Why to be globally competent? - Professional Implications of Global Citizenship

The world moves increasingly towards globalisation and as result, a super fast growth in the globalised economy can be seen. Therefore, people from different cultures and backgrounds find themselves working together more and more frequently and in order to have an effective and positive workplace companies operating in a global economy have been seeking employees with global competencies.

In light of this, I have gathered from my researches and readings some significant points of why being globally competent/global citizen is important within a company nowadays:

- Effective communication
Even when people are willing to work in group, they can cause confusion or offend others unintentionally because of their different ways of behaving or doing things. Acting as global citizen is to have self and cross-cultural awareness, understand that people from different cultures can have different approaches, interpretations, perspectives, attitudes and reactions, bear in mind that what is appropriate in one culture may not be in another one (Quappe & Cantatore 2005). Thus, we should assume that people are different from us (Quappe & Cantatore 2005) and actively seek to understand cultural norms and expectations of others (Hunter 2004) to avoid misunderstandings,  and enhance the effectiveness of our communication.

- Efficient teamwork

Global citizens know how to manage and value cultural diversity and differences of multicultural groups, the result of this are teams which work inclusively, highly aligned (John Deere 2013). A culturally aware workplaces have less conflict, greater work flow and better staff morale.

- Efficient leadership

A leader who cannot effectively manage differences, communicate with or understanding their employees's actions can lose its credibility. Besides, a global citizen leader can spread the global citizenship principles to others employees.

- Critical thinking - Ability to analyse and solve complex problems 
Global citizen have a global perspective and thus, they can reflect on and analyse problems and evaluate solutions considering multiple and alternative visions. 

- Getting prepared to step into a changing world, accept changes and even being a change agent

A global citizen understandings that the world and its issues change constantly, and companies need to follow theses changes, their purpose, projects and actions can change according to what happening around the world. A global citizen who has this in mind can alert and start a necessary change.

- Ongoing learning and critical review of one's own education
An important global competence is open-mindedness, which enables continuous learning. In addition, competencies such as the ability to listen, observe, evaluate, analyse, interpret and relate are significant skills that are essential to continued learning throughout life (Bremer 2006). However, it is crucial to question, critically analyse and investigate the veracity of information in order to avoid misinformation. It is also important try to search for different viewpoints that are not addressed in, for example, the news media and books (Andrzejewski & Alessio 1999).

You can find here some really interesting quotes about global competence and global citizenship:

"Globally competent learner is one who is able to understand the interconnectedness of people and systems, to have a general knowledge of history and world events, to accept and cope with the existence of different cultural values and attitudes and, indeed, to celebrate the richness and benefits of this diversity." (Stanley Foundation & the American Council on International Intercultural Education 1996, Educating for the Global Community: A Framework for Community Colleges; cited by Hunter at al 2006, p. 274)

“As people develop an ever greater understanding of other cultures, languages, and societies, they also will develop better respect for the differences that exist around the world and will grow into more open-minded and collaborative global citizens.” (Kirwan n.d.; cited by Bremer 2006, p. 45)

“As society, the economy, and the workforce becomes more cross-cultural, those that are comfortable enough to deal with, understand, and respect cultural difference will be the leaders that can advance their goals.” (Moffatt n.d.; cited by Bremer 2006, p. 42)

References:
Andrzejewski, J & Alessio, J 1999, 'Education for Global Citizenship and Social Responsability', Progressive Perspectives: 1998-99 Monograph Series, vol. 1, no. 2, accessed 29 Jan 2015, http://www.uvm.edu/~dewey/monographs/glomono.html

Bremer, D. 2006, WANTED: GLOBAL WORKERS, International Educator, accessed 30 Jan 2015, http://www.nafsa.org/_/File/_/global_workers_inted_2006.pdf

Hunter, B, White, GP & Godbey, GC 2006, 'What does it mean to be globally competent?', Journal of Studies in International Education, vol. 10, no. 3, pp. 267-285, accessed 30 Jan 2015, http://jsi.sagepub.com/content/10/3/267  

Hunter, W 2004, 'Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes, and Experiences Necessary to Become Globally Competent', doctoral dissertation, Lehigh University, Pennsylvania, accessed 29 Jan 2015, http://www.globallycompetent.com/research/wdh-dissertation-2004.pdf

John Deere 2013, 2013 Global Citizenship Report - Demonstrating Commitment in Action, John Deere, accessed 30 Jan 2015, http://www.deere.com/en_US/docs/Corporate/citizenship/global_citizenship_report.pdf

Quappe, S & Cantatore, G 2005, What is Cultural Awareness, anyway? How do I build it?, accessed 29 Jan 2014, culturosity.com

Case Study: Cirque du Soleil's Global Citizenship

Cirque du Soleil is a world-renowned entertainment company, being the largest theatrical producer in the world, it is known for its high quality performances, which "evoke the imagination, invoke the senses and provoke the emotions of people around the world". It was funded in 1984 in Quebec, Canada. More than 50 nationalities are represented within the company, and 25 different languages are spoken among the employees. Cirque du Soleil also applies creative approaches to drive social change in communities worldwide. Its citizenship principles are "founded on the conviction that the arts, business and social initiatives can, together, contribute to making a better world" (Cirque du Soleil).

Cirque du Soleil’s global citizenship sense can be seen not only inside the company, in the workplace, but also outside, in the relationship with the partners and suppliers as well as in many environmental, social and cultural programs. In order to be a responsible global corporate citizen, the company has adopted 4 basic pillars:

Workplace. “Providing an inspiring, healthy and safe workplace for our employees”

Cirque du Soleil shows large respect and gratitude to its employees, by providing them with the opportunity to have a good work-life balance. Lucy Jones, a The Telegraph's journalist, had a chance to spend some days with the circus in 2012 and could discover a little this world behind the scenes:

"... At the hub is the canteen, where food has colour-coded labels to indicate how healthy it is. Totem travels with four chefs who cook with local ingredients and use local staff – very efficient – and on Sundays everyone brings their family and friends for brunch. 

Each artist has their own cubbyhole, pasted with photographs of their families and laden with traces of their personality. It’s a bit like a boarding school. Athletes from China, Germany and Brazil are performing tricks on the floor, or lying on sofas listening to their iPods. “Please speak to the Chinese girls if you have time. They need to practise their English”, reads a poster on the wall.

...

Some performers struggle to adjust to life after Cirque. It’s not just laundry, meals, medical care, education (there is a school on site) that are provided, the experience is holistic. If you get injured, the company will make sure you can get another job, train in other areas or study for an MBA.

Another precaution for life on the outside: every Cirque artist must learn to do their own make-up to the highest standard; not to save money, but to ensure they have another skill to take away with them." (Jones 2012)

Its employment principles are based on equal opportunity without distinction, exclusion or preference. The company has also deployed projects aiming health and safety in order to guarantee employee's physical and psychological integrity such as the implementation of clinic at international headquarters with doctor available and better assessment of operation's compliance with policies as well as the risks associated with acrobatic performances.

Environment. “Reducing the environmental impact of our operations”
The company is really committed to the environment, by having it as an important factor in its business decisions and adopting a highly proactive environmental policy. Some actions and projects:

- Water management: by using equipments that consumes less water, low-flow sanitation facilities and rainwater collection system to reuse the water in sanitary facilities and gardening needs; using water condensation from air-conditioning systems and use it in cleaning, washing machines and sanitation facilities in employee areas;

- Reduction of greenhouse gases emissions: by taking part in a new urban heating network which produces no greenhouse gases, upgrading its building control systems with presence-detection equipment, optimizing the cooling and heating water networks, modernizing the lighting equipment, replacing incandescent and halogen lights with LEDs;

- Invest funds in the Carbon Reserve, foundation that contributes to the achievement of numerous projects;

- Waste reduction: by recycling and composting, assessing collection and sorting methods with a view to improving them, using compost paper towels in the wash-rooms, setting up a system to collect and return bottles, setting up a system to recover wood pallets at the end of the North American leg of a tour, implementing a system for managing hazardous waste;

- Education programs to raise employees’ awareness.

Partnerships Procurement. “Making responsible choices in terms of partnerships and procurement”
The company makes big attempt, establishing an ongoing dialogue, in order to encourage its partners and suppliers to act responsibly. Cirque du Soleil's partnership agreements have a clause that covers social responsibility, which includes employee relations and working conditions, responsible procurement, environmental protection and social and cultural action in the community.

Communities. “Behaving like a responsible agent for change in communities”
Aiming social responsibility, the company has established several social and cultural programs, the most important ones:

Cirque du Monde – it is a social circus program which uses educational intervention to help at-risk youth between the ages of 8 and 25 such as street kids and homeless teenagers. The program is implanted in more than 80 communities worldwide in partnership with many local organisations. The focus of the program in each community is according to the problems that each community is facing. In South Africa, for instance, it is used to motivate kids born with HIV to follow their treatments. In Mongolia, workshops were held in juvenile prisons. In Quebec, social circus was used as truancy prevention tool and, in Australia, with women survivors of sexual violence.

ONE DROP Foundation - the organisation’s projects aim to improve access to safe clean drinking water around the world as well to promote education and public awareness of water issues. The foundation has deployed projects in Nicaragua, Honduras, Haiti, El Salvador and India.

REFERENCES:
Cirque du Soleil n.d., Global Citizenship, Cirque du Soleil, accessed 12 Jan 2015, http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/about/global-citizenship/default.aspx

Cirque du Soleil 2014, 2014 Sustainability Roadmap, Cirque du Soleil, accessed 12 Jan 2015, http://static01.cirquedusoleil.com/en/~/media/about/global-citizenship/pdf/Review/Review2014.pdf

Cirque du Soleil n.d., Social Circus – Cirque du Monde, Cirque du Soleil, accessed 12 Jan 2015, https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/en/about/global-citizenship/social-circus/cirque-du-monde.aspx

ONE DROP 2014, Montreal, accessed 12 Jan 2015, http://www.onedrop.org/

Jones, L 2012, Cirque du Soleil: Life is one big balancing act, 9 Jan 2012, accessed 12 Jan 2015, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/theatre-features/9002806/Cirque-du-Soleil-Life-is-one-big-balancing-act.html#disqus_thread

"And the world will live as ONE"

The terror attack on the satirical French magazine, Charlie Hebdo that happened in Paris last week has brought up two controversial and global topics: free speech and religious fundamentalism and extremism.

After the attack the outpouring of the #JeSuisCharlie and #ImCharlie hashtags has raised in the social media as response. It is meant to show solidarity with the victims as well as a defence of free speech.

However, discussions about this event covers two completely different cultures, we can see clearly here a clash of cultures.

On one side, it is France, which has Liberalism as its political philosophy and "Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité" (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity) as its motto. In France, a liberal democracy, where everybody has its right of free speech, to share its different views and ideas, satire has a significant role. Satire is a genre of literature and it can be seen as a tool to address and criticise current institutions and issues in society such as political and religious. 

However, on the other hand of this case, it is the Muslim community. In the Islam, there is a principle which says that the Prophet Muhammad can not be depicted, many Muslims see any representation of the Prophet Muhammad as disrespectful, as denigration of Islam, but Charlie Hebdo went even further with crude and offensive caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad naked and in sexual poses. 

As the sociologist Jean-Mariw Charon (2015, cited by Carvajal & Daley, The New York Times) states "The French like their satire. The idea is to be irreverent, that irony and criticism are good things. But it is true that this is perhaps not part of everybody's culture". Charlie Hedbo not only mocks Muslims, but also Catholics, Jews and politicians.

"100 lashes if you don't die of laughter!"

"Love is stronger than hate"

"I am the Prophet, 
asshole!" "Shut up, infidel!"

"Don't make fun!"

“Yes to wearing the burqa …
 on the inside!”

"The Koran is worthless - 
it doesn't even stop bullets!"

Charlie Hebdo, cover cartoons, viewed 8 January 2015, http://www.vox.com/2015/1/7/7507883/charlie-hebdo-explained-covers, http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2011/11/02/charlie-hebdo-french-satire-magazine-s-shocking-covers-photos.html#53089133-c5ea-4170-8460-52312e20d451

"Finally free!"

The Pope in Rio: "Ready for anything
to solicit clients!"

Vatican: Another rigged election! “Let me down, I want to vote!”

"The Father, The Son,
and The Holy Spirit."

The Pope goes too far! “This is my body!”
(holding a condom).

“The true story of the baby Jesus.” 

Charlie Hebdo, cover cartoons, viewed 8 January 2015, http://qz.com/322550/charlie-hebdo-has-had-more-legal-run-ins-with-christians-than-with-muslims/

Presenting just a few of the cover images that the magazine has published could be misleading, given that the offensive images of the Prophet Muhammad were inside the magazine and not published by the news due to their offensive character.

So for me, the question raised here is: How far does the right of free speech extend?Those vulgar cartoons were extremely offensive, it was disrespect to a religion and a culture. In my view, free speech should be used with responsibility and respect, avoiding speeches that foment hatred like racism and discrimination, humiliation and offence.

Of course, in my view, NOTHING justifies the  bloodshed, an action against humanity that happened at Charlie Hebdo offices.

Pope, D 2015, cartoon, viewed 8 January 2015,
 https://twitter.com/davpope/status/552844593046097920/photo/1

This event was for me, the lack of respect for a religion, insults at a people retaliated with more intolerance, cruelty and violence by a group of fundamentalists. These kind of people that believe in terror attack as revenge, represent the worst in humanity: people unable to dialogue.

Unfortunately, another issue that comes along with the religious fundamentalism, specially with the violent attacks of fundamentalist Islamic groups is generalisation. Many link Muslims with terrorism. And Charlie Hebdo cartoons depicting Muslims with guns and making references to violence help to increase this generalisation, and thus they spread prejudice, racism, discrimination, islamophobia, xenophobia and intolerance. These feelings, in turn, increase even more the terrorism.

According to Karima Bennoune (2014), the author of the book "Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here: Untold Stories from the Fight Against Muslim Fundamentalism", it is completely wrong believe that Muslims condone terrorism. Actually, people of Muslim heritage are more likely to be victims of this violence, as pointed out by Bennoune only 15% of Al Qaeda's victims between 2004 and 2008 were Westerners, the majority were Muslims. Therefore, a great deal of Muslims fight against Muslim fundamentalism and terrorism, Bennoune describes these popular fights as "one of the most important and overlooked human rights struggles in the world". However, those people and several fundamentalist attacks against Muslim communities are largely ignored and neglected by international community (Bennoune 2014).

Indeed, many Muslims around the world have condemned the use of violence to respond to insults: 

Now, there you are another cartoon to make you think:

Stanley, P 2013, Imagine – John Lennon, cartoon, viewed 8 January 2015, http://www.stanleycolors.com/2013/09/imagine-john-lennon/

"This is NOT an anti-religion/atheist-propaganda comic. The comic and the song (at least as I understand it) tries to communicate that no matter your faith, we should all share the world in peace… As silly as that sounds." (Stanley, 2013)

References: 
Bennoune, K 2014, When people of Muslim heritage challenge fundamentalism, TED online video, March 2014, accessed 9 January 2015, http://www.ted.com/talks/karima_bennoune_the_side_of_terrorism_that_doesn_t_make_headlines

Carvajal, D & Daley, S 2015, 'Proud to Offend, Charlie Hebdo Carries Torch of Political Provocation', The New York Times, 7 January, viewed 8 January 2015, http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/08/world/europe/charlie-hebdo-broke-taboos-defying-threats-and-violence.html