SHORT DESCRIPTION

Understanding cultures is a complex activity that covers both verbal and non-verbal communication. While words can be translated with a dictionary, body language is characterised by some general rules, which may differ by culture. As much as a challenge it may be to understand many different cultures, the more you know about other cultures, the better you will be in communicating your messages to representatives of different cultures.
You should know that cultural awareness is connected with a networking etiquette, covering among others gestures and body language. You should also avoid stereotyping and mocking, but respect taboo and customs, and of course obey the law of other cultures. Moreover, culture is a critical enabler and success factor for open innovation. These previously mentioned as well as ways of improving cross-cultural interactions are the focus of this submodule.