Intercultural Competence in Organizations

This book addresses one of the most critical issues facing global business leaders and the multicultural workforce – how to work and relate effectively in the intercultural contexts. The author presents business professionals, practitioners and academics with the Collaborative Intercultural Competence Model. Based on solid theoretical assumptions and real intercultural experiences, this model is to help professionals work more effectively across and within cultures. This book expands the traditional presentation of existing knowledge by providing a unified discussion of intercultural communication and its conceptual foundations. The book offers readers with a contemporary insight into the intercultural competence phenomenon and highlights the basis for its experience-based inquiry, assessment and development.

A distinctivefeature of Intercultural Competence in Organizations is its comprehensive coverage of the intercultural competence framework from both communication and organizational behavior perspectives. This book does not cover traditional areas of international business, international management, global management strategy and policy and cross-cultural comparative management, but focuses on theoretical foundations of intercultural competence and intercultural competence research and practice. The author describes the complex nature of intercultural competence in a straightforward format which helps professionals, practitioners and students to envision a variety of intercultural situations in which they may behave competently. Thus, the conceptual acumen of this title is to understand the premises of intercultural competence, embrace its theoretical assumptions, see its practical applicability, and advance individual intercultural competence.

Featuring examples and skill development exercises, this book will be appealing to professionals, practitioners, students, academics and policy makers in the field of international business, management and communication.

“Dr. Matveev challenges his readers to develop their intercultural competence so as to make themselves more effective, more humane and more socially skilled in a world that increasingly involves extensive contact across various groups of people.”

--from the Foreword by Richard W. Brislin, University of Hawaii

“Dr. Matveev creates an awareness of intercultural competence by exposing the reader to the theoretical concepts and practical tools. Business people and academics will use this book to recognize and leverage the benefits of cultural diversity.”

--Berthold Mukuahima, Director of Human Capital, Ohlthaver & List Group, Namibia

“Dr. Matveev reveals how intercultural competence of professional multicultural teams helps in achieving corporate competitive advantage and longevity in a challenging globalized world. This book is very useful for managers, scholars and students who want to elevate the efficacy of intercultural relationship in their professional and personal lives.”

--Srečko Čebron, Management Board Member, Sava Reinsurance Company, Slovenia

Dr. Alex V. Matveev has been a management consultant and economist with Deloitte & Touché, The World Bank and World Trade Center; a professor at the City University of New York and Shanghai University in China; and a lecturer in business, community and corporate programs. He is a creator of the Collaborative Intercultural Competence Model that helps in understanding the nuances of human interaction among members of culturally diverse professional teams.

Dr. Matveev brings a unique perspective and energy to professional and academic learners in their quest for effective, appropriate and sensitive intercultural interactions in diverse multicultural business contexts. Dr. Matveev’s many books and articles include Intercultural Communication Competence and Multicultural Team Performance, Educational Innovations in Economics and Business, Business Education in Russia Needs Change.