Cultural competence is a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, structures, and policies that come together to work effectively in intercultural situations. That set of behaviors can be adopted and practiced by a solitary professional or an entire organization. However, it is impossible for individuals to function successfully in isolation. Cultural competence depends on social institutions, organizations, agencies, and working groups, as well as individual professionals. Together, they equal a system that fosters effective work in cross-cultural situations.
Cultural competence is the responsibility of the total system.
This means our discussion must include the rules, regulations, infrastructure, and policies of agencies and institutions as well as the knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and attitudes of individuals. In short, cultural competence for the individual entails the state of being capable of functioning effectively in the context of cultural difference. Cultural competence for the organization entails a set of congruent practice skills, attitudes, politics, and structures, that come together in a system or agency or among professionals and enable that system, that agency, or those professionals to work effectively in the context of cultural differences. Being culturally competent or aware does not mean knowing everything about every culture. It is, instead, respect for difference, eagerness to learn, and a willingness to accept that there are many ways of viewing the world.