Intercultural Competence

Intercultural Competence

Individuals in professional activities that encompass understanding global interactions and audiences require intercultural competencies to excel and attain effective results in their undertaking. Intercultural competencies are skills that one requires to communicate and share information with individuals from different cultures and social groups (Chapter 5). Imperatively, while language skills are an essential component of intercultural communication, they are not the sole requirements that a professional marketer in a global marketing environment requires (Chapter 5). In this essay, the paper discusses intercultural competence that I need to excel in my professional field of global marketing.

Competences for Marketers in Intercultural Settings

Through interviewing two people, my two sisters, Ruqayah and Zainab, I believe that intercultural competence is essential in crafting marketing messages that will attract more customers to our brand and its products irrespective of their socio-cultural, economic and political backgrounds. The first competence required, according to my two sisters that I interviewed include intercultural communication skills. “Intercultural communication skills are essential for one to work and function well in a multicultural environment,” said Zainab. The need for intercultural communication arises as one is expected to understand messaging in different cultural settings. For instance, being aware of intercultural matters, understanding and appreciating the cultural difference leads to better communication, reduces potential barriers, and builds trust in diversity teams (Chapter 10 & 11). “Further, it enhances relationships and leads to new avenues for business to increase its market share, “posited Ruqayah. Intercultural communication skills also require one to understand that different cultures have different customs, traditions, social more, and thought patterns.

As a global marketing professional, it is essential to possess skills in cultural awareness. Cultural awareness entails knowing the language, the lifestyle, and patterns of behaviors among people in each country where the firm will have an interest. For instance, as a marketer, Zainab said that one must be aware of what their brand name will do to the company image in foreign markets. Therefore, cultural awareness allows marketers to align their marketing messages with the local lifestyle, language use, and behavior patterns. Cultural awareness allows a marketing professional to market effectively to the target group by being aware of their preferences, differences, tastes, and cultural values as well as norms. As demonstrated by different international companies in their marketing messages, cultural awareness enables the marketing department to craft responsive marketing messages to penetrate the marketplace.

The ability to create collaborative relationships with people from diverse backgrounds is an essential cultural competence for marketing professionals. According to my two sisters who also major in marketing, diversity is at the core of successful organizations because it gives them a competitive edge and also demonstrates that such firms consider local value addition as critical to their success (Chapter 4). The implication is that creative and innovative messages come from diverse team members who work collaboratively to attain a common goal. In this case, diversity is important because it allows marketers to understand different cultural issues that may affect the crafting of effective marketing slogans in different marketplaces.

In addition, marketers at the global level require a better understanding of the social and political environment so that they can create marketing campaigns that resonate with locals and do not offend their political as well as social institutions and norms. The implication is that intercultural relationship enhances intercultural competence for marketers in different situations (. As a global marketing professional, it is essential to understand the different aspects of diversity in different cultures and their implications on the overall effect of positive marketing messages and campaigns.

Conclusion

Marketing in a global marketplace and environment requires professionals in the field to have intercultural competence. As demonstrated in this essay, intercultural competence skills are essential in collaboration, understanding behavior patterns, and allow a firm to increase its diversity proposition and perspective.