Why should Human Resource Development be concerned about cultural diversity? What is the purpose of culture? It is much more important to develop cultural awareness rather than "color blindness". The many purposes of culture prevent mediocrity and provides beauty to human experience.

1. Hartwell T Paul Davis

2. • Genesis 11:5-6 (KJV)
5 And the LORD came down to see the city and the
tower, which the children of men builded.
6 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and
they have all one language; and this they begin to do:
and now nothing will be restrained from them, which
they have imagined to do.
The value of cultural diversity is the
protection it gives preventing all of humanity
from being enslaved by mediocrity as well as
by oligarchical collectivism – H T Paul Davis

3. Research Questions in Global HRD
• What is the purpose of culture?
• What are the dangers of ethnocentrism?
• Should HRD seek to homogenize training practice
or adapt practice to cultural norms?
• What is the importance of acculturization?
• Are their potential negative effects from the current
global megatrends?
• What is the importance of cultural training?

4. Purpose of
Culture

5. Cultural diversity is God’s way of preventing excessive abuse over humanity
• Prevents humanity from being
enslaved by mediocrity
• Creates and promotes innovation
in products based on diverse
needs and wants
• Stimulates relationships, curiosity,
and creativity
• Provides cohesiveness among
cultural groups and defines social
relationships at both a micro and
macro level
• Prevents oligarchical
collectivism by distributing
governmental powers
• Provides an economic check
and balance by distributing
control of wealth and
resources
• Prevents a one world
governmental system
• Distributes knowledge,
preventing a centralization
of knowledge management
and thus power
Purpose of Culture

6. Oligarchical Collectivism
The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical
Collectivism from Orwell’s Nineteen-Eighty-Four
envisions a totalitarian utopian society, socialist in
nature, reminiscent of a pre-Babel one world
government which was prevented by dividing the
nations in the biblical Tower of Babel account in
Genesis. Cultural diversity has a direct impact on
maintaining a distributed balance of power
economically and socially, deserving of our highest
respect – H.T. Paul Davis
For reference: Dalvai, M. (2010). Utopianism Parodied in Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. An Intertextual Reading
of the ‘Goldstein Treatise’. Orbis Litterarum, 65(5), 388-407. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0730.2010.00991.x

7. Hypothesis for a Global HRD paper
Global HRD should focus on equipping training
professionals with strong emphasis on cultural
awareness, respect for culture, intent on avoiding
ethnocentric policies seeking to change cultures, but
rather skill at delivery through acculturization that
adapts training to the culture. Megatrends leading to
homogenous practice or that attempt to break down
cultural barriers are dangerous and could lead to
oligarchical collectivism or disrupt the social and
economic checks and balances inherent with cultural
diversity.

8. Color blindness versus cultural awareness
• Do not seek to be “color blind”; instead seek to
understand and appreciate differences
• “Color blindness” seeks to see and treat all
people as being the same and ignore
characteristic and cultural differences; in effect
it is a form of politically correct ethnocentrism
• Cultural awareness seeks to understand
differences that can lead to respect and the
ability to develop relationships with those of
other cultures

9. Key Definitions
• Globalization symbolizes and creates a convergence
of economic and social forces, values and taste,
challenges and opportunities (Marquardt, Berger, &
Loan, 2004, Kindle Loc 83 of 4292)
• Culture is a way of thinking, acting, and living that
is shared by members of a group and that older
members pass on to new members (Marquardt et al,
Kindle loc 111 of 4292)

10. Ethnocentrism

11. Ethnocentrism – the belief in the superiority of one’s
own culture
Training is filtered through cultural experience in both the trainer and the learner.
Three major areas where ethnocentrism can impact HRD
• Corporate ethnocentrism: evidenced by the organization
presenting training in the same way all over the world
• Development of foreign managers and trainers: indicates bias
by owners, labor unions, governments or by HRD structural
functionalism (in-group mentality)
• Ethnocentrism is the classroom dynamic as multi-cultural
personnel engage in corporate training
Hartwell T Paul Davis

12. Cultural
Components
Hartwell T Paul Davis

13. Layers of Culture
Marquardt, M., Berger, N., & Loan, P. (2004). HRD In the Age of Globalization: A Practical Guide to Workplace
Learning in the Third Millennium. New York: Basic Books.

14. Factors Influencing the Cultural Environment
• Religion
• Language
• Education
• Economics
• Politics
• Family
• Class structure
• History
• Natural resources / geography
Marquardt, M., Berger, N., & Loan, P. (2004). HRD In the Age of Globalization: A Practical Guide to Workplace
Learning in the Third Millennium. New York: Basic Books., Kindle Loc. 262 of 4292

15. Variables of Culture
• Environment
• Time
• Action
• Communication
• Space
• Power
• Personal Behavior
• Social Behavior
• Structure
• Thinking
Marquardt, M., Berger, N., & Loan, P. (2004). HRD In the Age of Globalization: A Practical Guide to Workplace
Learning in the Third Millennium. New York: Basic Books. (Table 2.2, Kindle Loc 299 of 4292)

16. Ethnocentrism – the belief in the superiority of one’s
own culture
Impact on HRD
HRD must adapt practice to the culture by
acculturization of training programs
Hartwell T Paul Davis

17. What is acculturization?
Acculturization is the conveying of a program
(including is objectives, methodologies,
materials, and content) across cultural
boundaries to ensure that the training
program is user-friendly (Marquardt,Berger,
& Loan, 2004, Kindle loc. 502 of 4292)
Marquardt, M., Berger, N., & Loan, P. (2004). HRD In the Age of Globalization: A Practical Guide to Workplace
Learning in the Third Millennium. New York: Basic Books.

18. Global Training Model
Marquardt, M., Berger, N., & Loan, P. (2004). HRD In the Age of Globalization: A Practical Guide to Workplace
Learning in the Third Millennium. New York: Basic Books. (Figure 3.1, Kindle Loc 512 of 4292)

19. Benefits of Globalization
Marquardt, M., Berger, N., & Loan, P. (2004). HRD In the Age of Globalization: A Practical Guide to Workplace
Learning in the Third Millennium. New York: Basic Books. (Table 10.2, Kindle Loc 1553 of 4292)

20. Implication of Globalization
Globalization is debated by proponents and opponents for
various reasons. One implication is the potential for
reversing the Tower of Babel effect that provides a balance
against oligarchical abuse. However, economic
globalization or Christian globalization (missions) share
commonalities by reaching across cultural boundaries.
Globalization has many benefits as long as organization
promote cultural awareness and practice acculturization
rather than ethnocentrism in its global mission.
Hartwell T Paul Davis