Professional Documents
Culture Documents
a culturally diverse
environment
Learner Guide
Contents
What this Learner’s Guide is about ........................................ 3
Planning your learning ........................................................... 4
How you will be assessed ...................................................... 6
Section 1............................................................................................. 7
Communicating with customers and colleagues from diverse
backgrounds........................................................................... 7
Section 2........................................................................................... 26
Dealing with cross-cultural misunderstandings .................... 26
This
Learner’s
Guide
is
about
the
skills
and
knowledge
required
to
work
in
a
socially
diverse
environment,
including
the
development
and
application
of
the
cultural
awareness
that
is
required
by
all
people
working
in
the
transport
and
distribution
industries.
It
includes
the
cultural
awareness
required
for
serving
customers
and
working
with
colleagues
from
diverse
backgrounds.
The
Elements
of
Competency
from
the
unit
TLIG707B
Work
in
a
socially
diverse
environment
covered
in
this
Learner’s
Guide
are
listed
below.
Communicate
with
customers
and
colleagues
from
diverse
backgrounds
Deal
with
cross-‐cultural
misunderstandings
This
unit
of
competency
is
from
the
Transport
and
Logistics
Training
Package
(TLI07).
It
is
important
to
plan
your
learning
before
you
start
because
you
may
already
have
some
of
the
knowledge
and
skills
that
are
covered
in
this
Learner’s
Guide.
This
might
be
because:
• you
have
been
working
in
the
industry
for
some
time,
and/or
• you
have
already
completed
training
in
this
area.
Together
with
your
supervisor
or
trainer
use
the
checklists
on
the
following
pages
to
help
you
plan
your
study
program.
Your
answers
to
the
questions
in
the
checklist
will
help
you
work
out
which
sections
of
this
Learner’s
Guide
you
need
to
complete.
This
Learner’s
Guide
is
written
with
the
idea
that
learning
is
made
more
relevant
when
you,
the
learner,
are
actually
working
in
the
industry.
This
means
that
you
will
have
people
within
the
enterprise
who
can
show
you
things,
discuss
how
things
are
done
and
answer
any
questions
you
have.
Also
you
can
practise
what
you
learn
and
see
how
what
you
learn
is
applied
in
the
enterprise.
If
you
are
working
through
this
Learner’s
Guide
and
have
not
yet
found
a
job
in
the
industry,
you
will
need
to
talk
to
your
trainer
about
doing
work
experience
or
working
and
learning
in
some
sort
of
simulated
workplace.
Assessment
of
this
Unit
of
Competency
will
include
observation
of
real
or
simulated
work
processes
using
workplace
procedures
and
questioning
on
underpinning
knowledge
and
skills.
It
must
be
demonstrated
in
an
actual
or
simulated
work
situation
under
supervision.
Section 1
Section outline
The
ability
to
work
with
people
from
a
range
of
cultural
backgrounds
is
more
and
more
important
in
Australia
as
migration
has
created
a
population
that
is
extremely
diverse.
Further
more,
the
percentage
of
overseas
born
persons
has
risen
from
22.9%
in
1991
to
23.6%
in
2000.
This
means
that
one
in
four
people
in
Australia
were
born
overseas.
The
percentage
born
in
the
UK
and
Ireland
was
just
over
6%.
This
means
that
over
17%
of
our
population
were
born
overseas
in
a
culture
that
is
not
‘Anglo-‐Saxon’.
Add
to
this
figure
family
members
born
in
Australia
but
living
and
following
the
culture
of
their
parents,
and
you
can
arrive
at
a
figure
of
one
in
five
or
one
in
four
people
living
in
a
culture
different
to
that
traditionally
seen
as
‘Aussie’.
Australia
has
seen
different
cultural
and
ethnic
groups
arrive
on
our
shores
as
a
result
of:
• changing
immigration
policies
–
Australia
eliminated
the
‘White
Australian
policy’
which
was
a
fundamental
change
in
Australian
society
and
subsequently
changed
the
ethnic
population
of
this
country
• labour
shortages
in
Australia
–
both
skilled
and
unskilled
• economic
and
humanitarian
hardship
in
overseas
countries
(e.g.
Vietnam
after
the
Vietnam
War).
These
peoples
have
made
an
impact
on
Australia
in
terms
of:
• cuisine
• contributions
to
the
skills
of
our
national
workforce
• economic
benefits
from
increasing
need
for
services
and
goods
• increasing
the
available
pool
of
labour
• cultural
diversity
in
Australia
• fostering
language
studies
and
language
acquisition
for
all
Australians
• assisting
with
establishing
trading
links
and
business
opportunities
with
other
countries.
Cultural
diversity
extends
beyond
ethnicity.
The
traditional
family
unit
of
mother,
father
and
children
is
increasingly
less
relevant
in
Australia
as
family
units
may
consist
of
same
sex
couples,
children
of
different
fathers/mothers
living
in
the
same
household,
extended
families,
friends
sharing
houses,
etc.
Whereas
in
the
past
people
with
disabilities
lived
in
institutions,
the
modern
practice
is
to
integrate
people
into
communities.
So,
a
typical
neighbourhood
or
staff
of
a
workplace
is
no
longer
a
collection
of
‘nuclear
families’
or
members
of
such
families
but
can
be
composed
of
a
rich
diversity
and
variety
of
individuals
from
different
types
of
household
units
or
family
groups
and
from
many
cultural
backgrounds.
The
reasons
that
it
is
important
to
understand
how
to
interact
with
others
in
today’s
diverse
society
include
that:
• the
competitive
markets
in
which
Australia
trades
are
now
very
different
from
the
reliance
we
had
in
the
past
on
trade
with
the
United
Kingdom
and
Europe
(25%
of
our
markets
are
new
markets)
• beliefs
and
tolerance
have
changed
as
Australia
matures
as
a
society
• people
will
not
accept
behaviours
that
were
considered
‘Ok’
in
the
past
• legislation
is
in
place
with
regard
to
harassment
and
discrimination
and
understanding
the
diversity
of
culture
is
a
fundamental
building
block
to
eliminating
discriminatory
behaviour.
These
benefits
have
made
Australia
come
to
be
recognised
as
a
nation
that
has
benefited
from
the
diversity
of
its
people
and
as
a
desirable
place
to
live.
This
introduction
to
this
unit
of
competency
pointed
out
that
Australia
has
a
diversity
of
cultures
within
a
neighbourhood,
and
equally,
within
a
workplace.
The
Core
dimensions
include
inborn
or
inherent
differences
that
will
have
an
impact
on
one’s
life
throughout
it.
The
secondary
dimensions
can
be
acquired
or
changed
throughout
one’s
lifetime.
These
dimensions
tend
to
have
less
impact
than
those
of
the
core
but
still
have
an
impact
on
a
person’s
life,
self-‐definition
and
worldview.
It
is
important
to
understand
the
responsibilities
that
you
have
as
an
individual
in
a
workplace.
As
well
as
the
legislative
framework
and
ensuring
that
you
comply
with
these
laws,
the
actions
and
behaviours
of
individuals
are
important
in
an
organisation
making
use
of
and
supporting
cultural
and
social
diversity.
Positive
attitudes
and
behaviours
are
those
that
value
people
as
individuals,
regardless
of
culture
or
social
grouping,
and
the
contribution
they
make
to
the
organisation.
In
the
next
activity,
you
are
asked
to
investigate
your
responsibilities
in
this
area.
Activity 1: Responsibilities
Workplaces
can
see
cultural
diversity
as
an
asset
and
work
towards
making
the
services
of
the
enterprise
easily
accessible.
Similarly,
the
employment
of
people
from
different
cultural
backgrounds
can
be
made
more
accommodating.
Some
of
the
ways
that
enterprises
can
make
their
services
more
accessible
or
user-‐friendlier
include:
• having
signs
in
other
languages
• providing
wheelchair
access
through
ramps,
lifts
and
with
facilities
set
a
the
height
appropriate
to
people
in
wheelchairs
(public
phones
or
service
counters
set
at
a
lower
height)
• employing
staff
of
a
socially
diverse
background
(e.g.
speaking
a
community
languages,
wheel-‐chaired,
Auslan
abled)
• having
and
providing
access
to
telephone
interpreters
• translating
information
into
community
languages
• training
staff
not
to
make
assumptions
based
on
religion,
race,
sexuality,
marital
status
(e.g.
“Madam,
would
you
like
to
take
home
the
details
and
discuss
these
with
your
husband?”)
• taking
account
of
cultural
taboos
and
accommodating
these
with
sensitivity
(e.g.
in
some
cultures
a
man
cannot
interact
with
a
woman
unless
another
woman
is
present)
• providing
graphic
images
for
public
information
rather
than
using
words
(e.g.
using
a
symbol
for
a
phone/lift/etc
rather
than
the
words
‘phone/lift/etc’).
These
strategies
consist
of
both
using
positives
measures
and
removing
negatives
or
deterrents
to
customers
or
clients.
Further
information
about
the
issues
you
might
address
in
working
with
customers
of
different
cultural
backgrounds
can
be
found
on
the
Queensland
Health
web
site
at:
http://www.health.qld.gov.au/hssb/cultdiv/cultdiv/home.htm
a
useful
resource.
In
the
next
activities
you
are
asked
to
start
investigating
ways
of
working
in
a
culturally
inclusive
and
sensitive
manner.
Use the web site reference given to you above or talk to friends
who have come from other cultures or are from a different social
and/or cultural environment to yourself. Use tact and try to read
your friends’ body language (signs of discomfort, unease with your
questions, etc) if you talk directly to people about this activity.
Summarise ways in which you would work with customers from a
different background.
Activity 3: Resources
No. Statement A S N
Your
customers
or
colleagues
may
include
tourists
on
holiday
in
Australia
and
people
born
overseas
who
have
not
learnt
English.
Communicating
with
these
people
may
present
some
problems.
However,
‘where
there
is
a
will,
there
is
a
way’.
If
you
have
not
had
the
opportunity
to
travel
overseas
in
a
non-‐English
speaking
country,
try
to
imagine
how
you
would
manage
(Australians
have
done
this
and
in
the
reverse
there
are
many
non-‐English
speaking
tourists
in
Australia
at
any
one
time).
As
a
tourist,
life
is
fairly
relaxed
and
communication
difficulties
are
not
a
major
problem.
Now
try
to
picture
a
situation
in
which
you
do
your
current
job
but
in
a
country
where
English
is
not
the
spoken
language.
Europe
might
be
a
bit
easier
as
many
Europeans
speak
English
to
some
extent
(but
may
choose
not
to!)
as
do
people
involved
in
trade
in
Asian
countries.
English
has
become
one
of
the
most
commonly
spoken
languages
in
the
world
and
certainly
the
language
of
trade
and
commerce.
Communicating
with
people
who
do
not
speak
English
can
be
made
easier
by:
• using
pictures
• speaking
more
slowly
where
the
person
has
limited
English
(don’t
make
the
mistake
of
speaking
louder
–
lack
of
English
and
hearing
impairment
are
different!)
• using
interpreters
or
others
in
the
workplace
who
speak
that
language
(take
care
not
to
confuse
language
groups
that
may
be
geographically
close
but
are
in
fact
different
and
may
be
in
conflict
in
their
home
countries)
• getting
material
translated
into
community
languages
• learning
some
basic
words
in
other
languages
such
as
danger/stop,
etc.
particularly
where
safety
is
concerned
or
as
basic
greetings.
Workforces
traditionally
have
worked
hard
to
present
the
model
of
appropriate
and
successful
behaviour
within
the
workforce
as
that
of
a
typical
white,
middle
aged,
Anglo-‐Saxon
person
(usually
male).
This
model
provides
the
assumptions
for
a
workplace
that
means
that
only
those
who
match
this
model
can
succeed.
Even
where
an
organisation
actively
recruits
individuals
who
do
not
meet
this
model,
success
is
limited
within
the
organisation
and
if
left
unchallenged
the
culture
will
end
up
forcing
those
outside
the
model
to
leave
to
get
promotion,
equal
pay
for
equal
work
and
basic
rights.
Legislation
has
changed
the
‘outer
face
of
organisations’
so
that
it
is
illegal
to
discriminate
on
the
basis
of
the
core
and
many
of
the
secondary
dimensions
of
diversity
described
earlier
in
this
Learner’s
Guide.
However,
only
by
changing
the
operating
culture
can
discrimination
be
totally
removed.
Stereotyping
is
seen
as
the
key
to
changing
the
culture
within
an
organization.
Stereotyping
involves
making
an
assumption
based
on
one’s
own
values
about
an
individual
or
a
group
based
on
perceptions
of
that
individual
or
group.
For
instance,
imagine
you
are
a
person
serving
behind
the
counter
of
a
shop
that
sells
expensive
goods
and
a
person
enters
who
has
not
shaved
and
has
odd
footwear
–
one
foot
is
in
a
soft
slipper
or
shoe
with
a
hole
in
the
big
toe
and
the
other
foot
is
in
a
‘normal
shoe’.
When
the
person
asks
you
for
some
assistance,
their
voice
is
affected
in
some
way
and
not
very
coherent.
Think again!!!!!!
How
about
this
for
an
explanation
–
the
person
is
able
to
afford
the
goods
in
your
shop
and
is
coming
in
to
buy
some
things.
Recently,
the
person
was
involved
in
an
accident
which
left
him
with
a
broken
toe
(hence
the
odd
footwear),
a
broken
jaw
(hence
the
‘odd’
voice)
and
a
sprained
wrist
that
meant
that
he
was
unable
to
shave.
In
the
Case
Studies
that
follow,
you
are
asked
to
check
your
own
thinking
for
assumptions
and
stereotyping.
Case Study 1
As you walk along the street near your home, a young child runs
out of her house with blood coming from her nose. An adult then
follows the child out the door and runs after her calling out, “You
come back here immediately” in an angry voice.
Case Study 2
Case Study 3
A young woman dressed in ‘goth’ gear (dyed black hair, thick black
mascara, long fingernails with black nail polish, black clothes, white
face powder, etc) walks out of a house with her long fingers circled
around an old woman’s arm and looking as if she is trying to hurry
the old woman along. The old woman seems resistant to moving
quickly and is shuffling along slowly.
Case Study 4
Case Study 5
Two young men meet in the street and greet each other with a kiss.
Section 2
Section outline
Many
people
believe
that
visitors
to
Australia
or
people
taking
up
citizenship
here
will
quickly
learn
how
to
‘fit
in’
and
the
‘Aussie
way
of
doing
things’.
Culture
is
more
deeply
ingrained
than
this
picture
presents
and
some
people
will
never
replace
their
own
culture
with
‘the
Aussie
way
of
doing
things’
but
will,
in
time
understand
and
be
sensitive
and
respect
Australian
culture.
Similarly,
the
cultures
of
visitors
and
those
born
or
raised
in
other
cultures
should
be
respected.
However,
misunderstandings
can
occur.
Some
simple
Case
Studies
are
presented
her
to
illustrate
how
misunderstandings
may
arise
in
the
workplace
through
stereotyping
and
making
assumptions.
Boris
is
a
native
of
an
Eastern
European
country
where
the
police
force
has
powers
of
interrogation
and
arrest
on
the
basis
of
suspicion
rather
than
hard
evidence.
Boris
himself
has
been
arrested
and
tortured
in
his
country
for
suspected
subversive
activity.
He
fled
to
Australia
and
still
treats
any
questioning
with
suspicion.
As
part
of
his
learning
and
development
he
is
told
that
he
will
be
assessed
via
observation
and
questioning.
He
refuses
to
be
assessed
without
giving
any
reasons
for
his
actions.
Sheila
was
born
and
raised
in
the
Northern
Territory
before
moving
interstate
and
taking
up
a
job
in
a
transport
company
in
Sydney.
After
a
stocktake
it
is
discovered
that
stock
losses
are
occurring
that
cannot
be
explained
by
any
other
means
than
theft.
The
manager
of
the
company
questions
all
staff
members
including
those
with
or
without
authority
to
access
the
stock
storage
area.
When
questioned
by
the
manager,
Shelia
does
not
make
eye
contact
with
the
manager.
She
explains
that
she
has
no
access
to
the
storage
area
and
says
she
loves
her
job
and
is
pleased
to
be
given
an
opportunity
to
work
in
the
City.
The
manager
does
not
trust
her
answers
and
suspects
her
of
theft
because
she
does
not
‘appear
honest’.
Others
in
the
company
have
noticed
that
Sheila
does
not
make
eye
contact.
Together
with
the
fact
that
she
is
new
to
the
company,
she
is
suspected
of
stealing
stock.
Aziz
never
attends
social
functions
put
on
by
the
company
social
club.
These
involve
events
such
as
a
summer
BBQ,
a
night
at
an
‘Irish
Pub’,
a
wine
bottling
and
a
visit
to
a
country
horse
race
meeting.
His
excuses
vary
from
family
commitments,
his
wife
being
ill
that
weekend,
being
away,
having
to
take
his
children
to
a
Saturday
morning
language
school.
When
invited
to
join
his
mates
for
a
drink
after
work,
he
again
makes
excuses.
Although
he
is
a
good
worker
and
joins
in
conversations
at
lunchtime
in
the
lunchroom,
he
is
seen
to
be
a
bit
‘stand-‐offish’
because
he
does
not
go
to
the
social
club
functions.
The
opportunity
arises
for
a
team
leader’s
position,
to
be
filled
by
internal
application.
Aziz
applies
and
during
the
application
process,
his
non-‐attendance
at
social
functions
and
drinks
after
work
is
raised
as
a
reason
for
not
promoting
him.
Houng
arrived
in
Australia
by
boat
as
a
refugee
from
Vietnam
in
the
early
80’s.
He
owned
a
transport
business
in
his
own
country
but
left
that
behind
when
he
fled
with
his
family.
Over
a
period
of
years
he
has
learnt
English
and
shown
himself
to
be
a
good,
conscientious
worker.
As
a
result
he
has
gained
employment
in
a
warehousing
company
and
been
promoted
to
leading
hand,
supervising
the
work
of
four
other
team
members
in
the
despatch
department.
The
company
is
not
a
closed
shop
and
Houng
although
in
conversation
seems
to
be
in
agreement
with
the
union’s
position
on
many
issues,
is
not
a
member
of
the
union.
Houng
refuses
to
go
on
strike.
His
colleagues,
including
the
team
that
he
supervises
are
most
angry
but
he
continues
to
claim
that
“a
good
worker
should
never
do
that
to
his/her
boss”.
Immigration
becomes
a
‘hot
topic’
due
to
a
statement
made
in
the
papers
that
“all
immigration
should
be
stopped
as
they
are
taking
jobs
away
from
real
Australians”.
Each
time
the
topic
comes
up
at
work,
Hannah
seems
to
disappear
and
go
off
to
the
toilet
or
go
for
a
cigarette
or
go
back
to
work
before
her
break
is
finished.
Opinion
is
divided
around
the
workplace
but
most
people
feel
that
the
author
of
the
statement
is
racist
and
ill
informed.
Her
work
mates
gradually
realise
what
is
happening
and
accuse
her
of
being
“
a
racist
follower”
of
the
author
of
the
statement.
E.
A.
S.
Y.
Storage
Pty.
Ltd.
provides
storage
for
customers’
goods
on
a
short
to
longer-‐term
basis.
The
company’s
manager
decides
to
invest
time
and
energy
into
a
continuous
improvement
program.
Following
a
series
of
training
exercises
funded
by
the
company
and
held
during
work
time,
an
Action
Plan
is
formulated
for
teams
to
be
formed
and
for
these
teams
to
meet
fortnightly
to
discuss
ways
of
getting
jobs
done
and
how
these
could
be
made
safer,
how
quality
can
be
maintained
or
improved
and
how
the
tasks
could
be
made
more
efficient.
Paola
has
attended
every
training
program
and
each
of
the
team
meetings
over
the
first
two
months
of
the
program
but
while
she
was
attentive
in
the
training
and
completed
all
activities,
she
has
not
asked
one
question
during
the
training,
offered
to
share
her
ideas
or
make
a
comment
and
has
made
no
verbal
contribution
to
the
team
meetings.
Her
supervisor
feels
that
her
time
would
be
better
spent
being
back
at
work
while
the
others
meet
and
discuss
improvements.
The
supervisor
raises
the
matter
with
the
production
manager
of
the
company
with
the
view
to
suggesting
that
Paola
attends
to
the
phone
and
other
work
duties
while
the
others
meet.
Your
own
behaviour
in
the
workplace
is
a
role
model
to
others,
even
if
you
are
not
a
manager
or
trainer.
People
will
notice
how
you
make
contributions
to
working
with
others
of
other
cultural
backgrounds
by:
• understanding
and
modelling
the
appropriate
workplace
behaviour
with
regard
to
diversity
and
the
workplace
Code
of
Ethics
• being
aware
of
cultural
differences
and
treating
these
differences
with
respect
and
sensitivity
• using
strategies
to
try
to
communicate
where
language
is
a
barrier
to
communication
• making
suggestions
and
implementing
strategies
to
provide
access
for
customers
to
your
company’s
services
• trying
to
assist
colleagues
who
speak
other
languages
than
your
own
and
who
are
disabled,
to
perform
their
work
role
safely
and
effectively
• taking
the
time
to
appreciate
others
points
of
view
and
the
cultural
values
behind
those
views
• trying
to
deal
with
issues
and
problems
that
might
arise
in
the
workplace
that
have
some
link
to
differences
in
culture
• reporting
issues
that
arise
and
seeking
the
assistance
of
team
leaders/trainers/managers/specialists
in
the
workplace
(HR
manager,
etc)
to
deal
with
these
issues.
Your
roles
and
responsibilities
in
this
area
need
not
stop
there.
Your
role
modelling
can
be
taken
further
and
you
might:
• learn
a
community
language
or
some
basics
to
help
communicate
in
the
workplace
• invite
speakers
into
the
workplace
to
talk
about
relevant
issues
• arrange
a
special
event
that
honours
other
cultures
and
their
peoples
• locate
resources
that
might
be
useful
in
the
workplace
to
support
others
and
for
educating
team
members
• take
a
stand
against
racism,
sexism,
other
objectionable
practices
The
following
activity
asks
you
to
develop
a
project
that
models
the
behaviours
and
attitudes
explored
in
this
Learner’s
Guide.
You
might
do
this
project
with
others
in
the
workplace
as
away
of
spreading
the
work
load
and
the
‘message’.
Make sure you choose a project that can be achieved and has
support from management in your workplace.
Additional
resources
Web
sites:
• Diversity@work
http://www.work.asn.au/
• Queensland
Health
diversity
web
site
http://www.health.qld.gov.au/hssb/cultdiv/home.htm
• Diversity
Victoria
(government
web
site)
http://www.diversity.vicnet.net.au/
• Diversity
Australia
http://www.diversityaustralia.gov.au/
• RacismNoWay
web
site
http://www.racismnoway.com.au/library/cultural/
• Centre
for
Workplace
Communication
and
Culture
http://www.edoz.com.au/cwcc/docs/cwcc/diversity.html
• Workplace
diversity
in
the
Australian
Public
Service
http://www.apsc.gov.au/publications01/diversityguidelines.htm
• Attorney
General’s
Department
(relevant
legislation)
http://scaletext.law.gov.au/html/pastereg/1/617/0/PR000170.htm
• University
of
Newcastle
web
site
(legislation
and
other
resources
including
a
guide
to
working
with
persons
of
diverse
cultures
(Cultural
Sensitivity
Book)
http://www.newcastle.edu.au/services/equity/policy/cultural_sensit
ivity_book.doc
• Cross-‐cultural
training
(Migrant
Resource
Centre,
North
East
Melbourne)
http://www.mrcne.org.au/training.html
• Queensland
University
of
Technology
Equity
Plan
http://www.equity.qut.edu.au/plan/2002/equity_plan_2002.doc
Feedback on
activities
The responses provided in this section are suggested responses.
Because every workplace is different, your responses may vary
according to your specific workplace procedures, the equipment
available and the nature of the business.
Activity 1: Responsibilities
The key will be to try to understand what the values of the group
are and what is considered acceptable/’normal practice’ in their
culture that might be considered unacceptable/’abnormal’ in your
own culture and vice versa. Some key differences may be:
• form of address
• eye contact
• respect for elders, religious figures
• forbidden topics of conversation and topics uncomfortable to
discuss (e.g. sex, religion, politics)
• interactions between males and females.
Activity 3: Resources
Case Study 1
The child is from next door and has a blood nose. She is
attempting to run home to her own parent. The adult knows that
no-one is at home and is anxious that the child has panicked and
run into the street.
Case Study 2
Case Study 3
Case Study 4
The group were just chatting about ‘nothing much’ but realised as
you came in that their break was up and moved back to work. (You
might assume that you were being talked about!!!)
Case Study 5
The two young men are cousins and coming from a European
background, always greet each other with a kiss.
Case Study 1
Showing the benefits of the process and talking about how the
assessment will be carried out can often be useful strategies to
address people’s suspicions. Special consideration could be
applied to Boris so that he can select assessment methods that are
less threatening than questioning. He might take a support person
with him during assessment. Talking to others who have been
assessed (especially people of a similar background) might also
help.
Case Study 2
The manager should not assume that lack of eye contact implies
guilt. Further investigation of ALL staff is required to clear up the
matter. The question of theft that is internal to a company is
probably the most uncomfortable situation that occurs in a
workplace and also leads to misunderstandings. Stereotyping can
also affect peoples’ judgements in such situations. The manager
should be careful to presume innocence until otherwise proven and
has a responsibility to take this message to all staff.
Case Study 3
Case Study 4
The company is not a closed shop and Houng can make a choice
of belonging to the union or not doing so. Some unions have
encouraged the donation of a day’s strike pay to ‘fighting funds’
where members cannot join in with the action taken. Houng’s
colleagues might suggest he does this to show his support for the
issue while maintaining his own beliefs. This may present an
option that results in preventing the issue escalating.
Case Study 5
Some situations are better left alone and this might be one of them.
Perhaps a friend at work could have a ‘quiet word’ with her and
raise the fact that some people think she is a supporter of the view
given because she avoids talking about it with her fellow workers.
Case Study 6
Just because Paola does not speak up, this does not mean that
she is wasting her own and everyone else’s time in being involved
in the program. She may have valuable ideas to contribute but the
forum of an open meeting and the style of training delivered may
not have suited the way she contributes and learns.