1. Intercultural Sensitivity for Asian Leadership
Teng Shentu & Prof. Dr. Hora Tjitra
Hangzhou, Dec 1st 2010

2. Agenda
1 What is Intercultural Sensitivity? 3
2 What it’s like to be intercultural sensitive? 10
3 How to be intercultural sensitive? 14
4 Reference 17
5 Project Information 20

3. What is Intercultural Sensitivity?

4. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Intercultural Sensitivity: Definition
4
Intercultural Sensitivity in Leadership Context
• The 21st century is an era of globalization of world economy. Cross-national business
is facing challenges in cultural differences.
• Hofstede(1993) stated that the spread of business onto global stage brings the issue
of national and regional differences to the fore.
• More and more research try to understand cultural differences is far from achieving
leadership effectiveness in cross-cultural contexts (Earley & Ang, 2003; Peterson,
2004; Thomas & Inkson, 2004).
• Intercultural Sensitivity (IS) is proved to be a valid predictive factor for intercultural
effectiveness (Cui & Van den Berg, 1991) and as an important criteria for expatriate
selection and placement (Vulpe, Kealey, Protheroe, & MacDonald, 2001).
• Intercultural Sensitivity is defined as the ability to discriminate and experience
relevant cultural differences (Hammer, Bennett & Wiseman, 2003).

5. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
What’s Intercultural Sensitivity About?
5
“To be effective in another culture, people must be interested in other cultures, be sensitive enough to notice cultural
differences, and then also be willing to modify their behavior as an indication of respect for the people of other cultures ”
(Bhawuk and Brislin, 1992)
Intercultural Competence
Technical knowledge
& skill
Motivation
Stress tolerance
Respect for
differences
Harmony
preservation
Self Control
Awareness of
communication
symbols
Language skill
Verbal &
non verbal
expression
Attribution process
of information
Cultural empathy
Intercultural
Sensitivity
Intercultural
Communication
Competence

6. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Intercultural Sensitivity Models
6
Different
Approach
Intercultural Sensitivity Inventory (ICSI)
Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity (DMIS) & Intercultural
Development Inventory (IDI)
Intercultural Sensitivity Index (ISI)
Intercultural Sensitivity Scale(ISS)
Adjustment
Cultural General
Cross-Cultural Adaptability
Inventory (CCAI)
Intercultural Adjustment
Potential Scale (ICAPS)
Cultural Specific
Chinese Intercultural
Sensitivity &
Chinese Intercultural
Sensitivity Inventory (CISI)
Indonesian Intercultural
Sensitivity
Different Approaches and Different Orientations

7. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Chinese Intercultural Sensitivity *
CIS
Behavioral
Cognitive Affective
Personal Goal Task Objective “Mian Zi” (Face)
Pull
Push
Philosophy / Education Chinese Culture Value
Confucianism Harmony
Differences
Harmonization
Relationship
Optimization
Change
Accommodation
Cultures
Comprehension
Ethno
Identification
Sunzi Strategics
(“Sun Zi Bing Fa”)
Favor
(“Renqing”)
Pragmatism
(“Shihui”)
Network
(“Guanxi”)
* Based on research Chinese Intercultural Competence and Sensitivity in tourism Industry, Funded by Zhejiang University, China.

8. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Dimensions In Different IS Models
8
flexibility
open-mindedness
critical thinking
respect
emotion regulation
cultural identity
harmony
involvement
confidence
cultures-comprehension
relationship
• Based on all the different IS models, dimensions that used most are drawn like a tag
cloud above. It’s easy to find that open-mindedness is the most important one to be
intercultural sensitive.
• In seeking extra criteria of global leaders, competencies such as Visioning, EQ (Kets
de Vries & Mead, 1992), Understanding culture (Moran & Riesenberger, 1994),
Thinking agility (Brake, 1997; Osland, 2008), Respectful (Rosen et al., 2000),
Cognitive complexity (De Cieri, 2005; Levy et al., 2007b) are proposed.
• The similarity of the findings in two research approaches suggest the close
relationship between intercultural sensitivity and global leadership.

9. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Intercultural Sensitivity Development
9
• The DMIS constitutes a progression of worldview “orientations toward cultural
difference” that comprise the potential for increasingly more sophisticated
intercultural experiences (Hammer, Bennett & Wiseman, 2003).
• Each shifting in worldview generates new and more sophisticated issues to be
resolved, and the resolution activates the emergence of the next orientation. In this
way, people acquiring greater intercultural sensitivity and the potential for more
intercultural competence (Bennett, 2004).

10. What it’s like to be intercultural
sensitive?

11. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Characteristic, Identity and Role
11
What does intercultural sensitive person look like
Extraversion
Openness
Agreeableness
Conscientiousness
Neuroticism
Openness facilitate interactions (Buss, 1991) and
eventual social alliances with host nationals and
other expatriates.
Conscientious people tend to be more persistent,
encourage them to engaged in intercultural
communication (Zeng, 2009).
Establish a social network may have a more
positive experience. But for performance,
individuals too agreeable may be viewed as
“pushovers” in some cultures (Caligiuri et al, 2000).
Characteristic
Generally, IS is negative related with Neuroticism,
and positive related with the rest four.
Big Five Personality

12. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Characteristic, Identity and Role
12
What does intercultural sensitive person look like
For employee, work-related environment make interaction
a routine, so respect is missing for engagement. And they
only accept those differences that make the communication
enjoyable (Peng, 2006).
Non-English major students and multinational
employees only find such enjoyment event-driven and
time-specific (Peng, 2006).
Higher ethnic identity was associated with above average achievement and self-esteem and
below average levels of depressive symptoms (Costigan, 2010).
Individual who is more effective in demonstrating culturally appropriate behavior and
communication in intercultural settings, tend to have high identity in both home and host are
most, followed by both low, then high in one identity (Lee, 2010).
Identity
Role

13. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Conflict Management Styles
13
How does intercultural sensitivity influence work
Higher levels of intercultural sensitivity tended to
use collaboration or solution-oriented strategies to
manage organizational conflicts and communicate
face-to-face (Mao, 2010)
Teacher tend to be Cooperative is more intercultural
sensitive. conflict style did predict levels of overall
Developmental Score (Mahon, 2009)
More sensitive will more likely use integrating and
compromising and less likely avoiding and dominating
styles (Yu & Chen, 2008).
Different preferred negotiation styles were found in
3 ethnic groups in a cross-cultural study of Asian
managers in Singapore (Osman-Gani & Tan, 2002).

14. How to be intercultural sensitive?

15. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Intercultural Exposure
15
Study Abroad and Join Activities
• Without the structure of a service program to support their processes of construing
meaning from their experiences of difference, they actually became more
entrenched in the Denial/Defense stage(Westrick, 2004).
• The program may have different affect on different IS aspects (Altshuler et al, 2003).
• Mentoringing system is perceived crucial for improving IS (Koskinen &
Tossavainen, 2004).
The influence of intercultural exposure to IS is somehow ambiguous. Exposing to different
is not necessarily improve IS level. Researches show that study abroad does not benefit
all students equally (Fuller, 2007).
• Events such as celebration can extended students’ ethnorelative views on
Avoidance and Acceptance (Klak, 2003).
• Short-term, non-language-based study abroad programs can also have a positive
impact on intercultural sensitivity (Anderson et al., 2006).

16. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Curriculum
16
A curriculum on diversity that employs analysis and evaluation is more likely to
be associated with improvements in students' levels of intercultural sensitivity
than a curriculum that simply employs comprehension of information
(Mahoney & Schamber, 2004) .
By promoting critical thinking and fostering "open-mindedness" and "different
ways of looking at things"
By changing students’ perceptions about what can be learned and how this
potential learning can contribute to their interactive and continuous growth.

17. Reference

18. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Reference
18
Altshuler L., Sussmanb N., Kachur E. (2003). Assessing changes in intercultural sensitivity among physician trainees using the
intercultural development inventory. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 27, 387–401.
Anderson P., Lawton L., Rexeisen R. & Hubbard A. (2006). Short-term study abroad and intercultural sensitivity: A pilot study.
International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 30, 457–469.
Bennett, M. J. (2004). Becoming interculturally competent. In J. Wurzel (Ed.), Toward multiculturalism: A reader in multicultural
education (2 ed., pp. 62-77). Newton, MA: Intercultural Resource Corporation.
Bhawuk, D. P. S., & Brislin, R. (1992). The measurement of intercultural sensitivity using the concepts of individualism and
collectivism. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 16(4), 413–436.
Caligiuri P. (2000). The, Big Five characteristics as predictors of expatriate’s desire to terminate the assignment and
supervisor-rated performance. Personnel Psychology, 53, 67-88.
Costigan, C.L., Koryzma, C.M., Hua, J.M., & Chance, L.J. (April, 2010). Ethnic identity, achievement, and psychological
adjustment: Examining risk and resilience among youth from immigrant Chinese families in Canada. Cultural Diversity
and Ethnic Minority Psychology 16(2), 264-273.
Cui G and Van den Berg S. (1991). Testing the construct validity of intercultural effectiveness. International Journal of
Intercultural Relations, 15, 227–241.
Earley, P.C. and Ang, S. (2003). Cultural Intelligence: Individual Interactions Across Cultures. Stanford University Press,
Stanford, CA..
Thomas D.C. and K. Inkson. (2004). Cultural intelligence: People skills for global business, Berrett-Koehler, San Francisco, CA.
Fuller T. (2007). Study Abroad Experiences And Intercultural Sensitivity Among Graduate Theological Students: A Preliminary
And Exploratory Investigation. Christian Higher Education, 6:321–332.
Hammer, M. R., Bennett, M. J., Wiseman R. (2003). Measuring Intercultural Sensitivity: The Intercultural Development
Inventory. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 27, 421-443.

19. Building the Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Reference
19
Klak T. & Martin P. (2003). Do university-sponsored international cultural events help students to appreciate ‘‘difference’’?.
International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 27, 445–465.
Koskinen L. & Tossavainen K. (2004). Study abroad as a process of learning intercultural competence in nursing. International
Journal of Nursing Practice, 10, 111–120.
Lee Y. (2010). Home Versus Host — Identifying With Either, Both, or Neither? The Relationship between Dual Cultural Identities
and Intercultural Effectiveness. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management 10(1), 55-76.
Mahon J. (2009). Conflict style and cultural understanding among teachers in the western United States: Exploring
relationships. International Journal of Intercultural Relations 33, 46–56.
Mahoney S. & Schamber J. (2004). Exploring The Application Of A Developmental Model Of Intercultural Sensitivity To A
General Education Curriculum On Diversity. The Journal of General Education, Vol. 53, No. 3/4, pp. 311-334.
Mao Y. (2010). Relating Intercultural Communication Sensitivity to Conflict Management Styles, Technology Use, and
Organizational Communication Satisfaction in Multinationals in China. Ohio University.
Osman-Gani A. & Tan J. (2002). Influence of Culture on Negotiation Styles of Asian Managers: An Empirical Study of Major
Cultural/Ethnic Groups in Singapore. Thunderbird International Business Review, Vol. 44(6) 819–839.
Peng, S. (2006). A comparative perspective of intercultural sensitivity between college students and multinational employees in
China. Multicultural Perspectives, 8(3), 38-45.
Vulpe T., Kealey D.J., Protheroe D. and MacDonald D. (2001): A profile of the interculturally effective person, Centre for
Intercultural Learning, Canadian Foreign Service Institute, Hull, Canada 2001.
Westrick J. (2004). The influence of service-learning on intercultural sensitivity: A quantitative study. Journal of Research in
International Education 3(3), 277–299.
Yu T. & Chen G. (2008). Intercultural Sensitivity and Conflict Management Styles in Cross-Cultural Organizational Situations.
Intercultural Communication Studies XVII: 2.
Zeng B. (2009). A study on Status and Relevant Factors of Chinese Intercultural Sensitivity. East China Normal University.

20. Project Information

21. Global Competence for Asian Leaders
Research Partners:
An applied research collaboration supported by the Human Capital Leadership
Institute (Singapore) with the objective to derive a model for Asian leaders, which
will lead to systematic global leadership development programs with Asian
characteristics.
Built on our previous researches on Chinese and Indonesian intercultural sensitivity,
we continue in this study by elaborating the cross-cultural experiences of the
Chinese, Indonesian and Singaporean international assignees and their respective
local co-workers in China and Indonesia. Intercultural sensitivity has been widely
accepted as one of the most significant element of global competencies and one of
the strongest predictor for global leaders and managers accomplishments.
The principal investigators of the project are Dr. Hora Tjitra, Dr. Hana Panggabean,
and the research team of the the Zhejiang University (Hangzhou, China), Zhejiang
University of Technology (Hangzhou, China) and the Atma Jaya Indonesia Catholic
University (Jakarta, Indonesia).
Funding Partner:
Zhejiang University
China
www.zju.edu.cn
Zhejiang University of Technology
China
www.zjut.edu.cn
Atma Jaya Catholic University
Indonesia
www.atmajaya.ac.id
Human Capital Leadership Institute
Singapore
www.smu.edu.sg
Hora Tjitra
Hana Panggabean
Juliana Murniati
Quan HE
Jiewei ZHENG
Chaohui ZHANG
Teng SHENTU Jia ZHOU
Xiaojuan WANG
Dan ZHAO
Xixie ZHANG
Sebastian Partogi Yuanbo LIU Tayyibah Mushtaq

22. Thank You
Contact us via…
Mail: htjitra@zju.edu.cn
Follow: twitter@sinauonline
Website: http://sinau.me/hcli