What Is Intercultural Competence ?
Anne Egros, PharmD, Pn1, CPT
Doctor of Pharmacy| Certified Nutrition, Health, and Life Coach| Passionate about Medical Sciences, Lifestyle Medicine, and Healthy-Happy Aging. 30+ years expat with Intercultural Leadership and Team Building Skills.
A number of studies on the development of intercultural skills have shown that first-hand experience of ‘otherness’ and even sojourns in a foreign country are not sufficient conditions to foster intercultural competence. Although the immersion in different cultures is necessary, developing intercultural competence requires reflection and analysis to reduce stereotypical perceptions of other cultures..
Intercultural competence does not mean comparing two or more countries, nor learning to adapt to a specific ‘national culture’.
In the article ‘Global Mindset Secrets of Superstar Expats” published by Thunderbird School of Global Management, the authors also argue that immersing executives in different cultures does not produce effective global leaders as they often fail to learn how to deal with the complexities of their work environment.
According to the article cited above, the three critical dimensions of Global Mindset include:
– Intellectual Capital, which refers to global business savvy, cosmopolitan outlook and cognitive complexity.
– Psychological Capital, which refers to passion for diversity, quest for adventure, and self-assurance.
– Social Capital, which refers to intercultural empathy, interpersonal impact and diplomacy.
We have to be careful though that developing “‘Global Mindset” in leaders is not interpreted as an “ethnocentric” way of doing business aka “Western”. You can have all the three attributes listed above and still fail to adapt your leadership style to one specific country. For example, applying participating leadership and asking employees to take initiatives doesn't work well in Russia, while Americans appreciate leaders who grant autonomy and delegate authority to subordinates.
To lead is to be able to influence people who are not thinking and behaving like you. In my experience learning to lead teams across cultures is a mix of formal leadership development training and coaching aligned with corporate values in addition to multiple international assignments in places with very different cultural values and dimensions.
In a Forbes’ article, How Does Leadership Vary Across the Globe? results of a study show that it is important to adapt leadership style to a specific culture and not try to apply “Americanized” management principles. The skills set and competencies of leaders in different countries vary.
Successful leaders in developed economies are different from successful leaders in emerging economies.
The Global Leadership and Organizational Behavior Effectiveness Research Project (GLOBE) is an international group of social scientists and management scholars studying cross-cultural leadership. According to GLOBE researchers, leader effectiveness is contextual, that is, it is embedded in the societal and organizational norms, values, and beliefs of the people being led.
The concept of Intercultural Competence implies:
- Understanding how different types of identities (e.g. gender, age, racial, ethnic, national, geographical, historical, linguistic) impact the communication with others
- Interpreting what people say about their culture as evidence of what they wish others to see about themselves, rather than as the ‘truth’ about a particular culture
- Exploring the role of power in dominant discourses (media, political, institutional) and reflect on how these discourses affect the way we perceive people from other backgrounds.
New research shows that employers around the world value staff who understand the role of culture at work. Source: www.britishcouncil.org
What do employers understand by ‘intercultural skills ?
- Ability to understand different cultural contexts and viewpoints.
- Respect for others’ and ‘adapting to different cultural settings
- Accepting cultural differences
- Speaking foreign languages
- Open to new ideas and ways of thinking
How do employers evaluate job candidates for intercultural skills?
- Strong communication throughout the interview and selection process
- The ability to speak foreign languages
- Demonstration of cultural sensitivity in the interview
- Experience studying overseas
- Experience working overseas
Related Articles:
- Leader Effectiveness and Culture: The GLOBE Study
- Research Findings: The Value of Intercultural Skills in the Workplace
- How To Lead Highly Effective Third Culture Teams ?
- How To Understand Cross-Cultural Communication ?
Communication Skill Specialist | Owner CEO English Pronunciation For Success - English In Your Pocket
9 年What strikes me is the idea of "cosmopolitan" "self assurance" with the ability to be "diplomatic". There are many examples of people in international situations who are not blessed with all three of the necessary characteristics. Those who would prefer to be anywhere than the "foreign" place that they find themselves in will have the hardest time developing the missing skill.
Washington State University, Vancouver.College of Arts and Sciences, Psychology (Retired, 2017)
9 年There is an additional element.You can dangle your intercultural competence at a finishing point in a discussion.At LATAM and other emerging markets we did it a different way. If they come back with a question you now have an entry point. If they don't, you know you at at minimum facing ignorance
Doctor of Pharmacy| Certified Nutrition, Health, and Life Coach| Passionate about Medical Sciences, Lifestyle Medicine, and Healthy-Happy Aging. 30+ years expat with Intercultural Leadership and Team Building Skills.
9 年I have been a minority for 25 years of expatriation, so I agree with you Robin., Understanding yes, but copying no. As an outsider you are not expected to behave as an insider, and you need to find out what are the rules of the game for you. You can also leverage the differences to get more creative thinking and implement necessary changes a "local" sometimes can't see or can't do because of the "groupthink" psychology.
Manager Advisory Services, Payer @ Optum | MS, FAHM, LSSGB, CKM
9 年To build on my previous comment it's really as simple as the classic code switch, the trick is to understand it explicitly and to manage this effectively. Minorities do this on a daily basis.
Manager Advisory Services, Payer @ Optum | MS, FAHM, LSSGB, CKM
9 年It's important to understand how you will be perceived in that culture, how your actions will be perceived and leverage that to effectively do business.