to do with our culture and the way we have been raised and brought up. This type of psychology looks into these many different cultures and studies how they affect us as humans and our development, mental processes, and behavior.

To speak about cultural awareness and the benefits of teaching abroad prior to teaching in the United States, we need define culture. "Culture is a collection of information (or meanings) that is (a) nongenetically transmitted between individuals, (b) more or less shared within a population of individuals, and (c) maintained across some generations over a period of time. As such, culture plays an important role in the formation of individual and collective self-concepts or identities and has implications for human psychology." (Kashima, 2010). The study of culture can be studied dating back to Herodotus's History in Greek or Chunqiu in early China. Contemporary studies trying to define culture have their roots in the 18th century with what we know as the Enlightenment as mention in Kashima's article.