Intercultural Competence is the ability to function effectively across cultures, to think and act
appropriately, and to communicate and work with people from different cultural backgrounds - at
home or abroad (Leung, Ang & Ta 2014). Intercultural competence is essentially an
understanding of being respectful of culture other than one's own in a multicultural context of
diversity and globalization. It is important in this day and age in order to have cultural humility,
and not entertain any preconceived notions, prejudices, or stereotypes regarding other cultures.
This helps one interact in a respectful manner with people from a multitude of cultures and belief
systems as well as ways of life. Understanding the differences across cultures fosters positive
intercultural interaction as well as new learning experiences and exposure to novelty. It also
helps understand the other person's frame of reference to contextualize their actions.
It is important to be aware of our biases. When communicating with others, it is important for
humanity to remember that we look in the mirror of gender, race, economic history, religion, and
other sexual orientations and spectacles that color our perception of others. We must remember
that our customers also have their own lenses that they look at. If we remember this and are
willing to acknowledge these mirrors, we will become more empathetic and compassionate as we
work with others.
Intercultural competence can be described as the ability of an individual to be efficient in
interactions across different cultures and more importantly to perform communication with
individuals who come from different cultures. An intercultural competent individual appreciates
other people's culture regardless of how strange their culture might seem. Through intercultural
