Cross Cultural Competence

This article presents a model of Cultural Competence for Equity and Inclusion (CCEI) defined as the ability to live and work effectively in culturally diverse environments and enact a commitment to equity and inclusion. Going beyond traditional approaches to cultural competence that tend to focus solely on self-awareness, the appreciation of cultural differences and interpersonal skills, this model integrates an intersectional perspective and social justice concepts-issues of power, privilege, oppression, and systemic change. The CCEI framework identifies a range of awareness, knowledge, and skills that allow people to develop the capacities to constructively engage with people from a variety of socio-cultural identities and create equitable and inclusive relationships and institutions. I describe each of the five interrelated core competencies along with some key components of each core competency. Examples of role and context specific competencies are also discussed. I suggest a variety of ways this framework can be utilized.

Contemporary approaches to integrating "self" and the "other"—such as multiculturalism, cultural diversity, race relations, inclusiveness strategies, or identity politics—are flawed from the perspective of traditional thought. At their core, modernist ideologies are inimical to and destructive of all human diversity. The new face of antipathy to pluralism is becoming more deceptive as it grows less focused on respecting diversity and more on promoting ideological uniformity and the erection of a global monoculture. This essay argues that it is from a metaphysical perspective that human diversity can be fully understood and can seek to reconcile the dichotomy of "self" and the "other".

As many recent reports and accreditation guidelines acknowledge, engineers are increasingly expected to work effectively across countries and cultures. This trend has helped establish and legitimate a mandate for providing more engineering students with educational experiences that enhance their global competency. However, there remain questions about what global competency means, and how it might develop and be assessed. This study addresses these themes by first arguing that cross-cultural competence is a key facet of global competency for engineers. It then presents an empirical study of US engineering students (n=147), using the Miville-Guzman Universality-Diversity Scale—Short form (MGUDS-S) to determine their openness to and appreciation of cultural diversity. An analysis of the dataset reveals significantly higher levels of cross-cultural competence among three groups of students opting into global engineering programs as compared to a baseline group of first-year students. Additionally, a pre/post-experience study focused on one of the global groups (n=55) indicates that an immersive research experience abroad significantly enhanced the cross-cultural competence of participating students. Also reported are variations in results based on factors such as gender and prior experience living abroad. The paper concludes by discussing some practical implications of our findings and opportunities for further research.

At start up of our new journal we provide a frame of reference supporting reflections on the domain of cross-cultural competence and management and on future research. Referring to basic epistemological and ontological considerations, the article differentiates between various levels of analysis and gives examples for fruitful research avenues for these levels:

Objective Recent years have seen a marked increase in attention to cultural competence in clinical psychology practice in Australia. While the body of literature on the need for cultural competence is expanding, this is the first study that analyses how cross‐cultural training and practice is experienced and related to standardised models of cultural competence. Method Twelve participants (8 students and 4 academics; 9 females and 3 males, ages 22–57) in two Australian universities were interviewed on their experiences with cultural competence during clinical psychology training. Each semi‐structured interview took about 30 min and focused on identifying the training experiences and needs for cultural competence. Results Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of the transcripts delivered three master themes: experiences of culture, strategies for culturally competent practice, and experiences of cultural competence development. Conclusions Students and academics experienced a “western” bias in training, and consequently adopted a variety of strategies to adapt their practice with culturally non‐western clients. These findings draw attention to the need for structured cultural competence development in professional training programs.

At start up of our new journal we provide a frame of reference supporting reflections on the domain of cross-cultural competence and management and on future research. Referring to basic epistemological and ontological considerations, the article differentiates between various levels of analysis and gives examples for fruitful research avenues for these levels: (1) ‘classical’ issues in cross-cultural competence and management research; (2) the epistemology of a system with values, beliefs (stereotypes) and knowledge (memory), the ontology of a system with personality (decision making processes) and the phenomenology of a system with action and observable patterns of behavior; (3) relations of societal culture to structural, demographic, and ecological characteristics of societies and to their historical experience, to national policies or distributions of individual attitudes, values, behavior, etc. within societies; (4) issues related to the time dimension; and (5) methodological ...

This qualitative study reports on a collaborative online project between the University of Washington at Tacoma (USA) and the Universidad Veracruzana at Veracruz City (México). The project was implemented as part of the internationalization of higher education policies of the participating universities, which include pedagogical practices oriented toward foreign language learning, the internationalization of the curriculum, and virtual exchange. The study documents cross-cultural learning experiences between two groups of students from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds in a Collaborative Online International Learning approach (COIL); and how those experiences related to the development of cross-cultural competence. The language of instruction was English and the students interacted through an online platform and a social network. The methodological design was qualitative-interpretive. Data was generated using interviews, linguistic samples (writing samples), and the inte...

ABSTRACT Purpose ‐ The purpose of this paper is to analyse the positive effects of cultural bridges on European firms' internationalization to SMCs and MECs. We analyse the meaning and the role of managers' cultural competence in order to understand if and how it contributes to the formation of effective cultural bridges. Design/methodology/approach ‐ Given the few contributions existing on the topic, and the lack of a general theory, a multiple case-study analysis seems appropriate to the topic. In particular, we present five case studies of European large firms, which have successfully internationalized in SMCs and MECs. In each firm, we interviewed local and foreign managers, in order to understand the importance of cultural issues and the ways companies overcame cultural distance. Findings ‐ Cultural distance is a big problem for European firms investing in SMCs and MECs. They impact both intra- and inter-organizational relationships and cultural bridges can be useful to overcome the effects of its perception. Cultural bridges are effective if based on managers' cultural competencies, and can be represented by a specific manager, or by an organizational unit. In any case, the involvement of local people and the adaptation to local customs are crucial. Research limitations/implications ‐ The analysis is still limited, and, in the future, we'll look for a methodology able to isolate cultural knowledge and cultural competence as key factors in order to evaluate the importance of each factor. Practical implications ‐ When entering Islamic countries, foreign investors should be aware of local values, particularly religious and family value, which deeply impact on business and social relationships. Based on a deep cultural knowledge, cultural bridges enable fruitful relationships both inside and outside the organization. Originality/value ‐ Whereas cultural competence is often mentioned in the literature, only a few contributions focus on cultural competence as a key aspect of internationalization. In addition we explore the concept and the relevance of cultural bridges, and the multiple case-study analysis show some best practices firms could follow to succeed in SMCs and MECs.

In recent years, approaches to teaching foreign languages have changed, which is associated with the humanization and humanitarianization of the educational system. Increasingly, language is seen not as the primary means of communication, but as a way of knowing the values of other peoples and cultures. Learning a foreign language through the prism of culture is the basis of the cultural approach. The article considers this approach, defines its criteria, characterizes the methods and principles of this technology. The authors prove that the cultural approach reflects modern requirements for teaching a foreign language and allows students to master linguistic knowledge and communication skills, together with a whole range of cultural knowledge. In the framework of this approach, the object of education is culture, and speech becomes an auxiliary means of obtaining information. The cultural approach involves the formation of lingua-cultural competence-a system of knowledge about culture and the totality of abilities and skills to operate this knowledge in a specific speech situation. The article considers the role, content, and leading aspects of the cultural approach in the process of teaching foreign languages. The concepts of cultural approach and cultural education are considered. The functional features, tasks, and conditions for using the cultural approach in the process of teaching foreign languages are determined. Despite some differences in the scientific concepts discussed in the article, the conclusion about the necessity and importance of teaching a foreign language as a component of culture is universally recognized. It is concluded that these studies became major works that set the vector for studying a foreign language for the coming decades. The need to further develop issues of co-learning a foreign language and culture lies in the upbringing and educational potential: it contributes to a better understanding of different cultures, helps to realize the diversity and richness of cultures, and to understand the native culture better. This phenomenon will influence not only the formation of the cultural identity of students but also allow them to obtain the necessary skills and abilities to communicate with representatives of other cultures.

The aim of this research is to investigate some linguistic aspects connected with expatriatism. An attempt will be made to present why language is of significant importance for expatriates, at both the individual and the collective level. The article starts with an examination of the mentioned phenomenon by discussing the factors determining the acquisition of a host language. Then, such aspects as intercultural and hierarchical differences as well as language policy within organisations will be examined by taking ...

In recent years, approaches to teaching foreign languages have changed, which is associated with the humanization and humanitarianization of the educational system. Increasingly, language is seen not as the primary means of communication, but as a way of knowing the values of other peoples and cultures. Learning a foreign language through the prism of culture is the basis of the cultural approach. The article considers this approach, defines its criteria, characterizes the methods and principles of this technology. The authors prove that the cultural approach reflects modern requirements for teaching a foreign language and allows students to master linguistic knowledge and communication skills, together with a whole range of cultural knowledge. In the framework of this approach, the object of education is culture, and speech becomes an auxiliary means of obtaining information. The cultural approach involves the formation of lingua-cultural competence - a system of knowledge about cu...

Background Due to changes in Polish society resulting from a significant inflow of immigrants to Poland, the need to develop the cultural competences of various professional groups who have contact with immigrants in their work has increased. These groups should include healthcare professionals, especially because of the significant increase in the number of culturally diverse patients. Therefore, medical education in Poland has had to rapidly adapt to this novel situation. For instance, the teaching process should be now more focused on the development and evaluation of the cultural competences of prospective health care workers. However, there is still a lack of standardized, valid and reliable instruments to assess cross-cultural competences among healthcare professionals. The purpose of the present paper was to describe, for the first time, the translation, adaptation, and psychometric evaluation of the Polish version of the Cross-Cultural Competence Inventory. Methods Across two studies, we examined psychometric properties of the Cross-Cultural Competence Inventory (CCCI) such as reliability (i.e. internal consistency, test-retest reliability, factor structure) and validity (i.e. theoretical, criteria, convergent). In the first study, 408 participants (75% were healthcare professionals) completed the Polish version of the CCCI and the Positive/Negative Attitude Towards Culturally Divergent People Questionnaire. In the second study, 317 participants (97% were healthcare professionals) completed the CCCI twice, with an interval of at least 22 days. In addition, across two study sessions, participants completed questionnaires constructed to measure (a) cultural intelligence, (b) need for cognitive closure, (c) emphatic sensitiveness, (d) emotional intelligence, (e) selfesteem, (f) social desirability, and (g) personality. Finally, to additionally examine the theoretical validity, 36 professional cross-cultural competence trainers completed the CCCI during a one-session study.

This is the first research into preparation for multicultural clinical psychology practice in Europe. It applies the theory of multicultural counselling competency (MCC) to a case study in the Netherlands. It was hypothesized that cross-cultural practice experience, identification as a cultural minority, and satisfaction with cultural training was associated with MCC. The Multicultural Awareness Knowledge and Skills Survey was completed by 106 participants (22 students, 10 academics, 74 alumni) from clinical psychology masters’ programs. MANOVA detected a main effect of cross-cultural experience on MCC for all groups and universities. The data were enriched with exploratory qualitative data from 14 interviews (5 students, 5 academics, 4 alumni). Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis revealed three themes: limitations of clinical psychology, strategies for culturally competent practice, and strategies for cultural competency development. These outcomes suggest that cultural compet...

In recent years, approaches to teaching foreign languages have changed, which is associated with the humanization and humanitarianization of the educational system. Increasingly, language is seen not as the primary means of communication, but as a way of knowing the values of other peoples and cultures. Learning a foreign language through the prism of culture is the basis of the cultural approach. The article considers this approach, defines its criteria, characterizes the methods and principles of this technology. The authors prove that the cultural approach reflects modern requirements for teaching a foreign language and allows students to master linguistic knowledge and communication skills, together with a whole range of cultural knowledge. In the framework of this approach, the object of education is culture, and speech becomes an auxiliary means of obtaining information. The cultural approach involves the formation of lingua-cultural competence - a system of knowledge about cu...

Abstract: This paper revisits three studies conducted in the context of China to demonstrate how a single culture has eluded explanation by some of the most well-known cross-cultural studies as well as rendered valid, reliable scales from Western contexts inadequate in that ...

At start up of our new journal we provide a frame of reference supporting reflections on the domain of cross-cultural competence and management and on future research. Referring to basic epistemological and ontological considerations, the article differentiates between various levels of analysis and gives examples for fruitful research avenues for these levels: