Resources
A collection of intriguing and educational articles for those wanting to read up on cultural diversity, cultural intelligence (CQ), emotional intelligence (EQ), gender diversity, and LGBTQIA+ matters.
Dr Tanya Finnie, Director and Global Cultural Strategist
Interview with Tanya Finnie: Business Week Article April 2019.
Being Culturally Smart is the Next Big Thing. Published in April 2016 in Blooming Minds Magazine.
An Australian Workplace Survival Guide. Published in October 2016 in Blooming Minds Magazine.
Tanya’s YouTube Channel.
Click Here to download a PDF copy of a List of Books on EQ and CQ
Academic paper – Culture counts: the diverse effects of culture and society on mental health amidst COVID-19 outbreak in Australia
An academic paper on the impact of COVID-19 on mental health in Australia, focusing particularly on culture and marginal communities. (Cambridge University Press, written by Dr Yulia Furlong and Tanya Finnie).
Cultural Diversity
Beyond the Pale: Cultural Diversity on ASX 100 Boards.
“Australia is a multicultural triumph. It’s time we start seeing more cultural diversity in the leadership of our organisations.” – Dr Tim Soutphommasane.
Cultural diversity is severely unrepresented in leadership positions within both the private and public sectors. Due to the influence of organisations across Australia (and the world), it has become increasingly important for citizens to see themselves represented in positions of power.
This report provides a detailed, quantitative study of cultural representation within Australian companies, before outlining the primary barriers to increasing diversity within such businesses.
The Other Diversity Dividend – Paul Gompers and Silpa Kovali (Harvard Business Review)
There is strong correlating evidence to show that diversity significantly improves the financial performance of investments (both individually and company-level). If there is such strong proof to the economic benefits of increasing multiculturalism in a business, then why is there still such a startling lack of organisational diversity?
Accompanying the quantitative data within this report is an actionable plan for the implementation of diversifying procedures within a company.
Review of Cultural Assessments – Matsumoto and Hwang
To this day, there is a lack of valid and reliable tests for cross-cultural competence. This article examines this literature gap and provides statistical evidence for the successful continued usage of such testing measures.
Cultural Intelligence
CQ-Livermore An overview of CQ – Dr David Livermore as published in Forbes magazine 2010.
Why You Need Cultural Intelligence (And How To Develop It) – Echo Yuan Liao (Forbes Magazine)
In an increasingly globalised world, it is important to develop your cultural understanding, knowledge and tolerance. Follow this framework to learn how you can start to develop your cultural mindfulness and cross-cultural skills.
Cultural intelligence improves performance in diverse settings – Felicity Menzies and AICD
As more Australian organisations look to break into the international market and outsource goods and services, cultural intelligence is becoming progressively relevant. Read this interview with Felicity Menzies, author of A World of Difference, as she illustrates the importance of cultural intelligence and how organisations can benefit from improving their understanding of it.
Cultural Intelligence – Earley and Mosakowski
There are innumerous ways that human encounters can be interpreted in a foreign business – subject to cultural and social barriers that frequently encourage misinterpretations.
If you possess the natural ability to interpret the gestures and speech of foreign colleagues, and perhaps even mirror them, you possess cultural intelligence. In a world where crossing boundaries is routine, cultural intelligence becomes an increasingly vital skill.
Emotional Intelligence
Why emotional intelligence makes you more successful – Nest Magazine at La Trobe University
Emotional intelligence has been proven to increase your chances of being hired, getting promoted, and earning a better salary. But what are the other benefits of possessing EQ?
Connections between emotional intelligence and workplace flourishing – Schutte and Loi
This study shows a strong correlation between high emotional intelligence and better mental health, higher work engagement, and increased workplace satisfaction.
Emotional and cultural intelligence in diverse workplaces: getting out of the box – Clark and Polesello
How does emotional and cultural intelligence assist us in navigating the workplace? After consulting a wide array of literature, the authors conclude that boards and managerial staff who possess high emotional and cultural intelligence help their employees to achieve organisational outcomes, and improve workplace culture and inclusion.
Gender Diversity
The economics of the gender pay gap report for Australia from the Diversity Council Australia (Via KPMG).
50/50 by 2030
Foundation Gender Equality Progress in Australia is in trouble. Are we excluding men from this conversation? Are rural areas more progressive? How do different generations view this? Sneak peek: 88% of Australians still view inequality as a problem.
ToolKit for Gender Advocacy
Joanna Richards A toolkit to assist if you advocate parliamentarians and want to shape policy.
Gender Pay Gap
Calculator A tool created by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency to assist organisations to identify various forms of gender pay gaps and in doing so address pay equity issues. See also, Workplace Gender Equality Agency gender equality scorecard.
LGBTQIA+
The untapped power reserves of diversity and inclusion – Jeremy Wray
Since 2016, there has been an enormous shift in the adoption of diversity practices in the oil and gas industry. A great Case study for embracing diversity and inclusion (D&I) practices.
From gender equity and cultural diversity to sexual orientation and physical disabilities, companies are changing their outlooks and practices towards those that have traditionally been ostracized.
Diversity in Mining & Oil and Gas
This paper uses the town of Lenora, Western Australia as a case study through which to understand the impacts the mining industry can have. Specifically, how town populations can decrease during a boom period, offering limited opportunities to residents and women as they become “men’s towns”. This article demonstrates the need for the mining industry to re-think their practices to become more welcoming to women to avoid problems associated with predominantly male work sites.
Academic paper – Negotiating Gender_ Experience From WA Mining by Silvia Lozeva & Dora Marinova
A thorough interrogation of the current, predominantly white and male mining industry. The authors focus on how this impacts on opportunities for employment within the mining sector for Indigenous women, and in so doing explores the relationship between “capital, race and gender occurring within both mining and Indigenous communities.” Though it is an older source, it is still relevant and insightful.
Academic paper – Drilling Down: Diversity in the Mining Industry by Lia Bryant & Deidre Tedmanson
A research paper that examines the interaction between mining companies and Indigenous groups that frequently act as stakeholders since the Native Title Act of the 90s. The paper critiques approaches that come from a PR level, stating that ethical practices require power-sharing methods as opposed to lip service declarations.
Academic paper – Indigenous Human Resource Practices in Australian Mining Companies: Towards an Ethical Model by Amanda Sinclair & Amanda Crawley
A paper discussing how, to gain acceptance in a male-dominated field, many women ‘perform’ their gender in a way that de-emphasises femaleness. Discusses the idea that although it is an effective coping mechanism, it does not challenge the ‘gendered culture of engineering’ and facilitates a hostile work environment for women.
Academic paper – How women engineers do and undo gender by Abigail Powell, Barbara Bagilhole and Andrew Dainty Loughborough
A paper examining the lack of fulfilment of communal goals as a reason why many women choose not to participate in STEM careers, as women tend to favour community goals more so than men. Understanding this opens new avenues for increasing female participation in STEM careers.
Academic paper – Seeking congruity between goals and roles by Amanda B. Diekman, Elizabeth R. Brown, Amanda M. Johnston, and Emily K. Clark
This paper examines numerous strategies for creating a more cooperative and egalitarian engineering environment for women. Discusses organisational change strategies, mentorship and other strategies for creating a caring community environment.
Academic paper – Gender‐informed mentoring strategies for women engineering scholars: On establishing a caring community by Naomi Chesler & Mark Chesler
Mental Health
We often disregard anxiety as ‘I’m just stressed’, and either simply accept it, or blame it on others around us – our boss, our partner, our families, or maybe even the cat. But if that stress is ongoing, long-lasting and is beginning to impact on your functioning, it’s worth taking a look to see if it’s something more than stress, and if there is anything you can do about it. This book will help you to understand stress and anxiety, and to develop strategies to manage it.
Tasha Broomhall “I read this with my 12 year old just before going to high school. An easy read with fun images drawn by the author’s child Max. We can all probably do with an easy light step by step guide to anxiety every now and then and this is it. I would certainly recommend this lovely book”. (Tanya Finnie, Global Cultural Strategist.) “‘Taming Your Scaredy Cat’ is a great introduction to all aspects of anxiety for children and adults alike. It beautifully depicts the experience of anxiety while also providing much needed accurate and useful information about how anxiety can affect us. A must read for anyone touched by anxiety.” (Gemma Downie, Psychologist, BSc(Psych), PostGradDip (Psych), MBA)
BLOOM! AT WORK! A Mental Health Guide for Leaders
Almost half of all adults will experience mental disorders in their lifetime and this can have wide-reaching costs for the workplace. Despite the high impact, many supervisors, managers and colleagues do not know how to recognise developing mental health problems or how to appropriately support an employee with mental health issues.
“A lot has been written about mental health, but it is often very theoretical and hard to translate into people’s everyday understanding. Tasha Broomhall has now written several books that explain exactly what mental illness is and how we can deal with it in our lives. This new book, like the others, is practical and down to earth, based on thorough research, and incorporates Tasha’s engagement with managers, supervisors and employees in a wide range of organisations. One of the special features of Bloom at Work is its insightful use of case studies of real people’s journeys in the workforce. I hope that it finds a place in the resources not just of HR departments, but of all concerned managers.’ (Prof. Alex Main, Psychology and Exercise Science, Murdoch University)
