Managing Culturalism and Diversity

Running head: MANGING CULTURALISM AND DIVERSITY 1
Managing Culturalism and Diversity
Name
Institution
Date of Submission

MANAGING CULTURALISM AND DIVERSITY 2
Cross-cultural communication
Cross-cultural communication involves diverse communication issues that arise in an
institution as a result of a combination of individuals of different social, cultural, religious,
education, and ethnic background (Lott, 2009). As people merge having a distinctive set of
norms, experiences, and values, there is a likelihood of conflicts to arise. For such an
organization to succeed, they have to come up with strategies in which they can resolve tensions
and cultural-based conflicts within the institution, thereby bringing the intercultural
communication barriers. Understanding culture, ethnicity, religious diversity, sexual and gender
identity and how they influence cross-cultural communication is vital in fighting cultural bias.
Implementation of cross-cultural communication strategies and various legislation and policies
has seen Australia create a culturally competent community.
Power and privilege of cross-cultural communication
How do you think and feel about what you have chosen to reflect on?
Cultural differences that people share such as the system of beliefs, social habits,
attitudes, perceptions, values, worldviews, and language influences significantly how people
relate or associate with one another (Lott, 2009). Effective communication is vital to the success
of every relationship or the growth of an institution. I have learned that in every society, there is
usually a group (s) that has more power and privilege over others- these groups in one way or
another influence the manner in which the society carry out their activities. For instance, in
Australia, the Aboriginal community believe they have more power as compared to the non-
Aboriginal people. As such, they influence to a greater extent the functioning of several
organizations within the region (Smits, 2011). The same thing is felt in the broader Australian

MANAGING CULTURALISM AND DIVERSITY 3
region whereby individuals from the Anglo-Christian background consider themselves to have a
higher privilege than others. Therefore, I believe it is wrong for these groups to take advantage
over the least members of the community through imposing their ideologies and values on them.
I believe every member of the society has rights to express themselves and associates with one
another without intimidation. No person regardless of the position they hold in the community
and the privileges they have is allowed to discriminate anyone either by age, sex, marital status,
sexuality, religion, political divide, race, or intellectual/ physical impairment (Markus, 2014). It
is disheartening and unfortunate when I meet people who use the power and privilege they have
in harming others. However, I have understood that having power over others is a privilege that
can be used positively in influencing co-existence within a diverse community.
How does what you learned help relate with other learning or life experiences?
The importance of understanding how to manage and enhance effective cross-cultural
communication in a community cannot be overemphasized. Aesthetic value divergence, cultural
nuances as well as language barriers create unintended misunderstandings among the people
thereby causing conflicts (Presbitero & Attar, 2018). Through this course, I have understood how
and why some people relate with others in a particular manner. For example, the concept of
tokenism is widespread in some regions in Australia. People from the marginalized groups are
being taken advantage of by individuals who feel they have power in their hands. Most of the
renown organizations hire only a few people from marginalized communities as a pretense of
following the inclusion and diversity policies that fight against discrimination. Discrimination
and harassment on the workplaces based on the religion, sexuality, values, and position that one
holds in the society, has been on the high rise in recent years. However, through this course, I
have come to appreciate the importance of the protective legislation and other policies that the