Regent School of Global LeadershipHartwell T Paul Davis

LHRD-762(Period Three)Global Human Resource Development

BY HARTWELL T PAUL DAVIS

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

• 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.

• 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?

Research Questions in Global HRD

Purpose of Culture

Purpose of Culture

• 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

Cultural diversity is God’s way of preventing excessive abuse over humanity

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

Oligarchical Collectivism

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

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.

Hypothesis for a Global HRD paper

• 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

Color blindness versus cultural awareness

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)

Ethnocentrism

Hartwell T Paul Davis

Ethnocentrism – the belief in the superiority of one’s own culture

• 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 dyanmic as multi-cultural personnel engage in corporate training

Training is filtered through cultural experience in both the trainer and the leaearner. Three major areas where ethnocentrism can impact HRD

Hartwell T Paul Davis

Cultural Components

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.

Layers of Culture

• Religion• Language• Education• Economics• Politics• Family• Class structure• History• Natural resources / geography

Factors Influencing the Cultural Environment

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

• Environment• Time• Action• Communication• Space• Power• Personal Behavior• Social Behavior• Structure• Thinking

Variables 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. (Table 2.2, Kindle Loc 299 of 4292)

Hartwell T Paul Davis

Impact on HRDHRD must adapt practice to the culture by acculturization of training programs

Ethnocentrism – the belief in the superiority of one’s own culture

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)

What is acculturization?

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.

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)

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)

Hartwell T Paul Davis

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.

Implication of Globalization