What is an Intercultural Training

While there is no official definition of intercultural, or cross-cultural, training, the generally agreed upon definition states it is training given to employees to examine the cultural differences between nations, to bring awareness to these differences, to help smooth business challenges, and to improve communication.

When businesses began expanding their operations internationally, it became apparent that navigating cultural nuances were important to profit. One of the seminal thinkers in the field was Geert Hofstede. He conducted extensive research while working for IBM in the late 1960s and early 1970s (https://geert-hofstede.com). Geert not only defined the field of study but developed the concept of dimensions. Dimensions are the categories of comparison between cultures that allow us to look at cultural norms on a comparative scale. Hofstede originally developed six dimensions which are the basis for the following 50+ years of cultural research. Over the decades, many studies have been conducted in countries around the world to help us understand the differences and similarities amongst us. The years of research have also yielded a great number of new findings that are still being explored today.

Though there have been many critiques of cultural studies as researchers have developed new practices, many of the principles of the field have remained the same. Over the years, organizations such as the Society for Intercultural Education and the Intercultural Communication Institute or the research conducted by Yale University have expanded the scope and topics studied.

(source: https://blog.dwellworks.com)