The Cultural Frame Management: The Emergence of Cultural Intelligence in Chinese IT Service Vendors

As China transforms itself toward a leading destination for global IT service outsourcing, major Chinese vendors increasingly face the challenge of collaborating simultaneously and effectively with three major client bases with diverse national cultural backgrounds, namely domestic, Asia especially Japan, and the West especially the U.S. and Western Europe. This provides a good opportunity to study how firm-level cultural intelligence is formed within vendors. To explore this question, qualitative case studies of twelve leading China-based IT service vendors, including all of the most globally recognized Chinese vendors, were conducted. Based on interviews with top and middle level managers, and drawing on the practice-oriented view of culture and the cultural frame perspective, this paper develops the notion of collective cultural frame and identifies the process of cultural frame management within the vendor. This process functions as a mechanism by which firm-level cultural intelligence emerges within vendor organizations

Avoiding Cultural Calamities: Exploring The Influence Of Culture In Intercultural PLCs At An International School

This qualitative instrumental case study explored the influence of national culture within the context of professional learning communities (PLCs) at an international school. This study utilized Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory as the theoretical framework and drew from DuFour and Eaker’s characteristics of effective PLCs. This instrumental case study focused on one international school located in the European Union. The purpose was to engage international teachers who take part in weekly PLC meetings through a demographic questionnaire, one-on-one interviews and direct observation, in order to develop a better understanding of the influence of culture within those meetings. The study addressed two research questions: (1) what characteristics of professional learning communities, as defined by DuFour and Eaker (1998), are influenced by international teachers’ cultural values identified in Hofstede’s (2001) cultural dimensions theory? And (2) what strategies can K-12 teachers employ to better facilitate the functionality and effectiveness of an intercultural PLC at an international school? Participants of this study included ten teachers who represented four different cultures: (1) American (2) Canadian (3) French (4) Polish. Data was collected using a demographic questionnaire, one-on-one interviews, and direct observations. Holistic coding and values coding adapted a thematic analysis method and produced four themes and four subthemes, which were merged to present the findings. The themes presented in the findings were: an unclear mission, no direction, and a lack of buy-in, the change process and elicited emotions, leadership structure, and collaboration, communication, and trust. Recommendations from the findings and conclusions of this study include building on existing knowledge and structures, developing long- and short-term goals, clarifying leadership structure, and creating processes for monitoring

The benefits of applying cultural intelligence concepts to customer satisfaction and team performance

In today’s fast changing business environments, people from different national and organisational cultures and mindsets need to collaborate and deliver results. Companies regard cross-cultural competence as highly important but generally do little to develop these competences in their organisations. A variety of intercultural competence models characterise different traits, attitudes and mindsets across cultures and desired capabilities for global managers. Various training programmes try to enhance cross-cultural knowledge and psychometric tests intend to measure the cultural competence. However, research so far has focused on the validation of cultural models on the individual’s level. This study expands the view onto team development and the impact in the business environment across companies in a buyer-supplier relationship. Based on the Cultural Intelligence (CQ) concept, the author developed the Business Development across Cultures (BDaC) programme that consists of interventions, processes and measurement tools to validate the effectiveness of the programme on (1) customer satisfaction, (2) team and leadership performance and (3) individual cross-cultural competence development. The programme has been applied in a quasi-experimental design with post and retro-pre surveys and interviews on four projects with Huawei, as a Chinese company operating with their customers in Europe, with 120 participants (65 customers, 55 Huawei employees). The analysis of surveys and interviews show an improvement in all three aspects over a period of six to nine months. Participants of a comparison project, who only joined the surveys without going through the programme, did not report any improvements. The study provides operational procedures for cross-cultural organisational development and team coaching. The role of Cultural Brokers is introduced as team coach and negotiator across cultural groups. This role has been experienced as crucial for team communication and interventions. The study provides first suggestions for applying cultural intelligence concepts to teams to reach high performance in a cross-cultural environment

ICT Study implications for human interaction and culture: Intro to a special issue

culture, human, interaction

Bringing the 21st-Century Governance Paradigm to Public Affairs Education: Reimagining How We Teach What We Teach

Effective governance in the 21st-century demands a different set of competencies than prior generations, with greater emphasis on collaborative leadership, global intercultural competence, and the ability to respond nimbly to rapidly changing circumstances. Many public affairs programs have changed curriculum content to place greater emphasis on these topics. Given the extent to which such changes are altering how public issues are defined, how policies are adopted, and how programs and services are delivered as much as what those problems, policies, and programs are, then how we teach is arguably as important as what we teach. This article argues that current and future public administrators will be better prepared to work effectively across international and intercultural differences, respond to uncertainties and change, and transform traditional hierarchical silos of government bureaucracies into collaborative shared-power networks if faculty and programs model those forms of decision making and inclusion

Good Practices in Global Competence Development within the International Baccalaureate Framework

In a rapidly changing world, students must develop their global competence, which is the ability to understand, act and manage global and intercultural affairs. However, there is still no systematic description in the literature of how educational institutions should act to contribute to the development of this competence in their students. This study attempts to discover those organizational and teaching practices that foster an optimal climate for the development of global competence, based on a case study methodology from a center that is a reference in this field. Through qualitative research, the practices that have proven effective are identified. It is concluded that intelligent leadership that encourages both personalized learning and action-taking within a culturally diverse environment is key to global competence En un mundo que cambia rápidamente, los estudiantes deben desarrollar su competencia global, que es la habilidad para entender, actuar y manejar los asuntos globales e interculturales. Sin embargo, en la literatura todavía no hay una descripción sistemática de cómo deben actuar los centros educativos, para que puedan contribuir al desarrollo de esta competencia en sus alumnos. Este estudio intenta descubrir aquellas prácticas, tanto organizativas como docentes que favorecen el clima óptimo para el desarrollo de la competencia global, con base en una metodología de estudio de caso, a partir de un centro que es una referencia en este ámbito. A partir de una investigación cualitativa, se identifican las prácticas que han mostrado su eficacia. Se concluye que un liderazgo inteligente y que anime tanto el aprendizaje personalizado como la toma de acción, dentro de un entorno culturalmente diverso, es la clave para la competencia global.In a rapidly changing world, students must develop their global competence, which is the ability to understand, act and manage global and intercultural affairs. However, there is still no systematic description in the literature of how educational institutions should act to contribute to the development of this competence in their students. This study attempts to discover those organizational and teaching practices that foster an optimal climate for the development of global competence, based on a case study methodology from a center that is a reference in this field. Through qualitative research, the practices that have proven effective are identified. It is concluded that intelligent leadership that encourages both personalized learning and action-taking within a culturally diverse environment is key to global competence

Cross-Cultural Leadership: Best Practices In Multinational Graduate Education

The international security environment depends in part on professional military leaders with the knowledge, skills and attributes to execute a broad range of leadership communication, collaboration and negotiations with counterparts in complex international and intercultural settings. If higher education is the path to cognition, metacognition, motivation and behavior, then it may be an effective instrument for developing leadership readiness for a range of international/inter-cultural tasks. This study explores US military leaders’ perceptions about graduate-level, senior professional military education alongside foreign military officers at the U.S. Army War College as an influence on readiness for decision-making, cultural adaptation, and task performance in a cross-cultural leadership context. Five findings suggest the influence of a collaborative multinational graduate education setting on US leaders’ cross-cultural competence. Best practices based on theory-based analysis of graduate interviews include institutional guidance linking cultural agility and professional purpose; direct and meaningful engagements; skillful faculty facilitation; cultural immersion-like effects through multiple cross-cultural experiences; and experiential learning that challenges and reframes mental models

Global citizenship and critical thinking in higher education curricula and police education: a socially critical vocational perspective

The re‐emergence of the concept of global citizenship within higher education (HE) after what Smith et al. (2008, p.136) have described as ‘many years of comparative neglect’ has reopened the debate about the fundamental roles, responsibilities and purpose of HE. Rhoads and Szelenyi (2011, p8‐9) argue that not only do ‘universities have an obligation to use their knowledge capacities to advance social life and to better the human condition’, but they also have a responsibility for ‘advancing global social relations’. Likewise, Camicia and Franklin (2011, p.39) maintain that universities have the ‘intellectual authority that society needs to help it reflect, understand and act’ which suggests that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have a profound and moral responsibility to take a leading and active role in creating a more enlightened, socially just and civilised global society

Intercultural communication competence in a global virtual team

Abstract In recent years, the global prevalence of remote work has rapidly increased. This has been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the effects of globalisation. A specific form of remote work is a global virtual team (GVT). A GVT refers to a team that uses computer-mediated technology to communicate in order to work towards a common goal, and is temporary, multicultural, and geographically dispersed. The communication in such a team also involves interactions among people of different cultures, intercultural communication. This can be characterised by misunderstandings and communication failures. However, intercultural communication competence (ICC) can aid in achieving mutual understanding. ICC refers to the ability to effectively and appropriately interact with people of different cultural backgrounds. The purpose of this study is to answer the research question: How can intercultural communication competence be applied in a global virtual team? Answering to the question involves descriptions and categorisations of intercultural communication and collaboration challenges, and of solutions to the challenges in the form of ways of applying ICC. The research design of this study included an expert interview, and a single case study of a GVT. The GVT consisted of students at multiple universities. The interview findings indicated that making assumptions related to culturally different others based on insufficient information was the basis of all intercultural communication challenges in a GVT. One solution to this challenge was extending the time of analysing one another’s communication. The case study findings indicated that the most pronounced and common challenges faced by the GVT were related to coordination, particularly to some members’ lack of commitment, which led to other challenges. One solution to the challenge was starting an interaction in order to involve team members in collaboration. Many of the challenges can be related to one another. Furthermore, solutions in the form of ways of applying ICC can be devised, if not to all, at least to nearly all communication and collaboration challenges faced in a GVT. Knowledge of these challenges and ways may allow companies and their employees to overcome and prevent such challenges, improve their intercultural communication and collaboration, as well as ultimately experience increases in task and relationship outcomes.Tiivistelmä Viime vuosina etätyö on nopeasti yleistynyt maailmanlaajuisesti. Syinä tähän ovat olleet COVID-19-pandemia sekä globalisaation vaikutukset. Etätyön erityinen muoto on globaali virtuaalitiimi (GVT). GVT viittaa tiimiin, joka viestii tietotekniikan välityksellä työskennelläkseen yhteisen tavoitteen hyväksi, ja on väliaikainen, monikulttuurinen, ja maantieteellisesti hajautunut. Tällaiseen viestintään kuuluu eri kulttuurien edustajien välistä vuorovaikuttamista, kulttuurienvälistä viestintää. Tähän voi liittyä väärinymmärryksiä ja viestinnän epäonnistumisia. Kuitenkin, kulttuurienvälinen viestintäkompetenssi (KVK) voi auttaa molemminpuolisen ymmärryksen saavuttamisessa. KVK viittaa kykyyn viestiä tehokkaasti ja soveliaasti eri kulttuuritaustaisten ihmisten kanssa. Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on vastata tutkimuskysymykseen: Miten kulttuurienvälistä viestintäkompetenssia voidaan soveltaa globaalissa virtuaalitiimissä? Tähän kysymykseen vastaamiseen liittyy kulttuurienvälisen viestinnän ja yhteistyön haasteiden, ja näiden ratkaisujen kuvailuja ja luokitteluja. Ratkaisut viittaavat tapoihin soveltaa KVK:ta näihin haasteisiin. Tämän tutkimuksen tutkimusasetelmaan sisältyi asiantuntijahaastattelu, ja yksittäistapaustutkimus GVT:stä. Haastattelulöydökset viittasivat siihen, että oletusten tekeminen liittyen kulttuurisesti erilaisiin toisiin perustuen riittämättömään informaatioon oli kaikkien kulttuurienvälisten haasteiden perusta GVT:ssä. Yksi ratkaisu tähän haasteeseen oli osapuolten toistensa viestinnän analysointiajan pidentäminen. Tapaustutkimuslöydökset viittasivat siihen, että korostuneimmat ja yleisimmät haasteet, jotka GVT kohtasi, liittyivät koordinaatioon, erityisesti joidenkin jäsenten sitoutumisen puutteeseen, joka johti muihin haasteisiin. Yksi ratkaisu haasteeseen oli vuorovaikutuksen aloittaminen tiimiläisten osallistamiseksi yhteistyöhön. Monet haasteista voivat liittyä toisiinsa. Lisäksi, ratkaisuja voidaan löytää KVK:n soveltamisen tapojen muodossa, jos ei kaikkiin, ainakin lähes kaikkiin GVT:ssä kohdattujen viestinnän ja yhteistyön haasteisiin. Tieto näistä haasteista ja tavoista voi mahdollistaa yritysten ja näiden työntekijöiden selviytyä näistä haasteista ja ehkäistä näitä haasteita, edistää heidän kulttuurienvälistä viestintäänsä ja yhteistyötänsä, sekä lopulta parantaa tehtävätuloksia ja ihmissuhteita

Devising a Strategic Approach to Increase Faculty’s Competence for Formalized Intercultural Teaching and Learning Opportunities in an International School in Africa

The international school is a unique site where a diverse community of host country nationals and expatriates come together to participate in a transnational learning experience. Within this context, the international school is challenged to deliver a culturally responsive learning program with intercultural learning opportunities to meet the needs of a diverse learning community. In addition, it is perceived that with intercultural competence, an international school graduate can gain competitiveness for post-secondary institution admissions and job market movement in an increasingly globalized economy. This organizational improvement plan problematizes a lack of strategy to improve intercultural teaching and learning at a well-established international school located in Africa. It draws upon theoretical concepts of transformative learning and single loop organizational learning to drive organizational change and incorporates concepts of intercultural competence, global citizenship, culturally responsive pedagogy and professional learning communities to inform change improvement planning. The change plan is generative yet practically executed using both transformational and team leadership approaches and applies 3 ethical paradigm lenses, underpinned by consequentialist philosophy. An integrated, multimethod approach to change implementation, monitoring, evaluation and communication scaffolds the transformation of an adaptive learning culture and an evolved curriculum with improved intercultural teaching and learning opportunities. The outcome of the change plan represents how theory can be translated into practice to impact student learning. The ramifications of improved intercultural teaching and learning is seen to extend beyond the international school site and affect the wider communities that students and faculty frequent