Across cultures competency and its contribution to effective performanc

The across cultures competency includes the knowledge, skills, and abilities to recognize and embrace similarities and differences among nations and cultures. Culture is the dominant pattern of living, thinking, feeling, and believing that is developed and transmitted by people, consciously or unconsciously, to subsequent generations.

The across cultures competency leads to effective performance because of the following KSA’s:

• Understanding and appreciating the characteristics that make a particular culture unique and are likely to influence behavior.

• Understanding how work-related values, such as individualism and collectivism, influence the decisions made by individuals and groups.

• Understanding, leading and motivating employees with different values and attitudes. These may range from the more individualistic, Western belief, to paternalistic, non-Western attitudes, to the extreme “the state-will-take-care-of-me” collectivist mind-set.

• Communicating in the language of the host country in which the individual is working. This ability is crucial for employees who have ongoing communications with people whose native language is different from their own.

• Working with those from foreign countries. This ability applies if the assignment is abroad or the person has international responsibilities from the home office.

• Addressing leadership, organizational, and other issues through a global mind-set—viewing the environment from a worldwide perspective, always looking for unexpected trends that may create threats or opportunities for a unit or an entire organization. Some call this the ability to think globally, act locally.