Intercultural Competence in Business Management

Running head: INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE IN BUSINESS
Intercultural Competence in Business
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
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INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE IN BUSINESS1
Q1. How will you define intercultural competence?
Answer: Intercultural competence is the ability to understand, value and respect various
culture in the same society. According to me, it is an effective way of functioning across the
cultures1. As a South Indian, I have always considered intercultural as diversity. It is the state
wherein there will be various communities living in the same society with equal respect to
every community. As India is a country of diversity, I have witnessed various areas wherein
people live happily in the same society. South Indians are considered to be one of the most
educated communities in India. Hence, I have witnessed various communities visiting the
same school and various occasions of different cultures. South Indians have paid equal
respect to every community, race, religion and gender. However, I have witnessed that in
North India, there are places like Haryana, wherein girls are being forbidden to go out of their
houses and pursue education. If considered India as a country of diversity, various
opportunities are being lacked for the socially weaker section of the community2. Being
intercultural is the does not only mean to respect various cultures and communities but being
skilful, developing good communication and attitude wherein everyone will have a respect
for all the communities and people of the society no matter, whether the person is rich or
poor.
Q2. Do your family consider religion and culture as an important aspect?
Answer: Yes, my family considers religion and culture as an important aspect. South Indians
are mostly orthodox and a believer of God. They consider that God is the one who will guide
them and help them to find the right path. They consider God to be the strongest and the
1 Henderson GR, Rank-Christman T, White TB, Grantham KD, Ostrom AL, Lynch JG. Intercultural competence and
customer facial recognition. Journal of Services Marketing. 2018 Aug 13;32(5):570-80.
2 Wagner M, Perugini DC, Byram M, editors. Teaching intercultural competence across the age range: From theory to
practice. Multilingual Matters; 2017 Oct 19.

INTERCULTURAL COMPETENCE IN BUSINESS2
ultimate power that will help them to find the right path. Whereas North Indians consider
God to be the ultimate yet, we do not find them to be very orthodox. They are liberal kind of
people who have a western culture in their upbringings. The culture of respecting elders or
being polite to them somewhat lacks in them whereas the South Indians are very down to
earth with polite nature. According to my family, religion is an important factor as I have
observed that they may be accepting people around them; however, when it comes to getting
married to people of another community, they will not be accepting their religion or culture.
My family will be bound to their orthodox mentality to accept people only of their culture as
they think that it is the way that their cultural heredity will be maintained and will be
continuing in the next generations.
Q3. If religion is an important factor for your family. Will you be passing this culture to
your children? If yes, why and if not, why?
Answer: Religion is an important factor for my family. However, I have possed various
knowledge with time and I realised that intercultural competence is an important factor that
must be developed by every individual as it makes people flexible and helps in respecting
every community in society3. I will be passing the culture of being South Indian to my
children; on the other hand, I will even make my children aware of other cultures as it helps
them to be a better person. I will make my children aware that humanity is the religion that
every person must believe as there is no religion better than humanity. Following the culture
that has been followed by my ancestors, I will be surely passing those values that I have
learnt from my culture apart from that I will also be teaching my children to gather
knowledge about other cultures as it will help in the enhancement of the cultural diversity in
3 Arasaratnam LA. Intercultural competence. InOxford research encyclopedia of communication 2016 Feb 3.