Cultural Incompetence in International Organization

Cultural Incompetence in International Organization

Critique of Journal Article

The article that I have chosen for writing a critique is “Diversity and Effective Leadership in Multicultural Workplaces” by Parvis, Leo. This article was published on March 2003, in Journal of Environmental Health. Parvis has highlighted the issues and benefits of diversity that companies of United States are facing. It also highlighted the methods that could be used for managing the diversity in workplaces.

Parvis wrote in his article that, cultural diversity in Untied States has mainly occurred due to large number of arrival of immigrants into numerous major urban areas. This large movement of immigrants has created apprehension from civil and human rights organizations challenging unparalleled concentration from local establishment. The diversity in U.S. is not mainly due to the large movement of immigrants to metropolitan areas rather, it is about valuing the differences in people, whether it is related to gender, race, age, disability of any individual characteristics. Nowadays, societies are becoming more and more pluralistic and it is important to raise cultural awareness of others around us who are different (American Behavioral Scientist, 2000).

Parvis highlighted that the issue of diversity should be focused as a national theme and not only certain difference in culture. Although, the key issues related to cultural diversity at workplaces are not highlighted in the article. The key issues that are responsible for diversity at workplace are 'discrimination' and 'racism'. All around the world, gender bias and discrimination are considered as obstacles towards full development and participation of women as compared to men. It is mostly a complaint by every woman that, they do not get equal opportunities at workplaces in United States and they do not enjoy the same opportunities that males are availing. Though, work place discrimination is a separate issue, yet ...