- Broadly defined, intercultural competence is having the knowledge, motivation,
and ability to interact effectively with people from other cultures. - Organizations and their personnel bear the responsibility for employing competent
intercultural practices. - Formal and informal training programs, along with self-study, are used to instill
intercultural awareness and develop skills.
Activities
- This chapter discussed three different contexts—
business, education, and healthcare. Think of
another context (e.g., environmental nongovern-
mental organizations (NGOs), social work organi-
zation, legal assistance volunteers) and identify as
many potential cultural challenges as you can. - Find two or three online articles that discuss glob-
alization of the economy/marketplace. Working
with others, identify three positive and three neg-
ative cultural aspects related to globalization. - Make a list of the culturally related problems that
you think might arise in a multicultural workforce,
either domestically or internationally. Compare
your list with several other classmates’lists and
then work together to identify how those pro-
blems could be avoided or overcome. - Table 10.6 lists the characteristics of Chinese and
U.S. negotiation styles. Select several of the char-
acteristics and discuss how they might influence
communication between the two negotiating
teams. Provide applied examples.
5. Identify several examples of how cultural ethno-
centrism could occur in the classroom. Meet with
other classmates to compare examples and then
devise some recommended actions that would
eliminate the ethnocentric practices.
6. Form a small group (three or four people) and
select one of the recent natural disasters where
aid responders from different countries came to
offer assistance. Identify some of the cultural diffi-
culties they may have encountered and ways the
difficulties could be solved.
7. Using online searches, compile a list of hot–cold
foods and the health benefit that is attributed to
each. Can you identify any cultural relation to the
listed foods?
8. You have been asked to conduct a culture general
training course for marketing department employ-
ees, a class of elementary school teachers, or a
group of multicultural nurses. Draw up a list of
topics for one of the courses.
Concepts and Questions
- What is meant by the phrase“communication is
rule governed”? Compare some of the different
“rules”that govern your communication in the
following contexts:
(a) A meeting with your professor to discuss grades
and a meeting at a social event.
(b) Giving your professional opinion to the com-
pany president and to a co-worker.
(c) Discussing a medical concern with a doctor and
with a close friend.- In almost any context, first-time meetings will
involve initial conversational talk. The rules
governing what are appropriate or inappropri-
ate topics for these interactions vary across
cultures. Work with other classmates to com-
pile a list of what would be correct and
378 CHAPTER 10• Intercultural Communication in Contexts
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