CASE STUDY
Intercultural Intelligence Workshop:
Helping Faculty and Staff Navigate Cross-cultural Communication
Client
University of Innsbruck, Austria
Audience
Academic faculty and university staff from a range of disciplines and national backgrounds
Purpose
To explore intercultural communication challenges and develop greater cultural intelligence for professional collaboration, teaching, and international academic environments.
Our Approach
In 2022, the University of Innsbruck invited us to deliver a half-day online workshop focused on cross-cultural communication and intercultural competence in science and academia. The session was aimed at a diverse group of faculty and support staff—many of whom worked in international teams or with students from a wide range of cultural backgrounds.
Rather than delivering a country-specific training (e.g. “how to work with X”), we designed an inclusive workshop that helped participants:
- Reflect on their own cultural communication styles and behaviours
- Understand how cultural dimensions (such as directness, hierarchy, time orientation, etc.) impact communication
- Explore how cultural expectations shape collaboration and conflict
- Practice adaptation strategies to communicate more clearly and respectfully across cultures
- Recognise the role of assumptions and unconscious bias in daily interactions
We used an intercultural styles assessment tool as a starting point, and throughout the session, encouraged story sharing and peer learning to keep the conversation practical and grounded in real experience.
Highlights
- Participants completed a cultural self-assessment, helping them better understand their own habits and preferences
- Shared real-world examples and stories of cultural misunderstandings and successes
- Identified actionable strategies to communicate more effectively across cultural differences
- Created space for reflection and humour — the workshop was lively, thoughtful, and full of shared insights
Follow-up Support
Participants received cheat sheets, communication tips and resources to support ongoing learning.
Impact
The workshop gave participants tools for working and teaching in culturally diverse contexts, and helped build a foundation for more inclusive communication at the university. The strong engagement and positive feedback led to requests for similar sessions in student-facing roles and for international project teams.
This was so much fun. I feel like I’ve learned a lot about myself, and I finally understand why some of my communication challenges happened — and how to avoid them in future.
The discussion about direct vs. indirect communication was an eye-opener. I’ll be adjusting how I give feedback and how I read between the lines.
I always thought I was being polite, but now I see how that could be interpreted as vague or even passive. I now have better strategies for adapting.
It was helpful to remember that cultures are dynamic and fluid — this wasn’t about stereotypes, but about building understanding.
Curious? Want to know more?
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