CULTURAL AWARENESS

Doing Business with Other Cultures

Prospect for Success Paper # 3

Submitted to
Mr. Gregory Georgiou
Department of Management
Belk College of Business
UNC Charlotte

Submitted by
Julia A. Hunkler
BUSN 1101-009
December 1, 2016

Cultural Awareness: Definition, Purpose and Benefits

 Whether it is the unique foods, the choice of clothing, type of entertainment and music,

religious preferences, or the social norms, culture plays a vital role in all of society.

Being aware of both ones own culture as well as surrounding cultures is important for

understanding others, their societies, values, and norms (Tomalin & Stempleski, 1993). More

specifically, understanding others cultures compared to ones own is crucial in breaking

preconceived stereotypes. Being culturally aware can help in the professional field as well as

everyday activity; it can expand ones way of thinking, broaden their worldview, and break

cultural misunderstandings.

Selection of Event or Meeting

For my event, I attended the International Coffee Hour on Thursday, November 17, 2016,

from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. in Prospector. It was an informal setting with close to 50 attendees joined

together over desserts, board games, and talking. It hosted both U.S. domestic students as well as

foreign exchange students, staff, and faculty from across the world. I had a wonderful experience

getting to know five individuals from different cultures and backgrounds while we sat over an

intense puzzle sipping coffee. At first, I was slightly out of my comfort zone; however, I quickly

opened up and enjoyed getting to know different aspects of each others cultures. The event

provided a unique opportunity to meet people I may have never gotten to know otherwise. It

allowed me to break some preconceived notions of different cultures and to get to know and

appreciate each of them as a person not based on their ethnicity or culture. Though we all had our

differences, it was interesting to discover our similarities of cultures as well. Overall, it was great

to meet others from all different types of backgrounds and cultures, and I am looking forward to

going back next semester on my own time.

How Culture and Experiences Have Shaped My Own Perspectives

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 In his book, Cultural Intelligence, Brooks Peterson (2004) emphasizes the importance of

knowing and understanding ones own cultural characteristics before learning about others.

Ones own culture and experiences can be very influential to the worldview he or she may hold.

For me, my upbringing and experiences have taught me to have an open mind, specifically with

people different than me. I have grown up in a predominantly white, suburban area. I attended a

private Christian school, and most of the people I grew up with were like me. That is one of the

aspects of UNC Charlotte that excited me the most: the diversity. I was excited to step out of my

comfort zone and experience new cultures unlike anything I was familiar with.

I believe my open mindset has allowed me to meet new people from all different

backgrounds and with very different perspectives. This perspective can also be influential in my

future professional life because I am not afraid, and even enjoy, working with people from all

different backgrounds. I believe everyone brings a unique mindset carved by their culture and

experiences to the table.

How Culture and Experiences Have Shaped Other Peoples Perspectives

Understanding the values of people from different cultures and comparing them to ones

own culture can give him or her a better grasp of the world and differences in it. It can be

beneficial in analyzing occurrences and, potentially, avoiding miscommunications (Ferraro &

Briody, 2013). Therefore, knowing how culture and experiences shape other peoples

perspectives is important. Similarly, even in the business world, organizations are aware of the

importance of being culturally conscious to maintain global competitiveness and understanding

(Bennett, Aston, & Colquhoun, 2000).

Likewise, it is important for me to understand fellow students, classmates, and facultys

own perspectives and worldview. The event I attended helped me appreciate the differences
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as well as the similarities of my culture compared to others. More specifically, for the

international students I had the opportunity to meet, it was interesting to hear about their

expectations verse realities of coming to Charlotte. For some, their preconceived idea of America

was the Hollywood perspective of the western world; however, when they arrived, they were

surprised at how different it was from their expectations. Furthermore, I believe that a lot

peoples own society and culture have severe affects on their interpretations and understandings

of others cultures and the world. Often, what ones own society tells you about another culture

can have a lasting impact, either negative or positive. That is why it is important to be aware of

others cultures with an open-mind and even get out of ones own comfort zone to grasp a deeper

and greater understanding for other peoples perspectives.

Openness: How to Consider Others Perspectives and Points of View

In their book, Cultural Awareness, Barry Tomalin & Susan Stempleski (1993) describe

three qualities of cultural awareness as: being aware of ones own cultural values, being aware of

others cultural behaviors, and having the ability to explain ones own cultural stance. These

three qualities all begin with having an open mind to something familiar and something different.

To learn mathematics or English, one must have an open mind. Likewise, to understand

and learn other peoples points of views and perspectives, one must have an open mind as well.

One of the key qualities to being culturally understanding and aware is being open to the

unknown. Being able to understand and be compatible with those around you will be extremely

beneficial in the professional world as well as everyday life. Looking at concepts and ideas with

an open mind is often what can take someone the farthest in life.

References
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Bennett, R., Aston, A., & Colquhoun, T. (2000). Cross-cultural training: A critical step in

ensuring the success of international assignments. Human Resource Management,

39(2-3), 239250. doi:10.1002/1099-050x(200022/23)39:2/3<239::aid-hrm12>3.0.co;2-j

Ferraro, G. P., & Briody, E. K. (2013). The cultural dimension of global business (7th ed.).

Boston: Pearson.

Peterson, B. (2004). Cultural intelligence: A guide to working with people from other cultures.

Yarmouth, Me.: Intercultural Press.

Tomalin, B., & Stempleski, S. (1993). Cultural awareness. Oxford: Oxford University Press.