Cultural Competence
Cultural competence is the ability to communicate and understand people from different cultures effectively. You will need to know what to do and not do during cross-cultural interactions. You should be sure to study cultural differences before traveling to other countries or attempting to do business abroad. Read this chapter and reflect on how you can use the advice it presents to improve your skills.
When Should Cross-Cultural Training Occur?
Another important aspect of cross-cultural training is the timing of the training. Some multinationals offer predeparture cross-cultural training, which provides individuals with learning opportunities prior to their departure.
Such training can take the form of 1- to 12-week programs, although two- to three-day programs are also very popular. After such training, the expatriate has a good understanding of expectations, what the local culture looks and feels like, and how to manage any local shocks when they arrive. This approach also makes individuals about to go to another country less anxious about the unknown.
Multinationals will also often opt for postarrival cross-cultural training, which occurs after an expatriate has arrived in the foreign country and can address issues in "real time". Armed with local cultural knowledge and training, the expatriate can delve into work issues without worrying about daily living issues.
Recent research provides evidence of the utility of cross-cultural training. For example, a recent study of 114 expatriates showed that both predeparture and postarrival training had positive effects on several aspects of their success.
Specifically, in a study in Vietnam, the findings show that both predeparture and postarrival training positively impacted the ability of expatriates to adjust to their work and general environment. Additionally, such training was also effective in enhancing the ability of expatriates to better interact with locals. The researchers also examined the impact of language training. Not surprisingly, expatriates who received training in the local language were better able to adjust to local interaction than others.
The above study shows that both predeparture and postarrival training are important for success in cross-cultural management. While the study shows that it is most effective for MNCs to provide more than one type of training, the findings also show that postarrival training has the most impact on the types of cross-cultural adjustment. While companies tend to shy away from the more expensive postarrival training, the study suggests that the investment may be worthwhile if it enables expatriates to succeed.
Best practices advise that the optimal time for predeparture training programs is around three to five weeks prior to the international assignment. Training provided too far ahead of time may not be very effective because the expatriate may not activate all learning readiness and may forget the training if it occurs too far ahead of the assignment. Best practices also suggest that postarrival training is best delivered 8 to 12 weeks after arrival. This allows the expatriate to experience cross-cultural interaction and phenomena and to be better ready to gain the most from the training.