Cross cultural training refers to the training given to employees related to the cultural differences between nations, the awareness of which helps in running smooth business across the nations. Cross cultural training is essential for doing business in present scenario involving multiple nations and cultures. One needs in depth understanding of the culture of the country he/she is dealing with.
Cross-cultural trainings can be broadly divided into two types, firstly General awareness training, which covers handling foreign clients, increasing the awareness about foreign employees of the same company, facilitating negotiations across the countries, managing and supervising staff belonging to different cultures etc. Second type of training could be specific training related to particular a culture or nation. This is useful for the people who frequently visits and interacts with that nation. The trainings mainly focus on general beliefs, values, traditions, ethics and protocols of particular nation.
Understanding the following things in a culture is essential in study of culture.
- Power distance: it is the degree of inequality which is considered as acceptable. Examples of high power distant countries include Mexico, West Africa and Arab Countries.
- Uncertainty avoidance: It is the degree to which people like planned and structured situations. In the countries with low uncertainty avoidance score, people will be easier going and also risk taking than the countries with high score.
- Individualism: It is the extent to which people prefer to be independent than being in groups.
- Masculinity: it is possession of qualities, behaviors, attributes and roles traditionally associated with men.
- Long termism: it is the extent to which a country focuses on long term versus short term. Great Britain and United States score low in this.
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