MANAGING IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY 5211 –

i i i i i i i

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT 2i i

CULTURAL iAWARENESS

A iCASE iREPORT iON iCULTURAL iSTRATEGIC iTHINKING i(Faith i& iHealth)

STUDENT iID: iS297395

LECTURER: iLAURA iAMERSON

28TH i iJUNE, i2023

INTRODUCTION

According ito iZimmermann i(2021), i“Culture iis ithe icharacteristics iand iknowledge iof ia iparticular igroup iof

i people, iencompassing ilanguage, ireligion, icuisine, isocial ihabits, imusic iand iarts.” i iBy ithe idefinition iof iculture, iit

i can ibe iseen ithat ipeople iact iin idifferent iways idue ito itheir ibeliefs iand ivalues. i iFor iinstance, iwhen iit icomes ito

i religion, imost iChristians icommemorate iSunday ias ia iholy iday. i iAside ifrom ithat, ithe iIslamic ireligion ialso

i distastes ianything ithat ihas ito ido iwith ipigs iand ialcohol iand ideems iit ibest ito ialways ihave itheir ibodies icovered

i when iin ithe iopen. i i iIn ithis icase istudy, iI iwill ibe idiscussing iAbdul ia istaunch iMuslim iand ia ifemale inurse; iAnna

i who iwas iassigned ito itake icare iof ihim iafter ihis isurgery iin ia ihospital. i(Cultural iIntelligence ifor ileaders, i2012). iI

i will ibe itouching ion ithe idescription iof ithe icase, iidentifying ithe imajor iissues iand icoming iup iwith ian iin-depth

i analysis iand irecommending istrategies iand isolutions ito ithis icase istudy. i

DESCRIPTION iOF iCASE i

This icase istudy iinvestigates ithe icultural iintelligence igap ibetween iPatient iAbdul iand ihis inurse iAnna. iAbdul

i Hadi ipractices ithe iIslamic ireligion iand ifollows iIslamic idoctrines. iFor ithis ireason, iAbdul irefuses ito igo iagainst

i his ibelief idespite ibeing iadmitted ito ithe ihospital. i iAnna, ithe inurse iassigned ito ihim isees ihis irefusal ito iallow iher

i to iclean ihim ias ifrustrating iand iannoying. i iAnna ipresumably iseems ito ihave ino iknowledge iof ithe iIslamic

i doctrines iand ireligion ibut iAbdul iHadi iseems iso ikeen ion ihaving ia imale inurse ito iclean ihim. iHe iis iunable ito itake

i certain imedications ias iwell ias ifood ifrom ithe icafeteria ibecause iit icontains ipork, igelatin ior ilard. i iHe isometimes

i finds iit idifficult ito iget ihelp iout iof ibed iwhen iit’s itime ito ipray iespecially iat itimes iwhen iAnna iis ibusy iattending ito

i other ipatients iand iis iunable ito ihelp ihim. i

IDENTIFICATION iOF iMAJOR iISSUES i

1. Abdul icannot itake ia ishower; itherefore, ihe ineeds isomeone ito ihelp ihim iclean ihimself ibut irefuses iAnna’s
i help ibecause iof ihis ireligion iand iinsists ion ia imale inurse.
 2. Abdul icannot itake iany imedications iwith ipork ior ialcohol iin ithem iand ithe ihospital iseemed inot ito ihave
i made iany iprovision ifor isuch isituations ilike ithat iof ithe iIslamic ibelievers. i
3. Abdul ihas ispecial idietary ineeds ibut iis iunable ito itake ithe ifood ifrom ithe icafeteria ibecause iof ithe ipork,
i gelatin iand ilard icontained iin ithe ifood. i i
4. Abdul’s irelatives idisturb iother ipatients iin ihis iward ianytime ithey ivisit ithe ihospital iin itheir inumbers iand
i most iof ithe ipatients iare inot ivery ihappy iabout ithat. i
5. Anna iseemed iquite ioccupied ifor ithat ireason, iAbdul iseemed inot ito iget iprompt ihelp ianytime ihe ihas ito iget
i out iof ibed ito igo iand ipray. i(Cultural iIntelligence ifor ileaders, i2012)

ANALYZING iTHE iSITUATION iIN iTERMS iOF iNATIONAL, iREGIONAL iAND iINDIVIDUAL

i LEVELS i

Abdul iHadi iis ia iMuslim iwho ilives iin iGermany. iA icountry iwhich iis inot iIslamic-dominated. iHe ihappens ito ihave

i had isurgery iin ia ihospital icloser ito ihis iplace iof iabode. i iAnna iworks iin ithe isame ihospital ias ithe ione iAbdul ihas

i been iadmitted. iAnd isince iGermany iis inot ian iIslamic-dominated icountry ishe iseemed inot ito ibe ifamiliar iwith

i their ibeliefs. i iAnna iis ia ihard-working iand ipractical iperson. i iShe ihas ibeen iassigned ito itake icare iof iAbdul ibut

i sees ino ireason iwhy iAbdul ishould irefuse ito iconform ito ithe ihospital’s inorms iand itherefore igets iirritated ianytime

i Abdul irefuses ito iallow iher ito iclean ihim iup. i iAbdul iHadi iis ia istaunch iand ilaw-abiding iMuslim iwho irefuses ito

i lay ihis ibeliefs iaside idespite ithe ichallenging isituation ihe ifinds ihimself. i iHe icannot itake ia inormal ishower

i therefore ihas ibeen iassigned ia inurse ito icare ifor ihim. iAbdul ideclined iAnna’s ihelp ianytime ishe ioffered ito iclean

i him ibecause iof ihis ibelief iand iasked ifor ia imale inurse iinstead. iBut iunfortunately ifor ihim, ithe imale inurses iwere

i either ioff iduty ior ibusy iwith iother ipatients iwhen ihe ineeds ito ibe icleaned iup. i iHe ican’t itake isome iof ithe

i medications ito ihelp ihim iget iwell iand icannot ieat ia iwell-balanced idiet iin ithe icafeteria ibecause ihis ireligion

i prohibits ihim ifrom itaking ipork, igelatin ior ilard. i iBecause ihe ineeds ispace ito ipray ihe ihas ito iget iout iof ibed ito ido iso

i but iAnna iis inot ialways ion itime ito ihelp ihim iout iof ithe ibed ibecause iof iher icommitment ito iother ipatients. i

i (Cultural iIntelligence ifor ileaders, i2012)

SOLUTIONS iAND iSTRATEGIES iFOR iEACH iBEHAVIOUR iAND iNEED i

Behaviour i1: iFor ithis isince iother imale inurses iseemed ioccupied ior ioff iduty, iAnna ican iarrange iwith ione iof ithem
i to iswap iher iduties iwith ihim ito ihelp iput iAbdul iat iease. iFor iAbdul, iI ithink ihe ishould ibe ipatient iand itry ito ireport
i his iissue ito ithe iappropriate iauthority ibut iaccommodate iAnna itill ithe iissue iis isolved. iI ibelieve iwith ichallenging
i issues ilike ithis ithe ireligious ileaders iwould iunderstand ihim iand ican ibe ipardoned. i
Behaviour i2: iAnna iand iAbdul ican ifind ia isenior iperson iin ithe ihospital ito iadvise ithem ion ihow ito igo iabout
i situations ilike ithis. i iAlso, iI isuggest ithe ihospital’s iadministration imust itry ito imake iprovisions ifor imedications
i that iwill ifavour iall iand inot ijust isome iparticular ipeople. iThirdly, iAbdul ican imanage ito ihold idown ihis ibeliefs
i and iaccept ithe imedications iand imake ia iknown icomplaint ias ithis iis ifor ihim ito iget ibetter. i

Behaviour i3: iHadi ican iallow ihis ifamily ito icook ifor ihim ior iorder ifood ifrom ioutside ithe ihospital’s icafeteria. i
i Also, ithe ihospital’s icafeteria imust iprepare idishes ifactoring ievery, iculture, ireligion iand itribe ito iavoid iissues ilike
i that iof iAbdul.

Behaviour i4: iAbdul imust ispeak ito ihis irelatives ito ivisit ihim iin ia ismall inumber iand iadvise ithem ito itone idown ias
i other ipatients ilike ihim ineed ithe iserenity iand ipeace iof ithe ienvironment ito irecover. i

Behaviour i5: iBecause iMuslims ipray iat ia ifixed itime, iAnna ican itry ito iget iAbdul ito ienlighten iher ion ithe ifixed

i times iso ishe ican iget ito ihim isome iminutes ito itime ior imore istill ishe ican icall iher ico-worker iwho iis icloser ito

i Abdul’s iward iand iless ibusy iat ithe isaid itime ito ihelp iAbdul iout iof ibed. i(Cultural iIntelligence ifor ileaders, i2012)

HOW iTHE iHOSPITAL iCAN iINCREASE iITS iCULTURAL iSTRATEGIC iTHINKING i

The ihospital imust iprioritize ithe idevelopment iof icultural ihumility iamong iits ihealth iprofessionals. iThis iway,

i healthcare iprofessionals ican iincrease itheir iawareness iof iimplicit ibiases iand ifoster ian iapproach ithat iis iopen iand

i curious iabout ieach inew ipatient. iThe ihospital imust iform iteams icomprised iof idiverse ihealthcare iprofessionals.

i They ican iachieve ithis iby ihoning iabilities ithat ifacilitate icross-cultural icommunication iand iplay ia ivital ipart iin

i providing iequitable itreatment. i iThese iteams imust ithen ihave ibroader icultural iknowledge iand idiversity iin iterms

i of iculture, ilanguage, ietc. i iWith ithis, ithey iare imore ilikely ito irespond iwith iempathy ito ithe iunique icultural ineeds

i of ipatients. iAlso, ithis iwill iserve ias ia ifoundation ifor ithem ito iimprove itheir icross-cultural iawareness. i i(Tulane

i University, i2021).

CONCLUSION i

Developing icultural iintelligence igives ia icompany ia icompetitive iadvantage iby iimproving icommunication,

i cooperation, iteamwork, iand ioverall iperformance. iIt ialso iproduces ileaders iwho imanage iwhat iis iknown iand ihow

i power ioperates iin iorganizations ion ipurpose. iThus, ibecoming ia iculturally iintelligent iemployee ienables iyou ito

i ensure ithat itraditional ipatterns iof iadvantage iand idisadvantage iare idisrupted iin ia icreative iand ipositive iway. iAs ia
i result, iany iworkplace, ino imatter ihow idiverse, iwill ialways ihave ia ivariety iof iexperiences, iideas, iand

i perspectives ithat iinfluence ithe iway iwe isee ithe iworld iand iinteract iwith ione ianother.

REFERENCES i

Cultural iIntelligence ifor iLeaders i(2012). i iCultural iIntelligence iin iAction. i i157(7). i iRetrieved ion i14th

i September, i2021 ifrom ihttps://2012books.lardbucket.org/pdfs/cultural-intelligence-for-leaders.pdf.

Tulane iUniversity(March i1, i2021). i iHow ito iImprove iCultural iCompetence iin iHealthcare. i iRetrieved ion

i September i14, i2021 ifrom ihttps://publichealth.tulane.edu/blog/cultural-competence-in-health-care/

Zimmermann, iK. iA. i (July, i12, i2021).

i i i What iis iculture? iRetrieved ion i14th iSeptember, i2021 ifrom

i https://www.livescience.com/21478-what-is-culture-definition-of-culture.html.