Week 16
9th June 2008
(4)Net Diagnostics A - ICAW2002A
Communicate in the IT workplace
Task 4: Accommodate cultural
differences in the workplace
Gyngell’s staff are from several different cultural backgrounds. Our management is
keen for the workplace to accommodate cultural differences and has asked staff to
read Gyngell’s Diversity Guidelines and think about how they interact and
communicate with other staff members.
I’d like you to suggest six ways you can apply the Guidelines in your work.
Deliverables
Identify six specific ways you can apply the Gyngell’s Diversity Guidelines in your
everyday work with other people. List and explain each of these ways.
Tools

Gyngell’s Diversity Guidelines
Gyngells Diversity Guidelines
At Gyngells we value the diversity of our employees and encourage a harmonious
and positive workplace.
All staff at Gyngells are expected to:







value the cultural diversity of all staff
appreciate the importance of understanding the cultural background of others
increase their ability to successfully interact with people from diverse
backgrounds
develop understandings of the cultural backgrounds of Gyngell’s staff,
especially their values, attitudes and beliefs
feel confident to express their own cultural knowledge and experience
avoid using language that includes stereotypes and gender-bias
be open and inclusive in their behaviour to all staff members.
Preview
All of us are influenced by the society that we live in. It shapes our values, beliefs,
customs, rituals and behaviour. Australia is a multicultural society so it is important
to have skills and attitudes that help us to communicate and work effectively with
people from diverse backgrounds.
TAFE NSW – Western Sydney Institute
Page 1 of 8
Week 16
9th June 2008
Learning outcomes
After completing this topic you will be able to:

Accommodate cultural differences.
Reading
The reading here will help you to develop your knowledge and skills for
accommodating cultural differences in the workplace. This will involve an
understanding of:





What is culture?
What is Australian culture?
Stereotypes
Communicating across cultures
Working with people from culturally diverse backgrounds.
What is culture?
We hear the word culture used a lot but what does culture actually mean? Culture
has various meanings but it is taken here to include the social understandings,
knowledge, values, beliefs and customs in a given society.
A culture refers to a large group of people, although within that group there can be
sub-cultures — smaller groups with their own identities within the major culture.
For example, these groups could be surfers, bike riders, teenagers, lawyers or
Canadians.
You may only think of culture as meaning ‘race’, referring to the country where
someone lives or where they were born. But when a large group has similar
expectations about values and behaviours then they can be said to share a culture.
We are all members of many different cultural groups.
Some examples of what defines some different cultures are:

the age of the people within a group (old or young)

whether the people live in the city or country

whether the people in the group have a particular physical similarity or
disability

whether the people work in the same place. This is sharing workplace culture.
What is Australian culture?
Australian culture is probably more easily described when seen from the point of
view of another culture. Observations of other cultures, including Aboriginal culture,
suggest that non-Aboriginal Australian culture is individualistic and not familyfocused, and that there is a preoccupation with accumulating material wealth.
Common phrases about Australia, used by Australians, for example, ‘she’ll be right’
and ‘fair go’ seem to indicate a concern for fairness and equality and a relaxed
attitude to life. Australian cultural icons are ANZACS, surf lifesavers and sports
people. Mateship and loyalty are seen as intrinsic Australian values.
TAFE NSW – Western Sydney Institute
Page 2 of 8
Week 16
9th June 2008
Australia is a multicultural society/country, which means there are many different
cultures represented in the one country, each with the right to live in the way they
feel is right, as long as it fits in with the laws of the country. Although Australia is
considered to be a multicultural society, the dominant influence on Australian society
remains white Anglo Saxon/Anglo-Celtic culture. Aboriginal culture, in particular,
has not been reflected or represented in our major institutions.
Living in a multicultural society seems like a straightforward thing to do but, in
practice, it raises many issues for our society and for our relationships with diverse
groups of people, including our relationships in workplaces.
Stereotypes
Figure 1: A stereotypical Aussie male
Stereotyping is a process where we classify someone according to certain
characteristics. We often see in them what we want to see rather than what is really
there.
When we think about the cultural stereotypes or labels that are commonly attached to
people from Australia, Italy, China, the Middle East and the USA we might come up
with the following:
Australia
casual, sporty
China
hard working, diligent
USA
loud, aggressive
Middle East
conservative
Italy
passionate, explosive
Some of these characteristics might describe some people from these cultures but
they are still generalisations. It is important not to generalise about people from
different cultures because everyone is an individual. Generalising and categorising
people in this way does not take into account these individual differences.
Perceptions about people from different cultures are often based on media
stereotypes and tourist images and, at worst, they can be considered as examples of
racism.
TAFE NSW – Western Sydney Institute
Page 3 of 8
9th June 2008
Week 16
Communicating across cultures
Figure 2: Sensitive communication means being aware of all these things
Different cultures communicate in particular ways. These differences are obvious in
how they greet others, how they take turns when speaking, how they address each
other, what is said and how they express their feelings and react to the feelings of
others.
To work effectively and to take into consideration the culture of colleagues and
clients, we need to be aware of:
Non-verbal communication and culture—Gestures, movements, tone of voice, eye
contact and facial expressions vary in meaning across cultures. In India, for example,
shaking the head from side to side is an indication of agreement rather than
disagreement which is how we understand it in Australia.
Personal space—Distancing oneself or getting closer to clients may be
misinterpreted as coldness or inappropriately intimate or pushy. The gender of the
client and worker is also an important factor in how personal space is utilised.
Eye contact—There are many cultural variations of what eye contact means. In some
cultures such as Mexican, Japanese, Korean and many indigenous Australian
cultures, avoidance of eye contact means respect. This is sometimes misinterpreted
as not listening or being rude.
Use of silence—Different cultures use silences differently. Arabic people often
regard silence as a time to collect private thoughts; Russians, Spanish and French
might regard silence as indicating a common agreement or shared view; while in
Asian cultures silence is often used as a sign of respect.
Cultural variation in interpretation of social issues—For example, people might
have a different interpretation of issues such as what constitutes a marriage or a
marriage separation. In some cultures a woman may regard herself as not being
separated from her husband, even though the husband has left, simply because they
are still legally married.
Cultural responses to emotions—Different cultures have different rules about how to
respond to emotions. Touching the hand of someone crying might be acceptable in
our culture but in others, offering tissues or a glass of water could be adequate.
This, of course, is not a conclusive list of all the issues we need to be aware of but
they are some points to consider.
TAFE NSW – Western Sydney Institute
Page 4 of 8
Week 16
9th June 2008
Figure 3: Different cultures have different rules for responding to emotions
Working with people from culturally
diverse backgrounds
Over 20% of the Australian population were born overseas. It is important to
remember that in 1788, 100% of the people who lived in Australia were indigenous
people. Indigenous people now make up around 1.8% of the population. It is easy to
see from these statistics that a very large proportion of Australians come from a
migrant heritage.
A multicultural society is one that not only recognises but actively encourages people
from a variety of backgrounds to retain their language and culture. Since the 1970s
government policies in Australia have reflected multiculturalism with the setting up
of ethnic councils and services like the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS TV and
radio). This was a complete reversal of previous government policies that favoured
assimilation and integration. The earlier policies of assimilation were based on the
idea that people coming to Australia and indigenous Australians should conform
totally to the dominant beliefs and customs, while integration was thought of as a
melting pot idea where different characteristics of each culture mixed together over
generations to form a unified group.
However, culture is not just related to immigration. It is about the knowledge, values
and beliefs of a society.
When working with people from a similar background, there is a shared language,
similar gestures, and a shared understanding of the dominant cultural values. People
are more likely to be familiar with culturally appropriate boundaries such as knowing
when to shake hands or touch or not touch.
Different cultures have evolved differently, based on different political, social and
religious histories, adaptation to different climatic and environmental conditions and
types of food available, as well as availability of resources for economic
development. Different cultures also have different ways that people relate to each
other, ways of expressing feelings, using gestures, and protocols for communication,
for example people from Mediterranean cultures kiss once on each cheek when they
meet but Asian culture are more inclined to nod or bow.
Working with people from different cultural backgrounds can mean that you need to
be aware of possible cultural differences, and respond in a culturally appropriate
manner whenever possible. If you are not sure of the meaning of certain actions or
gestures you might need to clarify with your colleague or supervisor.
Organisations and cultural diversity
The Australian and State governments all have policies about promoting cultural
diversity. The Community Relations Commission for a Multicultural NSW promotes
multiculturalism, ethnic affairs, cultural diversity, community unity and harmony
TAFE NSW – Western Sydney Institute
Page 5 of 8
Week 16
9th June 2008
through many different programs. Many organisations also effectively accommodate
cultural differences in the workplace by:

providing training on cross-cultural issues

promoting skills in cultural awareness and language

producing organisational policies and other documents about cultural
diversity

having programs and projects that show respect for people of different
cultures

having a register of people who speak languages other than English

using flexible arrangements to allow employees to observe religious and
cultural holidays
Summary
It is important for us to be aware of our own attitudes and beliefs about cultural
diversity. Stereotyping cultural groups is unfair as it denies individual differences
and can act against developing positive relationships with others. People from
diverse cultures communicate in different ways and we need to be aware of these
differences in our workplaces. Australian workplaces are encouraged to
accommodate cultural differences by developing programs and work practices that
view diversity in a positive light. In a multicultural country where workplaces are
made up of people from diverse cultures, we can try to educate ourselves about
cultural diversity by becoming aware of cultural norms, taboos and customs of the
people that we come into contact with through our work. We should also be familiar
with any workplace policies and documents related to cultural diversity.
Research



The Community Relations Commission website promotes cultural diversity
and harmony: http://www.crc.nsw.gov.au/
The Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia is the
Australian national peak body that promotes multiculturalism, community
harmony and social justice: http://www.fecca.org.au
This website contains definitions and information about aspects of many
cultures and how concepts such as humour differ between cultures:
http://www.culturalsavvy.com/tips.htm
Terms
Cross cultural awareness
knowledge about various cultures and using this knowledge
Cultural diversity
many different cultural groups co-existing within one society
Culture
TAFE NSW – Western Sydney Institute
Page 6 of 8
Week 16
9th June 2008
social understandings, knowledge, values, beliefs and customs in a given
society
Stereotyping
classifying according to certain characteristics
Activity 1: Understand cultural groups
In this activity you will need to think about the community that you live in and the
cultural groups that live in your community. Answer the following questions as a
way of reflecting on your own understanding of these groups and how they interact
with each other.
What cultural groups make up the population of your community?
I live in Australia. Australia’s population is made up of peoples from different
cultural backgrounds. Most of the people in Australia is from Eurpean cultures
such as England, Greece, Itay, Croatia and so on. Apart from this there are lots
of migrated people from India, Srilanka, China and so on.
How do you know that people come from those cultures?
I got these information by taliking with different people including students
studying in my college and my neighbours etc. And I see people looks like
Chinese, Indians Americans everyday in my life while I travelling across places
in Australia.
How does your community deal with cultural diversity?
Australia’s people respect all different cultures. They live together in peace and
happy. Everybody has the same rights here. The Australian and State
governments all have policies about promoting cultural diversity. The
Community Relations Commission for a Multicultural NSW promotes
multiculturalism, ethnic affairs, cultural diversity, community unity and
Activity
2: Analyse
cultures
in a group
harmony through
many different
programs.
Think about a group that you belong to, for example, in a workplace, sports club or
parent’s group and write a short list of the cultures that are represented in that group.
Also note the ways that you have identified those cultures.
Write your notes here.
I belong to a group of students who study in my College. Among those students
7 of them International students. Four from India, One from SriLanka, one from
Burma and one from Afghanistan. Rest of them are live in Australia but from
different cultural backgrounds like Fiji, England, Croatia and so on.
Activity 3: Understand conflicting views
Think about this situation and respond to the question.
San comes from South-east Asia. Bill is one of San’s workmates. Maurice constantly
makes jokes with San and others about San’s cultural background. San puts up with
this behaviour as it is part of being an Australian.
This treatment worries Bill and he tells San that he is going to complain to the Union.
San reacts strongly to this because in his culture a man who complains is weak.
TAFE NSW – Western Sydney Institute
Page 7 of 8
Week 16
Bill, San and Maurice are behaving in different ways.
9th June 2008
Do you think the conflicting views in this situation come from people’s cultural
understanding? Explain your answer.
Yes, San misunderstand Australian culture that making jokes is the real
Australian culture so he didn’t go with a complaint. Bill didn’t understand San’s
culture that why he told him to complaint and San denied it. These conflicts
came from the cultural understanding of people.
Check your understanding
Answer the following questions to check your understanding.
The most useful definition of culture is:
A race of people
Music, art, theatre and literature
Social understandings, knowledge, values, beliefs and customs
A group of people from one country
The way that one group of people behave towards each other
Ans: Social understandings, knowledge, values, beliefs and customs
Which of the following is not part of stereotyping people?
Categorising
Generalising
Classifying
Recognising differences
Labelling
Ans: Generalising
When communicating with people from diverse cultures we need to be aware of:
Speaking clearly, remembering people’s names, being friendly
Being understanding, being sensitive, speaking clearly
Religious holidays, speaking loudly, treating them differently to everyone else
Social understandings, knowledge, values, beliefs and customs
Showing them how to behave and what to say, and being more friendly than
usual
Ans: Social understandings, knowledge, values, beliefs and customs
TAFE NSW – Western Sydney Institute
Page 8 of 8