Intercultural Competency and Effectiveness Lecture 15 Intercultural Competency and Effectiveness COM 340

Becoming Interculturally Effective IC competency and effectiveness is one of the main goals of the study of and training in intercultural communication. Becoming interculturally competent leads to being interculturally effective. The result of IC effectiveness is the ability to function in a culture. COM 340

Intercultural Competence E-model of IC Effectiveness Interpersonal Relationships Intercultural Competence Adaptability Task COM 340

Dimensions of Intercultural Effectiveness Factor I: Ability to deal with Psychological Stress frustration stress anxiety different political systems pressure to conform social alienation financial difficulties interpersonal conflict Hammer, Gudykunst, and Wiseman (1978) COM 340

Dimensions of Intercultural Effectiveness (con’t) Factor II: Ability to Effectively Communicate ability to enter into meaningful dialogue ability to initiate interaction with a stranger ability to deal with communication misunderstandings ability to effectively deal with different communication styles Signs, Cues & Symbols The routine, habitual activities in our daily lives. Shaking hands, standing, sitting Using the transportation system. Using a public telephone. Shopping and making purchases Going to the bank or post office. Accepting invitations. Being used to a certain level of human interaction. One begins to feel stress… the body’s psycho-physiological response to the demands placed on it by the environment. These psycho-physiolgical responses are necessary, otherwise we would die. The stress reaction we feel when someone points a gun at us, or when we take a major test, or when someone laughs at us in another culture is not much different. COM 340

Dimensions of Intercultural Effectiveness (con’t) Factor III: Ability to Establish Interpersonal Relationships ability to develop satisfying interpersonal relationships ability to maintain satisfying interpersonal relationships ability to accurately understand the feelings of other people ability to effectively work with other people Signs, Cues & Symbols The routine, habitual activities in our daily lives. Shaking hands, standing, sitting Using the transportation system. Using a public telephone. Shopping and making purchases Going to the bank or post office. Accepting invitations. Being used to a certain level of human interaction. One begins to feel stress… the body’s psycho-physiological response to the demands placed on it by the environment. These psycho-physiolgical responses are necessary, otherwise we would die. The stress reaction we feel when someone points a gun at us, or when we take a major test, or when someone laughs at us in another culture is not much different. COM 340

Being Interculturally Effective Five personality characteristics for being interculturally are tested in the “Multicultural Personality Questionnaire” (van Oudenhoven and van der Zee): Cultural empathy Open-mindedness Emotional stability Flexibility Social initiative COM 340

Cultural Empathy Also referred to as “cultural sensitivity” Def: “The capacity to clearly project an interest in other, as well as obtain and to reflect a reasonably complete and accurate sense of another’s thoughts, feelings, and/or experiences.” Very important to be able to empathize with the feelings, thoughts and behaviors or members from different cultural groups. COM 340

Open-mindedness The ability to have an open and unprejudiced attitude towards outgroup members and towards different cultural norms and values. One needs to have a freedom from prejudice, and a true interest in the local people. COM 340

Emotional Stability The tendency to remain calm in stressful situations versus a tendency to show strong emotional reactions under stressful circumstances. One truly needs an ability to deal effectively with psychological stress. COM 340

Flexibility One must be able to switch easily from one strategy to another because the familiar ways of handling things will not necessarily work in a new cultural environment. Elements of flexibility Ability to learn from mistakes Adjustment of behavior when required Ability to learn from new experiences COM 340

Social Initiative A tendency to approach social situations in an active way and to take initiatives. An ability to establish and maintain contacts. Interpersonal skill are very important. One must be able to interact with people from the host country and to make friends among the locals. “The courage to make things happen.” has been cited as important for the international executive. COM 340