Managing Diversity - Diversity'sImpact on Career Choice

Five major cultural dimensions that influence career choice

Researchers have suggested there are five dimensions along which cultural values influence careers and work.

1. Individualism versus collectivism

Cultures and traditions that value individualism, such as many Western cultures, tend to favour working alone and avoid depending on others. They place high value on competitiveness, with a goal of maximising material wealth and personal well-being. Cultures that value collectivism, such as many African and Asian cultures, tend to prefer working within a group, favour collective goals, and place value on success through cooperation. Collectivism is the practice of giving the group priority over the individual.

2. The purpose and value of work

Some cultural groups derive their sense of achievement primarily through work, while others work in order to live. Put another way, certain cultural groups — often within Western societies — live to work, seeking a sense of achievement through professional success, while other cultural groups work to live, so that they can focus on other things they find more important. Work occupies a less central place for this second group.

3. Locus of control

Locus of control refers to how strongly people believe they are in control of their own lives and experiences. An internal locus of control implies that a person believes they are in control of their own life, whereas an external locus of control means a person feels that external forces shape their life and are outside their control.

Individuals with an internal locus of control tend to be proactive in pursuing their goals, while those with an external locus of control are more likely to accept circumstances as a matter of fate. Cultural and religious beliefs can play a role in shaping a person's locus of control.

Research suggests that groups who have experienced sustained political or social oppression — for example through racism, colonisation or slavery — may develop a stronger external locus of control, since the forces shaping their circumstances have historically been beyond their control.

4. Avoiding uncertainty

Different cultural groups vary in their comfort with unfamiliar or ambiguous situations and tasks. Some groups or individuals have a strong preference for avoiding uncertainty, favouring structured environments with clear regard for conformity, rules and organisational norms; people with this preference tend to become anxious when rules are broken. In the same way, cultures are often organised around norms that let members know what to expect from the behaviour of others.

5. Cultural perception of time

Cultures that focus on the past for guidance and answers tend to follow tradition and let it shape the future. Cultures with a present-time orientation tend to live in the moment and act spontaneously. Cultures with a future-time orientation tend to focus on long-term goals and are willing to make sacrifices to achieve them. Western cultures generally hold a present-time orientation and treat time as something to be "used". Cultures that draw more on the past are likely to take time making career decisions, weighing them carefully against past experience and knowledge.

CDPs can bear these dimensions in mind when working with clients, as doing so helps put diversity into perspective. Diversity can never be fully understood, but CDPs need to be aware of its many dimensions, which can make it a sensitive subject. Diversity management should not be treated as a purely theoretical exercise — CDPs still need to feel their way around it, as every client is different, and what works for one person within a culture might not work for another person from the same culture.

Suggestions for practitioners working with diverse clients

There is no single, fixed way of working with diversity. Each client is different, and so is the CDP within that relationship. CDPs need to regularly audit themselves to give each client the best possible service, and to work effectively with diversity, CDPs need to constantly challenge their own biases.

CDPs must establish rapport and develop culturally appropriate relationships. To do this, the practitioner plans how they will work with each client and closes any gaps in their knowledge of the client's culture that could affect the relationship. They consider strengths and areas of challenge that could affect the relationship, and clarify goals and intentions for working with the client. CDPs identify career-related issues in the context of the client's culture.

CDPs set goals that are consistent with the client's worldview. They compare their own goals with the client's by reflecting on whether their goals are appropriate for the client's cultural context, and consider how to respond if the client's goals differ from their own.

A client bill of rights

It can help for CDPs to display a simple poster in their office informing clients of their rights. As a client, you have the right to:

1. Have and express your feelings and opinions.

2. Refuse requests without having to feel guilty.

3. Consider your own needs first.

4. Decide on your priorities and make your own decisions.

5. Change your mind.

6. Make mistakes and take responsibility for them.

7. Ask for information.

8. Choose not to speak.

9. Do what you want, as long as it does not violate the rights of others.

10. Be independent and not have to ask for help.

11. Assert your rights and stand up for yourself.

12. Be left alone.

13. Be treated with dignity and respect.

14. Be listened to and taken seriously.

Conclusion

CDPs should step outside their comfort zones, research and explore issues with diverse individuals. Communication is important, as different people have different backgrounds, native languages and cultural frameworks — the CDP needs to communicate very specifically, since vague communication can be misinterpreted. Failure to manage diversity within practice could result in the practitioner not meeting the client's needs.