Interpersonal and intercultural relations are crucial for creating an agreeable working environment. This works for any office or company – moreover, the same principle is true when the relationship in question is global.
As companies and markets are becoming more and more globalized with every year, communication between vastly different cultures is unavoidable.
A Course In Intercultural Management
Intercultural Management is an online course for business leaders held at ESCP Europe and taught by Marion Festing, a professor in intercultural relations and human resources. This course will be 5 weeks long, and its core idea is facilitating relationships between co-workers, partners and clients. Of course, international communication is always difficult: apart from the obvious language barrier, there are differences in religion, customs, history and cultural assumptions.
Obstacles in relations spring from the simple idea that every representative of every culture considers themselves and their ways as basic and standard, whereas all other cultures are viewed as “different” and “weird”. Misunderstandings between two global partners can be mended, but sometimes cultural differences lead to falling out and ending the business relationship, especially if one side doesn’t show respect towards the other’s values and beliefs.
All in all, the importance of this course for business leaders is difficult to overestimate. Communication has never been harder than in culturally diverse organizations or partnerships. Even companies with non-diverse staff are subject to ever-changing deadlines and other challenges of modern business. In global organizations, these hardships will increase exponentially. Learning to appreciate cultural diversity requires excellent management skills and an open mind. You have to be ready to accept that your ways and your business models won’t work everywhere. For them to be successful, you’ll have to translate them into other cultures.
Read about the most diverse universities in United States.
How Important Is Cultural Awareness?
The Intercultural Management course encourages students to find and research the main “themes” in all prominent cultures, however stereotypical they may seem. For instance, Asian people usually work as a group and do not seek individual recognition. Germans are known for their tendency to organize everything and make it work on schedule. To do business smoothly, you need to take these features into account.
Of course, intercultural communication does not consist of large culture patterns only. Nations always have subcultures, which may vary in a significant way between different regions or social backgrounds.
All of this does sound confusing. Still, to maintain a mutually profitable relationship, you’d better make sure your intercultural management skill is perfect.
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