IQVIA celebrates World Day for Cultural Diversity

IQVIA's Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage (REACH) Employee Resource Group (ERG) hosted a virtual event to celebrate World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.

Held every year on 21 May, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Culture Organization (UNESCO) leads the celebration of World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. This observance highlights not only the richness of our world’s cultures, but also the essential role of intercultural dialogue for achieving peace and sustainable development.

To help raise awareness, our Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage (REACH) Employee Resource Group (ERG) hosted a virtual event where members learned how culture influences communication perspectives, styles and preferences.

Together they explored the seven dimensions of culture:

1. Universalism vs. Particularism
2. Individualism vs. Communitarianism
3. Specific vs. Diffuse
4. Neutral vs. Ascription
5. Achievement vs. Ascription
6. Sequential Time vs. Synchronous Time
7. Internal Direction vs. Outer Direction

After exploring the characteristics, each participant had the opportunity to rate themselves on the seven dimensions.

REACH members shared how attending this event, learning about the seven dimensions and taking an honest look at how they feel they rank in each area will help them strive to be better communicators at work and elsewhere.

“I found the REACH event really interesting and insightful. It not only taught me the different dimensions of culture but also how to communicate with others who may sit on the other end of the spectrum from me. I am certainly looking forward to trying out what I learned!”

“The session showed me how I can better connect the dots with the big picture and focus on others' background and style to find a common ground.”

“The main take-away for me was to take the time to understand how I work versus my co-workers. Not everyone has the same beliefs, values, habits and ideas. I should not make assumptions rather strive to understand how my colleagues work to get the job done effectively. This will involve communication and compromise.”

Honoring World Day for Cultural Diversity is just one example of how we strive every day to create and maintain an environment of inclusion where people of all backgrounds work together, trust and learn from each other, and leverage a wide range of thoughts, experience and skills to make a difference.

Learn more about the REACH ERG or visit our blog to find out what else is going on at IQVIA.