THE INTERCULTURE CHALLENGE

1.What are the reasons for the increase in intercultural contact?

Now, more than ever before in

human history, more people are coming into contact with people from cultures other
than their own. There are a number of reasons for this:

 Technology makes it possible for people to travel further and faster than ever
before
 The internet links people across national boundaries
 The international labour force is more mobile
 More people are on the move than ever before: business people are active
globally, refugees are trying to escape from conflicts and natural disasters
 In many places the workforce is becoming more diverse

2. What is “Synergy Effect”

“Synergy” (from the Greek for ‘working together”) means that the combined effect is
more than the effect of the sum of the individual part, i.e. 1+1=3. The typical statement:
“ If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together”
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3. Why is diversity important?

Developing and managing a strong, diverse organization is essential to achieve our

business purpose and objectives
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 Our business opportunities are increasingly related to the entire world. And it is a
diverse world. We must have the ability to deal with diverse consumers and
customers in order to develop products and services of superior quality and
value.
 Diversity provides for a broader, richer, more fertile environment for creative
thinking and innovation.
 Because we see diversity as an asset, we will attract and develop talent from the
full range of the world’s rich cultural base. It is from this increasingly diverse pool
of talent that our future leadership will come.

4. Explain the “Culture Iceberg”

A floating part of the iceberg consists of behaviour, clothing,food. They are tangible
expressions of a cuture and can be easily seen. By contrast, the things we have to deeply
dig, exploit are the underlying attitudes, beliefs, values and meanings below the surface.
Depending on the individual’s perspective, those involved in intercultural interactions
could be on a cruise liner approaching the iceberg.
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