In today’s global economy, cultural competency in the workplace is critical to achieve a competitive advantage. Our cross-cultural programs will help you recognize the dynamics of working across cultures by bridging any gaps in awareness, knowledge and skills. Program participants reflect on their own practices and approaches and examine how effective these are in the targeted country, in order to meet company or project objectives.

MJCC’s programs take participants beyond the basic do’s and taboos to examine the assumptions and values behind behavior. Our interactive curriculum utilizes workplace research, hands-on experience and adult-education techniques. A pre-program needs assessment allows us to customize the program, based on the specific experiences, interests, concerns and needs of the participants.

The length of the trainings can be tailored to the client’s needs, but the minimum is a four-hour session. Brownbag lunch presentations can also be arranged. The size of the groups will depend upon the type of program desired and client’s needs.

PROGRAMS

1. Expatriates; Selection, Relocation, and Repatriation
2. Cross-Cultural Business
3. Cultural Diversity Awareness
4. Hispanic/Latino Workforce in the USA
5. Teaching Culture along with English as a Second Language
6. Cross-Cultural Couples
7. Building Bridges in Multi-Cultural Communities

1. Expatriate Programs ·return to program list·

1a. Pre-departure Assessment and Selection (to any country)
This program helps companies and organizations evaluate the suitability and adaptation potential of candidates and their family members, before they leave for an international assignment. Trainers, who are Certified Professional Behavioral Analysts, access the motives and goals that the candidates have, as well as their adaptability experiences and skills to succeed.

1b. International Relocation
Moving overseas is a great challenge, but it is also a tremendous opportunity for personal and professional growth. In this program we facilitate the success of relocating employees and their families, by helping participants analyze the target culture and reflect upon the process of adapting to a new environment. We will explore cultural differences and how they will affect daily life and doing business in the target culture.

A separate session is available for children above seven years old and adolescents.

1c. Repatriating Employees
Returning to your own culture is a process that can sometimes be more difficult than the process of adapting to a new country. This program prepares repatriating employees and their families for “reverse culture shock,” and helps them integrate their international experience back into the organization and their new lives in their own country.

2. Cross-Cultural Business ·return to program list·

2a. Global Cultural Awareness Programs
Participants will gain an understanding about the process of globalization, and the global and international company. They will also increase their understanding of how culture influences business activities such as negotiations, communication (verbal and non-verbal), supervision, motivation, and team-building.

2b. Doing Business with Mexico or the United States (or other specific countries).
We will explore the main challenges of working with the target culture. Through self assessments, case studies and interactive activities, participants will learn important historic and contemporary socio-economic perspectives and conditions of the target culture. They will also explore cultural values, assumptions and business culture itself, including the current challenges of virtual teams and commuting between the two countries.

2c. Cross-Cultural Team-Building
Participants will discuss cultural differences that help and hinder communication among the team; participate in building a synergistic team; and identify strategies to meet teamwork challenges. This program is geared towards strengthening organizational identity, relationships, cooperation, cohesion and productivity within multicultural teams.

2d. The Mexican American or Hispanic/Latino working in Mexico
The challenging attitude of many Mexicans towards Mexican Americans working at an U.S. company in Mexico is often underestimated by the U.S. company and by the person accepting the post. In this program, participants explore Mexican history, U.S. and Mexican cultural values and different business cultures, and the unique challenges that being Mexican American or Hispanic/Latino pose when working in Mexico.

3. Cultural Diversity Programs in the United States ·return to program list·

3a. Cultural Diversity Awareness in the Workplace
Becoming aware of our own cultural values and assumptions and the way these determine behavior is the first step towards a successful interaction with people whose culture is different from our own. Participants will develop a new understanding of how stereotypes and fears affect their perceptions and interactions with others, and they will have an opportunity to explore new, more beneficial behaviors.

3b. Cross-Cultural Awareness for Health-Care Providers
The perceptions and methods of addressing health-related issues in diverse cultures are as varied as the cultures themselves. Participants will examine the challenges that health-care providers face when caring for a diverse population. They will explore specific cultural beliefs and practices and the best ways to approach culturally sensitive situations.

3c. Cultural Diversity Awareness of the Many Hispanic/Latino Groups in the United States
Most Spanish-speaking Latin Americans/Hispanics in the United States get lumped into one category, despite the great cultural diversity that exists among these groups. In this program, participants will learn the basic cultural similarities and differences among these different Hispanic/Latino groups and how these cultural traits impact their behavior and ways of adapting to the United States.

4. Hispanic/Latino Workforce Programs (or consulting) ·return to program list·

4a. Working with Hispanic/Latino Workforces in the United States
As demographics indicate, Hispanic/Latino immigrants are a growing and vital workforce in many industries in the United States. Frequently, their capability is underutilized and their productivity compromised. In this program, the U.S. American manager will gain a new level of understanding of the work style, communication style, loyalty, commitment, and other culture-based work values of his/her Hispanic/Latino/Mexican workforce. This will enable the manager to identify and develop new skills and enhance productivity in the workforce. Industry-specific operations are analyzed (e.g. customer service, line production) and programs that can address the employer’s specific needs are suggested. Issues presented will also include recruitment, motivation, retention and best employee practices.

4b. Working successfully in the United States (For Hispanics/Latinos not raised in the United States)
Working in the United States presents challenges beyond English language fluency. It requires specific skills and an understanding of the national culture and of the culture of the company. In this program, participants will develop a new awareness about the U.S. culture and how it is reflected in the expectations of their U.S. employer. Issues such as timeliness, accountability, working by objectives and teamwork will be covered. We will analyze industry-specific operations such as customer service, and new skills will be practiced.

4c. Company Orientation for a Hispanic/Latino Workforce (Given in Spanish)
This is a new-hire program that’s implemented in a culturally sensitive way to help new employees understand the workplace culture of the United States, the objectives and values of their company, the particular policies, benefits and responsibilities within the company, and how the new employee fits in.

Employees will learn what is necessary to succeed and how success will be measured. We will examine the company’s specific practices or operations (e.g. safety and recycling) to enhance understanding and compliance on the part of the new employees. This program sets the foundation for employees to understand the company’s overall business strategies.

4d. Sexual Harassment Prevention for a Hispanic/Latino Workforce
In many Hispanic/Latino cultures, issues of discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, religion, physical ability, or sexual orientation are not part of the understanding of equality in the workplace. In this program, participants will develop an understanding of how the concept of equality developed and is understood in the United States, and they will learn what behaviors are and are not accepted in the U.S. workplace. This awareness and in-depth exploration of workplace regulations helps employees comply with the law and develop a new level of awareness of themselves and of the culture of the United States. Company-specific regulations and procedures will also be discussed.

5. Teaching Culture along with English as a Second Language (ESL) ·return to program list·
Learning English is critical for new immigrants if they are to succeed. However, it’s equally important that they learn the “unwritten cultural rules” of their new country, such as what behaviors are expected — where, why, and how. ESL instructors will explore the basic cultural differences between the United States and Latin America, in order to make their classes more relevant and to integrate the lessons of culture as they teach their students English.

6. Cross-Cultural Couples ·return to program list·
Entering an intimate cross-cultural relationship is a personally enriching and challenging situation. In our own cultures, we become accustomed to doing things in certain ways, and we know what our society and peers will find acceptable and unacceptable. When we engage in a cross-cultural relationship, our partner will have a different set of ways for doing things and will hold different expectations.

In this program, participants will explore their unconscious cultural values in regards to marriage or partnership and gain an understanding of their partner’s values and expectations. Couples will discuss their personal preferences or find alternatives, and they will practice ways of communicating that are more mutually effective. Participants leave this session with new skills and tools to explore cross-cultural dynamics before they become problems, and to make cultural differences strengthen the relationship rather than weaken it.

7. Building Bridges in Multi-Cultural Communities ·return to program list·

7a. The Latin-American Experience in the United States
This presentation is geared towards non-Latino audiences interested in learning the basics about the Latin-American experience in the United States. Statistics, definitions, cultural differences and similarities among Latin Americans are discussed and illustrated, emphasizing the local community. A panel comprised of local Latin-American residents and representatives from non-profit agencies can complement this presentation.

7b. Latin-American Roundtables (Bilingual)
Many communities across the United States are struggling to understand and integrate Hispanics/Latinos in their community. For this to happen, a new level of understanding and trust between Latinos and non-Latinos must be built. Tailored to the needs of the client, roundtable discussions are organized in order to enhance mutual understanding and appreciation between non-Latinos and Hispanics/Latinos in the community.