Diversity from the Perspective of a Food Service Director Essay

An effective and successful â€Å"food service director† is somebody who has a heartfelt/genuine desire or yearning to establish, maintain, and continuously improve a hospitable and compassionate atmosphere for everyone regardless of what culture an individual belongs to or what beliefs he or she practices or what traditions he or she holds (Purdue University n. p. ). This means that a â€Å"food service director† should always be on the lookout on how to advance â€Å"cultural awareness, as well as, diversity† among its subordinates and everyone in the company he or she is working for, for that matter (Purdue University n. p. ). The subordinates of the â€Å"food service director† should be obliged to undergo â€Å"diversity training† wherein they will be taught certain languages or dialects that their clients speak (of course, this depends upon the location of their food service) (Purdue University n. p. ). For instance, in some places, there are mostly Filipinos and Spaniards who dine and so the â€Å"food service director† should make an effort to learn the language and even the culture of the aforementioned clients to make them feel that they are most welcome and so that they will also enjoy the service provided to them that will surely make them go back to that particular restaurant (Purdue University n. p. ). The same is true when it comes to the workforce of the â€Å"food service director†; he or she should be able to learn to respect other people’s cultures, practices, beliefs and be a perfect example for everybody he or she leads (UNESCO n. p. ). The â€Å"food service director† should be able to work with his or her subordinates effectively and this is a way to do it; upholding such will also improve the working relationship of the subordinates and thus they are motivated to become more productive as well (UNESCO n. p. ). Comparison of Culturally Diverse Groups For example, if we choose Filipinos as a culturally diverse group and compare its differences, as well as, similarities to the Americans, which in this case is the main-stream group, we will find out that for Filipinos, rice is a â€Å"major staple food† unlike Americans where they enjoy mashed potatoes a lot more than rice (BBC News n. p. ). Another difference that should be respected by the â€Å"food service director† is the use of eating utensils; he or she should be aware that Filipinos utilize spoon and fork typically instead of the spoon and knife that the Americans are used to (Kwintessential Cross Cultural Solutions n. p. ). In addition to the aforementioned, Filipinos usually arrive â€Å"fifteen to thirty minutes later† especially if it is a large party, unlike Americans who always pay particular attention to the time (Kwintessential Cross Cultural Solutions n. p. ). On the other hand, what these two cultures have in common is the fact that they dress properly when dining out (Kwintessential Cross Cultural Solutions n. p. ). Certain Accommodations/Adjustments that the Food Service Director has to Make There are several things that a Food Service Director can do and some of these are the following: First of all, it is important for the â€Å"food service director† to value certain differences (UNESCO n. p. ). This example portrayed by him or her will surely be instilled in his or her subordinates and will surely play a large role in the success of their service, and consequently that of their company as well (UNESCO n. p. ). Second, â€Å"food service director† has to learn the communication practices of their clients, for instance, there are certain cultures that appreciate being complimented on the clothes they wear and some think it is rude for strangers to comment on such personal issue; the â€Å"food service director† really has to develop tolerance for such (UNESCO n. p. ). The same is true with regards to suggesting on what food to order, in some cultures, they consider it rude if the â€Å"food service representatives† directly suggest; they appreciate it much better if they ask first before the â€Å"food service representatives† speak to them (UNESCO n. p. ). Third, the â€Å"food service director† has to be knowledgeable about certain languages that clients typically utilize to give them a sense of being exceedingly welcome (Purdue University n. p. ). Finally, the â€Å"food service director† has to uphold cultural awareness among his or her subordinates (Purdue University n. p. ). Conclusion It is important to be culturally aware so as to achieve more productivity; this is good for the food service business (Purdue University n. p. ). Furthermore, working relationships are upheld and maintained when the â€Å"food service director† and everyone around him is culturally-aware, this means that they value differences and that they respect each other (Purdue University n. p. ). Moreover, clients feel extra comfortable knowing that the places they dine at know, understand, and respect their culture, beliefs, and traditions as well (Purdue University n. p. ). This only shows that tolerance for culturally diversity is an extremely important issue nowadays and that properly/not properly addressing such issues will make or break a certain individual/career/business (Purdue University n. p. ). Works Cited BBC News. Rice Prices Hit Philippines Poor. 6 April 2008. n. a. 16 May 2008. http://news. bbc. co. uk/2/hi/business/7330168. stm Kwintessential Cross Cultural Solutions. Philippines: Language, Culture, Customs, and Etiquette. n. d. n. a. 16 May 2008. http://www. kwintessential. co. uk/resources/global-etiquette/philippines-country-profile. html Purdue University. Purdue Housing and Food Services Wins National Diversity Award. 13 November 2007. n. a. 16 May 2008. http://news. uns. purdue. edu/x/2007b/071113CoulsonDiversity. html UNESCO. Promoting Tolerance. 2007. n. a. 16 May 2008. http://portal. unesco. org/shs/en/ev. php-URL_ID=6551&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201. html