Improve Your Intercultural Competence (FutureLearn)

Offered by Purdue University,
Improve Your Intercultural Competence (FutureLearn)

Develop the attitudes, skills and knowledge required to thrive in diverse workplaces. According to the Intelligence Unit at The Economist, 90% of executives in 68 countries say cross-cultural management is their biggest challenge. Good intercultural communication and an understanding of cultural differences are now critical for professionals, especially those part of global networks.

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On this course not only will you develop the skills and acquire the knowledge needed to meet the global challenges today’s world presents, you will also learn to succeed in a diverse workplace and appreciate the value of cultural differences.

What topics will you cover?

  • Basics of intercultural competency
  • Importance of intercultural competency
  • Openness and cultural diversity
  • Curiosity and intercultural relationships
  • Self-awareness and behavior with cultural differences
  • Worldview frameworks and different cultural backgrounds
  • Cultural differences in non-verbal communication
  • Skill of non-verbal communication
  • Skill of verbal communication between diverse cultures
  • Intercultural empathy and outrospection
  • Skill of intercultural empathy

What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you'll be able to...

  • Interact with people who are culturally diverse (openness)
  • Ask questions of other cultures (curiosity)
  • Describe own cultural rules and biases (self-awareness)
  • Differentiate complex worldview frameworks (cultural worldview frameworks)
  • Discuss differences in forms of communication (verbal and non-verbal communication)
  • Recognize the feelings of diverse cultural groups (empathy)
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