UNDERSTANDING OTHER CULTURES: THE VALUE ORIENTATIONS METHOD

The 2000 census has documented the common knowledge that the United States is becoming an ever more multicultural nation. This fundamental shift in demographics challenges organizations to make their programs relevant and accessible to people from outside the dominant culture. But for organizations to change, people that make up the organization need to change and that requires no perceptions and understandings. How can those in the dominant Western culture understand better the assumptions of people from another culture -so that they have the understanding necessary to adapt their organizations to serve more effectively across cultures?