Success through intercultural competence

30 Aug. 2023
  • Student Life

The world is growing together and the world of work has long since become international. This makes intercultural competence all the more important in order to be successful in a global working environment. Read here what intercultural competence is and how you can learn it during your studies at the School of Management and Technology.

What is meant by intercultural competence?

The term “intercultural competence” refers to the ability to interact with people from other cultures. It is about respecting differences, paying attention to particularities, showing consideration and treating each other with respect. Particularly in a professional environment, intercultural competence means understanding the different mentalities and working methods of international colleagues and business partners, showing understanding for them and being prepared to deal with them.

What do you need for intercultural competence?

When we talk about intercultural competence, two things are particularly important:

Openness: Only those who are always interested and open to new things can deal with unfamiliar behavior in an unbiased way. Openness makes it possible to get involved in new situations and learn new things.

Willingness to reflect: Intercultural competence requires an examination of both the foreign culture and one’s own culture. You must be prepared to take a closer look at and reflect on your own behavior and cultural background. You should always ask yourself the question: How does what I say and do affect others?

Intercultural competence and blunders

Customs, traditions and habits differ in many countries. The obligatory handshake to greet someone in Germany, for example, is not practiced in many Asian countries. Similarly, the definition of “punctuality” is already different in many European countries. However, those who are not aware of these differences quickly become frustrated and run the additional risk of behaving inappropriately in the eyes of others. This is why it is always a good idea to find out about local customs, traditions and habits before traveling to a foreign country. This way, misunderstandings and frustration can be avoided on both sides.

Learning intercultural competence

The “Intercultural Competence” module is an integral part of the curriculum of our Master’s degree programs at the School of Management and Technology. In addition to the specifics, similarities and differences between different cultural areas, students learn the important strategies and skills of intercultural management. In intercultural management, intercultural skills and the ability to communicate interculturally, especially in various business-related (management) situations, are a must for anyone who wants to be successful in both international and local companies.

Applying intercultural competence

In the “Intercultural Competence” module, students at the School of Management and Technology must also directly apply the strategies and skills taught in terms of knowledge transfer. Depending on the degree program, the module takes place as part of a stay abroad, e.g. in the USA or Japan, or in the form of virtual group work together with students from our partner universities abroad, among others. In case studies, joint results must be developed and presented, which, in addition to the intercultural challenges, also brings with it the special features of the ever-increasing virtual cooperation across countries and continents.

Would you like to know how the “Intercultural Competence” module works at SMT? Read the testimonials of our students here:

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