The importance of cultural awareness in the business world

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Created on Friday, 29 November 2013 16:14

Written by Editorial staff

Australian organisations that aren't culturally aware are diminishing their chances of being successful in the business world, according to Dr Margaret Byrne of UGM Consulting.

She explained in a November 25 article that "culturally ignorant partners" can "trigger a downward spiral" in businesses, costing relationships, breaking trust and ultimately impacting results.

In order to improve your cultural competence, there are a number of things you can do, reveals Dr Byrne.

These include being respectful and doing everything you can to minimise embarrassment when dealing with someone from another culture, thinking carefully about what you say and do in their presence and personally handling any mistakes and misunderstandings that do occur.

As migration agents no doubt are already aware, you should always be sincere, and "don't let things escalate" if a problem does arise at some point.

These are suggestions that the government could potentially learn from.

Dr Byrne cites Tony Abbott's current problematic relationship with Indonesia and states that "Australian leaders, whether in business or politics, need to understand how to manage the complex dynamics of culture and cultural differences, if they are to succeed over the longer term".