Intercultural Communication

By the end of the course, participants will have a good understanding of:

• what is culture and how it impacts an organisation,
• the link between cultural differences and behaviour,
• the importance of non-verbal communication in multicultural environments,
• how to evaluate and deal with cultural differences,
• the importance of language in intercultural communication,
• how cultural differences are manifested in an organisation,
• how to deal with conflict in an intercultural environment,
• the benefits of cultural diversity to organisations and individuals.

In today’s "globalised" world, contact between diverse cultures is an everyday occurrence. While cultural diversity and intercultural communication should be seen as means of widening our perspectives and enriching our own culture, they are often a source of conflict, the roots of which usually lie in a failure to understand and appreciate cultural differences.

The purpose of this course is to help participants deal with and appreciate cultural diversity and the ways in which it impacts our everyday lives in the workplace. The course looks at both verbal and non-verbal communication, focusing on confrontations between colleagues and with customers in work-related situations.

The course effectively brings together scientific research (e.g., Hofstede, Trompenaars, Hall, Schein) with practical, everyday business experience and concrete examples to illustrate how organisations can benefit from cultural diversity and intercultural communication. It is always adapted to the cultural situation of the participants. Exercises, role plays and games are used extensively in the course.