Reflections and Recognition

One of the reasons that I wanted to participate in the IMI conference is because of its emphasis on presenting a foundation to understand the dynamics of multi-cultural and cross-cultural communication. As I progress throughout my career, not only do I want to have the skill to communicate people of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, it is a necessity for everyone to have these traits, regardless of their professional background. I realize that the forces of education, business, and technology are putting people of different cultures in contact more rapidly than ever before.

During the first session, “Challenges Of A Multicultural Workforce”, Ursula Leizmann guided us through the cultural dimensions that affect business functions. One dimension that stood out to me was “individualism”: Is the success of the individual more important than the success of the team? I have a diverse professional background, specifically as an attorney and a middle-school teacher, and found this question to be extremely internally polarizing. At “big name law firm”, individualistic accomplishments were rewarded with bonuses, promotions, and most importantly (to those on that path), partnership. It is an individual-centered path that is cultivated in law school and nurtured throughout one’s professional maturation. As a teacher, however, individual success is the school’s success. Ideas are freely shared with other teachers, and the students’ successes are celebrated within the school, the district, the county, and the state.

“Individualistic” was a term stated when asked by Ms. Leizmann “What are the perceptions of the US business culture?” It is a term also used to describe Americans when I have lived and worked abroad in Paris, Dakar (Senegal), and The Gambia. It also a term used “intra-culturally” amongst Americans of different ethnic backgrounds. This concept does not register well with other cultures who tend to shun individual praise in lieu of recognition of the team as a whole.

As a business-person, the conference raised the questions: How does this affect the pipeline of entrants into a multi-cultural workplace? How does it affect the retention of employees of different backgrounds? Who yields to who?