×

Competency Coordinates: Attending to Cultural Differences

Considering and using new information that results from being in a cross-cultural context.

Did you know there is a Cultural Intelligence?

  • Cultural Intelligence has more than two decades of rigorous research and corresponds to the capability to function effectively across various cultural contexts.
  • Many business leaders consider cultural awareness and understanding as a soft skill with less importance than other hard skills like negotiation or communication skills. As a consequence, learning about a culture has been considered enough to be efficient in a cross-cultural context. Research, however, shows the opposite of this!
  • Cultural intelligence is a personal capability that is rooted in general intelligence and is comprised of 4 competencies:
    • Drive – the level of motivation to direct attention and energy towards learning about and functioning in cross-cultural situations. It is often assumed that people are motivated to learn about and function in different cultures, yet drive varies substantially from individual to individual and, without drive, there is little point in having cross-cultural training.
    • Knowledge – the level of understanding about a culture and how it can impact social interactions. People often consider that social stereotypes have a kernel of truth, and this can be used to understand people in a cross-cultural context. Knowledge from a cultural intelligence perspective is rooted in evidence and not in misleading simplifications. This involves the understanding of cultural systems in terms of specific norms and values, and how these can have an impact in your practices and business.
    • Strategy – the level of awareness about our own thoughts and feelings and the ability to use that awareness strategically. Experienced professionals often engage in cross-cultural social interactions (meetings, informal conversations) with the same level of planning as in same-culture interactions. However, rules and values change in cross-cultural context, and having the capacity to strategically slow the pace and carefully observe can have a substantial impact in the quality and outcome of the interaction.
    • Action – the level of flexibility to change verbal and non-verbal behaviours according to the cultural situation. Most people believe acting appropriately in a cross-cultural context means to behave in a pleasant and polite manner. However, that is not always the case. From a Cultural Intelligence perspective, action means delivering the intended message without cross-cultural misinterpretations and understanding when that requires to specifically adapt to another culture.

Did you know Cultural Intelligence impacts your performance?

  • Research has systematically showed that Cultural Intelligence is positively associated with performance in cross cultural context.
  • A study with international managers participating in executive development programs showed that Knowledge, Strategy and Action were associated with better performance in Judgement, Decision Making and Problem Solving tasks.
  • In another study with foreign professionals and supervisors, Drive and Action were associated with Social Adjustment, Work Adjustment and General Wellbeing.

Three ways to make the most of a cross-cultural context

1. Ask in advance how prepared you are.

You can ask yourself using objective references like “How many times have I interacted with this cultural context?” and “How comfortable have people from this culture been around me?”, but also ask experienced colleagues around you.

2. Actively learn about a new culture.

You can do research about the cultural characteristics, but make sure you go beyond that. Local newspapers, local businesses, and museums are great ways to develop your own factual representation about a culture.

3. Prepare for difference.

Whenever someone behaves in ways different to which you expected, observe and listen carefully. Avoid external judgements and attributions in a situation where things did not conform to your expectations. Clarify ambiguity using inquiry tools.

References
  • Livermore, D., Van Dyne, L., & Ang, S. (2012). Cultural intelligence: Why every leader needs it. Intercultural Management Quarterly, 13(2), 18-21.
  • Ang, S., Van Dyne, L., Koh, C., Ng, K. Y., Templer, K. J., Tay, C., & Chandrasekar, N. A. (2007). Cultural intelligence: Its measurement and effects on cultural judgement and decision making, cultural adaption and task performance. Management and Organization Review, 3(3), 335-371.
  • Meyer, Erin, et al. “3 Ways to Identify Cultural Differences on a Global Team.” Harvard Business Review, 28 Aug. 2018.