The recent input re culture has been great. I agree with Steve and
Ashleigh; culture is often ill-defined and over-used. Prefixing the
term with "organisational", "national", "vocational" etc. does help to
orientate discussion on culture.
I would like to mention the work of Ron Westrum. I have found his
thoughts on communication structures used in organisational cultures
(pathological, bureaucratic and generative) very useful when conducting
any form of cultural analysis, such as carrying out a safety audit, or
assessing an organisation's needs prior to implementing training. I
feel that his work helps further define an organisation's culture,
providing a framework that allows examination from a more objective
standpoint.
Another cultural issue that I am interested in is the notion I raised
some time ago of "cultural interpreters". I have noticed several people
in the industry that have the ability to translate the inherent values,
beliefs, rituals, symbols and behaviours of a concept from one culture
to another. Azmi Radzi from Malaysian Airlines and Joey Anca from
Ansett Australia are two that spring to mind. I think their ability to
"interpret" in a cross-cultural setting helps members of different
cultural groups to develop a greater understanding of the other, which
then helps on the harmony front. Perhaps we could identify the
attributes of a "cultural interpreter", and if possible train others?
Ashleigh and Julian, did anything come up at the conference that might
be along such lines?
Guy Standen