CvSU Vision CvSU Mission
The premier university in historic The Cavite State University shall provide
Cavite globally recognized for CAVITE STATE UNIVERSITY excellent, equitable and relevant educational
opportunities in the arts, sciences and
excellence in character development,
academics, research, innovation, and Don Severino de las Alas Campus technology through quality instruction,
responsive research and development activities.
sustainable community engagement Indang, Cavite
[Link] It shall produce professional, skilled and morally
upright individuals for global competitiveness.
COLLEGE OF TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT
TOUR 85: MULTICULTURAL
DIVERSITY IN WORKPLACE
FOR THE TOURISM
PROFESSIONAL
CHAPTER 1:
UNDERSTANDING CULTURE
Culture
Culture refers to the socially constructed and learned behaviors that define individual and
distinct social groups. It is a shared practice within a group of people. These may include the following:
beliefs, values, knowledge, assumptions, experiences and ideas, customs, rituals, symbols, myths and
legends of the people in the community, social activities, economics, politics, agriculture, industries,
laws and ways of justice, security, health, environment, education, and religion.
Culture shapes a person’s identity and influences the way how he/ she thinks, behaves, and
forms his/her values system. It is a dynamic based on new developments in society that can impact a
group of people. These are passed on from one generation to the next, and some of the elements may
change over time.
These elements of the culture are transmitted or passed on to other generations through a
combination of communication, oral and or writing (language), and art (such as music , song,
storytelling, painting, and dance), and they are institutionalized as acceptable for the current group or
community. Oftentimes, the change in culture standards from generation to generation would result in
gaps in the understanding of the different age groups.
Elements of Culture
The selected elements of culture that impact the tourism professional are the following:
1. Art
2. Beliefs and Values
3. Geography
4. Language
5. Law and Politics
6. Religion
7. Technology
8. Social Organization
Art
As mentioned by Price (2018) in his blog, “The Importance of Art in our Society”, art is an
expression of the creative ideas and imagination, and the artist can choose a medium to express their
craft. Artists can translate their imagination and ideas into something tangible, and these are valued by
other people as they appreciate and comprehend meaning from the works of the artists.
These creations, physical objects or visuals, can be held, viewed, and reflect a society’s
development at a particular period. The paintings, artifacts, clothing. Music, sculptures, dances, plays
literature, architecture, and other man-made creations hold meaning or significance to a group of
people. These pieces of art use human creative skills that express or apply imagination and may typically
take a visual form that can be held or touched, such as painting or a sculpture. They are works produced
to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power. These may also include songs and
dances that can reflect an era or time period that a group has experienced in either the past or present.
Some consider art pieces valuable as they were created by artists who are recognized by their
people. In some instances, an art piece is easily identified as coming from a particular place or person
and may bring good memories of that place or person.
As tourism professionals, there may be a need to become familiar with the different art pieces in
the community as these can be a part of the tourism knowledge that customers expect from the
tourism enterprise.
Beliefs and Values
People choose their source of inspiration and it can be based on beliefs and values that are
shared by many people in the group. As these beliefs and values are adopted by many followers, they
are passed down to the succeeding generations.
Humans are social beings from birth. The circle of community grows from the immediate family,
to the extended family, to neighbors, to friends in school, to the church, and to other organizations. This
circle grows through the years as a person establishes relationships with other people. Each person has
their own set of values formed from Childhood that will continue to change as they interact with other
people. These beliefs are reflected in the attitudes and behavior that are exhibited that are exhibited by
the person. These experiences contribute to the sense of who each individual is and how the world is
viewed from different perspectives.
Values are based on ethics, principles, beliefs. Standards, and qualities that a person or a group
of people may hold in high regard. The significant people who will mold set of values of a person are
those who make an impact on their early life and can guide the way how their decisions will be made in
the future. In some instances, if the values are not strongly ingrained in a person, due to conflicts in the
way it is practiced, that person will vacillate in the way that a decision is made, depending on what will
be beneficial to them. These values guide how a person will live, make decisions, and nurture and keep
relationships.
As tourism professionals, there will be a lot of opportunities to work with people or serve
customers with various backgrounds, from the young, people with disabilities, senior citizens, physically
challenged or vulnerable [Link] those who may live a lifestyle that mainstream society views as
different or unacceptable or maybe unusual based on the upbringing that they experienced. Tourism
professionals are expected to provide products and services as required by their enterprise. They should
understand and aware of differences in personal values. Beliefs, and attitudes of both colleagues and
clients in group settings and are prepared to adapt to the professional values of the tourism profession.
Values can influence many of the judgments that are made and the support given to colleagues and
customers. As tourism professionals, our worth ethic should always be driven by supporting the
organization’s and customer’s values.
Geography
Cultural geography looks at the forms of differentiation as well as the material culture of
gatherings that tie together people’s ideas in the region and make culture of gatherings that tie
together people’s ideas in the region and make them sound. Apart from the way societies perceive
space, this is how cultures are distributed over certain land areas. (Crang, 1988)
Geography refers to the various forms of natural or man-made physical landscapes affected by
human activities and how people arrange the physical space around them. It includes buildings, roads,
fields, cities, and various land and water forms like mountains, coastal areas, and any physical landscape
that underwent artificial or natural change.
For tourism professionals, the geography of where their colleagues and customers come from
may have an impact on the relationship that they will have in the workplace or in the provision of
certain products and services that customers may require. Certain activities like climbing a tree, trekking
up a mountain, swimming, planting tress, or being familiar with the products of a particular area may be
easier to do for some. These are some examples on how a certain geographic source may affect a
tourism professional. There may be questions about plants and food from a certain geographical
location, and the information may be readily provided by someone who grew up in the same or
neighboring area.
Language
As long as certain group of people agree on how to understand certain words of terms, it is
possible to have a common language, and therefore a shared culture. By the same token, linguistic
differences can make it difficult to communicate with people from various societies or places. (Barken,
2012)
Language is very important as this is how culture is communicated to colleagues and
customers. Transmission of culture from one generation to another or from one member to other
members of a group of people in a society is also done using language-either written, spoken, or a
combination of both. Culture is preserved, changed, or transmitted to colleagues and customers using
language.
Each culture has a unique language that is passed on by each person to the next generation and
the following generation. The language can be defined and can be compared to express one’ s view and
to forward one’s opinion. The accent, or the unique speaking style, may give someone an indication of
the origins of a person.
For effective communication to happen, the sender and receiver in any communication process
must share a common language.
There are around 180 dialects in the Philippines, more than 1000 dialects in Southeast Asia, and
at least 6500 languages spoken in the world. In the Philippines alone, a word used in one province can
mean something different in another province. With the multitude of languages and dialects spoken
locally and internationally, there is a need to identify the most acceptable language in tourism.
In 2023 article published by Babbel magazine titled “ The 10 Most Spoken Languages In the
World,” a distinction was made between the top 10 most spoken languages by native speakers (mother
tongue) and the top 10 languages by total umber of speakers (can use and understand). However, the
list varies as many languages are common, except they change in rank.
The Top 10 Most Spoken Language
by Native Speaker by Total Number of Speakers
1. English -1.3B 1. Chinese- 1.3B
2. Mandarin Chinese - 1.1B 2 . Spanish - 485M
3. Hindi - 602M 3 . English 373M
4. Spanishe -559M 4 . Arabic - 362M
5. Standard Arabic - 274M 5 . Hindi - 344M
6. French - 274M 6 . Bengali - 243M
7. Bengali - 273M 7 . Portuguese - 232M
8. Russian- 258M 8 . Russian - 154M
9. Portuguese - 258M 9 .Japanese - 125M
[Link] - 231M [Link] - 101M
In the Philippines, aside from Filipino, English is considered as an official language. In Southeast
Asia, the lingua francia is English. In the United nations (UN), an intergovernmental organization that
has 193 sovereign states, the official languages in all their conferences and meetings are Arabic,
Chinese, English, Russian, and Spanish, and these would always be present in translations.
It is to the advantage of tourism professionals to be able to use English, written and spoken, as it
is used by the greatest number of people. The workplace and customers will be local or international,
and their will always be an occasion to communicate with them. It is good opportunity for tourism
professionals to learn another language besides English, as being proficient in another foreign language
can be an advantage in terms of qualifications and/or can get increase the salary of the tourism
professional. The selection of the foreign language can be based on the tourist arrivals, unique
customers being serviced by the enterprise, and other variables. Understanding and misunderstandings
are often traced to miscommunication, and language plays a major role in this process.
Law and Politics
There are several approaches that link culture to law. One is the historical school which looks at
law as a product of the culture of a nation and as part of the daily practice of its people. The other is the
constitutive approach which looks at the law as part of the constitution of a culture; thus, the
constitution of people’s minds, practices, and social relations. It also sees the law that the courts create
and apply as a distinct cultural system wherein its constituents comply with. ( Mautner, 2011)
Many of the laws in a nation are developed by lawmakers based on the acceptable practices of
the members of the country. The concepts of right and wrong and fairness and injustice draw from
cultural practices in a particular area that may be gradually accepted as practice in a bigger area.
As a professional, one must be aware of laws and politics that apply in the country where their
work is undertaken, especially in the delivery of products and services to colleagues and customers. In
many instances, it is better to be a political, especially in issues that may be contrary to the individual’s
beliefs, as it may create animosity among colleagues and customers. Tourism service can be
compromised if there is political flavor expressed by anyone in the tourism enterprise.
Religion
Religion continuously offers a kind of philosophy that establishes a moral compass for anyone
who seeks the truth. It is commonly practiced by a group of people. It has also created cultural
expressions in many areas of life among people. The dual roles of religion are essential in preparing
social policies and reforms. Religion is defined as a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and
purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or
agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code
governing the conduct of human affairs. It is a belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or
powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
Religion is a very strong source of cultural influence in many countries like in the Philippines. It
has permeated every facet of daily living, including the way people venerate, eat, dress, sleep, and
work.
Based on the CIA Factbook updated last 2019, the Philippines religion distribution is enumerated
below:
1. Roman Catholic, 80.6%
2. Protestant, 8.2%
This includes the various Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (2.7%), National Council
of Churches in the Philippines (1.2%, and other Protestants (4.3%)
3. Other Christian groups like Iglesia ni Cristo and El Shaddai, 3.4%
4. Muslim, 5.6%
5. Tribal religions, 0.2%, Other, 1.9%, None, 0.1%
The Philippines is one of the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN). In 2015, the ASEAN Community was implemented, which had three pillars-the ASEAN Political
Security Community, the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community, and the ASEAN Economic Community. With
the inclusion of the population from the ASEAN Member States (AMS), the religion distribution profile
has changed.
1. Muslims are about 42% (mostly Sunni, coming from Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia)
2. Buddhists are about 18% (coming from Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar,Singapore,
and Vietnam)
3. Christians are about 17%, mostly from the Philippines
As a tourism professional, with the changing profile of colleagues in the workplace and
customers coming from within the Philippines or from the AMS, awareness of unique religious practices,
whether in a specific place or practiced nationally, should be considered as “ must-know” competency.
This will allow the professional to treat their colleagues and customers correctly, considering that
religion plays a major role in the Philippine setting. One of the biggest attractions in the Philippines are
its religious festivals, church destinations, and religious practices that impact the operation of the
tourism enterprise.
Social Organization
Resort-based opportunities are enthusiastically received by villagers. However, over time,
tourism will replace traditional livelihoods activities, along with the knowledge and skills that
accompany them. The development of tourism is one part of the system creates a multitude of
ecological changes a capable of disrupting the broader and highly embedded sociocultural system.
(Movono, Dahles, and Becken, 2017).
Due to the tourism activities, there are changes in social structures within a tourism destination
that impact various social organizations such as the family, the society, and the bigger community. The
changes can include the type of work being pursued in tourism destinations like switching from farming
to working in hotels and restaurants or not attending school because of high demand for tour guides in
a destination. The authenticity of the cultural elements is jeopardized because of the interaction of the
demands of the customers and the local workers.
There may be a need in the tourism profession to recalibrate social organizations so that the
authenticity of the cultural exchange is not jeopardized in favor of pleasing the customer.
Technology
Technology can aid in a variety of ways to co-create tourist experiences. It can serve as an
enabler, producer, attractor, enhancer, and educator. However, it may also become a ‘destroyer’ of
tourist experience due to shifts in service experiences that lack interpersonal charm and thus generate
negative effects in retaining the authentic culture of the area.”(Oktadiana and Pearce, 2020)
With the advent of the use of technology, many of the work by tourism professionals in various
tourism enterprises have been replaced by some systems that have made the work faster and more
current. A smartphone can do more than just send text messages and call. It can also be used as a
camera, a calendar, an appointment book, an Internet access device, and a calculator. The use of a
Property Management System (PMS) like Opera can help in processing reservations, check-ins, and
check-outs and consolidating guest folio accounts. There are changes in people’s behaviors and
practices of their socialization skills due to their preoccupation with their devices. Family members or
colleagues talk less with each other during mealtimes or at work as they are absorbed in the use of their
phones or other devices. Their preoccupation can be because of playing games, reading, or using social
media such as Facebook and Instagram. There may be no need to memorize certain information as the
information source is readily available when you searched for it using your smart phones with Internet
connection. These require new skills for the tourism professional.
As tourism professionals, even with technology present in the workplace , the hospitality and
service attitude has to be the priority mindset for colleagues and customers. Building and sustaining
relationships with colleagues and customers. Building and sustaining relationships with colleagues and
customers should take precedence over anything else in the workplace.
Activity:
Reaction to a scholarly journal article
a. Choose one of the elements of culture by dividing the class into groups. Each group will focus on a
cultural element, but each member will work on their individual journal articles.
b. Choose a scholarly journal article published that focuses on culture and any of the elements and its
impact on tourism.
c. Prepare a two-page reaction paper that consists of the following:
i. Highlights of the article-a summary of what the article is about ( 50-100 words)
ii. Reaction-agree or not with the author’s hypothesis and the reasons for your choice (100-
200 words)
iii. Conclusion-explain how the article impact tourism (50-100 words)
iv. Citation
Write your reaction paper with the following format: double spaced, font Calibri, size 12.
d. Share the highlights of your work in a three-minute presentation and get a reaction from your
classmates
1. Art - Creativity and tourism: The State of the Art
2. Beliefs and Values -
3. Geography
4. Language - “The Transformational Impacts of the Language Tourism Experience”
5. Law and Politics
6. Religion
7. Technology
8. Social Organization