Massage Therapy Journal Summer 2025

50 • Massage Therapy Journal

AMTA Continuing Education

work, and there is a low level of empathy for personal problems. Advantages to Knowing Organizational Cultural Dimensions Hofstede’s framework of organizational cultural dimensions can also help managers understand why their employees behave the way they do. For example, if a manager is having difficulty getting her employees to work together as a team, she may need to take into account that her employees come from cultures with different levels of collectivism. It can also help employees better understand management and how to approach them during meetings. Another advantage to knowing organizational cultural dimensions is that it will help you, the massage therapist, identify your own work setting preferences. The practice settings for massage therapists are broad and range from private practice to spa and wellness settings to medical settings. Each setting has its own culture. Once you look at work settings through a cultural lens, you can make conscious choices about which work environment you might fit best. What Is Cultural Competence? There are many definitions of cultural competence, but one of the most widely used and broad definitions is from Cross et al. 12 Cultural competence is a set of behaviors, attitudes and

policies that allow an agency or professionals to work effectively in cross-cultural situations. This definition applies to both an organization and the individuals within the organization. We have already defined culture . Competence, or competency, implies having the capacity to do something successfully and effectively. Terry Cross first coined the term cultural competence in a report he co-authored to increase cultural awareness in the American health care system. Cross is a member of the Seneca Nation (Bear Clan), a licensed clinical social worker, and an expert in child welfare and mental health. Cross stated that being culturally competent means you value diversity, and you honor and respect another person’s beliefs, language and cultural practices. Organizational cultural competence is a dynamic, ongoing process that requires a long-term commitment; it is not something that is achieved once and is then complete. Organizational structures change. Demographics and needs within communities change. Employees and their job descriptions change. Therefore, the commitment to increase cultural competence requires periodic assessments and adjustments, which may involve the reexamination of mission statements, policies and procedures, staff recruitment and hiring practices, and professional development, such as continuing education. Professionals cannot simply be tolerant of cultural differences. Tolerance is unacceptable for a number of reasons. It is a passive stance and does not require empathy, compassion or active engagement. Tolerance can be offensive because it can imply disapproval. Tolerance can also be a mask for underlying prejudice or ignorance. Tolerance can also reinforce differences instead of similarities and imply that people who are different are less valuable. This philosophy suggests that your thoughts and beliefs are the only correct ones, also called ethnocentrism, which demonstrates a lack of acceptance or respect for cultural differences. At the extreme end, this can lead to the reinforcement of societal fear and targeted violence, such as hate crimes. 13

Cultural competence and cultural humility work together to help ensure that all perspectives are recognized and considered in professional practice.

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