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 Teaching Intercultural Skills in the Multicultural Classroom 1

TEACHING INTERCULTURAL SKILLS IN THE

MULTICULTURAL CLASSROOM

Research Paper – Teaching (Business)

Peter R Woods and Michelle C Barker*
Griffith Business School
Amanda Daly
Christchurch College of Education
C/- Griffith Business School 1
Department of Management
Griffith University
University Drive, Meadowbrook 4131, Australia
Ph: +61-7-33821419
Fax: +61-7-33811408
Email: p.woods@griffith.edu.au
m.barker@griffith.edu.au
amanda.daly@paradise.net.nz

1
Acknowledgment - This research was conducted using funding from a teaching grant from the
Faculty of Commerce and Management, Griffith University.
 Teaching Intercultural Skills in the Multicultural Classroom 2

TEACHING INTERCULTURAL SKILLS IN THE MULTICULTURAL

CLASSROOM

ABSTRACT

This paper evaluates the adaptation of the ExcelL Intercultural Skills Program
to an international human resource management course, and critically examines the
effectiveness of integrating case study methods with the skills based ExcelL program.
The ExcelL program is a theory-driven and evidence-based group program that
utilises classroom cultural diversity, student experiences and role-plays to develop
specific intercultural skills. The primary purpose of the study was to assess the
usefulness of ExcelL within a sample of 85 third-year university business students.
Four methodologies were used: (1) questionnaires, (2) case studies, (3) course
evaluation survey and (4) focus groups. After completing the program, participants
demonstrated improvements in intercultural competencies required in business
contexts as well as increased self-confidence and feelings of self-efficacy in cross-
cultural situations. Additionally, participants demonstrated improved identification
and articulation of cross-cultural business problems and formulation of appropriate
intervention strategies to address these problems.
 Teaching Intercultural Skills in the Multicultural Classroom 3

In an era characterised by the globalisation of business, the demand for

managers equipped with intercultural skills is increasing (Javidan & House, 2001).
An increasing number of managers are sent on expatriate assignments (Harzing,
2004), and managers in many countries are required to manage staff from culturally
diverse backgrounds (Lane, Mazneveski, & Mendenhall, 2003). The development of
managers with intercultural skills, therefore, has become an important priority for
University business schools (Ledwith & Seymour, 2001).

The need for intercultural training for Australian business graduates has been
well established by a report commissioned by the Australian Federal government in
1992 to help prepare Australian managers for the ‘Asia-Pacific Century’ (Karpin,
1995). The report highlighted the fact that Australian managers were seen as
“unwilling to adapt to cultural differences and appeared to be unaware of cultural
differences between countries” (Dawkins, Savery, & Mazzarol, 1995, p.37). Since the
report’s publication, business schools throughout Australia have attempted to raise the
standard of cross-cultural management skills through specialist international business
degrees and courses. An accompanying trend has been the growing number of
international students in Australia’s business school classrooms (AVCC, 2002),
potentially providing a rich source of diversity for developing culturally savvy
managers. The effective realisation of this potential, however, is unclear, with a
similar situation in the UK resulting in a sometimes widening gap between
international students and local students, even in classrooms where intercultural skills
are being taught (Ledwith et al., 2001). This research paper presents the evaluation of
the introduction of the ExcelL intercultural skills training program to an
undergraduate international human resource management (IHRM) classroom. The
ExcelL program provides an excellent mechanism for students to explain how
communication behaviour is different in their culture, and the underlying values that
influence the behaviour (Barker, Troth, & Mak, 2002). Further, the program makes
explicit the values and norms underpinning behaviour in the host culture and creates a
supportive environment for students to enhance their communication skills.

Local, international and immigrant students have gained increased skills in

intercultural communication and improved their understanding of other cultures
through their participation in the ExcelL program (Barker et al., 2002; Mak, 2000;
Mak, Barker, Millman, & Logan, 1998a). However, where the ExcelL program has
been embedded in business courses, as opposed to an extra-curricular workshop for
volunteers, the learning benefits related to business coursework objectives are unclear
and this has been raised as a question for further research (Barker et al., 2002). Using
course feedback channels, participants have also questioned how the skills can be
applied to the relevant business context (Barker et al., 2002). The application of the
program to business situations, its integration into an undergraduate curriculum and
its efficacy in teaching relevant intercultural management skills are the major issues
that require evaluation, therefore.

Teaching International Human Resource Management

The teaching of international human resource management in the
undergraduate context provides a number of specific challenges, some of which are
identified by DeCieri, Cox and Fenwick (2001) in their critical examination of
teaching strategic IHRM. These challenges include guarding against the
 Teaching Intercultural Skills in the Multicultural Classroom 4

oversimplifications of cultural naïvete, the ‘narrow exclusiveness of ethnocentrism’

and the ‘patronization of paternalism’ (DeCieri, Wolfram-Cox, & Fenwick, 2001). It
is often difficult for the lecturer to resist the temptation to use simplistic cultural
generalisations and to use the home country as the reference point for examining
cultural values. The lecturer must also be aware that the classroom is rich with
cultural knowledge and experiences, especially in the multicultural Australian
university business classroom. The challenge for the lecturer as facilitator, therefore,
is to provide a teaching environment that taps into this cultural diversity to welcome
diversity through affirmation of differing cultural perspectives and to enable students
to share those perspectives with the class. Further to this, the culturally diverse
classroom presents an opportunity to experience and demonstrate the creation of
culturally synergistic solutions through application of processes such as Adler’s
(Adler, 2002) cultural synergy model in task oriented group settings.

Despite the opportunity that the culturally diverse classroom provides,

evaluative survey research amongst 172 culturally diverse students in UK business
schools (enrolled in a International Human Resource Management course) found that
task based interactions amongst diverse students in the classroom were often
perceived negatively (Ledwith et al., 2001). In addressing this, the researchers found
that an assessment based process of requiring students to manage and respect cultural
differences within multicultural groups produced generally positive experiences of
classroom diversity (Ledwith et al., 2001). They recommended that a more
deliberate, structured approach to managing classroom diversity focussing on the
development of perceptual and interpersonal skills and the development of diversity
competencies would help in developing intercultural competence in global oriented
business students (Ledwith et al., 2001). The ExcelL program potentially provides
this structured approach.

The development of intercultural skills for managers operating globally has

been long established in the discipline related literature (Black & Mendenhall, 1989;
Fish & Wood, 1997; Woods, 2003). There are a number of established methods of
developing these skills including role-plays, simulations, sensitivity training, field
experiences (Blake, Heslin, & Curtis, 1996; Woods, 2000), however most of these
methods have been tested in the organisational setting rather than the higher education
setting. The preferred methods in many higher education settings is didactic
instruction and group discussion (Friga, Bettis, & Sullivan, 2003; Kumar & Usinier,
2001), whereas role-based training in groups has been suggested to be more effective
in developing intercultural skills (Blake et al., 1996; Selmer, 1998). A combination of
methods including also the case study method (Christensen & Hansen, 1987; McNair,
1954; Rees & Porter, 2002) has the potential to develop graduates with both analytical
and practical skills.

The ExcelL Program

The ExcelL program utilises classroom cultural diversity, student experiences
and role-plays to develop specific intercultural skills. ExcelL is a theory-driven and
evidence-based group program designed to enhance international students’ confidence
and skills in academic, social and career contexts (Mak, 2000). Previous research has
found that the resulting increased behavioural competencies decrease the stress
associated with cross-cultural encounters, encouraging social contact with, rather than
avoidance of, students from other cultures (Mak, Westwood, Barker, & Ishiyama,
 Teaching Intercultural Skills in the Multicultural Classroom 5

1998b). Further, ExcelL has demonstrable benefits for improving intercultural

understanding between local Australian, international and immigrant students, thus
maximising the potential benefits of the cultural diversity within university
environments (Mak et al., 1998a). In addition to Australia, the program has been
introduced in universities and higher education institutions in England, Canada, and
New Zealand.

The ExcelL program has been demonstrated to provide optimal conditions for
international students to acquire the requisite knowledge and skills for successful
social interactions with host nationals, while maintaining their cultural identity,
through incorporating various special features (Mak, Westwood, Ishiyama, & Barker,
1999). These features include the use of facilitator-based group work using rehearsal
and retention methods based on cultural maps. These cultural maps provide succinct
descriptions of effective ways of behaving in specific social contexts such as asking a
lecturer for help. Cultural maps use a sequence of precise and concrete micro-skills
(both verbal and non-verbal). The use of this method leads to decreased intercultural
social anxiety by increasing social confidence. This social confidence is developed
through mastery of actual skills that would be used in the ‘real world’.

The ExcelL program uses six stages to progress participants from initial
contact to the point of being able to use the new skills in intercultural settings. Prior to
beginning this process, each session begins with an introduction where participants
are welcomed or welcomed back. For continuing participants, their progress through
the previously taught competencies is reviewed, and feedback and encouragement
given. The first stage is called building ‘alliance and assess’. This involves
participants contemplating how they would behave in a social interaction in their
home culture, and sharing these observations. The second stage is the development of
the cultural map. The cultural map is developed from the observations stimulated
within the first phase, with participants using the ExcelL manual to record the version
of the cultural map that is most useful for them. Facilitators emphasise that maps are
not prescriptive, but rather guides for participants to use and adapt. In the third stage,
trainers demonstrate appropriate sequences of micro-skills represented in the cultural
map. The participants then practice these skills, and further coaching from the
facilitator is provided if required. Feedback and encouragement is given in the fourth
stage. The fifth stage involves participants setting goals and recording a contract in
their manual that describes where and when they plan to practice the new skills in the
week ahead with someone from a cultural background different to their own. They are
encouraged to use the reflective exercises that are in the manual to focus their learning
about the interaction and to identify areas that require ongoing work. This leads to the
final sixth stage, where the participants transfer the learning to actual settings. The
transfer of learning occurs when the participants report on their experience of
practicing the competency in the real-life situation and flexibility required to adapt
these skills to different situations. Facilitators discuss how students can continue to
use their analytical skills of dividing a scenario into components (the ‘map’), as well
as their behavioural and reflective skills. To provide a suitable context for application
of ExcelL skills, it is proposed that the program be integrated with the case study
method.
 Teaching Intercultural Skills in the Multicultural Classroom 6

Case Study Method

The case study method of teaching focuses on engaging students in a reflexive
dialogic process aiming for conceptual, decisional, strategic and problem-focussed
analysis of a written or video case about a real company facing specific business
problems (Christensen et al., 1987). The application of this method to teaching
business students has been identified as originating almost 50 years ago from the
Harvard Business School (McNair, 1954), and has been adopted in various forms in
teaching business students at both the graduate and undergraduate level (Desiraju &
Gopinath, 2001; Forman & Rymer, 1999). The benefits of the approach have been
identified as the development of diagnostic skills, subject and functional integration,
deep learning, and the involvement and motivation of students (Rees et al., 2002).
The method, therefore, could provide a course related context in which intercultural
skills could be critically examined in operation.

The Course Context

The course ‘International Human Resource Management’ was offered to 90 third year
undergraduates and three postgraduates at Griffith University in 2003. It is a third
year undergraduate course with open enrolment and is a core course in the human
resource management major of the Bachelor of Commerce degree. The 13-week
course was structured around fortnightly two-hour lectures involving the whole class
and two-hour fortnightly workshops of no more that 20 students. The course topics
include the international application of human resource functions as well as managing
international teams, international negotiation, managing the human resource
dimensions of international joint ventures and repatriation. Four of the six fortnightly
workshops focussed on a particular intercultural skill from the ExcelL program and
these included expressing disagreement across cultures, giving feedback across
cultures, making social contact with people from other cultures and participating in
culturally diverse groups. Each workshop focussed on the development of a
particular skill and its application within a particular IRHM case study. The marriage
of intercultural skills and IHRM case topics took the format of: - expressing
disagreement in international negotiations, giving feedback in managing international
joint ventures, making social contact in developing local stakeholder networks, and
participating in a group in managing international teams. The case studies centred on
an IHRM scenario, providing the context for problem identification, strategy
formulation, role-play setting and cultural map (skills application) focus in the
workshop. Participation and learning from the workshops was not directly assessed
as part of the final grade for the course. Thirty-five percent of the final grade was
attributed to the analysis of a case study chosen by the student from the case studies
examined in workshops. This was the only connection between the workshops and
overall assessment of the course.

Integration with case study method. Most business courses, specifically

management and human resource management courses, focus on the development of
analytical skills and understanding of theoretical concepts in management. The
ExcelL program, however is focussed on developing practical skills in intercultural
communication. ExcelL was originally framed as an adaptation program, with is
stated aims being to help international and immigrant students to learn skills that will
improve their opportunities for success in the new country (Westwood, Mak, Barker,
& Ishiyama, 2001). The course International Human Resource Management has two
 Teaching Intercultural Skills in the Multicultural Classroom 7

objectives being ‘that students will demonstrate a theoretical and applied

understanding of the unique challenges of International HRM and the skill sets
necessary for managers operating in a global environment.’ ExcelL offers
development of the skill set whereas the case study method offers development of an
applied understanding of the challenges of IHRM. An example of the type of
intercultural skills needed in specific business contexts would be utilising intercultural
communication skills in negotiating an employment contract with subsidiary
employees in an Asian/Pacific country. The application of intercultural skills to
specific business contexts enables a more integrated teaching design, strengthening
the links between the skills and the course content. Applying the ExcelL intercultural
skills training to relevant case studies in workshops, has the potential to actualise
these goals.

Research Aims. The effectiveness of integrating the case study method with the
skills based ExcelL program requires careful evaluation, and this is a focus of this
study. The primary purpose of the study was to assess the usefulness of ExcelL
within a sample of higher-level university business students. Previous research has
examined the efficacy of ExcelL in postgraduate University student samples (Barker
et al., 2002), but the logical extension to undergraduate business student participants
had yet to be researched. The adapted ExcelL program’s specific learning outcomes
are:
1. Students will demonstrate improved skills in identifying cross-cultural
interaction problems in business situations
2. Students will improve in being able to identify appropriate strategies to
overcome problems in cross-cultural business interactions
3. Students will report increased self-confidence and feelings of self-efficacy in
cross-cultural situations

METHODOLOGY

Participants
Of the 93 students in the class, 72% were female and 28% of the class male,
and 28% were enrolled as international students. Most of the students were enrolled
in the Bachelor of Commerce (66%) with 10% enrolled in International Business and
nine other programs were represented. Eighty-five students completed the course
evaluation survey. Forty-six participants completed the pre-test phase of the
questionnaire, and twenty-three of these completed the post-test phase. Only thirteen
of these questionnaires could be matched as a particular participant’s pre and post
ExcelL questionnaire.

Procedures
The study was conducted using four methodologies: (1) questionnaires, (2)
case study analysis (3) focus groups and (4) a course evaluation. The questionnaires
and case study methods used pre-test and post-test designs to compare participants’
knowledge and micro-skills before and after completing the ExcelL program. To
complement this, the focus groups were conducted at the end of the program as a
means of gathering participants’ opinions about developments in intercultural skills
gained through the ExcelL program, and advice on potential improvements to the
program for future course offerings. The course evaluation survey was conducted at
 Teaching Intercultural Skills in the Multicultural Classroom 8

the end of the course. These four methods were used to allow an expanded analysis of
the outcomes of the ExcelL program in the course.

Two case studies were presented to the participants, one prior to the ExcelL
program and one after the ExcelL program. Participants recorded their conclusions
about the most culturally appropriate ways to behave within these scenarios by
answering the questions listed in Table 1. The case studies presented intercultural
problems and issues, in order to allow participants the opportunity to report the skills
they would use to bring about the most satisfactory conclusion. The accuracy of
answers to questions about the case were rated according to set criteria to determine a
score of 1 = low accuracy, 2 = medium accuracy and 3 = high accuracy. The pre-
ExceL and post-ExceL accuracy of answers to the case studies for each participant
were then compared.

At the end of the ExcelL course, two groups of four participants formed focus
groups led by independent facilitators. The purpose was to evaluate the ExcelL
program in the course and to generate ideas about how the ExcelL program might be
improved. A modified version of the nominal group technique (Delbecq, Van de Ven,
& Gustafson, 1975) was used, with individuals generating ideas independently before
bringing them back to the group. These ideas were then compared and categorised to
distil key themes. In order to reduce the opportunity for groupthink, the key themes
from each group were compared and the main themes extracted. Students were then
able to vote for the three most appropriate responses to the focus group questions,
with 3 points given for the most appropriate response, 2 points for the second most
appropriate and 1 point for the third most appropriate. The results of the focus group
votes were collated later to determine the most frequent responses to each question
(Table 7).

Measures
The focus groups asked five questions (Table 1) related to the relevance of
ExcelL to the course content and course objectives (question one), the relevance of
the skills to learning about IHRM (question two), the effectiveness of ExcelL in
teaching intercultural skills (question three), the effectiveness of using the case study
method in applying intercultural skills (question four), and the usefulness and areas
for improvement for the participant’s manual.

The questionnaire administered to ExcelL participants both before and after

the program included the interaction skills checklist (Ishiyama, 1996). This checklist
asks participants to rate their social interaction skills on 33 items using a 7 point scale
from ‘1 = not at all effective’ to ‘7 = extremely effective.’ The checklist yields a total
interaction skills score as well as six subscale scores being processing skills, active
engagement skills, self-enhancement skills, approaching skills, assertive skills and
interruption skills. This checklist assesses not only a person’s perception of their
skills, but their self-confidence and feelings of self-efficacy in utilising these skills.

The case study questions were designed to assess three particular areas that
were related to the course objective of ‘examining the skill sets necessary for
managers operating globally.’ The first question assessed the participant’s ability to
accurately identify intercultural problems by asking ‘What do you think are the main
intercultural problems evident in the case study?’ The second question assessed the
 Teaching Intercultural Skills in the Multicultural Classroom 9

ability to accurately select appropriate intercultural skills by asking ‘What

intercultural skills would have helped in resolving the problems presented in the case
study?’ The third question asked ‘What strategy would you suggest to help resolve
the intercultural problems evident in the case study?’ to assess the participant’s ability
to create an intercultural solution strategy.

The course evaluation questionnaire was developed from the course evaluation
questions made available by the Griffith Institute of Higher Education (Armstrong &
Conrad, 1994). A total of 28 closed ended questions were selected, where participants
respond to statements using a six-point scale from ‘strongly agree’ to ‘strongly
disagree’. The course evaluation questionnaire also contained four open-ended
questions for participants to respond to (Table 3).

TABLE 1
Focus Group Questions
Question

1. What was relevant in the ExcelL program to the practice of International Human Resource

Management?

2. The intercultural skills taught in the ExcelL program were:

• Participating in a group

• Making social contact

• Expressing disagreement

• Giving Feedback

In what way were these skills relevant to your learning about International Human Resource

Management?

3. What was effective about the ExcelL program in teaching you intercultural skills?

4. The four case studies used and the video case on group interactions: What was effective

about using the case studies in applying the intercultural skills?

5. Give some ideas on how useful the participant's manual was and how it could be improved?

RESULTS
Table 2 reports that most students were satisfied with the course overall.
Although most students attended all or most of the lectures (68%), only 35% of
students attended all or most of the workshops. The ExcelL program occupied four of
the six workshops offered, and all six of the workshops focussed on specific IHRM
case studies. Whereas most students found the lectures (77%) and the readings (72%)
as either assisting or being a valuable aid to learning, only 57% of students felt that
the workshops were a valuable aid to their learning (Table 2). It should be noted that
class discussion was also promoted in the lectures; hence there was a high positive
 Teaching Intercultural Skills in the Multicultural Classroom 10

response (83%) to the question on whether the teacher encouraged students to

participate in class discussions.

TABLE 2
Responses To Selected Course Evaluation Questions (n = 85)
Question Strongly Uncertain Disagree/ Missing

Agree/ Strongly

Agree Disagree

In this course the teacher encouraged students to 83% 14% 4% 0%

participate in class discussions

Overall, I was satisfied with the quality of this 76% 13% 7% 4%

course

I found that the teaching methods used in this 75% 16% 8% 0%

course were effective in helping me to learn

I attended all or most of the lectures 68% 7% 14% 11%

I attended all or most of the workshops 35% 18% 11% 36%

The lectures were a valuable aid to my learning 77% 14% 9% 0%

The workshops were a valuable aid to my 57% 16% 24% 2%

learning

The required readings assisted my learning 72% 16% 9% 2%

Course evaluations also asked students to provide written answers to four

questions. Altogether, 62 out of 85 respondents provided responses to one or more of
the questions presented in Table 3. Table 4 presents the answers or comments related
to the ExcelL program. The most frequently cited positive comment regarding the
ExcelL program related to the interaction and discussion that the program facilitated.
The most frequently cited negative comment regarding the program was that it was
not linked to assessment. Opinion on role-plays was divided, with four participants
commenting positively and two participants commenting negatively. A positive
comment about identifying aspects of the course that helped their reading (question 2,
Table 3) was “getting to practice things such as ways to communicate more
effectively through role plays in workshops.” A negative comment in response to
question 4 asking participants to recommend strategies for improvement on any
aspects of the course that caused them concern, was “I thought ExcelL was very
simplistic, to a point where it was insulting doing role plays – get rid of it and have
more meaningful discussions rather than simplistic generalisations about other
cultures.” Although three participants felt the workshops were boring, two other
participants specifically commented that the workshops were interesting. The seven
comments relating to case studies were all positive. In answer to question 1 that
 Teaching Intercultural Skills in the Multicultural Classroom 11

asked participants to comment on the most valuable things they had learnt from the
course, a participant wrote “The case studies are a fabulous way to facilitate
learning.”

TABLE 3
Open-Ended Course Evaluation Questions
1. What are the most valuable things you have learned from this course? Include at least one

illustration of how you achieved the course objectives listed above.

2. Identify aspects of the course that helped your learning.

3. Identify aspects of the course that hindered your learning.

4. If any aspects of the course caused you concern, please recommend strategies for

improvement.

TABLE 4
Course Evaluation Comments Related To The ExcelL Program
Positive Comments Negative Comments

Interaction and discussion was good (x9) No link to assessment (x4)

Case studies gave real life examples (x7) Boring (x3)

Liked role plays (x4) Did not like role plays (x2)

Interesting (x2) No link to lectures/ topics (x2)

Case studies are good in facilitating learning (x2) Worthless activities (x2)

Learnt from the scenarios presented Felt childish (x2)

Communication training

Cultural mapping

Total = 27 Total = 15

Paired sample t-tests of case study analysis reports before and after the ExcelL
program (Table 5) found that ExcelL did have a significant effect on both intercultural
skill selection and in the ability to create a solution strategy. The low number of
matches between pre-workshop and post-workshop reports (10) and surveys (13) is
indicative of the low and inconsistent attendance at workshops.
 Teaching Intercultural Skills in the Multicultural Classroom 12

TABLE 5
Paired Sample T-Tests For Case Study Analysis Reports Before And After ExcelL
Paired Samples Test

Paired Differences
95% Confidence
Interval of the
Std. Error Difference
Mean Std. Deviation Mean Lower Upper t df Sig. (2-tailed)
Pair Intercultural problem
1 identification before Exce
-.50 .707 .224 -1.01 .01 -2.236 9 .052
- Intercultural problem
identification after Excell
Pair Intercultural skill selection
2 before Excell -
-.80 .632 .200 -1.25 -.35 -4.000 9 .003
Intercultural skill selection
after Excell
Pair Ability to create a solution
3 strategy before Excell -
-.70 .823 .260 -1.29 -.11 -2.689 9 .025
Ability to create a solution
strategy after Excell

Paired sample t-tests for interaction skills (Table 6) assessed through the
interaction skills checklist (Ishiyama, 1996), indicate improvement in all skills
assessed. Significant improvement is noted in the total of all interaction skills, in
processing skills, active engagement skills and assertive skills.

TABLE 6
Paired Sample T-Tests For Interaction Skills Checklist Before And After ExcelL
Paired Samples Test - Interaction Skills

Paired Differences
95% Confidence
Interval of the
Std. Error Difference
Mean Std. Deviation Mean Lower Upper t df Sig. (2-tailed)
Pair 1 Total Interaction
-11.7692 14.66375 4.06699 -20.6304 -2.9080 -2.894 12 .013
Skills
Pair 2 Processing Skills -2.1538 3.21056 .89045 -4.0940 -.2137 -2.419 12 .032
Pair 3 Active Engagement
-2.3077 3.52100 .97655 -4.4354 -.1800 -2.363 12 .036
Skills
Pair 4 Self-Enhancement
-2.0769 3.54640 .98359 -4.2200 .0661 -2.112 12 .056
Skills
Pair 5 Approaching Skills -1.9231 3.88290 1.07692 -4.2695 .4233 -1.786 12 .099
Pair 6 Assertive Skills -2.1538 3.33782 .92574 -4.1709 -.1368 -2.327 12 .038
Pair 7 Interruption Skills -1.7692 4.12621 1.14441 -4.2627 .7242 -1.546 12 .148
 Teaching Intercultural Skills in the Multicultural Classroom 13

TABLE 7
Combined Major Responses To Focus Group Questions

Q1. What was relevant in the ExcelL program to the practice of International Human

Resource Management?

i Provides practice context for IHRM 18

ii Heightens cultural awareness 12

iii Provides and understanding of impacts of cultural diversity on IHRM 12

Q2. In what way were the ExcelL skills relevant to your learning about International

Human Resource Management?

i Making social contacts and giving feedback due to cultural variance 11

ii These skills help distinguish IHRM from domestic HRM 9

iii Participation in a group so that one can be comfortable/ skilled in a group 5

Q3. What was effective about the ExcelL program in teaching you intercultural skills?

i Relevant and practical 21

ii The diversity of the group 8

iii Effective use of case studies 7

Q4. What was effective about using the case studies in applying the intercultural skills?

i Increases self awareness leading to skill improvement 10

ii Provides real life context 10

iii Provides practical context 7

Q5 Give some ideas on how useful the participant's manual was and how it could be

improved?

i More specifics on each culture needed 11

ii Questions provide focus for thoughts 11

iii Is useful, practical and precise 9

iv Simple format is good for business 7

DISCUSSION

The ExcelL course combined with case study applications appeared to have a
mixed level of success in reaching the goals prescribed. Based on the results of the
case study questions, it appears as though students did achieve some improvement in
 Teaching Intercultural Skills in the Multicultural Classroom 14

identifying cross-cultural interaction problems in business situations, but not at a

significant level (Table 5). The goal of improving in being able to “identify
appropriate strategies to overcome problems in cross-cultural business interactions”
was also affirmed by the case study question results, with a significant improvement
in question three and a significant improvement in question two.

The sample size of 10 out of a possible 93 students enrolled in the course, affirms
the finding in Table 2 (Responses to selected course evaluation questions) that
attendance throughout the ExcelL program was a major problem with only 35% of
students reporting that they attended the workshops regularly. The student comments
on the course evaluation gave reasons for this, with the major problem being that the
ExcelL program was not adequately linked to overall course assessment.

Student’s receptivity to the ExcelL program appeared varied, with a number of

students, including focus group participants, expressing strong support for the
relevance of ExcelL to the learning of International Human Resource Management.
Course evaluation comments, however, indicated that students were divided on the
relevance and suitability of the program to the course. Some students felt that
activities were ‘worthless’ and they ‘felt childish’. Some of these comments were
linked to a particular staff member, whose manner was regarded as ‘condescending’
by some students. Nevertheless, the reaction to introducing a behavioural based
program into University curriculum has been recognised as generating some level of
student resistance as it is contrary to normal classroom expectations of business
students (Rynes, Quinn Trank, Lawson, & Iles, 2003). It appears as though the
relevance of the program to IHRM could also have been better framed according to
student feedback recorded in Table 4. The reaction to role plays appears divided
(Table 4) with four students expressing they liked this aspect and two expressing that
they did not like it. Role plays in training can generate mixed reactions (Smith,
1998), however further training of facilitators often helps to reduce negative reactions
(Noe, 1999).

The integration of the case study method and ExcelL seemed to be effective
from the perspective of focus group participants with strongly rated responses being
that the case studies ‘provide practice context for IHRM’, ‘heightens cultural
awareness’ and ‘provides and understanding of impacts of cultural diversity on
IHRM’ (Table 7). The link between case studies and intercultural skills training was
regarded positively by focus group participants with the top responses being
‘increases self awareness leading to skill improvement’, ‘provides real life context’
and ‘provides practical context’ (Table 7). The focus group responses, however, must
be tempered with the ‘voting with one’s feet’ aspect of poor workshop attendance,
indicating that many students did not think the ExcelL program was relevant to their
completion of the course.

Students reported increased self-confidence and feelings of self-efficacy in

cross-cultural situations via the interaction skills survey results presented in Table 6.
Students were encouraged to practice the skills outside of the classroom with students
and friends from other cultural backgrounds. The resulting increase in self-
confidence and self-efficacy are important when considering that intercultural success
is likely to lead to further intercultural interactions, whereas failure often leads to
further cultural isolation (Hullett & Witte, 2001).
 Teaching Intercultural Skills in the Multicultural Classroom 15

CONCLUSION
This research found that through completing the program participants were
able to demonstrate improvement in some of the specific intercultural competencies
required in business contexts, as well as reporting increased self-confidence and
feelings of self-efficacy in cross - cultural situations. Additionally, participants
demonstrated improved identification and articulation of cross-cultural business
problems and formulation of appropriate intervention strategies to address these
problems. The integration of the case study method with the ExcelL program is
supported, however participation in the program must be linked to assessment,
program facilitators must be well trained, and the integration of the program to the
overall course must be clearly presented. Key themes were identified from the focus
groups that will be incorporated and assessed in future versions of ExcelL designed
for a business coursework audience. Considering that previous studies have
consistently supported the usefulness of the ExcelL program in multicultural
university environments, and this study supporting the application of ExcelL in
business coursework settings, it is proposed that a modified version of ExcelL may
provide businesses with training programs that gainfully assist adaptation within
increasingly multicultural business environments.
 Teaching Intercultural Skills in the Multicultural Classroom 16

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