Cross-cultural Intelligence
What Is Cross-cultural Intelligence?
Cross-cultural intelligence (CCI) is all about understanding one’s own as well as others’ cultures. This intelligence is based on the clear understanding of, firstly our own self, our culture, then of people around us, and their culture.
Every single cultureOpens in new window differs widely from other cultures in a number of ways. Cross-cultural intelligence helps us in recognizing others’ cultural diversity; respecting those diversities in their context and congenially reconciling with their diversities to ensure the best outcome from any cross-cultural transactions.
The lack of CCI may be due to ethnocentrism, a human tendency to judge all other groups according to one’s own group’s standards, behaviour, and customs.
Our ethnocentrism Opens in new window measures the extent to which we are judgmental of other cultures and are unwilling or unable to implement culturally relevant solutions.
Our ethnocentrism can also be a critical barrier to our cross-cultural communication. Oftentimes, ethnocentric people use culture-based stereotypes, do not adapt their working style and are not open to incorporating information and customs from other cultures. This is hazardous not only to the individual’s success at the workplace but also to organizational growth.
