Cultural Intelligence in the Workplace

This assignment tasks students with analyzing a video clip from the TV show *Friends* to explore the concepts of cultural safety and cultural shock in the workplace. Students examine how characters Rachel and Joanna navigate conflict and demonstrate open communication, highlighting the importance of cultural intelligence for building a harmonious work environment. The analysis also delves into instances where employees experience feelings of distrust and insecurity, illustrating the detrimental effects of a culture lacking in respect and inclusivity.

Applying Cultural Capabilities

Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................2
1.1 Background..................................................................................................................................2
1.2 Aim..............................................................................................................................................2
1.3 Scope...........................................................................................................................................2
2 Summary and Observations.................................................................................................................3
2.1 Summary of Video Clip................................................................................................................3
2.2 Observations................................................................................................................................3
3 Analysis................................................................................................................................................4
3.1 Cultural Capability and Awareness..............................................................................................4
3.2 Cultural Empathy...................................................................................................................................5
3.3 Cultural Safety...................................................................................................................................6
3.4 cultural shock.....................................................................................................................................6
Recommendations.......................................................................................................................................7
Summary and Conclusion............................................................................................................................7
References...................................................................................................................................................8

Introduction
1.1 Background
The corporate world becomes intercultural environment because of the cultural diversity in an
increase in the world. There is a number of organization which allows intercultural diversity at
the workplace. For each business, in order to maintain its brand image and retain employees for
the long term, it is essential to express the cultural in a safe and respectable manner (Rolls and
Wignell, 2015). It helps the employees and the other individual in order to enjoy the safe and
secure environment. In order to maintain the cultural safety and save the business need to
provide the ideal space which is known as the cultural spaces. It refers to give full authority and
freedom to employees to express their views in the corporate so the conflicts can be resolved.
1.2 Aim
The present report includes spread awareness about the cultural spaces. The cultural capability
facilities to the individual to armed with behaviors, knowledge, and relevant skills. Cultural is a
fundamental division of entity’s existence. There is increasing the necessity of ethnic spaces with
commercial administrations (Holley and Steiner, 2005). The present report makes analysis and
observation of the popular television friends. Under the given video then it provides a situation in
which describes the cultural capability and safe spaces. In addition, it also provides the
recommendation on the cultural capability.
1.3 Scope
The scope of the report is involved to observe and analyze the famous friend’s series season 4.
In this report make an analysis on the different parts of the friend’s series and describes the
scenes (Spencer-Oatey and Franklin, 2012). In the different division, the first division explains

about what is actually safe space and defines about the professional conferences which twisted to
be treacherous place manager interview interruption. At the end of the video describes the
workplace become safer when the Rachel confronts her boss and gets to make a deal with her.
2 Summary and Observations
2.1 Summary of Video Clip
Name of show-
Friend’s series, episode 9 seasons 4.
General overview of the scene –
The leading division shows that struggle in between the Rachel and her Boss. They
were making conflicts over the Rachel elevation with the corporation. Further, this scene
explains Rachel interview with Jonna in which her boss tries to interference, later Rachel become
frustrated
Key characters –
Rachel, Jonna, and the boss are the key characters under these divisions.
2.2 Observations
The video, in this explosion taken, is based on demonstrated cultural safety and the unsafety at
the workplace. The following points which are going to be described through the making
analysis of the scene and the situation which are present in the video.
 The first division includes about the 75 seconds in the starting videos. The basically
observation in which the Jonna provide the open room and there is a lot of spaces which
is required for to make an individual feel safe and express their ideas. As per the

observation, the Rachel was nervous and she feels hesitated to express her views. The
atmosphere was proper for in an interview. In addition, the interviews started and her
boss asking to very bad questions and the making her unconformable during the
interviews. At the end, the Rachel feel unsafe and she left the interviews and end to her
boss to express her views and sabotages.
 At the middle of the video describes the Rachel conversation with her boss, in this timing
the Rachel is described about the unsafe work culture and how bad the interviews were
and Joanna’s behavior. The Rachel feel very bad about the interviews and the way it was
conducted by her boss. She felt crying and the expressed her views regarding to the
unsafe spaces. It is interpreted from the above scene it is essential for individuals to
express their views in the corporate sectors and along with this, if any type of the issues is
identified can be resolved through the meetings.
 At the end of the video, Rachel’s boss told to make meetings with each other and try to
resolve the problems. The Rachel is giving the resignations which make her boss aware
of the work and her seriousness regarding the sabotage interviews. Finally, Jonna, admits
why he made the interviews so bad for the Rachel. The reason is that Rachel is good
assistant and she does not want to lose good assistant
3 Analysis
3.1 Cultural Capability and Awareness
As per making the observation of the video, it can be defined that cultural capability and
awareness refers as the open space and freedom. In the today globalization era, cultural diversity
is increased. In the business environment, it is essential for the companies in order to provide all
the freedom and the working conditions through which they can make open culture and also

make sure that to get enough spaces to express their views and ideas regarding the business and
the other things. This type of systems allowed in each organization so employees can solve their
conflicts and the also they can present better work within working environment This is clearly
shown in the given video. As per the observing the video first division, in which the Jonna
provides an open environment for conducting the interview and also makes clear distance from
the Rachel, Such system is a sign of the good intercultural environment and the safe working
conditions (Spencer-Oatey and Franklin, 2012). It makes the Rachel comfortable and makes the
interview more effective. Through the observation of the video, it is also noticed that work
culture of the office is also very open the people which are making interacting to each other, it
clearly shows the cultural capability. In addition, the next when the Jonna make the interview
bad and try to down the moral of the Rachel, she directly makes open communication to her boss
and expresses her unwillingness to conduct the work.
3.2 Cultural Empathy
The cultural intelligence or Cultural Empathy refers to the measure a person’s capacity to function
in the business environment. By observing the video it is identified that each individual use the
different types body language, tone of voice and words. According to each other expression and
the behavior the individual changing her behavior, it shows the as clear way of the cultural
intelligence. , Rachel uses a frustrated voice of tone and when she confronts her boss about the
sabotages interview. By seeing the Rachel frustrated voice and her body language her boss
becomes aware of her seriousness regarding the situation (Flanja, 2009). Her boss makes her
voice clam-down and also she is listening very carefully to Rachel so later she can provide a
suggestion or help to solve the conflicts effectively. This is an example of the cultural
intelligence and the way in which it is making and adjusting individual behavior according to the

situations, it is identified that such cultural intelligence should be adopted by the each individual
who is working in the business environment so they can promote a better work in the business. It
leads to solve many problems easily and also organization can retain employees (Rolls and
Wignell, 2015). For example, in the video the Rachel provide resignation, her boss becomes alter
and offer the different deal, it is cultural intelligence which clearly makes the business’s culture
different and provide more facilities to employees in order to enjoy the corporate freedom.
3.3 Cultural Safety
The cultural safety refers to create a safe environment in the business organization. In the present
world, it is essential for the business to provide all the essential elements which are required for
the safe environment. In the present video, it is clear that, the company in which the Rachel is
working give unique safety environment. The employees when working in the business it is
important to provide them all the required elements and the safety which they should be received
from during the business (Rolls and Wignell, 2015). By making the observation of the video, it is
identified that the Rachel get fair treatment related to the cultural safety in the video. As per the
video analysis, she gets the chance to talk Jonna so they can solve conflicts and also she received
alternative options from her boss. It makes and provide cultural safety in the business and also
helps the employees to work in the business.
3.4 cultural shock
The cultural shock refers when employees cannot work in the business environment, it refers to
that environment in which employees of the company feel unsafe and did not get the freedom to
work independently. There are different types of the business organization which did not provide
the safe and space in their work culture. It leads to many problems for the company. for example,
in the video where the Rachel is feeling distrusted under the conditions and the way the interview
was taken. She was crying because of the environment she received during the interview. Such
type of behavior and unsafe workspace make employees and another individual to change their
work abilities (Russell, 2011). The Rachel was about to giving to resignation. Such types of the
culture should be avoided from the workplace in order to maintained harmony and peace at
workplaces.

Recommendations
By making an analysis of the video and observing the video it is clear that workspace safety and
space is essential for the company. Following are the future recommendation on the safe space in
the company such as:
 It is recommended for the workplace culture that all business origination should provide
an open culture and develop the business intelligence. There are several ways in order to
conduct to develop the safe and space incorporates.
 The business organization can provide training and conduct meetings’ regarding to what
is safe space which needs to be followed in the company. In addition, the company can
also provide the guidelines to overcome such problems and make aware to employees at
each level to make adopt the cultural spaces.
Summary and Conclusion
Summing up the present report it can be concluded that cultural capability many advantages
within the workplace. The present is based on Friends TV series. In the report, the video clip
adequately demonstrated the actual capability of the cultural and the cultural intelligence among
employees. As present in the video clip, Rachel and Joanna both openly make conversation and
also express their views with each other. This leads to open culture and leads to reach a
consensual decision. Along with this, the clip has also demonstrated the importance of cultural
capabilities and cultural awareness.

References
Brislin, R., Worthley, R., & Macnab, B. (2006). Cultural intelligence: Understanding behaviors
that serve people’s goals. Group & Organization Management, 31(1), 40-55.
Bruhn, J. G. (2005). Culture-brain interactions. Integrative physiological and behavioral
science, 40(4), 243-254.
Flanja, D. (2009). Culture shock in intercultural communication. Studia Universitatis Babes-
Bolyai. Studia Europaea, 54(4), 107.
Holley, L. C., & Steiner, S. (2005). Safe space: Student perspectives on classroom environment.
Journal of Social Work Education, 41(1), 49-64.
Rolls, N. & Wignell, P. (2015). Communicating at University. Darwin, NT: Charles Darwin
University.
Russell, K. M. (2011). Growing up a third culture kid: A sociological self-exploration. Human
Architecture, 9(1), 29.
Spencer-Oatey, H., & FRANKLIN, P. (2012). What is culture. A compilation of quotations.
GlobalPAD Core Concepts.