An important competence for intercultural success is to understand and accept cultural differences. Bennett’s (1986) Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) demonstrates the stages of interpretations of cultural difference. Figure 1. DMIS (Bennett, 1986)
Hammer et al. (2003) explains that the ethnocentric stages are ‘avoiding cultural difference’ and ethnorelative stages are ‘seeking cultural difference’ and accepting it. When group members are at different stages of the DMIS scale then it is difficult to have a harmonious intercultural group experience. Insensitivity to other cultures can cause patronising communication. In my group work I felt that because my group members could not understand my cultural background they …show more content…
My cultural background is quite complicated and this has led to a mixture of deep cultural values. I am from Sweden but have lived in China for 15 years. This has caused my deep culture to be mixed with different values from different cultures. Discussing one’s culture is a major part of intercultural success. If the group is aware of all team members’ core values, it will be easier to respect and be sensitive to them. Ignoring the deeper culture can cause unintentional condescending or offensive …show more content…
In the beginning of this semester I did the Cross-Cultural Adaptability Inventory (CCAI) and found that I had high scores in flexibility and personal autonomy and a bit lower scores in emotional resilience and perceptual acuity (Kelley and Meyers, 1995). By the end of this semester I completed the CCAI again and found that my scores in flexibility and personal autonomy were the same, my scores in emotional resilience and perceptual acuity had improved. The CCAI is a great tool to measure your strengths and weaknesses cross-cultural adaptability. There is still room for improvement in all areas, however I think that emotional resilience is what I need to work on the most. Developing cultural adaptability takes practice and is a process rather than a goal (Chang, et al. 2013). I am a very international person and have been in cross-cultural situations my entire life and I believe that people who have had an international experience are more open to cross-cultural involvements. An important skill to have in order to be successful in an intercultural context is self-awareness. It is essential to recognise what strengths and weaknesses you have in relations to cultural adaptability. The CCAI helps develop self-awareness and Chang et al. (2013) discusses the importance of developing cross-cultural adaptability through international
Hammer et al. (2003) explains that the ethnocentric stages are ‘avoiding cultural difference’ and ethnorelative stages are ‘seeking cultural difference’ and accepting it. When group members are at different stages of the DMIS scale then it is difficult to have a harmonious intercultural group experience. Insensitivity to other cultures can cause patronising communication. In my group work I felt that because my group members could not understand my cultural background they …show more content…
My cultural background is quite complicated and this has led to a mixture of deep cultural values. I am from Sweden but have lived in China for 15 years. This has caused my deep culture to be mixed with different values from different cultures. Discussing one’s culture is a major part of intercultural success. If the group is aware of all team members’ core values, it will be easier to respect and be sensitive to them. Ignoring the deeper culture can cause unintentional condescending or offensive …show more content…
In the beginning of this semester I did the Cross-Cultural Adaptability Inventory (CCAI) and found that I had high scores in flexibility and personal autonomy and a bit lower scores in emotional resilience and perceptual acuity (Kelley and Meyers, 1995). By the end of this semester I completed the CCAI again and found that my scores in flexibility and personal autonomy were the same, my scores in emotional resilience and perceptual acuity had improved. The CCAI is a great tool to measure your strengths and weaknesses cross-cultural adaptability. There is still room for improvement in all areas, however I think that emotional resilience is what I need to work on the most. Developing cultural adaptability takes practice and is a process rather than a goal (Chang, et al. 2013). I am a very international person and have been in cross-cultural situations my entire life and I believe that people who have had an international experience are more open to cross-cultural involvements. An important skill to have in order to be successful in an intercultural context is self-awareness. It is essential to recognise what strengths and weaknesses you have in relations to cultural adaptability. The CCAI helps develop self-awareness and Chang et al. (2013) discusses the importance of developing cross-cultural adaptability through international