Posted: February 25th, 2015

MHS 504 SLP#4

Paper, Order, or Assignment Requirements

Module 4 – Background

Cultural Adaptability and Spirituality

Case Background

The adaptability theory by Denison and Mishra, (1989) asserts an organization must hold a system of norms and beliefs which support the capacity of an organization to receive, interpret, and translate signals from its environment into internal behavioral changes that increase its chances for survival, growth, and development. Denison and Mishra, (1989) note three aspects of adaptability that have a likely impact on an organization’s effectiveness including:

1. the ability to perceive and respond to the external environment,
2. the ability to respond to internal customers, and
3. the capacity to react to either internal or external forces by restructuring and re-institutionalize a set of behaviors and process that allow the organization to adapt.

Thus adaptability appears to be key for organizational success and the basis for other theories across a wide spectrum of topics such as the model for organizational change mentioned by Horwath and Morrison, (2000), mental health transformation studied by LeRoy, Heldring, and Desjardins, (2006), and evolution researched by Pitsios, (2006).

SLP Background

Death Rituals

Sub-constructs of this domain include:

• Death rituals
• Bereavement

Death is a phenomenon that is universal to all cultures. In some cultures, death is equated with “loss” whereas other cultures view death as a time for celebration of life and “transcendence”. In this modules background reading, we will explore these concepts a bit further.

Spirituality

Sub-constructs of this domain include:

• Religious practices
• Use of prayer
• Meaning of life
• Individual strength
• Spirituality and health

Many people often confuse the terms “religious” and “spiritual”. Certainly, religion may be an important part of a person’s spirituality; however spirituality may encompass some, all or none of the practices of an organized religion. Depending upon the person’s background, beliefs, preferences, ideology and personal philosophy rituals such as prayer, meditation, contemplation or other practices may be used to help them “connect” with their spiritual selves. There are many different “organized” and “unorganized” religions in the world today. To learn a bit more about these religions, click here.

Required Reading

Guide to Managing Human Resources: Chapter 16:Managing diversity in the workplace (2010). Retrieved from http://hrweb.berkeley.edu/guide/diversity.htm

Irish, J. S. (2000). Mourning in rural Japan [Electronic version]. Japan quarterly, 47(4), 73-81. Retrieved

Purnell, L. (2005). The Purnell model for cultural competence [Electronic version]. Journal of multicultural nursing & health, 11(2), 7-15.

World Religions Index (n.d.). World religions index. Retrieved from http://wri.leaderu.com/.

Recommended Reading

Subrata Chattopadhyay, Alfred Simo. (2008). East meets West:Cross-Cultural Perspective in end of life decision making from Indian and German viewpoints. The American behavioral scientist, 46(2), 204-223.

Akbaba, Yasemi. (2006). Understanding ethnoreligious conflict: The state, discrimination and international politics.University of Missouri-Coumbia.