Cross-Cultural Competence

Question 1

Define Culture

Answer 1

• A shared set of traditions, belief systems, and behaviors

Question 2

Culture is shaped by many factors including:

Answer 2

• History
• Religion
• Politics
• Resources
• Economic Environment

Question 3

Define Values

Answer 3

• They reflect how people see relationships, the world, and themselves and can vary significantly across cultures.

Question 4

Some values to consider are:

Answer 4

• Power (social status, prestige, control over others and resources)
• Achievement (success through competence according to social standards)
• Self-Direction (independent thought and action-choice, creativity, exploring goals)
• Universalism (understanding, appreciation, tolerance, and protection for the welfare of people and nature)
• Tradition (respect, commitment, and acceptance of ideas from a person’s culture and religion)
• Conformity (restraint of actions, inclinations, and impulses likely to upset or harm others
• Security (safety, harmony, and stability of society, relationships, and self)

Question 5

High Context Cultures

Answer 5

• Societies or groups where people have close connections over a long period of time.

Question 6

High Context Traits:

Answer 6

• Less verbally explicit communication, less written/formal information
• Long term relationships
• Strong boundaries–who is accepted as belonging vs. who is considered an “ousider”
• Difficult to enter for an outsider
• Knowledge is situational, relational

Question 7

Low Context Cultures

Answer 7

• Societies where people tend to have many connections but of shorter duration or for some specific reason.

Question 8

Low Context Traits:

Answer 8

• Rule oriented, people play by external rules
• More knowledge is codified, public, external, and accessible
• More interpersonal connections of shorter duration
  Knowledge is more often transferable
• Task centered- decisions and activities focus around what needs to be done, division of responsibilities

Question 9

Define Cross-Cultural Competence (3C)

Answer 9

• The ability to comprehend quickly and then act appropriately to attain desired results in culturally diverse environments, even though you may not necessarily have prior exposure to the particular society and its unique culture.

Question 10

Four Inter-related components:

Answer 10

1. Culture-General Conceptual Knowledge (Knowledge)
2. Motivation (Positive Attitudes)
3. Learning Approaches (Application)
4. Communicate, Negotiate, Relate (Cross-Cultural Skills)

Question 11

Skills most closely correlated with success when working across cultures:

Answer 11

• Communicate to avoid misunderstandings,
• Relate with individuals from other cultures to work effectively; and
• Negotiate to overcome differences and resolve conflicts.