CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE IN A VUCA WORLD
Lesson 1: What is CQ–Cultural Intelligence?
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
• Understanding the nature of globalization and evolving demographics is critical for global leaders. You will examine the rationale for culture learning–the cultural imperative of the 21st century–in order to become aware of our own attitudes and assumptions about the importance of culture in leadership.
KEY TAKEAWAY
Understand the complexity of globalization.
Define the meaning of CQ-Cultural Intelligence and describe its four components.
Explain why people are reluctant to develop CQ.
Explore why you need to develop your CQ as a global or multicultural leader.
LEADERSHIP APPLICATIONS
• Technical skills are not the same as interpersonal skills.• Leaders need to understand the impact of the “shrinking” world in that they must lead people from diverse backgrounds.
The increasing interdependence among national governments, business firms, nonprofit organizations, and individual citizens.
It involves: high risk, uncertainty, unknown outcomes = COMPLEXITY
The three primary mechanisms that facilitate globalization are the:
1. Free movement of goods, services, talents, capital, knowledge, ideas and communications across national boundaries
2. Creation of new technologies such as the Internet and air travel3. Lowering of tariffs and other impediments to this movement.4. Human migration – especially from undeveloped to developed
countries
Globalization
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit Survey
The Cultural Imperative
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit Survey
The Cultural Imperative
We all think we are more skilled than we really are.
Unconscious Bias
1. Unawareness of our intercultural
communication blunders.
2. Awareness of lack of intercultural
competence but does nothing to
change behavior.
3. Awareness of need to develop
intercultural competence and is
commitment to integrate.
4. Ability to respond naturally and
appropriately based upon
intercultural competence.
EQ – Emotional Intelligence
The ability to know how you are feeling and how those around you are feeling; also to know how your emotions might be affecting others.
• Self-Awareness & Other-Awareness
• Self-Regulation
• Motivation
• Empathy
• Social Skills
CQ is a person’s ability to function skillfully in a cultural context different than one’s own.
CQ – Cultural Intelligence
CQ-Behavior: is the ability to act appropriately in different
situations based upon the context, the situation, and with
the appropriate cultural responses. It also includes being able to monitor and control one’s verbal and
nonverbal behaviors to match a situation as it is unfolding.
CQ-Knowledge: is when we develop knowledge about the world. We learn what cultural similarities and differences are
and we try to make sense of these through creating mental
maps that help us recognize the unfamiliar. This knowledge
includes aspects such as history, society, customs, religion, politics, economics, etc.
CQ-Motivation: is a person’s interest in interacting with others
who are different. It involves curiosity and a desire to learn as
well as relates to the energy invested in seeking out and
learning from people who are different. It also include a person’s
confidence to interact with ambiguity and difference.
CQ-Strategy: is the ability to make sense of intercultural
experiences based upon our learning as social beings
means we gather cultural knowledge of our
surroundings as we try to figure out where we fit in
(enculturation).
CQ is a person’s ability to function skillfully in a
cultural context different than one’s own.
CQ – Cultural Intelligence
PERSONAL ORGANIZATIONAL
Culture Shock Reduced productivity/poor performance
Strain on family relationships Early assignment terminationand turnover
Divorce Failed projects or missed goals
Misunderstandings with members of host culture
Lost opportunities/revenue
Anxiety and stress over daily life Damaged reputations, negative effect on employment branding
Long-term career damage due to unsuccessful assignment
Employee replacement costs
Source: Vangent, Inc. ,2008
Globalization: Negative Outcomes of Poor Expatriate Fit
Differences Between: Intercultural Communication, International Business, and International Management
Intercultural
Communication
International
Business
International
Management
Socio-psychological Perspective Commercial Transactions
Perspective
Human Resource Management
Perspective
Leadership development
through: improving self-
awareness and reflection;
developing stronger human
communication skill-sets;
developing ability to both
analyze and perform in
ambiguous situations
Private and governmental
transactions through: sales,
logistics, investments,
transportation, manufacturing,
trade, international financial and
accounting practices, risk
management
Planning, organizing, staffing,
coordinating, controlling in all
aspects of human resource
management, including business
practices, negotiations and
decision making
This module gets at the intra-personal and interpersonal aspects of performing international business and international
management – performance depends on your inner work, which is the antecedent to doing business.
Cultural Faux Pas or Egregious Error?
Chinese: 入乡随俗 OR 入江隨曲
Swedish: Ta seden dit man kommer. ("Take to the custom
from where you're at")
Russian: с волками жить — по-волчьи выть (s volkámi žit’ - po-
vólč’i vyt’) (to live amongst
wolves, you should howl like a wolf),
Summary
• The shrinking world has become cliché in recent times because the world is not shrinking; it has already shrunk…and become more complex! Because of the ease of travel, communication, and movement of goods, services, and people, globalization has created the need for better communication across cultures.
• CQ needs to be developed in each of us as we examine our CQ Strategy, CQ Knowledge, CQ Motivation, and CQ Behavior.
• Most people think they are better at things than they really are. Global leadership development means improving self-awareness and reflection; developing stronger human communication skill-sets; developing ability to both analyze and perform in ambiguous situations.
• This course gets at the intra-personal and interpersonal aspects of “doing” international business and international management – performance depends on your inner work, which is the antecedent to doing business.
Whether we do business across borders or within our own communities, chances are that we interact with at least someone who does not share the same language or background.
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