Cross Cultural Competence

Apply various tools and techniques to improve your cross cultural competence

Being effective in today’s ever increasingly multicultural, diverse world has become essential. Improving one’s intercultural effectiveness can help one be more productive, have better interpersonal relationships, and increase one’s personal emotional wellness.

This workshop will provide participants with the knowledge and skills to improve one’s intercultural effectiveness. These contents can improve many domains in one’s life. Although the knowledge and skills covered in this workshop are based in countries-as-cultures, they are relevant to dealing with all kinds of differences and diversities in thought, feeling, and action among people and systems.

This workshop improves participants’ understanding of what culture is, where it comes from, and how to leverage cultural differences. Participants learn about cultural similarities and differences in communication styles, covering both verbal and nonverbal behavior. This workshop features both interpersonal and intercultural communication, uncovering the unique aspects of intercultural communication that make it difficult. Most importantly, participants engage in practical exercises to improve their intercultural effectiveness.

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Learning Objectives

 Participants in this course will:

1. Define what culture is and where it comes from
2. Distinguish cultural differences in communication styles
3. Identify universal and culture-specific aspects of verbal language and nonverbal behavior
4. Understand the characteristics of interpersonal and intercultural communication, and the features of intercultural communication that make it unique and difficult
5. Engage in concrete exercises with which to improve their intercultural communication effectiveness and cross-cultural competence.

Through an engaging power point presentation and interactive self-assessments, participants will have a better understanding of their own cultural backgrounds and abilities to adapt well in different cultural environments. Participants will learn key concepts and foundational skills to help them deal with challenging cultural situations they may encounter.

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Scientific Background

Much of the material for this workshop comes from David Matsumoto’s market leading textbook on cross-cultural psychology (Culture and Psychology; Matsumoto et al., 2023). All topics covered in the workshop are well studied and rooted in peer-reviewed scientific research: Culture and cultural dimensions (Hofstede, 1980, 1984, 2001); cultural differences in communication styles (Gudykunst & Mody, 2001; Hwang et al., 2010; Matsumoto & American Psychological Association., 2010a, 2010b); improving intercultural communication (Gudykunst & Nishida, 2001; Gudykunst et al., 1986; Matsumoto et al., 2006; Matsumoto & LeRoux, 2003; Matsumoto et al., 2004; Matsumoto et al., 2003; Matsumoto et al., 2001; Matsumoto, LeRoux, et al., 2007; Matsumoto et al., 2010; Matsumoto et al., 2000; Matsumoto, Yoo, et al., 2007; Yoo et al., 2006); the active psychological ingredients for cross-cultural competence (Matsumoto & Hwang, 2013, 2020).

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Typical Length

One (1) day.

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Topics Covered

Culture and Cultural Dimensions

Substantial research has uncovered certain meaningful psychological dimensions that differentiate among the world’s cultures and regions. Yet, many stereotypes about those cultural differences exist. This part of the workshop will introduce participants to one of the main frameworks of meaningful cultural dimensions (Hofstede’s). Utilizing interactive exercises, participants will also examine how close their perceptions and stereotypes of cultural differences match actual reality, as defined by systematic data collected on the topic for the past half-century.

Cultural Differences in Communication Styles

There are many cultural differences in verbal communication – the use of language in terms of lexicons, terms of address, high vs low context communication, and the like – and nonverbal communication – gestures, facial expressions of emotion, CMC (emojis). This part of the workshop will introduce those differences to participants, making concrete and explicit many aspects of communication that are often taken for granted.

Interpersonal and Intercultural Communication

Interpersonal communication refers to communication processes among members of the same group; intercultural communication refers to communication processes among members of different cultural groups. This part of the workshop will describe characteristics of both types of communication, focusing on those characteristics that are unique to intercultural communication. That understanding then serves as a basis for understanding the barriers to effective intercultural communication.

Improving Intercultural Communication

Research has uncovered specific ways in which intercultural communication can be improved and enhanced. Two of these ways involve topics known as uncertainty reduction and emotion regulation. This section will introduce participants to these, and other, ways of understanding how to improve intercultural communication. More importantly, participants will engage in concrete exercises that they can carry forward with them after the workshop to continue to improve their intercultural communication and effectiveness.

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References

Gudykunst, W. B., & Mody, B. (2001). Handbook of international and intercultural communication. Sage.

Gudykunst, W. B., & Nishida, T. (2001). Anxiety, uncertainty, and perceived effectiveness of communication across relationships and cultures. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 25(1), 55-71.

Gudykunst, W. B., Nishida, T., & Chua, E. (1986). Uncertainty reduction in Japanese-North American dyads. Communication Research Reports, 3, 39-46.

Hofstede, G. H. (1980). Culture’s consequences : International differences in work-related values. Sage Publications.

Hofstede, G. H. (1984). Culture’s consequences : international differences in work- related values (Abridged ed.). Sage Publications.

Hofstede, G. H. (2001). Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions and Organizations Across Nations (2nd ed.). Sage Publications.

Hwang, H. S., Matsumoto, D., LeRoux, J. A., Yager, M., & Ruark, G. (2010, July). Cross-cultural similarities and differences in emblematic gestures 2010 Congress of the International Association of Cross-Cultural Psychology, Melbourne, Australia.

Matsumoto, D., Hirayama, S., & LeRoux, J. A. (2006). Psychological skills related to adjustment. In P. T. P. Wong & L. C. J. Wong (Eds.), Handbook of multicultural perspectives on stress and coping (pp. 387-405). Springer.

Matsumoto, D., & Hwang, H. C. (2013). Assessing cross-cultural competence: A review of available tests. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 44(6), 849-873.

Matsumoto, D., & Hwang, H. C. (2020). Reconsidering the Active Psychological Ingredients Underlying Intercultural Adaptation: Implications for International Business [Original Research]. Frontiers in psychology, 11(2394). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.529737

Matsumoto, D., Juang, L. P., & Hwang, H. C. (2023). Culture and psychology (7e ed.). Cengage Learning.

Matsumoto, D., & LeRoux, J. A. (2003). Measuring the psychological engine of intercultural adjustment: The Intercultural Adjustment Potential Scale (ICAPS). Journal of Intercultural Communication, 6, 27-52.

Matsumoto, D., LeRoux, J. A., Bernhard, R., & Gray, H. (2004). Unraveling the psychological correlates of intercultural adjustment potential. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 28(3), 281-309. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2004.06.002

Matsumoto, D., LeRoux, J. A., Iwamoto, M., Choi, J. W., Rogers, D., Tatani, H., & Uchida, H. (2003). The robustness of the Intercultural Adjustment Potential Scale (ICAPS). International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 27, 543-562. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0147-1767(03)00053-1

Matsumoto, D., LeRoux, J. A., Ratzlaff, C., Tatani, H., Uchida, H., Kim, C., & Araki, S. (2001). Development and validation of a measure of intercultural adjustment potential in Japanese sojourners: The Intercultural Adjustment Potential Scale (ICAPS). International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 25, 483-510. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0147-1767(01)00019-0

Matsumoto, D., LeRoux, J. A., Robles, Y., & Campos, G. (2007). The Intercultural Adjustment Potential Scale (ICAPS) predicts adjustment above and beyond personality and general intelligence. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 31, 747-759.

Matsumoto, D., LeRoux, J. A., & Schaab, B. (2010). Evaluation of Globesmart Commander. U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences.

Matsumoto, D., LeRoux, J. A., Wilson-Cohn, C., Raroque, J., Kooken, K., Ekman, P., Yrizarry, N., Loewinger, S., Uchida, H., Yee, A., Amo, L., & Goh, A. (2000). A new test to measure emotion recognition ability: Matsumoto and Ekman’s Japanese and Caucasian Brief Affect Recognition Test (JACBART). Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 24(3), 179-209. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:100666812

Matsumoto, D., Yoo, S. H., & LeRoux, J. A. (2007). Emotion and intercultural communication. In H. Kotthoff & H. Spencer-Oatley (Eds.), Handbook of applied linguistics (Vol. 7: Intercultural Communication, pp. 77-98). Mouton de Gruyter Publishers.

Matsumoto, D. R., & American Psychological Association. (Eds.). (2010a). APA handbook of intercultural communication (1st ed.). American Psychological Association ; Walter de Gruyter.

Matsumoto, D. R., & American Psychological Association. (Eds.). (2010b). APA handbook of interpersonal communication (1st ed.). American Psychological Association ; Walter de Gruyter.

Yoo, S. H., Matsumoto, D., & LeRoux, J. A. (2006). Emotion regulation, emotion recognition, and intercultural adjustment. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 30(3), 345-363. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2005.08.006

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