Transformational Diversity: Why and How Intercultural Competencies Can Help Organizations to Survive and Thrive

177 Pages·2012·0.689 MB·English

by  Fiona Citkin, Lynda Spielman

Transformational
DIVERSITY

Transformational
DIVERSITY
WHY AND HOW INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCIES
CAN HELP ORGANIZATIONS TO SURVIVE AND THRIVE
Fiona Citkin
Lynda Spielman
Society for Human Resource Management
Alexandria, Virginia
www.shrm.org
Strategic Human Resource Management India
Mumbai, India
www.shrmindia.org
Society for Human Resource Management
Haidian District Beijing, China
www.shrm.org/cn
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information regarding the
subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that neither the publisher nor the au-
thor is engaged in rendering legal or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert
assistance is required, the services of a competent, licensed professional should be sought. The
federal and state laws discussed in this book are subject to frequent revision and interpretation
by amendments or judicial revisions that may significantly affect employer or employee rights
and obligations. Readers are encouraged to seek legal counsel regarding specific policies and
practices in their organizations.
This book is published by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM®). The
interpretations, conclusions, and recommendations in this book are those of the authors and
do not necessarily represent those of the publisher.
Copyright© 2011 Fiona Citkin and Lynda Spielman. All rights reserved.
This publication may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in whole
or in part, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or
otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Society for Human Resource Manage-
ment, 1800 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world’s largest association
devoted to human resource management. Representing more than 250,000 members in over 140
countries, the Society serves the needs of HR professionals and advances the interests of the HR
profession. Founded in 1948, SHRM has more than 575 affiliated chapters within the United
States and subsidiary offices in China and India. Visit SHRM Online at www.shrm.org.
Interior Design: Blair Wright
Cover Design: Blair Wright
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Citkin, Fiona.
Transformational diversity : why and how intercultural competencies can help organizations
to survive and thrive / by Fiona Citkin and Lynda Spielman.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-58644-230-9
1. Management--Sociological aspects. 2. Management--Cross-cultural studies. 3. Cultural
pluralism. I. Spielman, Lynda. II. Title.
HD30.19.C58 2011
658.30089--dc22
2011014392
11-0125
Contents
Chapter 1. Reaching Our Potential with Transformational Diversity .. 1
Chapter 2. The Essence of Transformational Diversity ............. 5
Chapter 3. The Why of Transformational Diversity ................ 15
Chapter 4. The What of Transformational Diversity ............... 43
Chapter 5. The How of Transformational Diversity ................ 79
Chapter 6. Thinking and Acting Anew — Now! .................. 129
Appendix A: Milton Bennett’s Development Model for Intercultural
Sensitivity (DMIS) ........................................... 133
Appendix B: The ACROSS© Cultural Business Model ............ 137
Bibliography ............................................... 141
Endnotes ................................................ 149
Index ................................................ 157
Acknowledgements ......................................... 161
About the Authors .......................................... 165
Additional SHRM-Published Books ............................ 167

“The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present.
The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the
occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew and act anew.”
— Abraham Lincoln
vii

Chapter 1. Reaching Our Potential
with Transformational Diversity
The latest research in diversity, Global Diversity and Inclusion: Percep-
tions, Practices and Attitudes, commissioned from the Economist In-
telligence Unit by the Society for Human Resource Management
(SHRM),1 points out that although North America ranks high for di-
versity, the potential is far from fulfilled, with the region scoring only
70 out of 100 points. The need to reach our potential is more chal-
lenging in our uncertain times. At the same time, organizations need
to grow and remain competitive, more so now than ever before. This
reality is why the business rationale for transforming diversity and in-
clusion that we advocate and substantiate in this book rests with syner-
gy-boosting intercultural training for everyone.
In this book we introduce Transformational Diversity© — a new
vision of diversity developments that seeks to revise and transform cur-
rent diversity programs through a strong infusion of an intercultural
perspective with intercultural business competencies training. This
new brand of diversity is taking the “old” diversity beyond race and
gender, proposing the shift of focus from traditional race-gender to
minorities-integration-synergy-performance issues. The shift — which
1