As the birthplace of human beings and the subsequent birthplace of disease, Africa faces hurdles unlike any other cotenant (PSU, WC 2015). In addition to its AIDs epidemic and other crippling diseases such as plague, syphilis, and malaria, the latest Ebola outbreak has tested not only Africa’s resolve but also the worlds. As of April 8, 2015, the World Health Organization has reported over 25,556 cases and 10,600 deaths as a result of the Ebola Virus (BBC News). Aside form human suffering; this outbreak centered in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea, has greatly impacted the continent, and the world. Borders closed, mining and food production has been affected, and even the African Cup of Nations, the countries premier football event was impacted (The Economist, 2014).

To keep the virus from spreading, mobility was restricted not only within the country but also internationally. This has greatly impacted trade and workers going to and from work which in turn impacts production and revenues. Fear and travel bans implemented by many airlines have had a devastating affect on tourism which brought over 36 million visitors to the country and was rising by 6% a year before the outbreak (The Economist, 2014). Also impacted because of travel restrictions, agriculture took a hard hit as road blocks prevented workers and supplied from getting to the fields. Sierra Leone’s Agriculture Minister Joseph Sam Sesay told the BBC that “The economy has been deflated by 30% because of Ebola,” and quoted the The President, Ernst Bai Koroma as having told his ministers that “The agricultural sector is the most impacted in terms of Ebola because the majority of the people of Sierra Leone, about 66%, are farmers.” Home to the world’s largest steelmaker and abundant iron ore, mining, which makes up 14 and 17 percent of Liberia’s and Sierra Leone’s economy respectively, has also been hit hard(Hamilton, 2014). This is not only because of the restriction on travel but because investors are scared and either pulling out or scaling down investments. While the companies have scaled down production and pulled out most expatriate workers, thankfully many have been able to donate money towards aid in Africa.

All of these challenges present fiscal ramifications that have reduced government revenues in forms of taxes, tariffs, and customs duties. The World Bank stated that “the largest economic effects of the crisis are not as a result of the direct costs (mortality, morbidity, caregiving, and associated losses to working days) but rather those resulting from aversion behavior driven by fear of contagion. This in turn leads to a fear of association with others and reduces labor force participation, closes places of employment, disrupts transportation, and motivates some government and private decision-makers to close sea ports and airports.” The chart below shows their predictions on GDP loss for 2015 (Hamilton, 2014):

 

It is difficult to fully measure the impact Ebola will ultimately have on Africa and the world. Much progress had been made in Africa prior to the outbreak and hopes are that the progress will not be lost after Ebola is managed. The World Bank Group, with the Liberia Institute of Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) and the Gallup Organization have been conducting mobile phone surveys in order to monitor the socio-economic impact of the Ebola outbreak on households. Their findings after their 5^th survey in March 2015 found that the employment situation in Liberia has steadily improved but that 40% of respondents were still not working. About 65% of farmers reported that their crops yielded a smaller harvest last year and although improving, food insecurity is high with close to 75 percent of households reporting that they were concerned about having enough to eat (Himelein, 2015). With schools being closed 3-6 months, Time (2014) reported that in December that % million children were not in school due to Ebola. Many children have lost out on moths of education and many may not return because of the need for them to work. The World Bank survey has found that the use of public services, especially schools, is rebounding as three-quarters of children in households surveyed have returned to school (Himelein, 2015).

In its latest report, the World Health Organization has declared both Nigeria and Senegal outbreak free. Liberia was close to the same report when a single case was confirmed on March 20, day 27 of the 42 day countdown that would allow it to declare it over. Sierra Leone has had 55 new cases and Guinea is at 95 cases (Belluz, 2014). Progress is being made, children are going back to school, farms are again being manned, and there is hope of declaring many regions outbreak free soon. The world reacted to this epidemic by sending aid which have resulted in lessons learned that have created improvements in public health policies and even fast tracked the creation and testing of potential cures and vaccines. If anything, the world has seen the importance of investing in pandemic preparedness (The World Bank, 2015).

References

BBC News. (2015, April 13). Ebola: Mapping the outbreak. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28755033

Belluz, J. (2015, March 23). Remember the Ebola epidemic? It’s still not over. Vox. Retrieved from http://www.vox.com/2015/1/12/7532755/Ebola-epidemic-end

Hamilton, R. (2015, August 21). Ebola crisis: The economic impact. BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/business-28865434

Himelein, Kristen. (2015). The socio-economic impacts of Ebola in Liberia: Results from a high frequency cell phone survey (5). Retrieved from World Bank Group website: http://www.worldbank.org/content/dam/Worldbank/document/Poverty%20documents/Socio-Economic%20Impacts%20of%20Ebola%20in%20Liberia%2C%20April%2015%20(final).pdf

Pen State World Campus. (2015). Leadership in a global context. Retrieved from https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/sp15/olead497b/001/content/14_lesson/01_page.html

Sifferlin, A. (2014, December 17). Saving education during ebola. TIME. Retrieved from http://time.com/3637570/5-million-kids-arent-in-school-because-of-ebola/

The Economist. (2014, November 15). Economic consequences of Ebola: The ignorance epidemic. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/news/middle-east-and-africa/21632641-virus-claiming-new-victimsafrican-tourism-and-football-ignorance

The World Bank. (2015, January 20). Ebola: Most African countries avoid major economic loss but impact on Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone remains crippling. Retrieved from https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2015/01/20/ebola-most-african-countries-avoid-major-economic-loss-but-impact-on-guinea-liberia-sierra-leone-remains-crippling

 

A diverse workforce is better equipped to understand and capture a greater share of the consumer market. With diversity also comes an understanding of different cultures creating a greater global perspective to the organization. Gone are the days where the focus of diversity is on fairness for a legally protected population. Organizations now understand that through diversity, they have the ability harness positive change through diversity of thought. A diverse workforce guards against groupthink helping to create new inspirations. A successful leader must not only understands this value, they also recognize the significant role that diversity plays outside the organizations with external customers and even in the communities in which they conduct business (Diaz-Uda, Medina, & Schill, 2013). Taking a business perspective on diversity by aligning Diversity & Inclusion with corporate strategy is a must for today’s organizations. This will help to not only create a more unified and versatile workforce, but it will help you understand the needs of the market and how the customer is changing (Mitchell and Creary, 2009, p. 10).

We categorically group people together based on things like external, societal, and racial factors on a daily basis. Diversity encompasses these unique factors in that they delineate what set us apart from others in a group. These differences, or cultural diversity, are “learned beliefs, values, rules, symbols, and traditions” associated with a culture (Northouse, 2013, p. 384). Culture, across groups can share similarities but is generally quite varied form peoples to peoples, depending on their customs, courtesies, and traditions and also even on a more personal level, by ones gender, race or age.

The later, along with hair or skin color, weight and height, are all indicators of surface-level diversity, or differences we can easily distinguish. Internally, factors such as religious beliefs and cultural values are indicators of deep-level diversity. Religion, values, and political views are all ways of thinking that are formed though learning, and unlike surface-level indicators, can be changed or influenced. Although surface-level diversity does not cause an individual to behave or think in a certain way, it can have an effect in the way an individual experiences life compared to others. Many experiments that evaluate this come to mind; a white person experiencing life as a black person, a pretty and skinny girl as an ugly and overweight girl, man/woman exchanging roles.

Today’s leaders are working with a diverse multicultural employee and customer base. The differences in this workforce now consist of not only men and women and African American or Hispanic, but also veterans and people with disabilities. Minorities in today’s workforce are in roles today that used to be primarily, if not entirely, filled by white males. Census data suggests that by the year 2050 there will be not racial or ethnic majority in the United States, and that 83 percent of the working-age population growth will be from new immigrants and their children (Kirby & Burns, 2012). Any organization that has not yet implemented a D&I strategy is behind the curve. Leveraging the diverse talent pool in the United States now is going to play a big role on who is more innovative, has less turnover, and ultimately affect the bottom line depending on your investment in diversity.

 

References

 

Diaz-Uda, A., Medina, C., & Schill, B. (2013, July 23). Diversity’s new frontier. Retrieved from http://dupress.com/articles/diversitys-new-frontier/

Kirby, S., & Burns, C. (2012, July 12). The Top 10 Economic Facts of Diversity in the Workplace. Retrieved from https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/labor/news/2012/07/12/11900/the-top-10-economic-facts-of-diversity-in-the-workplace/

Mitchell, C., & Creary, S. (2009). Diversity & inclusion: global challenges and opportunities. Retrieved from Council Perspectives website: http://www.blm.gov/style/medialib/blm/nv/information/equal_employment_opportunity.Par.28411.File.dat/global_diversity.pdf

Moran, R. T., Harris, P. R., & Moran, S. V. (2011). Global leaders and communications. In Managing cultural differences: Global leadership strategies for cross-cultural business success (8th ed., pp. 2-34). Burlington, MA: Butterworth-Heinemann.

 

 

 

 

 

https://sites.psu.edu/global/2015/03/23/803/

Inevitably, through industrialization, technological advances, and advances in travel, the world is more connected than ever. With this connection comes the ability to grow businesses and provide products and services to consumers worldwide and requires a shift in the traditional leadership norms across the world. National and international leaders need to not only understand business, political, and the cultural environments of their consumers but also have a feel for the perspectives, tastes, trends and technologies a client across a sea may have. These new leaders must know how to work simultaneously with people form other cultures, and sometimes even adapt to living and communicating in other cultures.

Culture, or “collective programing,” (PSU WC, 2015)” not only indicates the differences between one group of people and another but also helps to shape the thoughts, values, and traditions of each group (PSU WC, 2015). Within a community, a country, or even in teams or clubs, culture encompasses the “learned beliefs, values, rules, symbols, and traditions” associated with those groups (Northouse, 2013 pp.384). Culture, across groups can share similarities but is generally quite varied form peoples to peoples, depending on their customs, courtesies and traditions, and also can be found on a more interpersonal level, in ones gender, race or age. In addition to all of the factors that contribute to our understanding of a culture, it is important to also be aware of our own ethnocentrism and prejudice.

Ethnocentrism, simply defined, is the tendency of an individual to put their ethnic, and or race and culture, at the forefront or center of their thoughts. According to Northouse (2013, pp.384), no one is free of ethnocentrism to one extent or the other. Ethnocentrism can create problems in our perceptions of people, places, and cultures, especially when approaching them without knowledge or experience of the other culture. A leader should be aware of their own ethnocentrism, as it affects their ability to correctly perceive others. Prejudice is similar to ethnocentrism in that it is based on the lack of, or bad information about the other culture a leader is dealing with. Prejudice is often fueled by a false idea or a past interaction with a person or group of people that left an impression and can be based on anything from gender or sexual orientation to race or any other affiliation to a specific group or culture. Like ethnocentrism, prejudices affect us all and must be balanced in order for us to work well in multicultural situations.

These two biases can stifle a leaders ability to harness the power of a multicultural workforce. If a leader is unaware of their own prejudices or ethnocentric predispositions, they are in jeopardy of missing out on the wealth of human capitol. Leaning on candidates that fit the mold or “pre-assimilate” into the company’s culture causes a vacuum in which removes the opportunity to add value through cultural diversity (Ashoka, 2013). This approach to a more global understanding of human capital is essential for today’s leadership.

Today’s leaders are dealing with multicultural organizations and in order to be successful, they need to be aware of the significant role that culture plays within their organizations, outside organizations, and even within their community. No leader is going to be able to fully absorb and understand all there is t know about every culture or society but knowing and understanding the basis of intercultural interactions in business. The GLOBE Study, an ongoing project that started in 1991 by Robert House and is a compilation of the recent studies and research form past studies (Northouse 2013, pp. 387) focuses on the dimension of culture and is one of the most highly referenced of these past studies. GLOBE focuses on the dimension of culture and was gathered from 100,000 questionnaires of people representing over 500 countries and identified five major dimensions of culture that separate us. findings detailed above is the first step in becoming a more aware and informed leader. Even having the basic understanding of the universally desired qualities of a leader are a step in the right direction and gives a leader a more global understanding of leadership. Being aware of ones own biases associated with prejudice and ethnocentrism is also very important in being successful multicultural leader.

References

Ashoka. (2013, August 12). Why Underprivileged Employers Need To Employ The ‘Unemployable’ – Forbes. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/ashoka/2013/08/12/why-underprivileged-employers-need-to-employ-the-unemployable/

Northouse, P. G. (2013). Leadership: Theory and practice. Thousand Oaks: SAGE

Pennsylvania State University World Campus (2015). OLEAD 497B Lesson 02:
Introduction to Culture. Retrieved from https://courses.worldcampus.psu.edu/sp15/olead497b/00/content/02_lesson/01_page.html

 

I am a native San Diegan and a United States Marine Corps veteran. I have been a Marine for a little over 13th years now, serving 8 years of active duty and am now in the Marine Corps Reserve. During my career as a Marine I served with several different companies, to include 3rd Civil Affairs Group, Marine 4 Life Injured Support, Wounded Warrior Battalion, 1^st Marine Division, and Marine Headquarters Group all based out of Camp Pendleton, CA. In 2006 I deployed to Fallujah, Iraq with the 3rd Civil Affairs Group and in 2010 she deployed for the second time with 1^st Marine Division Civil Military Operations. During both deployments, I worked with the governance of the communities in which my teams were deployed.

I have worked in several different rolls outside of the Marine Corps but most currently as the California Program Manager for Hire Americas Hero’s, a 501(c) 3 organization that connects transitioning veterans with employers. I also am currently serving on the Board of Directors as Military Adviser and Special Events Coordinator for Warrior Foundation/ Freedom Station, a 501(c) 3 organization founded in San Diego working with wounded, ill, or injured service members and other veterans. One of my passions is to assist my fellow OIF/OEF veterans and as an active member of the San Diego community, I am proud to be an advisor to a local think-tank of employers seeking to alleviate the San Diego veteran unemployment crisis. In partnering with them, I work with employers, government and military officials to find a solution that keeps recently separated service members from unemployment in the city with the 3^rd largest veteran population and one of the highest veteran unemployment rates.

As an American patriot and Marine Corps veteran of two wars, I understand the great sacrifice our service members have made to defend our country and the freedom we so dearly cherish. I believe we as American citizens owe our veterans a great debt of gratitude and continued support after they have given so selflessly to country. My passion is the continued care and success of our country’s transitioning servicemen and women and their families after they have served. I believe that it is our duty as one national community to ensure that no veteran is left behind when he or she returns home from the battlefield.

Since leaving active duty, I have committed my life to developing, connecting and successfully assisting veteran talent transition into roles within many industry-leading organizations. I have worked with numerous industry leaders and major corporations in an effort to ensure that they are fully aware and take full advantage of the benefits and value they acquire when hiring such well-versed and highly equipped leaders. My long-term goal is to effectively secure change that is needed in all aspects of veteran life in America.

My favorite leadership quote, pertains to all aspects of life, is your greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising when you fall. I do not know the origins of this quote but I heard it as a young adult and it stuck with me in everything I did. I sure have stumbled and fallen a lot along the way but learning from each mistake is my goal. I also interpret this quote as saying that you should take chances without being scared to fail. Failure is not always a bad thing, especially if you are determined find a way to learn from it.