The ‚CICB Center of I ntercultural Competence (Baumer)’ is, as far as we know, the first and only institute worldwide offering an independent and comprehensive survey of assessments and measuring tools of intercultural competence.

Our services are:

complete overview of the topic Intercultural Competence, including sensitivity, knowledge and ability to communicate successfully with other people, especially with people of other cultures and backgrounds. Overview about psychological facts, human rights, economical influences, communication science and marketing, Public Relations and media-work.
specific characteristics of main countries and cultures in the world: thinking patterns, behaviour, expressions, religion, ethics, moral; different medical and psychiatric treatments, understandings and behaviour.
differentiation between emotional intelligence, emotional competence, social competence, emotional sensitivity and motivation.
introduction to the definitions of freedom, of the ways of searching the sense of life, faith and happiness in different cultures.
independent presentation of the main currently existing tools in measuring and teaching intercultural competence in a worldwide overview.
interacting teaching of standard and individual modules.
individual consulting and coaching.
analysis of enterprises.
personnel selection and assessments.
preparation for stays abroad and negotiations.
comparison of existing tools, further information and recommendation / offer of courses at all main institutions worldwide working on intercultural competence.
offering specific approved tools to assess intercultural competence.

As a center of competence the CICB offers, constantly updated:

all available information about intercultural competence worldwide
a survey about all available assessment- and measuring tools for intercultural competence and related specialities worldwide
courses and individual consulting
organisation of courses with other companies, organizations and universities
sales of selected books, software and other tools related to information and assessments of intercultural competence and related specialities
newsgroup and communication on the internet, by mail and direct contacts
newsletters

Services: (summary here)

I. Courses:

Top Course (3 modules, 3-5 days each): Uniqueness as competitive advantage
in intercultural surroundings
Standard Course: basic course: 1 day; supplementary course (optional): 1-2 days
Special Course: basics: 1 day; practical experience / assessment (optional): 2-4 days: Leadership and stamina
under extreme conditions
in intercultural surroundings
Special Course: basics: 1 day; extended workshops (optional): 1-5 days:
Values in intercultural communication -
a philosophical workshop
Special Course: ½ day, 1 day or 2 days:
International Business Etiquette
Special Course: ½ day each:
Realizing visions -
positive and negative Extremes
Workshops for International Employees and their Spouses; 2 days / 5 x 2 hours
Specialized Courses: basic course: 1 day; supplementary course (optional): 1-2 days:

1. Marketing in intercultural surroundings

2. Sales in intercultural surroundings

3. Distribution Alignment in intercult. surroundings

4. Project Management in intercultural surroundings

5. Management in intercultural surroundings

6. Communication in intercultural surroundings

7. Solving Conflicts in intercultural surroundings

8. Personality in intercultural surroundings

II. Consulting and Coaching:

1. Management analysis and audits

2. Vision and corporate culture

3. Organisation development and training concepts

4. Outplacement and career transition

5. Personality-analysis and -development

III. Assessments:

General assessments and potential analysis

Individual and Group-Assessments; Assessment-Center

Development-Center individually and in groups

Focus in all courses:

introduction and overview of the topic „intercultural competence” (definition, correlations, importance)
survey and presentation of main assessment tools of measuring intercultural competence
customer-related examples, group works, analyzing and evaluation
individual, customer-related priorities
recommendation and mediation to courses and tools worldwide

All courses and contacts can be individually adapted to customer needs, if requested with prior position-analysis concerning intercultural competence. Further courses are planned.

For further informationen and parts of courses in the topics of uniqueness and motivation see descriptions of Dr. Jörg Sorg (director and lecturer at CICB) here.

Places and languages:

Activities, courses and contacts are worldwide in English, German and French (at the clients or other places, when people from different companies are participating); other languages on request.

References: see Newsletter (No. 4 and further)

Partners (cooperation): see Links

Publications:

Handbook Intercultural Competence (2 Volumes) by Thomas Baumer: a detailed introduction into intercultural competence and its measuring tools, published in two volumes in German (Handbuch Interkulturelle Kompetenz). Volume one: ISBN-Nr. 3 -280-02691-1; volume two: ISBN-Nr. 3-280-05081-2. Translation into English planned for 2006.
Table of contents (in English) here.
Book-reviews (in German) here.
detailed course materials
quarterly newsletters
several articles in newspapers and magazines
further publications in progress

‚Uniqueness as Competitive Advantage in Intercultural Surroundings’:

Intensive seminar, 13 days (excl. project works) during 5 months, taking place in Switzerland and Singapore, on request also at other locations.
Lecturers: Thomas Baumer and Dr. Jörg Sorg.
Guest lecturer: Prof. Dr. Gerald Delilkhan (SwissManagementForum).

This seminar is currently held in German and English. (See also comments in Newsletter No. 5.)

Basic situation:

The complex situation of the global and increasingly saturated markets requires a clear distinction from competitors. Culturally based differences in behaviour and understanding happen in the same country, even within the same organization, and obviously, in a particularly dramatic increase, in foreign countries.

The correctly adapted balance about knowledge, sensitivity and self-consciousness decides between success and failure.

Being able to convince and to build a mutually successful cooperation with different partners in different cultures is essential to confirm the uniqueness of an organization as well as a personality in global competitive surroundings. Not only knowledge about techniques and rules are needed, as misunderstandings and misinterpretations happen easily and correcting measures are hardly possible.

Uniqueness of a company or organization is based on the personality of its representatives, managers and co-workers who are aware of their own strenghts and weaknesses as well as their knowledge and experience about cultural differences.

Objectives:

1) knowing and understanding the main rules of communicating globally and in specific cultures, to improve strategies and perception related to personal and professional goals.

2) focused use of opportunities and personal strenghts by added value of professional, authentic and thus credible and successful communication skills also in unknown and challenging situations.

3) combining the uniqueness of the organization with strenghts of the own personality in order to understand motivation and desires of different partners with different backgrounds, to respect these differences and take advantage of them to mutually optimize the aimed results.

4) extending personal experiences and views, being able to share these abilities with others.

For more information, please read the german description or contact the lecturers (Thomas Baumer and Dr. Jörg Sorg).

‚Leadership and stamina under extreme conditions in Intercultural Surroundings’:

1st part: Basics.
Lecturers: Thomas Baumer, Dominik Neidhart.
2nd part: Practical experience / assessment.
Direction: Thomas Baumer, Dominik Neidhart and a psychologist with special formation and experience in working and organisational psychology as well as in assessment and coaching.

Rising expectations, more and more difficult requirements and general conditions as well as few tolerance for mistakes or failure need not only the right selection of leaders and team-members, but also a strategy which is clear and easy to understand. The right decisions have to be taken quickly also under aggravated circumstances, as well in professional as in personal life.

What is necessary to transform a vision into reality, to turn the impossible into possible? How are highly qualified people recognized, selected and assessed? What are the success factors leading to excelling victory and how can we handle the dangers of monotony during time-consuming preparation work? How is it possible to weld together a powerful team with extremely different people from different cultures?

These questions and their direct relation to professional and personal challenges are discussed and experienced in both parts of this special course.

The second part allows the reinforcement and to transform the background as well as the motivation acquired in the first part into an individual practical experience. This part is designed in close cooperation with the client and includes, on request, an excursion with a sailing boat on an inland water or on the high seas. If desired, qualification criteria may be defined and included in an assessment- or development-center, leading to an expertise about existing personal abilities as well as the timeframe and conditions under which the potential to further abilities and strenghts may be developed. This knowledge may be used later for a development program or an individual coaching.

This course can be held either as only the first (basic) part, or combined with the second part.

For more information, please read the german description or contact the lecturers (Thomas Baumer and Dominik Neidhart).

‚Values in intercultural communication -
a philosophical workshop’:

Direction: Thomas Baumer, Dr. Gale Prawda
Duration: 1 day (including dinner);
extended workshops (optional): 1-5 days

This course consists of an introduction into intercultural competence and a philosophical workshop (socratic dialogue and/or ethics workshop). A closer look at decision making, visions, goals, activities and up to the meaning of life by applying philosophical enquiry to its many questions. Getting to know oneself better and question some of the basic assumptions we live by. It can help bridge the gap between what we do and what we say.

Participation in the socratic dialogue develops critical thinking through rigorous inquiry and consensus from the group. Drawn from Socrates’ philosophical inquiry and developed by Nelson adding a group dynamics dimension, this form of dialogue allows in-depth understanding of various issues. It is conducted in small groups in an intensive, structured manner.

The ethics workshop provides the ethical systems currently used to address moral dilemmas, conflicts of interest and crisis in values occurring in everyday life. Theories such as Utilitarianism which advocates that we should act in a way to maximize the most happiness whereas the de-ontological approach emphasizes abiding by moral rules, and Kantian ethics based on responsabilities. Ethical issues drawn from the group can be evaluated accordingly.

Participants of this course are top level decision makers and middle management within companies and organisations as well as other people interested in a reflection about finding and meaning in activities, responsibilities and life in general.

The course is held in either english or french language and includes a philosophical dinner at the end of the day. The themes of the discussion during the dinner will be choosen during the day. An even more intense focus on an actual situation or future decisions and developments is possible with extended workshops which may be hold some days or weeks after the first course.

The co-director of this workshop, Dr. Gale Prawda, has simultaneously studied philosophy and developed a business career in the publishing industry. Having gone through the American and French academic systems and business circuits she obtained her doctorate under Paul Ricoeur's direction while managing an American university bookstore in Paris. Shortly after she founded an Anglo-american book distribution company. She's been synthesizing philosophy and management: lecturing at business schools, facilitating in the corporate world, consulting. She founded the Philosophy Café in English both in Paris and London, organizes and facilitates many public philosophical events. Currently a member of several philosophical practitioners associations in the US, UK, and France and an active member of L'école Française de Daseinanalyze. Her main mission is making philosophy accessible to all. She facilitates training programs in the corporate world (specializing in management, ethics, intercultural management, effective business communication, etc.) as well as leads guided discussions on various topics (integrity, trust, etc.). Presently, she gives undergraduate and graduate courses in cross-cultural management and moral philosophy at the Rouen School of Management. Also working with inner-city schools , she facilitates thematic philosophical inquiry to develop critical thinking skills. Holds philosophical dialogues and group discussions for the general public at various cafés and restaurants in Paris & London.