UTS Managing in International Contexts: Cultural Intelligence Report

This report analyzes cultural intelligence, focusing on the issue of racism as depicted in the book "Black Like Me." It applies the contact theory to explain the interactions between different cultural and racial groups, highlighting how these interactions can reduce prejudice and promote equality. The report also examines the psychological phenomenon of disconfirmed expectancy during cross-cultural interactions and its impact on individuals. Furthermore, it discusses the importance of cultural intelligence in the workplace and explores the benefits of intercultural interactions. The report includes a discussion of the contact theory and dialectic logic processes and their relevance to understanding and improving intercultural relations. Finally, it emphasizes the significance of understanding the impact of one's culture on their work effectiveness. The student has chosen to use the experience of the black community to understand the underlying issues faced by them.

Running head: CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE
CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

1CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE
This paper will be analyzing the issue of racism by referring to the plot and context of the
text “Black like me”.
This has been noticed that Griffin is struggling with the issue happened in the bus where
they engaged in a tug of war due to the problem of using the restroom made for the white. This
is based at the backdrop of the ongoing struggle of racism. This can be best explained by the
application of the contact theory since the context of the film is interaction between the cross
cultural groups. This issue has taken place at the backdrop of the level of interaction between the
culturally and racially different people and the level of frustration relate to that. According to the
theory it can be argued that the contact between cultural different people reduces the level of
uneasiness and prejudiced stereotyping. Rather interaction between the out-group can actually
reduce the level of anxiety and stress and build a new attitude of people towards the culturally
different people. This interaction will lead to the enhanced level of equality between the people
and generate positive attitude towards each other. Unlike what is portrayed in the film, Griffin
faces the challenges of being in the other side of racism. The interaction does not lead to the
openness of exchange of ideas instead it grows negatively. Hence it could be argued that the
levels of awareness of people for the culturally different people are actually possible through the
process of out-group contact. This is based on the learning of something new on the basis of
interaction where people face the contradiction of what they already know and believe.
It can also be understood that in case of Griffin and his experience in the bus occurred
due to the problem of disconfirmed expectancy. This is the psychological phenomenon happens
during the cross cultural interactions. This leads to the process of stress and behaviors different
form the expected one.

2CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE
This experience at the individual level, it is significant to consider the fact that the impact
of one’s own culture has positive impact on their work effectively. It s relevant to consider that
level of cultural intelligence is shaped by the amount of cultural interactions with the people of
different culture. This has a great impact on the cognitive, motivational and meta-cognitive
aspects of one’s personality. Such experience like Griffin might impact the person in the
negative manner since interactions have been negative in nature. However it also helps to
analyze the issue of cultural interactions of people by understanding of their inherent prejudices.
In case of the personal experience, I would choose blacks as the target group due to the
fact that their survival and struggle has travelled a long path. In order to experience of such
discriminatory behavior, it is important to become a part of them so as to understand the
underlying issues of being a black. Blacks would be a better choice for experiencing the same
due to the fact that level of atrocities and discrimination they have .faced have surpassed all other
cultural groups. Moreover, the issue is not yet resolved since blacks had to struggle for their
equal rights even in the 21st century.
Contact theory video
This video discusses about the level of interaction between the people of different
cultures and how this interaction could be used as the tool for reduction of the level of prejudices
and stereotypes about the people of the different culture. Such stereotypes leads to the distortion
of behavior hence more aggressive interaction could be used to reduce the problem; hence
proximity is the key to reduce level of conflict. However this is only possible when five
conditions are fulfilled, the interactions are likely to be more productive and positive removing
all the problems of conflicts and contradictions (The Contact theory, 2019).

3CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE
The dialectic logic processes
This video portrays the understanding of the dialectic process of logic that includes the
three steps, the thesis, antithesis and the synthesis. It is the engagement with the people in issues
that can be challenged in order to understand the issues with a better clarity. This can be dated
back to the time of Socrates and in every synthesis acquired through this process become the
initial thesis for the next time. This is the source of the sound knowledge. Hence for positive
interactions of the cross cultural groups are essential to go through the process the dialectic
process in order to analyze the issue in better way (The Dialectic Logic Process 2019)

4CULTURAL INTELLIGENCE
References and bibliography
Griffin, J.H. 1977, ‘November 8’ (extract), in Black like Me, Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA.
The Contact Theory. 2019. [video] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfCuK-t5oMQ.
The Dialectic Logic Process. 2019. [video] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mElv8j_qDt8.