Global implication in managerial training:
Cross-cultural training is important for employees who are leaving their job in order to work in another country. What is Cross Cultural Training? The term "cross cultural training" refers to a variety of different training courses. Each in essence aims to develop awareness between people where a common cultural framework does not exist. In general, cross cultural training has two parallel approaches: General Cross Cultural Awareness Training, and Culture/Country Specific Training. Cross cultural awareness training deals with the manifestations of culture in the workplace and has many applications. Its main purpose is to evaluate and constructively tackle the challenges cross cultural differences can bring to the workplace. A few examples of the courses we cover can illustrate the different applications of cross cultural awareness training: Cross Cultural Team Building Training will aim to raise team members' awareness of each other culturally in order to foster mutual trust, respect and understanding. The result of which will be clearer lines of communication. Cross Cultural Management Training aims to equip management staff with the knowledge and skills to effectively supervise a multi-cultural staff. Cross cultural awareness training results in a more convivial and understanding work environment. Cross Cultural Negotiation Training assists negotiators involved with foreign clients or customers with whom they are discussing possible terms and conditions. Cultural Diversity Training offers HR staff support in helping them understand their responsibilities to ethnic minority staff and/or look at ways of nurturing harmonious interpersonal relationships at work.
Culture Specific Training is generally aimed at individuals or teams that regularly visit a foreign country or who frequently interact with overseas clients or colleagues. Such training usually focuses on areas such as values, morals, ethics, business practices, etiquette, protocol or negotiation styles with reference to one country. This better equips participants with the key skills that will help in building successful business relationships. Cross cultural training has many benefits to be gained by both participants and businesses. For participants in cross cultural training, the 10 main benefits are that it helps: People Learn About Themselves: Through cross cultural training, people are exposed to facts and information about their own cultures, preconceptions, mentalities and worldviews that they may otherwise not have contemplated. Cross cultural training helps people learn more about themselves through learning about others. Encourage Confidence: Cross cultural training promotes self-confidence in individuals and teams through empowering them with a sense of control over previously difficult challenges in the workplace. Break Down Barriers: All of us have certain barriers such as preconceptions, prejudices and stereotypes that obstruct our understanding of other people. Cross cultural training demystifies other cultures through presenting them under an objective light. Through learning about other cultures, barriers are slowly chipped away thus allowing for more open relationships and dialogue. Build Trust: When people's barriers are lowered, mutual understanding ensues, which results in greater trust. Once trust is established altruistic tendencies naturally manifest allowing for greater co-operation and a more productive workplace. Motivate: One of the outcomes of cross cultural training is that people begin to see their roles within the workplace more clearly. Through self-analysis people begin to recognise areas in which they need to improve and become motivated to develop and progress. Open Horizons: Cross cultural training addresses problems in the workplace at a very different angle to traditional methods. Its innovative, alternative and motivating way of analysing and resolving problems helps people to adopt a similarly creative strategy when approaching challenges in their work or personal lives. Develop Interpersonal Skills: Through cross cultural training participants develop great 'people skills' that can be applied in all walks of life. By learning about the influence of culture, i.e. the hidden factors upon people's behaviours, those who undertake cross cultural training begin to deal with people with a sensitivity and understanding that may have previously been lacking.
Develop Listening Skills: Listening is an integral element of effective and productive communication. Cross cultural training helps people to understand how to listen, what to listen for and how to interpret what they hear within a much broader framework of understanding. By becoming good listeners, people naturally become good communicators. People Use Common Ground: In the workplace people have a tendency to focus on differences. When cross cultural communication problems arise the natural inclination is to withdraw to opposing sides and to highlight the negative aspects of the other. Cross cultural training assists in developing a sense of mutual understanding between people by highlighting common ground. Once spaces of mutual understanding are established, people begin to use them to overcome culturally challenging situations. Career Development: Cross cultural training enhances people's skills and therefore future employment opportunities. Having cross cultural awareness gives people a competitive edge over others especially when applying for positions in international companies with a large multi-cultural staff base. The above benefits are but a few of the many ways in which cross cultural training positively affects businesses through staff training and development.
Cultural training enhances cultural competency. it also builds and sustains a competitive workforce in order to achieve domestic, international or multinational organization objectives and goals. Cultural competence refers to an ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures, particularly in the context of human resources, non-profit organizations, and government agencies whose employees work with persons from different cultural/ethnic backgrounds. Cultural competence comprises four components: (a) Awareness of one's own cultural worldview, (b) Attitude towards cultural differences, (c) Knowledge of different cultural practices and worldviews, and (d) cross-cultural skills. Developing cultural competence results in an ability to understand, communicate with, and effectively interact with people across cultures.
Questions: What is the aim of cross cultural training?
aims to develop awareness between people where a common cultural framework does not exist.
What are the two approaches of cross cultural training? General Cross Cultural Awareness Training, and Culture/Country Specific Training.
This will aim to raise team members' awareness of each other culturally in order to foster mutual trust, respect and understanding what kind of application in cross cultural training is this? Cross Cultural Team Building Training
This application assists negotiators involved with foreign clients or customers with whom they are discussing possible terms and conditions, what is this? Cross Cultural Negotiation Training
It refers to an ability to interact effectively with people of different cultures, particularly in the context of human resources, non-profit organizations, and government agencies whose employees work with persons from different cultural/ethnic background. Cultural Competence
What are the four components of cultural competence? Awareness of one's own cultural worldview, (b) Attitude towards cultural differences, (c) Knowledge of different cultural practices and worldviews, and (d) cross-cultural skills.
