Category: Cultural Diversity

Culture is defined as everything people have, think & do as members of their society. Culture is transmitted through the way of learning and communicating with one’s environment, instead of through the genetic procedure. Culture can be thought of as a storage facility of all the information of the society. For instance, material objects, techniques for finding food, language, rules of government, types of marriage, religion, and numerous different things have just been found and are working inside the culture. Culture is whatever a person must know so as to work in a specific culture, it can socially obtain, and important practices are learned and don’t originate any sorts of genetic enrichment. Thought is just an idea, or an opinion produced by thinking, or occurring suddenly in the mind. For example, let’s say a random Portuguese person walked to you and said, “Desculpe, você pode me ajudar”. In this case, your first reaction is your thought of what the person had said to you. And by the way, the person is just asking for help (Ferraro, G., & Briody, E. 2020).

Language shapes ideas and mirrors values. Although, our methods for conveying aren’t just restricted to that. How would we communicate when we are not using language? One approach is through visual portrayals. There are clearly differences in the way emotions and thoughts are conveyed between different languages. If each language were equal, we would have the option to comprehend each other superbly, making communication simple and easy. Anyhow, that is obviously not the situation. A few languages will in general state things more implicitly than others. Language:

• Preserve culture – This is very vital for a culture. For instance, we can preserve language by creating records and printed sources or by learning and teaching language classes. Sometimes it can be hard to preserve language. I myself am a Portuguese native speaker, but because I have been trying to preserve other languages which I had learned. I have begun to lose my Portuguese. This because I didn’t have someone who I could communicate verbally or written. What I am trying to explain here is that you or we need to insist in speaking our native language.
• Expresses culture
• The vehicle to move culture from generation to generation- Every born child is born and destined to speak and learn a certain language in the environment in which he/she is born, and this keeps going on for generations and generations (Ferraro, G., & Briody, E. 2020).

Edward Sapir was one of the main linguists to disclose how language will in the general impact our perceptions. Alongside the beginner linguist Benjamin Lee Whorf, Sapir created what has been alluded to as the Sapir–Whorf hypothesis.

This hypothesis, managing the relationship among language and perception, expresses that language isn’t simply a system for conveying thoughts however is the shaper of thoughts. The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis alludes to the claims that the characteristics of one’s language influence one’s thoughts with the goal that various languages encourage distinctive conceptual systems.

The hypothesis consists of two principles: Linguistic determinism and Linguistic relativity. The idea behind linguistic determinism is that language determines thought and different languages force different formulation of reality. While linguistic relativity, language influences your way of thinking and linguistic difference between societies are associated with ways of thinking. The linguistic determinism is far too strong of a fact and thus resulted in being false. This because peoples’ perceptions and thoughts are not determined by the words and structures of their language (Ferraro, G., & Briody, E. 2020).

What are the effects of culture on language? Well, Culture impacts language acquisition from the beginning stage through the whole developmental procedure. Culture impacts all parts of the language. It is using language the individual is changed into an agent of culture. A basic fundamental of anthropological linguistics is that there is a close connection between language and culture. It is commonly held that it is difficult to comprehend a culture without considering its language, and it is similarly difficult to comprehend a language outside of its cultural setting.

A few societies share basic cultural customs yet communicate in commonly incomprehensible languages. Then again, societies with various cultures may communicate in commonly clear language (Ferraro, G., & Briody, E. 2020).

Certain classes of words should be avoided at a normal, well-mannered speech. Unthinkable words are managed using euphemisms—that is, by subbing tasteless, ambiguous, or indirect expressions for one idea to be excessively direct, unforgiving, or obtuse. For example, we don’t say that person has died, but instead that person has passed away. But let’s all keep in mind that different cultures may have different ways of saying things. Should avoid subjects on death, criminality, sickness and unemployment (Ferraro, G., & Briody, E. 2020).

Ethnoscience is how individuals classify things in their environment gives significant insights into knowledge into the interests, concerns, and values of their culture. Etic categories include a characterization as per some external system of examination brought by the guest. This is the methodology of science in using the Linnaean grouping system to characterize new species. It expects there is a target reality and that is a higher priority than the cultural impression of it. On the other hand, emic categories include a characterization as per how individuals of a society classify their reality. It might reveal little about the target reality however it is exceptionally wise in seeing how others perceive that reality through the channel of their language and culture (O’Neil, 2020).

Lastly, we use language to decipher and organize reality. With language we transmit our way of life, we order the world we live in, language impacts and reflects reality. Communicating effectively which is so basic to the conduct of business issues includes more than a capability in sending and getting messages. Effective communication requires a comprehension of how individuals think, feel, and behave. It includes knowing something about the cultural attitudes, values, traditions, and perhaps the most ideal approaches to increase cultural mindfulness is through a culture’s language.

Reference

1. Ferraro, G., & Briody, E. (2020) The Cultural Dimension of Global Business, (7th ed. Pp. 111-132). Pearson, 2013
2. O’Neil, D. (2020). Language and Culture: Language and Thought Processes. Retrieved 16 March 2020, from https://www2.palomar.edu/anthro/language/language_5.htm#blouse_color_return
3. Shah, U. (2020). Language, Culture and Thought. Retrieved 12 March 2020, from https://www.academia.edu/19630666/Language_Culture_and_Thought?auto=download

The issue of cultural identity is a broad field, comprising various viewpoints and ideas, concerning what it is and how it can be defined. Cultural Identity Theory (Collier & Thomas, 1988; Collier, 1998) revealed the issue from a phenomenological perspective, emphasizing the complex process of creating, negotiating, and asserting cultural identity in communication with in-groups and out-groups. (Harapan,2016)

Tibet, called “Bod” by Tibetans, or 西藏 (Xīzàng) by the Chinese, is a plateau region in Central Asia and the indigenous home to the Tibetan people. With an average elevation of 16,000 feet, (4,900 meters) it is the highest region on earth and is commonly referred to as the ‘Roof of the World.’ It is bounded on the N. by Turkestan, on the E. by China, on the W. by Kashmir and Ladak, and on the S. by India, Nepal, and Bhutan. It has an area of over 1,000,000 sq. m., and an estimated population of about 3,000,000, being very sparsely inhabited.

Tibet developed a distinct culture due to its geographic and climatic conditions. While influenced by neighboring cultures from China, India, and Nepal, the Himalayan region’s remoteness and inaccessibility have preserved distinct local influences and stimulated the development of its distinct culture.

Tibetan Buddhism has exerted a particularly strong influence on Tibetan culture since its introduction in the seventh century. Tibetan cultural influences extend to the neighboring nations of Bhutan, and Nepal, adjacent regions of India such as Sikkim and Ladakh, and adjacent provinces of China where Tibetan Buddhism is the predominant religion.

The Tibetans, one of the largest ethnic minority groups in China, are well-known in the world because of their unique natural environment and distinctive culture and religion. What follows is some background information on Tibetans and their geographic distribution in China prior to a discussion of Tibetan culture and religion. ( A General Introduction to Tibetan Culture and ReligionLobsangGelek,2014)

Tibetan peoples often defined their own identities in terms of religious beliefs, ties to traditional culture, and geographic locations. For instance, they introduced themselves by expressing which monasteries they belonged to and which religious sects and spiritual Lamas that they followed. Therefore, their goals of worldly life and the essence of both group and individual identities were deeply submerged in the religious culture. ( Mang Jia,2015)

Tibetan culture like any other culture, is often represented as if it is a timeless and essential thing, rather than something dynamic and constructed. (Trine Brox)

In many cultures, languages, accents, and dialects can emerge as the most salient dimensions of group identity and, likewise (although not disputing the core relevance of dress styles, foods, and unique forms of Buddhism and, hence, lifestyles), the distinctive Tibetan language and literature is central to understanding their cultural identity( Dorjee,2015)

The Tibetan culture enjoys massive popularity among non-Tibetans taking an interest in the Buddhist spiritual tradition, as well as social, political, and personal solutions based on ethical principles. The ethical basis is grounded and reflected in this tradition but surpasses its boundaries. The value that the global community can obtain from the Tibetan cultural tradition, in the long run, motivates to pose a question of how the tradition is being maintained by the culture bearers. ( Harapan, 2016)

Culutural identity construct (eva k. neumier)

Literature review:

Mang Jia(2015) argued that the transformation of Tibetan cultural identity consciousness from spiritual domination to secularization is an undeniable reality. Chinese authorities have tried to submerge Tibetan identity within Chinese cultural hegemony by promoting school education and economic development and Tibetans are using secularization as a way to resist and confront those challenges they succeeded in many ways, such as promoting their political consciousness by studying political knowledge since they got language skills in school.

Neumaier talks about the challenges faced by the Tibetan culture regarding modernization. According to her Tibetan people are solely devoted to the pursuit of spiritual awareness and averse to all materialistic and worldly gains; a country united as a nation under the leadership of a bodhisattva, i.e. the Dalai Lama, who leads the Tibetans along a path of compassion and non-violence only to be brutally attacked and destroyed by the evil of Communist China.

Trine Brox() explained how the term ‘Tibetan Culture’ is used as a political strategy, he termed Tibetan culture as Battlefield. He argued that Tibetan culture is a field for struggle, where contesting discourses seek to define and represent the culture in different ways. Tibetan culture has been instrumentalised and made into a central pillar of discourse in the Dalai Lama’s and the Tibetan Government in Exile’s main aim: namely self-determination in Tibet. They incorporated the concept of Tibetan culture to serve political purposes.

Dorji, Giles, and Barker (2011) talk about the cultural identity in the Tibetan diaspora, they focussed on the intercultural communication climate of the Tibetan exiles in India. And found that Tibetans (irrespective of whether they identified more or less with the Tibetan ingroup) were reportedly accommodative. The Tibetan diaspora in India has over 50 years of experience in accommodating its host country, India; despite its low vitality, Tibetans there have managed to preserve their identity and culture, including language. Potentially, this could give hope to other diaspora around the world, especially those low in group vitality, that they could preserve their native language and culture while adjusting to the host environment and its languages.

According to Sharapan(), the preservation of the Tibetan cultural tradition is a truly important issue in terms of maintaining cultural diversity in the modern globalizing world. The aspects of their culture worth preserving are named to be: religious values, language, and allegiance to Tibet. The factors, enhancing the preservation of the Tibetan culture are thought to be community and settlement living, education, in-group marriages, and staying in bigger refugee communities. All the respondents were optimistic about their cultural longevity.

Gender roles are complex constructions. These structures are formed not only by explicitly institutionalized differences of gender but also informally, such as through the media. The media takes an important role, because it establishes values, dominates modern life’s symbolic settings, and cultivates a rising perspective. Commercial television has been spreading globally since the 1970s, and today most people are exposed to a great deal of television advertising (Furnham and Mak, 1999). Looking at TV advertisements also gives us insight into the changing significance of gender in popular culture. Many studies have shown that females are generally portrayed at home and play traditional roles while males are portrayed as the central and dominant role in TV commercials (Furnham and Mak, 1999). Social learning theory also supports the idea that TV has an important effect on people’s beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors by showing models that they can learn from. By repeatedly exposing these models on TV, viewers’ mindsets and beliefs about gender roles can be changed. From this point of view, repeating exposure to commercial messages that relate female characters with domestic products and male characters with nondomestic products may subtly influence consumers’ attitudes about appropriate spheres and roles for both women and men (Arslan, 2015).

Since the Republic of Turkey was established in 1923, its goal has been to reach a high level of modernization and Westernization. As a result of that new models for gender traditional gender types have been introduced. According to Mine Çankaya, today, the Turkish gender ideology reflects a mixed profile whereby modern concepts are based mainly on Western models, hybrid ones where traditional and new models are combined and traditional models coexist (2013). Historically, Turkey was one example of a patriarchal society in which men dominated certain aspects of life and women had limited rights. However, result of Westernization and modernization processes, women’s status increased. They were given equal rights and privileges in political, cultural, and social life. On the other hand, enormous developments in mass media and technology tended to contribute to patriarchal model challenges. Many Turkish women today work in high-paying jobs, have a say in many aspects of life and at home, live alone, and act independently without interference of any kind. At home, men support their partners, perform traditional female jobs such as nursing, and show greater empathy when raising their children. Even though there have been some changes in the mindset people have about gender stereotypes, TV commercials still depict and consolidate traditional gender stereotypes. And also these stereotypes can be easily seen in Turkish daily life. One possible solution to change those roles is to create more equal commercials in terms of gender.

Gender is a socially constructed term that defines the roles, characteristics, and attributes of being female and male. Society and cultural norms define what is acceptable for both sexes. Throughout life, individuals have been learning gender roles by observing and experiencing. They find answers to questions such as “What is acceptable, valued, and expected” based on their gender. These answers can be seen as norms in society. Since males are considered breadwinners in Turkish society, many Turkish families encourage their sons to become doctors or lawyers basically because those are better-paid occupations. Meanwhile, girls are encouraged to become good mothers or at least to have jobs that are considered suitable for females. Similarly, mass media such as soap operas or movies define models of action as being male or female; for example, females are depicted in more traditional gender-stereotypic fashion: they can be seen on TV less than male characters, they are generally associated with domestic products, mostly in indoor settings and shown as housewives (Arslan, 2015). Whereas male characters are associated with nondomestic products and they can be seen in the public sphere, they usually are successful business people. Furthermore, female characters are slightly more attractive, thin, and suggestively dressed than males. Many ads show women as good looking, attractive, and sexy, making such representations ideal roles for women. Every person internalizes these signals as defining themselves and others. Hence any gender dialogue serves as a positive force in shaping one’s identity as well as communicating with others. Many study results revealed that women appeared more often in interior settings, they were rarely used as the voiceover and many times women and children created the background. According to Arslan male characters are mostly preferred as voice-overs. However, Uray and Burnaz (2003) found different results; they claimed that advertisements were much more equal in terms of being voice-overs. Eylem Arslan’s results’ showed that men are generally more likely to be voice-overs than females and it is a very low chance that a male character appears in an ad where the female is providing voice-over almost in every culture. (Arslan, 2015). In addition, women were depicted as younger, more often with some indication of marriage, without any indication of employment, independent positions, and social relationships were established with other characters in the advertisements (Cagli and Durukan, 1989; Karaca and Papatya, 2011; Uray and Burnaz, 2003). Furthermore, researchers have repeatedly shown that male characters are depicted in professional roles more than females (Coltrane and Adams,1997; Hong, 1997; Signorielli,1997), and female characters are portrayed less than male characters in professional positions. Such representations are significant in terms of learning about the social role, these patterned portrayals in ads generally claim that men are more commonplace and more competent in business roles.

According to Mine Çankaya, there are 3 types of gender profiles in Turkish society and also these profiles can be seen easily in TV commercials. In the traditional model, women are depicted as submissive, unreasonable, beautiful, and emotional characters without authority or control over events whereas men are depicted as self-confident successful business persons who engage in powerful and dominant positions with courage but limited emotional disclosure. In the new model, Turkish women have more power than they had before. They are working in highly paid jobs and they have a say when it comes to important decisions in the family. Women can divorce their husbands, raise their children alone, and compete for the improvement of their rights. Meanwhile, men are becoming more empathetic to their wives, they undertake domestic roles and most importantly they respect their partners’ decisions and sexual freedom. Men give much more importance to their physical appearance. They can prefer so-called female colors on clothing without confronting any judgment. Lastly in the hybrid model, even though women have freedom and rights in any part of life; they are still considered domestic caretakers and still pressured to continue domestic tasks such as cleaning, cooking, or ironing while men are responsible for the money-related things such as paying the bills and children’s school fee. One can easily observe these models in TV commercials. However, traditional and hybrid ones take more place than the new model. In commercials, both sexes are presented as working people but still, women are associated with traditional stereotypes. They are inferior to the man, emotional, unreasonable, seductive, or influenced by a powerful man. On the contrary, for males, nothing has changed except clothing. They are still depicted as powerful, ambitious, clever, self-confident, masculine, and strong (Çankaya, 2013).

Overall, many studies were conducted and their results were almost the same: Turkish commercials tend to preserve the traditional gender roles. They contribute to the hegemonic traditional models, probably to sell more products rather than start new trends and help to change gender norms of the society. Men are depicted as strong, masculine characters who are associated with non-domestic products such as automobiles and services. On the other hand, women are still associated with domestic products and depicted as happy in their lives in the private sphere. These commercials suggest that women’s main goals are to improve themselves and their homes. Also, many researchers point out that emphasis on women’s bodies and unrealistic beauty standards are the accepted norms in Turkish TV commercials. From the social cognitive perspective, it is clear that viewers are likely to learn that women’s value is measured mostly by their appearance and sexuality; however, this is not the case for men. Furthermore, commercials also indicate that traditional roles and behaviors are more acceptable for women. They continue to place women into the domestic realm.

Horace Miner’s essay “Body Ritual among the Nacirema” provides a fascinating and satirical analysis of a fictional tribe called the Nacirema. Although the Nacirema culture is entirely fictional, Miner cleverly uses it to reflect upon the ethnocentrism and cultural biases prevalent in Western societies. Through an analytical lens, this essay will explore the underlying themes and implications of the Nacirema culture and its relevance to the concept of cultural relativism.

Miner’s portrayal of the Nacirema culture highlights the preoccupation of its people with bodily appearance and cleanliness. The Nacirema firmly believe that the human body is inherently unattractive and engage in elaborate rituals to transform and beautify it. For instance, they visit “holy-mouth-men” for dental treatments, undergo daily ablutions, and use “charm-boxes” to ward off evil spirits. The use of satirical language and exaggerated descriptions aims to challenge readers’ assumptions about their own cultural practices and encourage them to see their rituals from an outsider’s perspective.

Another significant aspect of the Nacirema culture is their elaborate healthcare system. The Nacirema people believe that the human body is susceptible to sickness, and they visit “medicine men” for healing rituals. However, the essay also portrays these medicine men as potentially harmful, reflecting the often ambivalent attitude towards the medical profession in Western societies. This raises questions about the commercialization and commodification of healthcare and the potential consequences of prioritizing profit over patient well-being.

Moreover, Miner’s essay satirizes the Nacirema’s approach to timekeeping and their belief in the power of magic. The reference to the “latipso,” a temple-like place of healing, mirrors the institutionalization and formalization of healthcare systems in the West. The Nacirema’s belief in magic is used as a metaphor to criticize the tendency to attribute unexplainable phenomena to supernatural forces, rather than embracing scientific reasoning.

Furthermore, the essay emphasizes the Nacirema’s obsession with body image and beauty. This obsession is not entirely unfamiliar in Western societies, where the media and beauty industry heavily influence perceptions of attractiveness and body standards. Miner’s portrayal of the Nacirema’s practices serves as a commentary on the ways in which cultural norms and social pressures shape individuals’ self-perception.

The essay also alludes to the ritualistic nature of certain aspects of modern society. From the daily routines of brushing teeth and bathing to the elaborate ceremonies surrounding healthcare, Miner draws attention to the repetitive and ritualistic nature of many aspects of human life. This raises questions about the extent to which individuals are aware of their own cultural rituals and the implications of these rituals on their identity and worldview.

Analyzing the Nacirema culture also provides an opportunity to explore the concept of cultural relativism. Cultural relativism suggests that one should approach and interpret another culture based on the context of that culture and without imposing one’s own cultural values and biases. By presenting the Nacirema culture through a satirical lens, Miner challenges readers to consider how their own cultural biases may affect their understanding and perception of other cultures. This calls for greater cultural awareness and empathy when engaging with diverse societies and traditions.

In conclusion, Horace Miner’s essay “Body Ritual among the Nacirema” offers an analytical perspective on the fictional Nacirema culture, inviting readers to reflect on their own cultural practices and biases. Through satire and exaggerated descriptions, Miner critiques Western cultural practices and norms while highlighting the need for cultural relativism and a more open-minded approach to understanding other societies. The Nacirema culture serves as a mirror that prompts readers to question their own beliefs and rituals and encourages them to embrace cultural diversity with humility and curiosity. Ultimately, the Nacirema culture invites us to explore the complexity and subjectivity of human behavior and cultural practices, fostering a deeper understanding of ourselves and others.

Introduction

Ireland, a country rich in history and culture, faces its share of social justice issues. As society continues to evolve, it is crucial to shed light on these challenges and foster awareness and understanding. In this informative essay, we will explore some of the key social justice issues in Ireland, highlighting their causes, impacts, and ongoing efforts towards change.

Income Inequality

Income inequality is a significant social justice issue in Ireland. Despite economic growth and progress, there remains a significant disparity between the rich and the poor. Many individuals and families struggle to make ends meet, with low wages, high living costs, and limited access to essential services. This income inequality hampers social mobility and perpetuates cycles of poverty.

Efforts to address income inequality in Ireland include the implementation of progressive taxation policies, raising the minimum wage, and expanding social welfare programs. Advocacy groups and non-governmental organizations also play a vital role in raising awareness and promoting fairer wealth distribution.

Housing Crisis

Ireland is facing an acute housing crisis, particularly in urban areas. The lack of affordable housing options has resulted in skyrocketing rents, homelessness, and inadequate living conditions for many individuals and families. The shortage of social housing and the increasing number of people on housing waiting lists further exacerbate the problem.

To combat the housing crisis, the Irish government has initiated various measures, including increasing funding for social housing, implementing rent controls, and promoting affordable housing schemes. However, there is still a pressing need for long-term solutions to ensure everyone has access to safe and affordable housing.

Health Inequities

Health inequities persist in Ireland, with certain groups experiencing poorer health outcomes than others. Factors such as socio-economic status, geographical location, and access to healthcare services contribute to these disparities. Vulnerable populations, including marginalized communities and individuals with disabilities, often face barriers in accessing quality healthcare.

Efforts to address health inequities in Ireland involve improving access to healthcare services, prioritizing preventive care, and implementing targeted interventions for at-risk populations. Community-based initiatives and advocacy for inclusive healthcare policies are crucial in reducing health disparities.

Gender Equality

While progress has been made in recent years, gender inequality remains a social justice issue in Ireland. Women continue to face challenges in terms of representation in leadership roles, pay equity, and combating gender-based violence. Stereotypes and cultural norms also contribute to gender inequality in various aspects of society.

The government and civil society organizations are actively working towards achieving gender equality through legislative changes, awareness campaigns, and initiatives that promote equal opportunities and challenge gender stereotypes. Empowering women in leadership positions and addressing cultural biases are essential steps towards a more inclusive society.

Conclusion

Social justice issues in Ireland encompass a range of challenges that require concerted efforts and collaboration from various stakeholders. Income inequality, housing crises, health inequities, and gender inequality are among the pressing issues that demand attention and action. By raising awareness, advocating for policy changes, and fostering dialogue, Ireland can work towards a more equitable and just society for all its citizens. Continued dedication to addressing these social justice issues will pave the way for a brighter future for Ireland and its people.

Cultural diversity in the workplace enriches organizations by bringing multiple perspectives into the professional environment, fostering innovation, creativity, and decision-making that reflects global consumer markets. Teams that embrace diversity can outperform their peers by exploiting a broader range of experiences and insights, which is particularly advantageous in problem-solving situations. Moreover, culturally diverse teams are better equipped to enter new markets and connect with a varied customer base, understanding and integrating different consumer needs and cultural preferences into their strategies and offerings. However, leveraging the full potential of a diverse workforce entails overcoming inherent challenges such as communication barriers, cultural misunderstandings, and potential conflicts. Leadership plays a crucial role in this context by promoting an inclusive culture through proactive diversity policies, regular training, and team-building exercises that emphasize mutual respect and appreciation of different viewpoints. Additionally, these measures help in reducing workplace discrimination and enhancing employee engagement and satisfaction. When managed effectively, cultural diversity becomes a key driver of internal innovation and market expansion, providing companies with a competitive edge and a robust platform for sustainable growth.

Originated in Japan in distinctive chronological order, ACG culture, a blend of animations, comics, and games, have been developing, evolving and even has been industrialized today. However, such a process has not been by any means rapid steady growth, as several economic and social incidents have profoundly impacted such development embedded in Japanese contemporary culture. The aim of this paper is to analyze the correlation between ACG culture and Japanese society.

Part I. Origins of ACG culture and its development before 1945

The term manga came from an artist named Katsushika Hokusai, who lived during the Edo Period. He created this term by combining the word “man”(whimsical) with “ga” (pictures). Though the history of Japanese paintings could be traced back to the 12th century, some scholars believe that the beginning of modern manga could be dated back to the 18th century, on a type of Japanese book called Kibyōshi. Such a work of art includes illustration and texts besides so as to clarity. However, other scholars argue that it first existed during the Taishō period (1912–1926); some girls’ manga magazines of that era commonly depicted people with exaggerated eye size, which is a symbol only seen in modern mangas. One well-known counterpart, Shōnen Sekai(Boy’s World) was founded in 1895, which targeted teenage boys and soon gained popularity in the mainstream. Due to the fact that compulsory unisex education for elementary schoolers was established in the 19th century and steady population growth since the second industrial revolution, such magazines could gain more audience eventually and maintain their operation cycle; some of them were even considered as the pioneers of published mangas of the late Showa Period.

The very first anime(an abbreviated version of “animation” in Japanese) also appeared during the economically blooming period in 1917. Probably Inherited from the older version that dealt with a string of moving celluloid, this art form maintained the advantage of designing moving patterns while reducing the cost of drawing every scene. Since then, many works of manga and anime mushroomed until the end of the Taishō period.

Unfortunately, the stagnation of anime and manga production started after Japan entered the Shōwa period. With the spread of militarism, the government focused on the aggression of neighboring nations. In order to maintain a relatively stable environment, officials started to exert restrictions on thoughts, resulting in wide censorship on publications. Some comics were regarded as frivolous, while some anti-war works were removed from the shelves. Many renowned authors were persecuted for “rebelling against the government”, while others drew propaganda mangas to promote Japanese military actions. During the Second World War, most works of art focused on the glory of Japanese soldiers or encouraged their people to work closely with the military. One manga called Norakuno would be a perfect example; the author initially designed this dog-like character to create and represent humorous and even sarcastic scenes that occurred when he served as a soldier. However, after a short period, it turned into war propaganda series that reflected the Sino-Japanese War, until it ceased publishing in the year of 1941. Nevertheless, the war chariot of Japan wouldn’t stop until the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, even though it had been constantly encountering crushes since the Battle of Midway. While most people believe those bombs brought irrecoverable scars to the whole nation, it might, according to some scholars, promoted manga and anime industry because the Japanese people needed comfort from their own artworks so they could restore their nation and also alleviate them from the traumatic experiences; the widely known concept called Kawaii thus(cute) came in public. On September 2nd, 1945, the Second World War ended, leaving Japan in debris; however, several core industries, such as aviation(Mitsubishi) and some light industry companies(Yamaha), had a narrow escape from sanctions and would contribute to the economic boost in the future.

Part II. Post-War Japanese society and ACG developments, 1945-1972

After the war ended, the Allied Power conducted a 7-year occupation of Japan, aiming to remove the militarist forces lucking inside, as well as any potential threats; a new constitution, designed especially for a more democratic government, replaced the Meiji Constitution. From there, Japanese people gradually attempted to rebuild their nation from debris. Moreover, the government liberated all publications from any type of censorship to establish a more liberal political entity. That was also the dawn of the Japanese economic miracle; while some pre-war companies had a close escape from war trial sanctions, thus started to flourish and cooperate.

The anime producers and manga artists soon seized this economical and cultural opportunity and started to experiment with their personal styles. Their artwork reflected their needs to improve the society and break through stereotypes and past regulations, a common will of the whole society. Osamu Tezuka, both a manga and anime artist, took the lead during this special period. One of the most famous characters he created would be the Astro Boy, a humanoid robot resembling a little boy. Beyond just depicting the character, he predicted the future technological development of Japanese society and talked about the ethnicity of robots replacing human beings. Such profound story soon captured public attention, who were expecting a growing industrialized nation with well-established ethnics. Also, Tezuka helped shape the future of both anime and manga for the ‘cinematographic’ technique, which helped the future industrialization of both art forms: instead of drawing some rectangular panel covering the whole page, the manga artists could design each panel in different shapes to cater to their scenes; moreover, they could become “directors” by designing the shape and allocation of panels and storylines, while the hired assistant would paint for all panels. After publication, the main manga artist’s name would be recognized as the ”real” author. Though most manga artists initially disagreed with this, they would soon find it helpful to implement this less time-consuming idea and adapted to this special technique. More importantly, he broadcasted each clip of story in 30 minutes, setting the standard time period for anime release for future industries.

At the same timespan, Nintendo, a future multinational game company, got its name and expanded on card manufacturing by negotiating with American companies like Disney to print out its characters. However, it soon realized that card manufacturing shouldn’t be the major industry of the company, as the world’s largest card-manufacturing company could only hold a tiny office consisting of nearly no furnitures. Hiroshi Yamauchi, who took over his grandfather’s company, probably wouldn’t realize that twenty years later, it would step out card manufacturing and start to design arcade games.

With the recovery of the native economy, the Japanese government also took action by joining the GATT, the IMF, and the OECD in this period. Moreover, the success of the 1964 Olympic Games and Expo ‘70 incremented the global impact of Japanese culture; this potentially led to future globalization in international trade and interactions, so did ACG cultures. Soon after 1972, the high-increasing stage of the Japanese economy ended and went on to the steady growth stage.

Part III. Steady Growth Period, 1973-1992

Japanese economy soon stopped the rapid increase after the 1973 oil crisis, and suffered from the stagflation that followed; instead of taking whole damage, however, the rapidly-growing economy only stopped accelerating, transiting to the so-called “steady growth period.” It was probably because of the spread of education, population growth, and development of technology that helped prevent the worsening of this particular situation. Such development also gave full space for the further development of entertainment, nearly uncensored. That’s where manga and anime first went into public mainstream, more like a subculture. Shōnen and shojō(teenage boys and girls) manga magazine presses, mostly founded in the 1950s, gained popularity among teenagers after shutdown during the Shōwa period; some even recalled that those magazines acted as their topics of conversation after school. During the 1980s, manga magazines have been much blended into the cultural mainstream; some widely known works, such as Dragon Ball and Saint Seiya, all came from this specific period. Also, some game or technical companies imported new technologies to improve game machines, such as arcade games and computer-based game systems. Nintendo, for example, developed a system called Laser Clay Shooting System for leisure games. After Miyamoto Shigeru, the father of Super Mario joined Nintendo in 1977, he led the development of several publicly recognized games, such as the Legend of Zelda and Donkey Kong. With his strategy to design creative and imaginative games, the company soon dominated the domestic market, as well as in North America. Due to the emergent of ACG culture in the mainstream, a term called Otaku(which means formalize“you” in Japanese)also appeared as a term of ACG lovers. With those changes in the ACG industry and Japanese society, there was no doubt that, during this period, ACG industry developed concurrently with the Japanese industry.

However, due to the negligence of proper censorship, such as the censorship on the production of adult content, ACG culture faced serious criticism from the public: some criminal activities that took place during this specific period have unbreakable connections between adult content, or even child pornography (still not fully regulated in Japan now). Tsutomu Miyazaki, for instance, tortured and killed four young girls under the influence of child pornographic content, some of which are psychopathic mangas and animes. What’s worse, when the police investigated his house, they discovered loads of manga magazines with adult content. Soon after this incident broke out, the public immediately correlated the term “Otaku” with this serial killer, and gradually the concept of manga and anime disappeared from mainstream culture. Moreover, there were serious protests against the whole manga and anime industry, stating that those detrimental and “soul-corruptive” contents had caused such a demonic crime. Even up till now, many would prefer to believe that such a subculture could lead to high crime rate and should be eradicated from the public. This incident had brought a slump period in the ACG industry until the economic crisis of 1991.

Part III. The Lost Decade, 1991-2000

In late 1991, Japan’s asset price bubble collapsed; it consequently caused the economic crisis in Japan, and the whole society was wrapped up in depression. Because of that, most sociologists name this specific period as “the Lost Decade”. However, because of the Lipstick Effect, and probably the shift from the prior shocking incidents, the Japanese ACG industry did not collapse and remained stable at that specific period. Moreover, the genre of manga evolved from depicting more about everyday details to more adventure-based contents that stayed close to real-world issues, such as in Gundam(fighting with enormous robots) and Neon Genesis Evangelion(saving the post-catastrophic world with robots and special organizations). These animes and mangas are still regarded as masterpieces, probably due to their ability to console the depressed mind and encourage them to step out by creating “miracles”; also, it’s widely believed that such genres have been encouraging those in the Lost Generation to strive hard and find their ways out of the darkness. Moreover, anime as an industry also helped the growth of the Japanese economy after the bubble burst; after its birth in the 1980s, ACG in whole as an industry developed rapidly, even though some incidents aforementioned removed it from the mainstream and caused a slump period.

Moreover, when computer technology started to flourish, many DOS games emerged from the market. The aforementioned company called Koei seized this opportunity and focused on developing war-strategy games based on the history of Japan’s Sengoku Period and China’s Three Kingdoms Period. Those games, created from stories familiar to Japanese society, soon gained popularity and in turn, ensuring the company’s survival in those difficult times. At the same period, Nintendo grabbed the opportunity to not only innovate its game machines, but also develop a new series of games– Pokémon, or pocket monsters. Featuring cute yet powerful monster, it soon received positive feedback in Japan and overseas market, and, as we all know, become one of Nintendo’s best sellers. In all, the Lost Generation actually stimulated the production in Japanese ACG industry, and prepared it for future blossoms after the millenium.

Part IV. the Contemporary Period, 2000-present

After the world entered millenium, the rapid evolvement of World Wide Web soon helped promote ACG culture overseas. Now, those previously defined as “Otaku” could communicate without leaving their rooms and looking for offline organizations. Internet chat bars on animes and mangas also started to mushroom; we could see that starting from 2004, many discussion groups on ACG culture started to come into sight around the world. Some existed as video-sharing sites, while others development resembled today’s Instagram and Facebook. Among them was Niconico Douga (Douga is a combination of manga and anime), which became the pioneer of Danmaku system, which allowed comments to appear concurrently with the videos. Such practice attracted many Otakus and soon extended to the neighboring nations. Moreover, because of the relative stability in economics and politics, the genre of newly-designed “mainstream” anime diversified: while some companies switched from producing adventure stories to more daily-based love stories, some old enthusiastic series still persist. Thus, the classification system of ACG works started to arise, so that the authorities could guarantee that suitable work will be presented to those who can deal with the contents inside.

Moreover, ACG culture has been fully industrialized–similar to movie design, anime requires collective work of all departments, such as character design, voice artists, as well as graphic designers. This process has even grown international, as some companies prefer to conduct outsourcing so that they could save more investments in improving graphic quality, captivating storylines, or simply saving investments. What’s more interesting, ACG finally blended as inseparable, both as an industry and as a subculture; probably because the flexibility of adaptations of each art type, converting from one art type to another would be much easier than independently making up some scripts. Many animes, such as Inuyasha(dog-like humanoid in ancient Japan) and Saint Seiya Hades Chapter, all came from their previously bestseller manga versions. Games, developed in parallel with computer science, enhanced graph, sound and better hardware such as keyboards and mouses. They gave better game experiences and allowed more smooth transitions between distinctive frames. Koei, for example, evolved from only developing strategy games to action games; with its specialty to “create” history in some storylines, a new game from Koei called Dynasty Warriors soon emerged from the market. The dark Souls series from Namco Bandai also won many game Otakus’ heart.

Part VI. conclusion

In conclusion, we would find out a strong correlation between Japanese society, from a social, economical, and cultural perspective. Economic development would help the development of ACG culture and industry; ACG industry would in turn restore the Japanese economy, with both encouragement from the artworks and substantial financial boosts. Moreover, ACG would promote the diversification of Japanese culture as long as reasonable censorship and a liberal environment would coexist. In the long run, ACG as both an industry and subculture might encounter challenges, but with its correlation with society, it would still flourish.

Globalisation, development, international migration, and the creation and mobilization of innovative expressions of identity have impacted the world in far reaching ways. In consequence of the cultural change, which underpins these processes, conceptualizations such as ‘identity’, ‘multiculturalism’, ‘freedom of expression’, ‘religion’, ‘ideology’, ‘human rights’ etc. have come under considerable scrutiny in popular, policy, and intellectual circles. This has precipitated the erosion of scholarly assumptions and implicit understandings concerning terminology, taxonomy, and definition. Nonetheless re‐comprehension and readjustment within certain disciplinary traditions has been slow and contested as the fluidity of terms and definitions rose significantly. What is surprising, however, is that the notion of cross-cultural art or artistic fusion has received comparatively little attention. This despite the fact art must have been a hugely important element of the human past, as it is in the present, and most likely will be in the future as means of expression.

Art exhibitions, festivals, drama, literature, dance or film are among the most powerful ways at people’s disposal for them to express their worldviews, emotions and opinions. Art – through its varied forms, is the most used instrument in the remembrance and celebration of important events, or for preserving collective identities, for honouring people and so on. Through art, individuals and groups also dynamically exert citizenship and disseminate opinions: they claim rights, denounce atrocities, impact public opinion and inspire action of their gentry. Art is also used to educate, to enliven groups, to create and stimulate solidarity and collective links and to nurture community welfare, or solely to touch the inner world of spirituality and worship.

Due to such great and unconscious power, and because art masters and intersections of the languages of thought and emotions, artistic expression is often used as a tool to better understand otherness and to communicate with the Other. Art pledgees, fosters and protects diversity and so it can be a universal tool to initiate, nourish and protect intercultural dialogue, while rejoicing cultural diversity. Imagination, creativity, innovation and problem solving are interweaved in the process of art creation. I consider these components as being at the same time the manifestation of diversity and the result of interaction between dialogue and cultural influence which promotes new forms of cultural expression and permits cultural survival and adaptation.

Artistic practice has always been – and still is – part of an often painful learning process in the context of which the issue of cultural differences are addressed, shared and tackled. However, art and culture do not rest innocently outside the constellation of phenomena that we have learned to refer to as “modernism”. Regardless of whether it was created in the name of a nation, revolution, superiority or truth, artistic production has always taken sides, radicalising and reflecting a basic experience of cultural differences that can be found in abundance in the history of Europe and beyond. In my paper, I shall refer to art as a manifestation of intentionality, personal will and social significance and conduct an analysis from the angle of its multiple impacts in cultural, political, economic, social, philosophical, or religious aspects of life in the public sphere. By further exploring the concepts of acculturation, cultural identity, cultural alteration and cultural adaptation through different examples from the history of art – and most especially focusing on the Modern and Postmodern artistic movements – I will try to show the pattern of the attained cultural resilience through the power of the artistic expression as a coping mechanism of the avant-garde movements to new realities.

The higher purpose is the ultimate goal of any activity, the different that company want to make in the market. I want to make my career in the automobile service sector. The higher purpose of this business is to let people move with comfort and safety. The automobile industry is dedicated to paving the road for future mobility which will directly act as a compass, influencing key strategic decisions in branding, product innovation. (Mainwaring, 2018).

There are different stakeholders, which are connected with the business such as customer, vehicle manufacturer, dealer.,investors, environmentalist, employees. According to Lennard Boogaard (2015), ‘the aim of stakeholder orientation to benefit all parties that are affected by the future success or failure of an organization’. The stakeholder needs different such as sustainability, brand image, job security and brand profitability.

The core virtues

I have chosen the core virtue of justice and the core virtue of the interpersonal core virtue as the field is high demand cooperation, communication, leadership and social intelligence.

The interpersonal core virtue includes kindness, social and emotional intelligence.the reason of choosing this core virtue is the elements which it covers. The human is the social animal and for the cooperation in the organisation is the key to success. To maintain a healty relation between different parties it and made new contact it help me to develop business. Verbal and nonverbal communication is also one of the important parts of communication. Interpersonal is the soft skills which help to build effective transference and positive impact on the organisation. By effective listening, I can understand the issue and raising problem in stakeholders. The onther skill is the empathy which means to understand emotion and need of others, it creates the possitive attitute in the employees and customers.

The justice core virtue includes fairness, leadership and teamwork.element which includes in justice core virtue are leadership, fairness and teamwork. Any organisation success highly depends on the leadership. By using this core virtue one can become a good leader and provide leadership in the company which lead whole activities. Second is about the fairness it also about employees, customer or any other. Everyone should get their part which only possible through fairness, for example customer should get good service in return to their money. Last is teamwork if every member of the group makes their best effords which will directly impact on the company performance. By giving all member their recognition one motivates other.

References

1. Boogaard, L., 2015. Stakeholders Orientation – HPO Center. [online] HPO Center. Available at:

Chapter 1: Introduction

1.1. Background.

The Oxford English Dictionary defines diversity as, “A diverse range; a variety.” Well, if you look around your workplace, you will definitely see a diverse range of people; after all, we are all individuals with unique qualities. Diversity can be in relation to religion, race, gender, age, physical ability, class, etc. Diversity is about more than just recognising differences. It is about acknowledging those differences, accepting them, and allowing them to change the way we perceive people. [1]

This research report aims to optimise the management of diversity within the mining industry, thereby improving the employee’s performance, by identifying facets that effect it. Also it will provide insight understanding to cultural and language diversity to be found in Africa, successful mining companies in Africa, how to overcome possible language barriers and effects of Fanagalo in South African mines.

The culture within Africa consists of many tribes which have unique characteristics. This is a result of diverse populations that inhibit Africa which presents its diversity in arts, language, cuisine, music, religion attire etc. not only does the cultural diversity express itself across the countries but also within a single African country.

The most successful mining companies in Africa emphasise the importance of to build a “culture that reflects and harnesses a rich diversity of ideas and perspectives, and that does not tolerate discrimination” [1]. These companies have shown a direct relationship between workforce diversity and employees performance. One of the most important facets to the most successful mining companies in Africa is the utilisation of diversity to enhance organisational performance.

1.2. Problem Statement.

Africa is largely distinguished by its multicultural diversity that has also helped give birth linguistic variations. Africa consist of one third of the world’s languages. The purpose of this research was to determine the relationship between workforce diversity and employee performance in the mining industry in Africa, overcoming language barriers as well as the use of Fanagalo in South African mines. Studies has shown that if diversity is not managed correctly it could lead to poor performance and reduction in production targets. The use of fanagalo in South African mines is believed to have negative connotations attached to its origination however, the use of Fanagola effects on productivity and safety will be further explored in the report.

1.3. Research Questions.

Is it possible to envisage and maintain sound human relations in multicultural mining company in Africa?

What does cultural and language diversity mean?

Is there a relationship between cultural diversity and employees performance?

Are there cultural and language diversity that exists in Africa?

Are there benefits of diversity in a business unit?

What are the top mining companies in Africa?

Are there facets directly contribute to the success of these mining companies in Africa?

Are there diversity management models that exist?

What does cultural and language diversity mean?

What is Fanagalo?

Where did Fanagalo originate?

Are there effects of the use of Fanagola have on productivity and safety?

1.4. Objectives.

Below are listed the objectives of the research report:

• To envisage and maintaining sound human relations in a multicultural mining company in Africa
• To determine the relationship between cultural and language diversity and employees performance
• To identify the cultural and language diversity that exists in Africa
• To identify he advantages and disadvantages of diversity in the workplace
• To identify the top successful mining companies in Africa
• To identify the success factors of these mines in Africa
• To investigate diversity management models
• To understand the meaning of cultural and language diversity
• To understand what Fanagalo
• To understand the origins and historical background of Fanagalo
• To investigate the effects Fanagalo has on productivity and safety in South African mines

1.5. Research Method/Design.

This research utilizes quantitative research method to collect data.

1.6. Significance Of The Study.

This research aims to envisage and maintain sound human relations in a multicultural mining company in Africa. The purpose of the report is to investigate the relationship between workforce diversity namely cultural and linguistic diversity in Africa against employees performance. This research report also aims to facilitate the overcoming of the language barriers in the workplace and investigate the use of appropriateness of the use of Fanagalo in South African mines. The overall outcome of this research report is to identify effective diversity management strategy for a multinational mining company that owns and manages mines across Africa.

Chapter 2: Literature Review

This chapter focuses on existing literature on cultural diversity, successful mining companies in Africa and origins of Fanagalo as well as the limitations of the study.

Chapter 3: The Methodology

This chapter focuses on the research methods and processes and also examines the method selected for this study and the basis for this selection.

Chapter 4: Results And Discussion

This chapter presents the results obtained from the chosen sample groups. The results from the survey are examined and discussed and the findings are compared to the literature.

Chapter 5: Conclusion and Future Work

This chapter concludes the study based on the findings presented in chapter four and provides recommendations for actions.

Chapter 2: Literature Review

2.1. Introduction.

This chapter focuses on the theoretical framework which guides this research report, managing diversity. The literature will shed light from various sources to effectively contribute to this research report. The content of this chapter shall explore successful mining companies, understanding of diversity in the workforce, existing management systems of diversity in the working environment, as well a background into the use of Fanagalo in the mining industry.

2.2. Understanding Diversity.

“The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and respect. It means understanding that each individual is unique, and recognizing our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies. It is the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment. It is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual.

Diversity is a reality created by individuals and groups from a broad spectrum of demographic and philosophical differences. It is extremely important to support and protect diversity because by valuing individuals and groups free from prejudice, and by fostering a climate where equity and mutual respect are intrinsic.

‘Diversity’ means more than just acknowledging and/or tolerating difference. Diversity is a set of conscious practices that involve:

• Understanding and appreciating interdependence of humanity, cultures, and the natural environment.
• Practicing mutual respect for qualities and experiences that are different from our own.
• Understanding that diversity includes not only ways of being but also ways of knowing;
• Recognizing that personal, cultural and institutionalized discrimination creates and sustains privileges for some while creating and sustaining disadvantages for others;
• Building alliances across differences so that we can work together to eradicate all forms of discrimination.

Diversity includes, therefore, knowing how to relate to those qualities and conditions that are different from our own and outside the groups to which we belong, yet are present in other individuals and groups. These include but are not limited to age, ethnicity, class, gender, physical abilities/qualities, race, sexual orientation, as well as religious status, gender expression, educational background, geographical location, income, marital status, parental status, and work experiences. Finally, we acknowledge that categories of difference are not always fixed but also can be fluid, we respect individual rights to self-identification, and we recognize that no one culture is intrinsically superior to another.” “what is diversity” Internet: http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/diversity/definition.html [Mar.10,2019]

2.3. Cultural Diversity.

“What is cultural diversity? Diversity is nothing more than a difference from the majority. In any culture there is a majority and many minorities. Culture is a set of norms that set standards for a society of what is acceptable behavior. In every culture there are basic standards for social interaction such as personal space distance, eye contact, amount of body language displayed in public, negotiating style, etc.”

“Cultural Diversity” Internet: https://www.ethnoconnect.com/articles/1-what-is-cultural-diversity [Accessed: Mar.10,2019]

2.4. Language Diversity.

“Language is a tool used by people to communicate with one another. As a part of culture, language helps people to stick together and do things that they could not have done as individuals. Linguistic diversity is a way to talk about varied types of traits including language family, grammar, and vocabulary.”

“Define Linguistic Diversity” Internet: https://study.com/academy/lesson/linguistic-diversity-definition-and-lesson.html [Accessed: Mar.11, 2019]

2.5. Cultural Diversity in Africa.

“Africa has 3000 distinct ethnic groups, 2000 languages. Home to the most genetically diverse people on Earth. So diverse that two Africans are more genetically different from each other than a Chinese and a European are from each other. Africa is the world’s second-largest and second-most-populous continent. At about 30.2 million km², it covers six percent of the Earth’s total surface area and 20.4 percent of the total land area. With approximately 58 countries. It occupies a wide dynamic latitude has; deserts, forest, snow, temperate climate, tropics, sub-tropics, lakes, the longest river, lowest point on Earth, mountain ranges. Now we have to ponder over these figures when we have these vulgar sweeping generalizations, which fit all of this diversity into one and two monolithic boxes. There are generalizations, which do define Africa, but none that are exclusive.”

“Cultural Diversity in Africa” Internet: https://www.africanholocaust.net/peopleofafrica.htm [Accessed: Mar. 12, 2019]

2.6. Understanding the Benefits of Diversity in a Business unit.

“When organisations actively assess their handling of workplace diversity issues, develop and implement diversity plans, multiple benefits are reported within a business unit, these can include:

Conversely, if diversity is not managed effectively, the reality can be very different:

Rigid, homogenous workplaces with little or no diversity.

• Views and thinking can be so similar that innovation is stifled – group think.
• Little variation of abilities can lead to areas of weakness in the business unit.

Unmanaged diversity.

• “We/them” groupings and silos of stereotypical thinking.
• Conflict of interests leading to internal competition, lack of collaboration and decreased productivity.
• High turnover of new intakes because of lack of integration.

Advantages to a managing a diverse culture, or workplace, effectively include the following:

• Different points of view can be gathered and explored
• Better productivity when people combine their strengths and unique capabilities
• Better teamwork when people draw on each other’s differences positively
• Ability to attract business from a variety of sectors/geographical areas
• You might learn something new from someone very different from yourself!
• Possibility of lowered legal costs.”

[Deborah L. Plummer, Handbook of Diversity Management: Beyond Awareness to Competency Based Learning (Ed.), Lanham, MD: University Press of America, Inc., 2003]

2.7. The effects of cultural Diversity on Employee performance.

“ Young (2013) articulates that both cultural diversity and employee performance produce multiple benefits to the workplace. One of the major principles of diversity is that a company that has diverse employees has a greater understanding of the global marketplace (Klarsfeld 2014). According to (Culture and Diversity in the Workplace 2013), employers reported that their diverse organizations benefit from a variety of viewpoints, higher productivity and profit due to company cultures that encourage employees to perform to their highest ability. Employers may also recognize immediate benefits of workplace diversity. Customers who speak different languages or come from overseas may require customer service in their language. In industries such as marketing and advertising, knowing what consumers across different backgrounds want is crucial to success. Kristinsson (2011) expressed the following advantages of having a culturally diverse workforce: a. High level of Productivity When management takes the welfare of its employees to heart by means of offering them proper compensation, health care and employee appraisal; and recognizing their cultural backgrounds, this creates a feeling of belonging to the company irrespective of their cultural background. As a result, they also remain loyal and hardworking which helps to increase the company’s productivity and profit. Individuals tend to be motivated and challenged by other cultures at the same time resulting in them performing to the best of their ability and beyond. 13 b. Exchange of varieties of ideas and team work A single person taking on multiple tasks cannot perform at the same pace as a team can. Therefore, each team member brings different ideas to the team and offers a unique perspective during problem solving to effectively arrive at the best solution at the shortest possible time. Individuals from other cultures are workaholics, while others like taking ownership of tasks and some even believe in not leaving work before a task is complete. Attitudes such as these rub off on other members and becomes a culture (Kristinsson 2011). c. Learning and growth Diversity at the workplace creates an opportunity for an employee’s personal growth. When employees are exposed to new cultures, ideas and perspectives, it can help each individual to intellectually broaden their horizon and have a clearer insight of their place in the global environment and hence their own surroundings. Different cultures bring different work ethics that most probably will challenge the teams to perform to the best of their ability. Different cultures work differently, have different views and approaches to solutions and from that team members can learn to be better people (Kristinsson 2011). d. Effective Communication Workplace diversity can immensely strengthen a company’s relationship with some specific group of customers by making communication more effective. Customer service representatives can be paired up with customers from their specific area or location, making the customer feel at home with the representative and thus with the company. Better communication between diverse members improves understanding of tasks and facilitates the process of delivering the required output quicker and more efficiently (Kristinsson 2011). e. Diverse Experience Co-workers from different backgrounds bring to the table some unique perceptions and experience during teamwork or group tasks. Pooling the diverse skills and knowledge of culturally distinct employees together can immensely benefit the company by strengthening the responsiveness and productivity of the team to adapt to the changing conditions (Kristinsson 2011). “

[Dissertation: Manqoba Gumede, “The Impact of Cultural Diversity on Organizational Performance and Success”, Ph.D dissertation, Dept. Business and leadership, UKZN,KZN, SA, 2016}

2.8. Top 10 Mining Companies in Africa.

“As the mining sector is recovering after the global financial crisis, it is experiencing unprecedented growth. And with growth, mining companies are on a mission to attract the brightest employees available in the market. Workers who have experience in engineering and geology are in high demand and can often pick and choose the mining company they want to work for. Here are the top ten mining companies to work for in Africa:

1. Anglo American

Known as one of the largest mining companies in the world, Anglo American has major assets in copper, coal, iron ore, nickel and diamonds. The company owns operations in Brazil, Chile, the United Kingdom, Australia, and South Africa where they operate the biggest iron ore mine in the world.

2. Rio Tinto

The British-Australian multinational mining company is headquartered in London, UK and boasts a gross revenue of over US$50 billion per annum. Over 60,000 employees in as much as 40 different countries dominate the production of diamonds, uranium, aluminium, iron core, coal and copper.

3. Vale

The Brazilian multinational metals mining concern is known as the 4th biggest mining company in the world, and the foremost in production of iron ore and pellets.

4. BHP Billiton

Although it was only formed in 2001, and is therefore a relatively new mining company, BHP Billiton’s roots date back to the 1800s when part of the company was formed. The experience is evident in the company’s dominance in the industry.

5. Barrick Gold

Known for taking on more than just mining, Barrick Gold is also involved with production and sales of copper and gold and plays host to Canadian oil and gas properties. Barrick Gold operates in Africa, North and South America and Australia.

6. Freeport-McMoran

With a broad portfolio, Freeport-McMoran has established its strength in the mining sector. The company has mineral assets in Indonesia and the Congo, mining operations throughout North and South America and operations in the Atlantic.

7. Newmont Mining Corp

As the first gold mining concern to achieve a space on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, Newmont Mining Corp has set the standard for sustainable operations in the gold mining industry.

8. Teck

Solely focused on mining Teck is the biggest diversified mining concern in Canada. Teck has mines in Canada, the United States, Peru and Chile and has interests in exploring, developing, smelting, refining and processing copper, coal and zinc.

9. Goldcorp

Located in Vancouver, Goldcorp has over 14,000 employees and is known for its unique approach in using innovative ways in which to achieve headlines.

10. Alcoa

Known as the top aluminum producer in the world, Alcoa invented most of the contemporary ways in which aluminum is used. The company is not only interested in the mining of aluminum and fabrication of aluminum products, but also in the aerospace, construction, building and automotive industries. Alcoa has operations in over 31 countries across the globe.”

“Africa’s Top 10m Mining Companies to Work for” Internet: https://www.miningafrica.net/top-mining-companies-to-work-for/ [Accessed: Mar.12, 2019]

2.9. Fanagalo.

“Fanagalo came into existence in the early 1800’s, although its origin is debatable. According to Mesthrie (2006:430) “Fanakalo does not seem to have been widespread in this period: It is but one of several communication strategies that appear in the archival and travel literature of the times, and judging from the sources, it was not used very frequently.” It does however seem likely that Fanagalo was developed as a means of communication between people with different home languages. Afrikaans did not fulfil the communicative need between English, Afrikaans and Xhosa speaking individuals. An accommodative language was required to fill the communication gap. The notion of accommodative language (Giles, 1973) focusses on the pronunciation and features of speech that speakers change in order to either associate or disassociate with a certain group. This study extends the meaning of accommodation in which the selection or choice of speech variation is in the form of a code which can be used in a multilingual context to indicate closeness or distance between interlocutors. As a result of the then accommodative function and need, the early utterings of Fanagalo arose in the “earliest recorded sentence in the pidgin [Fanagalo] as Wena tandaza O Taay ‘You (must) worship God’ uttered by the missionary John Reid, Kat River 1816, who thought he was speaking Xhosa” (Mesthrie, 2006:430). 4 In 1843 the Natal colony was established and the contact between British settlers and indigenous Zulu people set the scene for the overhaul of Fanagalo. The renewal of Fanagalo – as it was originally a mix between Afrikaans and Xhosa – is described as follows: Linguistically, Fanakalo is typical of pidgins in that it cannot be classified in terms of existing language groupings; it is not quite Germanic or Nguni in structure. Its lexis and inflectional morphology stem largely from Nguni. Its syntax, however, seems to lean in the direction of the Germanic (more specifically English, rather than Afrikaans). Fanakalo is SVO in structure in main and subordinate clauses. […] However, Fanakalo is not rigidly SVO insofar as it permits topic-comment order as well. Phonetically, Fanakalo is subject to wide variation depending on the L1 of the speaker. The common core tends to use a five-vowel system (like Zulu) with two diphthongs, [ai] and [au], and to replace the clicks by velar /k/ (Mesthrie, 2006:431). Fanagalo was clearly developed as a communicative instrument between speakers with varying first languages or L1s. Adendorff (1993:22) supports the original use of Fanagalo as an accommodative functional language when he states that Fanagalo is “a product of attitudinal and linguistic accommodation”. However, since the development of Fanagalo circa 1800, the spread of English as a linking language has changed the language repertoires of people to such an extent that the need for an accommodating language such as Fanagalo might have expired. Regardless of the expiration of the accommodative role Fanagalo once fulfilled, the language eventually stabilised as a crystallised pidgin, denoting maintenance. Therefore, it could be argued that Fanagalo was once an accommodative language whose role was reduced potentially because of the spread of English. Alternatively, should Fanagalo still retain its accommodative function, the context in which it does so may not have a functional role for English. However, Fanagalo adopted new linguistic features and ultimately shifted in its role. After this shift occurred, Fanagalo took on a new role which is represented by its accompanying linguistic change. This process sanctioned the stabilisation and potential maintenance of Fanagalo. “

[N.E.Ravyse, “Against all odds: The status of Fanagalo in South Africa today”, PH.D dissertation, Dept. Arts, North-West Univ., North-West,SA, 2013]

2.10. Limitations of Study.

A few limitations occurred from the research study:

• The intention was to sample all Operations employees, howevere this was not achievable as some employees had no interest in participating in the survey, while others were fearful of their views being shared with the HR department.
• This study was not reflective of Africa but was limited to local sample groups.
• The findings of this study are not reflective of all African organisations.
• The findings of this study are a reflection of a particular period of the study. A change in conditions may produce different results, solutions and recommendations.
• Time became a limitation because of the sample size and location of the respondents.

Chapter 3: The Methodology

3.1. Introduction.

This chapter focuses on research methodology utilized to collect data in response to the topic of study. It will also discuss the data collection strategies, the research design methods and analyse the data emanating from the data collection process.

3.2. Research Design.

In accordance to Gilbert and Sutherlands (2013), a research design must be created only upon completion questions and objectives outlining the study. A research design are used by researchers to outline the methodology used to compile and present the collected information.[3]

This study utilized a quantitative research methodology. This study investigates the topic being discussed by means of a questionnaire and statistical techniques. The figure below illustrates the design science research paradigm in order to obtain the aims and objectives of the study.

Figure : Research Paradigm Sumary

3.3 Research Procedure Or Experimental Procedure.

3.3.1 Aim and Objective.

The intention of the study is to understand nature sound human relations in a multinational mining company by understanding cultural and language diversity that exists in the workplace. This research report is guided by the following objectives:

• Understand how different cultures interact in a work environment
• Understand communication and networking patterns of culturally diverse employees in the workplace
• Understand how leadership manage cultural diversity in the workplace.
• Understand the effectiveness of cultural diversity and its relationship with employee performance.
• Understand the impact of Fanagolo used in the mining industry.

3.3.2. Participants and Location of the Study.

This study took place in KZN and ArcelorMittal South Africa whom has close relations to mining companies locally and globally. The data was collected from various organisation levels from top management to operational employees. The survey was distributed by internal and external work relationships that I have developed through my working experience at ArcelorMittal. The broad distribution of the survey ensured the criteria for diversity was met.

3.3.3. Data Collection Strategies.

The survey questionnaire was selected as an adequate method of primary data collection for this study. A questionnaire is a research tool consisting of a set of guiding questions, used by the researchers to acquire information from their research sample. While using a questionnaire provides a lot of advantages, according to Bell & Bryman (2013), it is a more objective way of getting information compared to interviews. They also point out that this is a relatively quick method to collect information from a large portion of a group. [4]

3.3.4. Research Ethics and Approval.

Before this study could start, permission to engage with the employees had to be granted by the Human Resources Department. The Department wanted to make sure they understood the overview of the study and the data collection method; identify any sensitive questions in the questionnaire; ensure that the study would not reveal private information to outsiders and competitors and make sure the exercise was going to be as voluntary as possible. An agreement was reached and signed, under the conditions that this study was solely for educational purposes, and confidential information would not be shared with anyone.

3.3.5. Questionnaire Construction and Administration.

Chapter 4: Results And Discussion

Chapter 5: Conclusion And Future Work

6. References

1. Deborah L. Plummer, Handbook of Diversity Management: Beyond Awareness to Competency Based Learning (Ed.), Lanham, MD: University Press of America, Inc., 2003
2. www.southafrica.angloamerican.com/our-difference/our-people.aspx
3. Gilbert, G., & Sutherland, M. 2013. Benefiting from Different Cultures. South African Journal of Business Management, Vol.44, no.1, pp.1-99.
4. Bell, E., & Bryman, A. 2013. Survey Research methods. London, SAGE.