CDP Cultural Competence & Awareness 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which model describes cultural competence as a continuum ranging from cultural destructiveness to cultural proficiency?
- Bennett's Developmental Model
- Cross Cultural Competence Continuum (Correct answer)
- Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions
- Trompenaars' Model
Correct answer: Cross Cultural Competence Continuum
The Cross Cultural Competence Continuum, developed by Terry Cross, outlines six stages from cultural destructiveness to cultural proficiency.
Question 2: An employee from a collectivist culture may struggle with performance reviews that emphasize individual achievement because:
- Collectivist cultures lack competitive drive
- Individual recognition conflicts with group-oriented values (Correct answer)
- Performance reviews are banned in collectivist countries
- Collectivist cultures do not value feedback
Correct answer: Individual recognition conflicts with group-oriented values
In collectivist cultures, group harmony and shared credit are prioritized over individual recognition, creating tension with Western individual-focused appraisal systems.
Question 3: What is 'stereotype threat' in the workplace context?
- A legal claim filed over discriminatory stereotyping
- The risk of confirming a negative stereotype about one's group, which impairs performance (Correct answer)
- Threatening language based on stereotypes
- A training module about stereotypes
Correct answer: The risk of confirming a negative stereotype about one's group, which impairs performance
Stereotype threat occurs when individuals fear confirming negative stereotypes about their social group, which can undermine performance and well-being.
Question 4: Which communication style is characterized by indirect messaging, context-dependent meaning, and reliance on nonverbal cues?
- Low-context communication
- Assertive communication
- High-context communication (Correct answer)
- Passive communication
Correct answer: High-context communication
High-context communication relies heavily on implicit understanding, shared history, and nonverbal signals rather than explicit verbal statements.
Question 5: A diversity professional notices that meeting schedules always conflict with a religious minority's observance day. The BEST response is to:
- Ask the employee to adjust their observance
- Ignore the pattern since meetings are business-critical
- Review and adjust scheduling practices to be inclusive (Correct answer)
- Offer the employee optional meeting recordings
Correct answer: Review and adjust scheduling practices to be inclusive
Systemic scheduling barriers reflect structural bias; the best practice is to revise organizational processes to accommodate diverse religious observances.
Question 6: The concept of 'intersectionality' in diversity work refers to:
- Traffic patterns at corporate campuses
- The overlapping and compounding effects of multiple identity dimensions (Correct answer)
- Cross-departmental collaboration
- International diversity programs
Correct answer: The overlapping and compounding effects of multiple identity dimensions
Intersectionality, coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, describes how overlapping identities (race, gender, class, etc.) create unique, compounded experiences of privilege or discrimination.
Question 7: Cultural humility differs from cultural competence primarily because it:
- Focuses on mastering a fixed set of cultural facts
- Is a lifelong process of self-reflection and openness rather than a skill endpoint (Correct answer)
- Requires formal certification
- Applies only to healthcare settings
Correct answer: Is a lifelong process of self-reflection and openness rather than a skill endpoint
Cultural humility emphasizes ongoing self-awareness and learning rather than claiming expertise or completion of cultural understanding.
CDP Cultural Competence & Awareness 2
Which model describes cultural competence as a continuum ranging from cultural destructiveness to cultural proficiency?