Enhancing Social and Cultural Sensitivity in Workplace Scenarios

This case study explores the importance of social and cultural sensitivity in the workplace through various scenarios. It addresses issues such as language barriers, religious discrimination, and cross-cultural misunderstandings. The analysis provides solutions for fostering a more inclusive and respectful work environment, emphasizing the role of equal employment opportunity, anti-discrimination laws, and effective communication strategies. The scenarios cover topics like supporting employees from diverse backgrounds, addressing religious dietary needs, and managing communication with individuals who have language differences. The study highlights the benefits of respecting diversity, including improved customer service, reduced skill shortages, and increased productivity. It also identifies common sources of conflict, such as language, religious beliefs, and non-verbal behavior, and offers practical advice for avoiding and resolving cross-cultural conflicts. The document concludes by listing various forms of harassment and discrimination, referencing specific anti-discrimination acts, and providing guidance on how to create a more culturally inclusive workplace.

Show social and cultural
sensitivity

TABLE OF CONTENT
Unit Assessment 1...........................................................................................................................3
Unit Assessment 2...........................................................................................................................6
Scenario 1 The party pooper........................................................................................................6
Scenario 2 The bearded employee..............................................................................................7
Scenario – 3: Pizza please............................................................................................................8
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................9
Books and Journals......................................................................................................................9

Unit Assessment 1
Q. 1. In the given situation, language is forming a barrier for Maria which is making her team
mates to not respect and treat her equally. She was introduced by the management team and did
not receive any form of encouragement from her fellow colleagues in the waitress staff. This is a
type of discrimination which includes making fun of the people coming from different
backgrounds and speak a different language. This is making Maria struggle to adapt and work in
the new environment. This treatment from other waitress is considered as harassment as they are
showing the act of being welcome which includes in both physical and verbal way. This is all
leading to form a target on Maria because of her difficulty in language.
Q. 2. Equal employment opportunity helps in offering workers the equal opportunity of being
hired for their desired job for which they are qualified and skilled. It helps in landing on the job
which they deserve and is based on advocacy principles. This aims to create a work space
without discrimination and harassment. In this case, Maria can take help from the management
team to overcome her struggles due to language barriers.
Q. 3. The team working with Maria can be supportive to make her feel comfortable in adapting
to new workplace. Her teammates can help her in improving her vocabulary and instead of
making fun, they can make her learn. They can introduce her to the local culture and dialect and
become the best teacher for cultural and vocabulary required for her job.
Q. 4. The co-workers of Maria can use the strategy of plain language. Using simple words are
very helpful in making the other person such as Maria understand the meaning. Using of large

words to sound intelligent and good at jobs will not do any favour. Plain language will avoid any
chances of miscommunication.
Q. 5. They must take Maria as equal with one another and make her familiar with the culture of
team. They should be more friendly with her and accept her in the way of respecting her. They
must develop the good level of contact with Maria. They must take the responsibility to
introduce her to other team members. And lastly, get acquainted to be more friendly.
Q. 6. Respecting the diversity will create opportunities to attract and retain diverse customers
while increasing customer satisfaction. It prevents any form discrimination.
Q. 7. In this case, the antidiscrimination legislation is applied based on the disability
discrimination act. It is important for the waiter to understand this is because he will meet
customers with different backgrounds and understanding of this law will tell about what is
allowed and what is not. Not knowing this can lead to be legal liable for discrimination.
Q. 8. Advice for him is to read about the antidiscrimination laws and to ask supervisor in the
cases where he is serving such customers.
Q. 9. Tell him to ask for offering any kind of help. Must be respectful in greeting them and
lastly, to be patient and treating them as others.
Q. 10. Restaurant can train the employees and new staff members about all the laws and enhance
more culture and social inclusiveness.
Q. 11. Multiculturalism is used to describe the society which is made of different ethnic groups
and cultures. The principles of multiculturalism are:
Individual responsibility: all Australians are supposed to have a duty to support multiculturalism.
Respect: All have right to retain own culture and respect others.
Fairness: They are entitled to have a life free of discriminations.
Shared benefits: All can benefit socially, culturally and economically from diverse culture.

Q. 12. Creating a joke on praying is harassment and discrimination on the religion. This is the
way of Charlie to not respect the religion.
Q. 13. It is important to remind Charlie about the importance of respecting other religion. I will
report the matter to manager to conduct further investigation as conflict can affect the working
performance.
Q. 14. Steps taken to resolve the cross cultural conflicts to start with the identification of the
differences which lead to the misunderstandings and then addressing the concerns on an
immediate basis. The third step is to resolve the misunderstandings and lastly to make sure that
same thing does not occur again within the workplace.
Q. 15. Sam is Australian from Queensland and thus believe in taking care and respect for the
land. They are interacting. The whole staff must respect and understand the culture and beliefs of
Sam in order to be supportive at the workplace.
Q.16. The religious dietary to followed are the account for the each of the employee as Muslin,
Buddhist, Jewish and Porters.
Q. 17. To greet a young man can be done by smiling while giving slowly and clear directions in
a slow pace in English language. It is important to check if the person is understanding or not.
Q. 18. Use of simple words can be done or marking the direction on a paper. Use body language
to explain better with the help of hands and finger gestures.
Q. 19. I can get help from the manager to ask him make some arrangements or call an interpreter.
Q. 20. By learning about different cultures and take a quick check on the internet. I will plan to
communicate in a effective way.

Q. 21. More better customer services which will lead in communicating skilfully. There is a
reduction in skill shortage and increased productivity. The workplace becomes more interesting.
Q. 22. Language is the common way to which leads to generating conflicts. Religious beliefs can
cause conflicts because of some certain cultures. The ways of addressing is different in different
cultures which can be offensive to another. The dietary requirements and lastly, the non verbal
behaviour.
Q. 23. Threatening abuse, using the aggressive language, making some remarks, making fun of
other cultures and cracking offensive jokes are examples of harassing behaviours.
Q. 24. Language, helping in public transportation, using cutlery, understanding the food patterns
and reading the signs.
Q. 25. Factors for discrimination are, gender, race, age, disability and religion.
Q. 26. Age of discrimination 2004: It prohibits the discrimination based on age.
Disability discrimination act 1992: It is to eliminate the discrimination against people with any
kind of disability.
Racial discrimination act 1975: It promotes equality between people from different backgrounds
and avoid having an unfair treatment.
Sex determination act 1984: Protects people from unfair treatment based on their sex and gender
status.
Unit Assessment 2
Scenario 1 The party pooper
The key issues that could inviting the students for celebration for the Christmas in short
time. While this could also take place with some issues in which the problem can be increased
such way that for the communication with people and make sure for having the proper
communication about the celebration (Borland, 2020). While this could also important for
knowing about those things which might be important for keeping the effective use of

technology and that could help them for inviting students. E-mail can be busy websites for those
students are doing job and that could be not reminding about the celebration.
The Naja Group of Colleges should take their technology adoption through which they
can easily communicate with them about those things which have been decided. As many of
them are busy with their work so that could not keep their main focus towards the
communication (Weber and Lugosi, 2021). In such kind of activities this could help them for
working with notice board or some group messages in which the busy students can be easily
make their invitation with the celebration about Christmas. The Naja Group of Colleges can
easily make sure for having their proper growth and opportunities for working in society with
proper developments.
The party pooper for the student that could make their solution for inviting the other
student who are not busy at their work. So for those time not all waste things will go and they
can easily enjoy their party about the Christmas. While having such things this could also make
sure for having their better estimation about those things which could keep them growth (Trott,
2020). Along with this also help them for keeping working with having technology and make
sure about those concepts which could keep them growth and developed.
Scenario 2 The bearded employee
The key issues about bearded employee which could be must important for the
organization and that could help them for keeping their images in market about the employee
concepts (Allgeier, 2020). Along with this also make sure for keeping the hiring about the high
management person and that could also help the for knowing about some other things. While
having such things this will also issues for the organization and not any other proper work that
could be complete in colleges. Business park campus that are required the hiring decent
employee who can easily handle their various activities.
Implication that could take place for having the high growth in organization and also
make sure for having the proper estimation about those sources which could keep the employee
with better things (Woodard, 2021). Personal grooming that could also important for the people
in the colleges and make sure about those concepts so that for having the high thinking and such
kind of things this will also help them for keeping the better growth and opportunities for the
organization. This might be also essential for knowing about some terms and personal grooming
that could help the employee for having the hiring in better organization.

While this could avoid through hiring the well-skills and educated person for the
organization. Through which this could also help them for knowing about some better things and
that could also keep them for growth and make sure for taking high impact over that could keep
them for working with some effective place (Sarawari, 2019). In such kind of activities this
could also keep that could bring out more special things and that could take their people for
hiring the effective employee. Policy and many other terms that could play their role for the
employee who are working at their organization.
Scenario – 3: Pizza please
Key issue: The main issue in this situation is the gap created due to the difference in
language spoken by the Staff person and the new student. Both the individuals communicate in
different language and are not being able to understand what the person is talking about. This is
causing a problem for the staff person to understand which type of pizza and what additional
items is the new student looking for. It is also a frustrating situation from the side of Dae Jung,
the new student to explain his preferences to the staff.
The implications: The impact of such issue can lead to conflicting situations in some
cases. When both the people are not being able to understand each other can lead to irritation and
miscommunication causing confusion and doing things in a wrong way. The meaning in one
language can be offensive in the meaning of other language. This can give rise to conflicts and
not respecting other language people.
Ways to avoid such situation: Working a canteen in a college campus means there will
be many students coming from wide range of backgrounds. It is important for the company to
train the employees to serve people with different backgrounds and speaking different languages.
Training the employees on how to treat such customers will avoid happening of such problems in
future. With the use of technology in the mobile phone, the staff can take help during such times.
If they are being able to handle it, they must directly go to the manager who will solve the
problem in more stable manner.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Allgeier, J.R., 2020. The B Respirator Respiratory Protection for the Bearded Man. Rochester
Institute of Technology.
Borland, J., 2020. Microeconomics: Case Studies and Applications. Cengage AU.
Sarawari, K., 2019. Current effectiveness of non-monetary incentives as a tool for Employee
recognition in Great Wall Ceramic Industries Ltd.
Trott, S.C., 2020. Without Pity. Prairie Schooner. 94(3). pp.127-137.
Weber, L. and Lugosi, P., 2021. The event experiences of attendees with food allergies,
intolerances and coeliac disease: risk loaded value-creation/destruction. International Journal
of Event and Festival Management.
Woodard, J.P., 2021. Empire by emulation: Brazilian business elites encounter the US
department store. History of Retailing and Consumption. pp.1-26.