An Evaluation of the Cultural Proficiency Among Employees of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)

Abstract

The workforce in many nations has become increasingly diverse brought about by the growing emphasis on global marketing and modern communication technological operations. As such, the focus on intercultural communication has emerged as a vital part in organizational studies (Cox Jr. 16). Intercultural communication can be studied by looking at culture, through its main components (perception, verbal and non-verbal processes) and its levels (macrolevel and microlevel), as well as communication’s role in the diversity management process. Over the years, diversity management has been popular for its emphasis on the need to achieve cultural competence in a multicultural environment. However, more recent studies revealed that diversity management must not just focus on multiculturalism (nationality differences) but must also consider the sociodemographic differences that exist among organizational members. Cultural proficiency is perceived to be the optimum approach for dealing with diversity in response to societal trends towards a wide range of sociodemographic differences such as gender, class, ethnicity, education, occupation, and religion (Lindsey, Robins, and Terrell 6). Cultural proficiency can be achieved through five elements -- valuing diversity, assessing one’s own and other’s culture, awareness of the dynamics of differences, institutionalizing knowledge, and adaptation towards diversity. To test the cultural proficiency of employees in a diverse Filipino organization, a study was conducted at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). The main problem posed was “Are the employees of NCCA culturally proficient?” The specific problems are the following: what is the nature of NCCA; what is the cultural profile of the organizational members; and how do they respond to cultural diversity? Using a random proportionate sampling, the researcher picked forty-nine (49) respondents that comprise 40 percent of the total member employees. Two research tools used to gather data were a survey questionnaire, which dealt in the four areas of the respondents’ cultural profile (personal data, macrocultural traits, microcultural traits, and cultural proficiency) and an interview schedule used with the Human Resource Officer. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, specifically frequencies and percentages. The findings showed that the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) is a government organization that is tasked to develop, conserve and promote Philippine culture and the arts. Its vision and goal are to develop human resources, enrich the quality and diversity of cultural experiences, and protect cultural property, while its programs and activities are geared towards cultural development, strengthening social infrastructure, cultural industries, supporting the disadvantaged, development of cultural communities, cultural education, and conservation of cultural heritage. The organization is composed of five line divisions and five line offices that are headed by an Executive Director and a Chairman, and ultimately by a National Advisory Board. Its selection and recruitment of employees occur in the following stages: 1) an initial screening by the Human Resource Officer; 2) a series of psychological, aptitude, and personality tests; 3) and its key tasks, but they fail to respond positively in two areas--in accepting that each culture finds some values and behaviors more important than others, and in realizing that conflicts arise from misjudgment of other’s actions based on stereotypes and learned expectations. The findings of this study supports the Cultural Proficiency Theory, which upholds that if members of an organization are able to address the cultural diversity through the five elements of cultural proficiency such condition will result in positive work relationships and job performance (Lindsey, Robins, and Terrell 125). It modifies the Cultural Proficiency as well by implying that although the employees may not be 100 percent culturally proficient and though they may have not yet fully attained the “Culture C,” they may still have positive relationships and job performance. In addition, in terms of the cultural profile of the employees, the findings of this study support and at the same time negate some of the intercultural communication theories on Asian culture (Samovar 79-141). This study supports the theory that the Asians have a nondualistic of reality, paternalistic values, and harmony-directed social skills. However, this study negates the theory that Asians have a non-mechanistic view of reality, uphold seniority, possess polychronic-time orientation, and possess high-context of language pattern. Furthermore the findings on the subcultures and subgroups supports the theories that 1) females are generally relationship-oriented, while males are generally task-oriented (Cox Jr. 112); 2) people in one country may still vary in their behaviors and values depending on their ethnicity (Jandt 10-17); 3) those with higher level of education tend to be present-oriented (Okun, Fried & Okun 158- 160); and 4) generally, all religious orientations teach members a concept of external locus of control (Samovar 115-126). It is therefore recommended that the survey questionnaire used in gathering data be revised to include items that can determine the pattern of Filipino cultural traits exist in the employees’ manner of dealing with diversity. Further studies must be made to, 1) describe and validate qualitatively the cultural patterns discovered in the evaluative research; 2) study the relationship and effects of cultural diversity on the employees’ job performance, using correlation or cause and effect research design; 3) examine in detail how the members of an organization actually respond to the five elements of cultural proficiency using observation method; and 4) determine why the employees of NCCA fail to respond positively to the two areas -- in accepting that each culture finds some values and behaviors more important than others and in realizing that conflicts arise from a misjudgment of others based on stereotypes. Similar studies may also be made among the employees of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and other culture and art organizations. For the management, it is therefore recommended that to further increase and to achieve total cultural proficiency among the employees, more information through printed materials and organized activities should be given to the employees that would continuously and extensively remind them of the five elements of cultural proficiency. Specifically, the management should find the proper and most effective means to address the two areas wherein the employees failed to respond positively. Lastly, since NCCA is the premier government organization that is tasked to develop, conserve, and promote the diverse Philippine culture, it is recommended that the management exhaust all efforts to ensure that NCCA can be a model of a Filipino organization with culturally proficient employees. initial interview for the short-list of applicants; 4) second interview with the Personnel Selection Board; and 5) a final interview with the Executive Director. The cultural profile of the employees was determined in both the macroculture and microcultural levels. In its macrocultural level, it was found that their Asian cultural traits include having a mechanistic view of reality, a non-dualistic worldview, paternalism, nonpreference for seniority, group-orientedness, monochronism, and a low-context communication pattern. On the other hand, their Filipino cultural traits are focused on valuing family kinship and gaining economic security. Their microcultural level is described in terms of subcultures and subgroups. Subcultures are their gender, ethnicity, and social class. In terms of gender, it was found that males and females are similar with their space orientation, leadership style, and preference for cooperation over competition, while they are dissimilar in time orientation, individualism vs. collectivism orientation, and locus of control. In terms of ethnicity, it was found that there exists thirteen ethnic groups whose time-orientation has no pattern, who prefer personal distance over social distance, who are task-oriented, collectivists, cooperative, and who tend to have external locus of control. In terms of income levels, three levels are found to exist namely, P6,000 to P10,000, P10,000 to P15,000 and P16,000 to P20,000. It was found that these three income levels vary in terms of time-orientation, collectivism vs. individualism orientation, and locus of control, while they are similar in their space orientation, leadership style orientation, and preference for cooperation to competition. Their subgroups meanwhile arise from educational background, occupation, and religion. Educational subgroups range from vocational degree, college degree and master’s degree who are similar in terms of their preference for cooperation over competition and who vary in terms of time-orientation, individualism vs. collectivism, and locus of control. Eleven occupational subgroups are found to exist who are mostly present-oriented, prefer personal distance as well as cooperation to competition, who believe in external locus of control and value individualism over collectivism, and are mostly relationship-oriented. Lastly, five religious orientations are found to exist namely, Catholics, Protestants, Iglesia ni Kristo, Jehovah’s Witness and Seventh Day Adventist. The five religions are found to vary in their orientations towards of time, space, leadership-style, individualism vs. collectivism, competition and cooperation, even as they are similar in terms of external locus of control. Finally, it was found that the employees of NCCA are culturally proficient -- they generally showed positive response in most of the questions concerning the five elements of cultural proficiency in that they value diversity, assess their own and other’s culture, attend to the dynamics of difference, continuously expand their cultural knowledge, and adapt to the culture of the organization. In only two areas did they fail to respond positively--in accepting that each culture finds some values and behaviors more important than others, and in realizing that conflicts arise from a misjudgment of other’s actions based on stereotypes and learned expectations.