The Case for Cultural Intelligence

Business interactions in the age of globalisation can be minefields. A perceived slight could broaden into a split between parties in a financial negotiation. Conflicting cultural norms could leave a manufacturing contract unfulfilled months after a supposed deadline. In response, businesses have geared up with a new set of metrics and tools for cross-cultural competence, all in preparation for their own non fa senso moments. For global management accountants, intercultural business is the new expectation. And while some use instinct and experience to correct a faux pas, some researchers believe that a person’s ability to operate in other cultures can be reliably measured and improved through training programmes.