Culture, according to Saylor Academy (2012), consists of the shared beliefs, values, and

assumptions of a group of people who learn from one another and teach to others that their
behaviors, attitudes, and perspectives are the correct ways to think, act, and feel. Organizational
culture on the other hand refers to the values and behaviors that contribute to the unique social and
psychological environment of an organization; and includes the organization’s expectations,
experiences, philosophy, and values that hold it together. (Business dictionary, n.d.)
How does an organization accurately identify the elements of its own culture?
            An organization identifies elements of its culture by first and foremost providing its vision and
mission statements which are the building blocks upon which all the organizational goals and
objectives are centered around. It provides an insight into the kind of culture the organization intends
to provide. A deeply authentic vision and mission statement guides the company’s values and
provides the company’s purpose which orients employee decision making as well as orienting
customers, suppliers and other stakeholders. (Coleman, 2013).       
How does it go about promoting critical awareness of culture among its personnel?
According to Saylor Academy (2012), culture has five principal components which define it; namely
being its being learned, shared, dynamic, systemic, and being symbolic. The elements of an
organization’s culture can thus be promoted by learning which is provided by the orientation
programs given during the onboarding process; the encouragement of the sharing of work
experiences and expectations between workers of the organization; by ensuring that the tone of the
employers and supervisors are in keeping with the cultural environment they wish to portray which
reflects its dynamic nature; the provision of training and re-training programs to emphasize aspects
of the organization’s culture that they hope to inculcate in the employees which forms the systemic
part of building cultural awareness, and the provision of symbolisms which could be verbal as well as
non-verbal cues to the cultural concepts that the organization is anchored upon.
Does cultural awareness play a role in organizational success?
            The ability of an individual to function and manage effectively in a culturally diverse setting is
a function of their ability to understand the similarities and differences between cultures and the
ability to exhibit appropriate verbal and non-verbal actions when interacting with people from
different cultures. (Gozzoli & Gazzaroli. 2018). These all culminate in the concept called cultural
Intelligence which according to Livermore & Dyne, (2004), is a critical requirement for navigating
today’s global and diverse business environment.
Is a global organization, in the 21st century, obligated to provide opportunities for its
employees to become more culturally sensitive or increase their cultural awareness through
an understanding the cultural system of values, assumptions, and symbols?
            The globalization of the business environment, owing to the advancement in technology and
the introduction of the internet of things, has resulted in the obliteration of geographical barriers that
have resulted in the intermingling of a variety of cultures. The differences between these cultures
have resulted in cultural intelligence being a requisite for successful navigation of the diverse global
business environment. (Livermore & Dyne, 2004).
            The new business environment has resulted in exposure to a variety of cultures and their
pre-requisites for a successful business. The need to ensure business success has resulted in
learning new cultural systems of values and increasing the cultural sensitivity of organizations
involved in international trade.
What do they stand to lose if they don’t?
            The concept of culture shock explains a situation in which a feeling of uncertainty, confusion,
or anxiety is experienced when visiting or doing business in a society different from one’s owing to
unfamiliarity with local customs, language and acceptable behavior (Segal, 2019).  A poor
understanding of the cultural system of values, assumptions and symbols results in this experience
of culture shock which can be unsettling for those who do business abroad; resulting in conflict and
associated poor productivity.
 
 
 

 
References
Business Dictionary (n.d.). Organizational Culture, Retrieved From
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/organizational-culture.html
Coleman J., (2013). Six Components of a Great Corporate Culture, Havard Business
Review, Retrieved From https://hbr.org/2013/05/six-components-of-culture
Gozzoli C., & Gazzaroli D., (2018). The Cultural Intelligence Scale (CQS): A Contribution to the
Italian Validation, Frontiers in Psychology: Quantitative Psychology and Measurement, Retrieved
From https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01183/full
Livermore D., & Dyne L.V., (2004). Cultural Intelligence: The Essential Intelligence for the 21st
Century, SHRM Foundation’s Effective Practice Guidelines Series, Retrieved From
https://culturalq.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/SHRM-report.pdf
Saylor Academy (2012). Cultural Intelligence for Leaders, Saylor Academy. Creative Commons by-
nc-sa 3.0. Retrieved from: https://saylordotorg.github.io/text_leading-with-cultural-
intelligence/index.html
Segal T., (2019). Culture Shock, Investopedia, Retrieved From
https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/culture-shock.asp