Global Diversity has become something of a buzzword in recent years as organizations and individuals try to grapple with all the ways people are different and similar across the world. In the USA, differences might focus on race and gender. In Latin America, heritage and socio-economic status. In India, religion, language and caste. But Global Diversity refers to much more. Global Diversity is important on all levels—from individual differences, to organizational dynamics and team performance, to the political, economic, cultural and historical functioning of society as a whole.
In a professional setting, Global Diversity helps us to lead, work and communicate more effectively across cultures; Inclusion creates an environment where everyone can bring their full selves to work and contribute fully to the success of the organization. This Cultural Detective package will highlight key issues in Global Diversity and Inclusion and best practices for managing them.
Cultural Detective Global Diversity and Inclusion contains the following stories and critical incidents:
• Success or Assimilation? Partners in an international management consultancy offer partnership to a senior associate but do not receive the response they anticipate.
• Going Global—Who Wins and Who Loses? A high-level task force charged with guiding downsizing of international manufacturing operations as well as location of a new global Center of Innovation has its first meeting.
• International Management Training: A UK-based Director of Training attempts to extend corporate leadership training into Asia.
• Post-Apartheid South Africa and Pre-Apartheid Foreign Businesses in South Africa: A U.S. attorney files a class-action lawsuit against a large multinational bank with significant interests in South Africa, claiming damages for victims of Apartheid.
• Gender and Peacekeeping Operations: An Indian couple, members of the police force, discuss the wife's desire to join a United Nations peacekeeping mission.
• Danish Cartoon Controversy: University students disagree about publication of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
In addition to an introduction to GDI, the GDI Lens, critical incidents, and sample debriefs, the package contains a table of four frameworks through which to analyze GDI, and supplementary discussion questions to put the interpersonal interaction into the larger organizational, social, political, legal and strategic contexts. Cultural Detective Global Diversity and Inclusion is authored by Rui-ling King, Alan Richter and Jeremy Solomons.