The Importance of Cultural Awareness
Cultural awareness is a fundamental element in the proper functioning of modern organizations since it promotes an entity’s vision and mission through the integration of an intercultural workforce. Essentially, the above-mentioned conception involves acquiring knowledge and skills about an individual’s way of life and that of other people (O’Reilly, 2013). It relates to one’s sensitivity towards the underlying differences and similarities between two distinct cultures and the utilization of this susceptivity in developing proper communication approaches with people of another cultural syndicate. This paper provides an overview of my strengths and weaknesses regarding intercultural awareness, the existing gaps, an action plan to improve my adroitness in the subject, and a summary of its management-related importance.
Quizzes
I took two quizzes: Cross-Cultural Work Scenarios and Working Globally Across Cultures.
A Perspective on My Score
My two quizzes’ scores did not surprise me much since I had mastered the topical issues highlighted in the tests. I spent adequate time comprehending the conceptions being evaluated in it. I believe that my score was satisfactory and impressive based on the fact that the assessment covered a broad scope. However, I intend to learn more about global cultures comprehensively to boost my subsequent test results in this area of study.
My Strengths on Intercultural Awareness
Taking an in-depth view of my intercultural awareness strength, I must admit that I have gained invaluable knowledge of the Korean and Afghan cultures. My work experience in global cross-cultural settings played a crucial role in improving my cultural competence in the above-mentioned communities’ way of life. Furthermore, I have acquired the skills and techniques required to harness the power that lies within cross-culture work environments. Therefore, I can execute my assigned job-related tasks efficiently within a multicultural organizational setting. The art of cultivating productive intercultural working relations with employees from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds also acts as a crucial strength linked to my intercultural adroitness. I am determined to add to my intercultural awareness scope by venturing into research and engaging with individuals from other cultural settings, such as African culture.
My Weaknesses on Intercultural Awareness
I am less familiar with the Chinese and Japanese cultures; this, consequently, acts as a significant drawback with regard to my intercultural awareness. The foundation of my fault lies in the fact that I have no experience working with individuals from the above-mentioned societies. I perceive my weak points as incredible opportunities for development and growth. I am keen on taking assignments that will facilitate my engagement with these societies’ cultural dynamics through interacting with their people. My weaknesses concerning cross-cultural relations and understanding will, therefore, diminish through closing this knowledge gap.
Existing Gaps in Cross-Cultural Awareness
There is a significant gap between my current thoughts regarding my cultural awareness level and the quizzes’ assessment scores. These variations exist due to the breakdown in knowledge and cultural experience. However, I believe that improving my comprehension of different cross-cultural elements in global settings will be instrumental in narrowing distinguished disparity. Another crucial factor in addressing the above-mentioned gap is expanding my interactions with people from various societies. Connecting with persons from diverse cultural backgrounds will minimize the intercultural disparity illustrated by the scores and cognizance levels. In summary, gaining an in-depth understanding of various societies’ way of life and interacting with individuals within a global cross-cultural work environment will be critical in reducing the existing rift.
Action-Plan for Enhancing Cultural Awareness
An action plan will be essential in building my strengths regarding cultural awareness while improving my corresponding weaknesses. The project shall involve three key steps: acquiring relevant cultural knowledge, gaining actual workplace experiences involving cross-cultural engagements, and taking up challenges to learn about unique global cultures. Gathering pertinent information about international cultures, such as the Chinese customs, will be instrumental in increasing my intercultural competence. Furthermore, appropriate workplace experiences will help address the shortcomings related to my cultural understanding. The art of learning the uniqueness of diverse cultures will promote cross-cultural knowledge.
Managers and Cultural Awareness
Cultural awareness is an essential managerial skill that promotes the acceptance and knowledge of other cultural identities and practices. The aforementioned proficiency is critical in improving an individual’s interpersonal adroitness, such as communication and emotional intelligence (O’Reilly, 2013). It typically informs a leader of the appropriate business etiquette procedures and acceptable behaviors (O’Reilly, 2013). The above-mentioned competency may also help managers solve complex issues by improving their augmented comprehension of problems and impacting their capacity to acknowledge change and initiate transformation within the organization. Furthermore, intercultural sensitivity coaching can increase a leader’s cognitive flexibility since it introduces trainees to new cultures, processes, beliefs, and practices, which consequently leads to enhanced adaptability within unfamiliar situations.
Conclusion
Cultural awareness bears immense importance to the operation and management of modern organizations. The two quizzes were essential in developing my knowledge of cultural awareness. My work experience in global cross-cultural settings is a crucial strength for me. Further, my weaknesses feature in that I have not had work experience in cross-cultural settings involving the Japanese and Chinese cultures. The existing cultural-awareness gaps are due to a breakdown in knowledge and inter-cultural understanding. An action plan will be essential in building on the strengths while improving my shortcomings with regard to cultural awareness.
Reference
O’Reilly, C. (2013). Why is cultural intelligence important? TrainingZone. Web.
Appendix
Actual Results
Quiz One: Cross-Cultural-Work-Scenarios
- User-Score: 6
- Total-Score: 7
- Passing-Score (%): 85
Quiz Two: Working-Globally-Across-Cultures
- User-Score: 9
- Total-Score: 10
- Passing-Score (%): 85