Author: Future Manager Research Center

Thanks to globalization, international companies now have the opportunity to attract talent from all over the world, thus forming teams made up of members from different countries and cultures.

These culturally heterogeneous groups are an advantage due to the opportunities and diversification they offer, but are often very difficult to manage because of the “cultural gap”.

Given the different languages, traditions and ethnicities of these teams, misunderstandings can arise which in turn can lead to unprofitable attitudes.

To avoid this type of situations, companies have the opportunity to train their employees on cross-cultural issues, thus nourishing their knowledge and sensitivity to the topic.

Cross-cultural training is a type of specific training that aims to create a work environment in which everyone feels comfortable collaborating with people from all kind of backgrounds.

Cross-cultural education aims to bridge the cultural gap by ensuring that the team understands the differences of the other components in order to allow active and conscientious communication that avoids misunderstandings.

The achievement of a cross-cultural awareness and the usage of coaching as a way to solve these kind of issues can help people to understand each other better, thus leading to a more relaxed atmosphere where everyone feels free to be their selves in respect of others.

If properly and cautiously implemented, a multicultural environment within a company can be very productive thanks to the differences in employees that will drive the business towards innovation.

Moreover, a workplace whereby the relationships among employees are peaceful leads to an increase of the quantity and the quality of performance.