A Pilot Study of Cultural Capabilities - Desklib

This report is going to present an account, comprehensive summary, and analyses of the video clip from the TV show “Friends, Rachel’s Boss Doesn’t want to lose her” and also describes the safe spaces. In the later section of this report recommendations to improve the workplaces’ environments will be provided(The One Where Rachel's Boss Doesn't Want to Lose Her - Friends Season, 2013). This report elaborates about safe spaces in workplace setting or in other words the Cultural Capabilities. To discuss the concept of safe space, a video clip from the famous TV show Friends is selected here very carefully. The video is demonstrating the safe spaces and hence the report will focus on the same.

Cultural Capabilities
Student Details
1/22/2019

Contents
1. Introduction............................................................................................................................1
1.1 Background..................................................................................................................1
1.2 Aim..............................................................................................................................1
1.3 Scope...........................................................................................................................1
2. Summary and Observations................................................................................................1
2.1 Summary of the video clip..........................................................................................1
2.2 Observations................................................................................................................2
3. Analysis..............................................................................................................................4
4. Recommendations...............................................................................................................6
5. Summary & Conclusion......................................................................................................6
References..................................................................................................................................7

Cultural Capabilities 1
1. Introduction
1.1 Background
The essential requirements of creating safe spaces are cultural intelligence,
cultural self-awareness, and cultural capability (Brislin, Worthley, & Macnab,
2006). While in a particular scenario, people participate and engage
themselves in a positive way then it results into culturally safe spaces. In
regards to safe spaces at workplace encourages employees to work with
enthusiasm, openly express their opinions, and explore and share their
knowledge, behaviours and attitudes. Cultural capabilities allow the employees
to feel confident about of not exposing to criticism, violence, harassment, and
different forms of oppression (Leonard, 2018).
1.2 Aim
This report is going to present an account, comprehensive summary, and
analyses of the video clip from the TV show “Friends, Rachel’s Boss Doesn’t
want to lose her” and also describes the safe spaces. In the later section of this
report recommendations to improve the workplaces’ environments will be
provided (The One Where Rachel's Boss Doesn't Want to Lose Her - Friends
Season, 2013).
1.3 Scope
This report elaborates about safe spaces in workplace setting. To discuss the
concept of safe space, a video clip from the famous TV show Friends is
selected here very carefully. The video is demonstrating the safe spaces and
hence the report will focus on the same.
2. Summary and Observations
2.1 Summary of the video clip
The scene in this video is taken from Episode 9 of Season 4. This video
describes the workplace setting where Rachel works. In the selected video
there are four characters Rachel, Purple, Johanna, and one senior member of

Cultural Capabilities 2
the company. In this scene, an interview for the job promotion is going on. In
the beginning of the scene, Rachel’s interview is going on. Rachel told the
interviewers that Johanna has been a great mentor to her (Growing up a Third
Culture Kid, 2011). While in turn, Johanna keeps talking about the flaws of
Rachel and trifling works like bagel and bringing in coffee every morning for
Johanna that Rachel does. Rachel’s answer opposes Johanna’s statement by
saying that apart from performing these activities she also does other work and
take up responsibilities. The senior member who was taking the interview was
even happy with the Rachel’s performance as well as appreciated the way
Rachel was effectively maintaining the folders which was showing her
capability of keeping her important documents safe (MindTools, 2019).
2.2 Observations
Table 1: Observation Table
Scene
Number/
Time Frame
Physical
Factors
Communication
Factors
Inclusion Cultural
self-
awareness
and
Cultural
Intelligence
Interview
Scene 1 (0.2
minutes)
- Interview
room looks
spacious and
safe.
- Three
interviewers
were sitting on
one side of
table and
Rachel on the
other in a safe
environment.
- Eye contact is
made among
every member.
- Senior member
is sitting between
Johanna and
Purple which
shows his
position.
- Senior member
starts interview in
a positive way by
appreciating
Rachel’s work.
- Conversation
between all
members
shows signs of
inclusion of
everyone.
- Positive
response
from Purple
and senior
member, and
Rachel’s way
of answering
and
admitting her
boss as a
great mentor
shows
cultural

Cultural Capabilities 3
- Rachel also
answered
confidently and
took criticism of
her boss in
positive way.
intelligence
and cultural
self-
awareness.
Interview
Scene 2
( 2.00
minutes)
- Johanna’s
cabin was
spacious and
well furnished
with necessary
equipment.
- Rachel came
to have
conversation
with Johanna
and the
physical
environment
look safe.
- Johanna was
not making
proper eye
contact with
Rachel and busy
in working with
other stuff.
- Johanna look
being rude with
Rachel and
Sophie for the
tone of her voice
and words.
- Rachel
wanted to talk
about the
interview with
Johanna but
she did not
show any
interest in
having any
conversation
with Rachel.
- Johanna
said bad
words for
Rachel
during
interview and
also insulted
her and
Sophie when
she came to
her for
talking about
interview
show lack of
cultural
intelligence
and self-
awareness
and insecure
environment
for working
for
employees.
Interview
Scene 3 (2
minutes, 43
seconds)
- Rachel came
to her desk and
the room was
spacious and
seems safe for
- Proper eye
contact between
Johanna and
Rachel and also
positive two way
-
communication
between both
of them shows
inclusion of
- Johanna
admits she
did not want
to lose
Rachel as her

Cultural Capabilities 4
working with
necessary
equipment.
communication
between both of
them.
both assistant and
due to this
she behaved
in that way.
- she
appreciated
her work.
-Johanna also
agreed with
the Rachel’s
conditions
which show
cultural
intelligence
and safe
spaces for
work.
3. Analysis
Cultural safety is an approach that defines and make sure cultural and social
differences respect for individual that is formed in the education and health services
provision (Earley & Mosakowski, 2004). This is somehow related with cultural
competence and cultural awareness (NATSIDAG- facilitator guide Cultural Safety,
2017). It is cultural safety that is liable for making up an emotionally and socially
secure company that assault and challenge identity of individual. While cultural
intelligence on the hand is something that any person outside of the organization has
the ability of identifying and interpreting the ambivalent and unfamiliar gestures in
company naturally. The effective way in which senior officials of an organization
work in diverse cultural conditions is also related with the cultural intelligence
(Natsihwa, 2019). The knowledge, skills, and behavioural system by which, officials
support, plan, deliver, and improve services in a culturally appropriate and respectful
manner considered in cultural capability. The main objective of cultural capabilities is

Cultural Capabilities 5
to help in the improvement of outcomes that result in holistic work environment for
the sake of employee safety (Forbes, 2015).
In the starting scene, the senior member taking the interview of Rachel showed that
the way in which a positive and professional interview should be conducted at
workplace. He described cultural safety in a perfect manner (Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander Cultural Capability, 2017). His behaviour shows the importance of
people with cultural significance and enhancing their knowledge is all required by
personnel. Appraising hard work and efforts of employees makes them feel valued
and confident. The above also helps them in understanding their work and retaining
themselves in such an organization. Rachel admits that her job is tough but she loves
working with designers and she is happy and enjoys her work (Cultural Capability
Matters, 2016).
During interview she kept on pointing the faults of Rachel and also makes fun and
insults her in front of other interviewers. She said Rachel is good for only bagel and
making coffee for her. Even after Rachel left the interview room, Johanna blamed her
for binging on and drinking. Johanna added Rachel gets overfriendly with clients
during business meetings and advised her not to form personal relationship with
business and designer clients and instead of that she should keep this to professional
level only (Rand, 2017).
In the last scene, when Rachel is not happy with all the things that happened or done
by Johanna and also felt the same after talking to Johanna personally in her cabin then
she becomes upset and says Johanna that she is not going to work in the office
anymore then she pack up her desk and said she will be leaving the office by end of
the day. Rachel then mentions that she is not even required for this entire day and
corrects her statement by saying that she is going to leave the job immediately (Flanja,
2009). After all this, Johanna admits the real reason behind behaving in that manner
and showed the cultural capability and safety by providing explanation for presenting
Rachel as a not good employee. Johanna assured to Rachel that she did all because she
wants to retain Rachel as her assistant in office. Johanna bribes Rachel with creating a
separate job position for her, creating a separate office cabin for her, and also provides
her with an expense account from which she can get all individual expenses of her and
also fulfil her other needs. This presented a perfect example of cultural capability

Cultural Capabilities 6
where employees are lured with different perks and lot of other things and incentives
for making them to stay in the organization to get better results (Australia, 2019).
4. Recommendations
It is recommended that Johanna should not have criticised Rachel during the interview
in front of the senior members of the organization. Johanna’s actions brought down
the morale of Rachel and presented Rachel’s negative image which will cause trouble
to Rachel for facing seniors and colleagues in future. Instead of criticising Rachel,
Johanna should have appraise efforts and hard work of Rachel that performs on the
workplace like her performances during business meetings with designer clients and
also including the petty things that she does for her boss Johanna like bagel and
bringing coffee. Besides, the senior officials should recognize the hard work of their
employees and never miss a chance of appraising their work and efforts in order to
keep their morale high. This is because if the employee lose his/her interest at the
workplace, then he/she will not able to perform his/her task effectively and also might
be not interested in staying forcefully in a culturally unsafe work environment
(Quappe & Cantatore, 2005).
5. Summary & Conclusion
The aim of showcasing this video summary is to describe the importance of culturally
safe spaces or workplaces. The video is giving a great message about a manger’s right
intentions for retaining their efficient employees. This paper is also describing an
important need of employees which is culturally safe spaces in order to perform well.
Additionally, Rachel also wanted the same safe spaces to work during the last scene.
She became satisfied, happy, and calm after talking to Johanna. And in the end she
agreed to remain on the job.

Cultural Capabilities 7
References
Growing up a Third Culture Kid. (2011). Journal of the Sociology of Self-Knowledge, 29-42.
The One Where Rachel's Boss Doesn't Want to Lose Her - Friends Season. (2013). Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuyGLDvve-A
Cultural Capability Matters. (2016). Retrieved from
https://www.datsip.qld.gov.au/resources/datsima/involved/cultural-capability-
training-strategy.pdf
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Capability. (2017). Retrieved October 21,
2017, from Queensland Government:
https://www.health.qld.gov.au/atsihealth/cultural_capability
NATSIDAG- facilitator guide Cultural Safety (1st ed.). (2017).
Brislin, R., Worthley, R., & Macnab, B. (2006). Cultural Intelligence: Understanding
Behaviours that Serve People's Goals. Group & Organization Management, 31(1),
41-55.
Earley, P. C., & Mosakowski, E. (2004). Cultural Intelligence. Retrieved from Harvard
Business Review: https://hbr.org/2004/10/cultural-intelligence
Flanja, D. (2009). Culture Shock in Intercultural Communication. Journal of History of
Ideas, 1-18.
Forbes. (2015). Why You Need Cultural Intelligence (And How To Develop It). Retrieved
from https://www.forbes.com/sites/iese/2015/03/24/why-you-need-cultural-
intelligence-and-how-to-develop-it/#45e5195c17d6

Cultural Capabilities 8
GovernmentofAustralia. (2019). Safe Spaces. Retrieved from
https://publicsector.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/safe_spaces_0.pdf
Leonard, K. (2018). Culture Awareness in the Workplace. Retrieved from
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/culture-awareness-workplace-737.html
MindTools. (2019). Cultural Intelligence: Working Successfully With Diverse Groups.
Retrieved from https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/cultural-intelligence.htm
Natsihwa. (2019). Cultural Safety Framework National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
Health Worker Association. Retrieved from
https://www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx?id=5924d51f-4334-41b4-98a6...
Quappe, S., & Cantatore, G. (2005). What is Cultural Awareness, anyway? How do I built it?
Rand, I. (2017). Cultural Intelligence: The Essential Intelligence for the 21st Century .
Retrieved from SHRM Foundation-Effective Practice Guidelines Series:
https://www.shrm.org/hr-today/trends-and-forecasting/special-reports-and-expert-
views/Documents/Cultural-Intelligence.pdf