Cultural Diversity in an Organization
Cultural Diversity in an Organization 1
Cultural Diversity in an Organization
Henry Jerkins
Industrial Organizational Psychology
Professor Withen
April 5, 2011
Cultural Diversity in an Organization 2
There is no single definition to define cultural diversity in an organization. This topic has been studied from a variety of perspectives ranging from disciplines such as anthropology and sociology, to the applied disciplines of organizational behavior, management science, and organizational communication. There have been so many changes in the cultural make-up of organizations that it becomes imperative for leaders and supervisors to understand cultural diversity and how it can impact their organization. Culture diversity has been defined as the representation in one social system of people with distinctly different group affiliations of cultural significance. For some it refers to an appreciation of good literature, music, art, and food. From the biologist perspective, it is likely to be a colony or grouping of bacteria or other microorganisms growing in a nutrient medium in a laboratory Petri dish. Culture is a full range of learned human behavior patterns. Culture is viewed as a complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs, and any other set of capabilities and habits acquired by humans in a society. Culture is a powerful human tool for survival, additionally it is a fragile phenomenon that is constantly changing and easily lost because it exists only in our minds. Our written languages, governments, buildings, and other man-made products are merely the outcome of culture, these products are not culture within themselves, and is often referred to as corporate culture; although that isn’t the best description since a large number of non-profit organizational or charity could also be viewed as having its own organizational culture even though they are definitely not corporations. Another definition is a pattern of
Cultural Diversity in an Organization
Henry Jerkins
Industrial Organizational Psychology
Professor Withen
April 5, 2011
Cultural Diversity in an Organization 2
There is no single definition to define cultural diversity in an organization. This topic has been studied from a variety of perspectives ranging from disciplines such as anthropology and sociology, to the applied disciplines of organizational behavior, management science, and organizational communication. There have been so many changes in the cultural make-up of organizations that it becomes imperative for leaders and supervisors to understand cultural diversity and how it can impact their organization. Culture diversity has been defined as the representation in one social system of people with distinctly different group affiliations of cultural significance. For some it refers to an appreciation of good literature, music, art, and food. From the biologist perspective, it is likely to be a colony or grouping of bacteria or other microorganisms growing in a nutrient medium in a laboratory Petri dish. Culture is a full range of learned human behavior patterns. Culture is viewed as a complex whole which includes knowledge, belief, art, law, morals, customs, and any other set of capabilities and habits acquired by humans in a society. Culture is a powerful human tool for survival, additionally it is a fragile phenomenon that is constantly changing and easily lost because it exists only in our minds. Our written languages, governments, buildings, and other man-made products are merely the outcome of culture, these products are not culture within themselves, and is often referred to as corporate culture; although that isn’t the best description since a large number of non-profit organizational or charity could also be viewed as having its own organizational culture even though they are definitely not corporations. Another definition is a pattern of