Der Spagat zwischen Reproduktion und Überwindung von Klischees: praktische Vermittlung interkultureller Kompetenz für angehende Manager an der Hochschule Bremen

Abstract

Jutta Berninghausen stellt mit dem Studiengang Global Management der School of International Business an der Hochschule Bremen ein Modell zur Vermittlung "interkulturellen Wissens" zur Berufsbefähigung bereits nach dem Bachelor-Abschluss vor. Der Vermittlung von social skills wird hier ein Drittel des gesamten Workloads eingeräumt, der in anderen Studiengängen des Fachs größtenteils durch fachliches Wissen bestritten wird.

The training of Intercultural competence is given high priority in the study programmes of the School of International Business at the Hochschule Bremen. One third of the curricula of the study cours "International Studies of Global Management" are social skills. To prepare students for their future positions in management, bachelor students in economics first of all need practical knowledge of how to act in an intercultural competent way rather than discussing different approaches of intercultural theories. Intercultural competence is part of a broader social or emotional competence, a skill which is always needed in dealing with people. Emotional intelligence includes affirmative introspective, intercultural literacy, self governance and social architecting. How is it possible to prepare students for their year abroad and educating them to intercultural literacy without reproducing stereotypes and clichés? Although generalizing cultural stereo-types can never fully reflect reality, it might be useful to work with some generalization in the training setting. Only if we know how and why people from other cultures communicate, it is possible to understand their actions and react to it in an appropriate way. It is important to stress that these generalizations are always mere constructs and do not reflect reality. However, we need them to learn and find solutions to antici-pated problems.