Understanding different cultures is essential to being a global leader. Moran, Abramson, & Moran (2014), “Cultural is a distinctly human means of adapting to circumstances and transmitting this coping skill and knowledge to subsequent generations” (p. 11). Leaders must develop skills that will enable them to appreciate other cultures and the ability to effectively communicate to a diverse audience. When I traveled to El Paso, TX, there was big presence of the interior Mexican culture in regards to the language dialect, the food and the behaviors of the locals.
While cultural is imperative to understand for leaders, there are important factors that impact a culture such as values. According to Moran et al. (2014), “From a value system, a culture sets norms of behavior for that society” (p. 14). Values are what we learn from other people within our culture and our environment. I grew up in a large Mexican-American family where values were established for me at a young age. I understood that family was very important and being avaible to help with the older generation was also expected of me. Knowing these values, it made me more aware as a parent and what values I expect to enstill in them.
We can easily fall into the mindset where we start believing that our way is better than everyone else’s. This type of behavior is called “Ethnocentrism”. According to Moran at el. (2017), ethnocentrism is “The belief in the inherent superiority of one’s own group or culture” (p. 25). It is important that the we refrain from believing that our own culture is better than other cultures in order to effectively communicate as a global leader.
According to Moran et al., (2014), Hofstede’s dimensions of culture helps us better understand the different cultures such as power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism, and masculinity (p. 19). As we understand the dimensions of culture, we can be more versed in how to behave around other cultures and what is acceptable. I had a challenging experience dealing with an Indian lady that was very masculine which created a lot of confusion for me.
Overall, culture is something that is learned by our environment. One culture gaffe can create confusion, miscommunication and disrespect. While values dictate our behaviors and what we define as acceptable, values also must be understood by getting to know more about the culture.
References
Moran, R., Abramson, N., & Moran, S. (2014). Managing Cultural Differences (Ninth Edition). New York, New York: Butterworth-Heinemann.
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