Human Resources Development and Leadership Essay

Human Resources Development and Leadership - Essay Example mbination of the traits, skillsets and personality of a particular individual that are developed within the context of racial, ethnic, or educational setting with each individual having an exclusive personal culture. On the other hand, national culture can be considered as shared understanding that originates from a set of beliefs, perceptions and values that provide a foundation for a nation’s heritage. Even though national culture is a communal understanding, people in a nation continue to have a broad variety of beliefs concerning their country. Corporate culture is a blend of broadly shared institutional principles, morals and the guiding philosophies of the organization that is typically highlighted in its mission and vision statements. Organizational culture has similarities to the national culture in that individuals in the firm usually perceive their firms differently (Witte & Muijen, 1999). These differing perceptions usually align themselves with the level of the ind ividual in the hierarchy of the firm. It produces leaders who have varying views of their corporate culture in comparison to those who are in lower levels of the firm. Understanding the manner in which these perceptions differ is a significant aspect of the job of every leader. Culture is not an external aspect as it exists within the person and cannot be separated from other learned skills (Matsumoto & Juang, 2004). Therefore, the development of multicultural awareness, understanding and competencies should be considered as a professional responsibility and an opportunity for any leader. With billions of workers residing and working in diverse environments, there are numerous opportunities for nurturing cultural awareness, understanding and skillsets. People living in unfamiliar cultures have a higher likelihood of becoming more multicultural in their understanding of alternative morals, traditions and ways of life, which were initially odd and unfamiliar (Ford, 1999). In some instance,