Sarah Brennan

February 26, 2023

OGL 350

Final Summary Paper

The Giraffe and Elephant article we read in module 6 had shown some

examples of how those animals both can relate to diversity management. I

see two different creatures in the same environment, but they see their

surroundings and portray them differently, which is an example of working

in an environment with multiple different cultures.

We all have the same end goal, but how we see and approach our own

work differs. “This is a critical concept that challenges us to abandon our

accustomed ways of thinking about diversity: that in any situation,

organization, or society there are the “main” people and then the “others”-

those who are different in some way (usually race or gender). In this

traditional view, it is the “others” who constitute the diversity” (Roosevelt,

1996, p.5). This is a good example of how many people portray diversity

which should change, diversity should not be people picked out and chosen,

it is working with everyone regardless of your culture, being from a culture

that is more “normalized” in your environment does not make you the

dominant culture. The giraffe being that dominant culture wanted the

elephant to change to meet the giraffes needs, when in reality they just
needed to realize they are different and work together as best as they can

and compromise, not change the one who seemed different.

When I took the post test of the CQ cultural intelligence test I scored a

90, which was a slight increase from my pre test score at a 73. I feel my

intelligence has improved throughout the course after learning more about

how different cultures differ in how they approach what seems normal to us

in the workplace. For example, when we saw that time management was so

different to different cultures when the boss in the video is trying to get the

employee to come on time to work, she did not understand the importance

of being on time. I would have never thought about her culture before

learning about how some cultures value the work you get done in a work

day rather than being on an actual schedule. This relates to the first

question on the quiz which was “I am conscious of the cultural knowledge I

use when interacting with people from different cultural backgrounds”.

Currently I am preparing for a leadership position as we speak as I am

seven months pregnant, which means I will be taking on the role of

parenthood very shortly. When I look back onto the pie chart I had created

in module one, I see various of my primary and secondary dimensions in my

characteristics. “Primary dimensions of diversity are essentially

unchangeable personal characteristics (e.g., gender, race, ethnicity, age,

sexual orientation, and physical and mental abilities). Secondary dimensions

of diversity, however, are changeable personal characteristics that are

acquired and may be modified or abandoned throughout like (e.g.,

education, income, marital and parental status, religious, political affiliation,

and work experience). (Canas, 2011, p.1).

As my son's mother, I will be portraying my primary dimensions to

him as his female mother, who is a pretty young mother at the age of 21.

He will grow up in a heterosexual household with his mother and father, but

not married. I feel that how I lead my son in life will come from a lot of how

I was raised and my background which will let my culture background turn

into his personal background and identity. I have known the importance of

mental abilities and mental health since I have struggled in my lifetime with

it, so I will make sure my son knows how important mental health is and

recognize good mental abilities in my son.

I will teach my son as a leader to be open to getting to know different

cultures other than the one he was raised in and the importance of it. “The

ability to communicate across cultures us a nested competency of global

leadership and supports organizational activities. In addition to developing

individuals, organizations need to cultivate their communication

infrastructure. (Lawrence, 2015, p. 56). As a leader I will want to make sure

his primary and secondary dimensions do not affect how he sees others, his

secondary dimensions of him most likely going to a Catholic school growing

up, will not affect how he treats people with different beliefs in other

religions.