Tailoring Cross-Cultural Competence Training.

This study tests a new framework for capturing the different training needs required to become interculturally competent. Indications for the need for specialized training methods differentiated by target segments are provided. Many researchers have suggested that an overgeneralization of cultural differences within a proposed framework can lead to a gap between the skills being learned and the application of these skills in organizational practices. It has been also suggested that a 'one-size-fits-all' approach might not be effective, as various aspects of the training need to be tailored in order to fit the culture and the specific organization. Comparing the short-term and long-term benefits of various training options, a problem arises when an individual has learned to be competent within a particular cultural setting but, in fact, she or he is not able to transfer that knowledge and use it appropriately in another cultural setting. We used a questionnaire to test not only the dimension of intercultural competence but also the level of emotional intelligence, communication styles, and character traits and the degree of correlation of these concepts. We also compare low-context and high-context cultures as an attempt to distinguish different subcategories of different cultural trends and needs. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]