FAQ

1. Cultural Detective® FAQ
Q: What is Cultural Detective®?
A: Cultural Detective® is a core process for improving cross-cultural collaboration,
productivity, satisfaction and effectiveness. It has been used on a proprietary basis by
major multinationals and NGOs worldwide since 1989, and has been publicly available
since 2004. It includes a series of culture- and topic-specific packages available via site
license or online download. In late 2010 the series will also be launched as an online tool
available to individuals, teams or organizations via subscription. The project is a unique
collaboration of over 150 international business, organization and learning professionals.
Cultural Detective® is anchored in three fundamental capacities:
1. Know yourself as an individual and as a complex amalgam of the influences of
multiple cultures (Subjective Culture).
2. Get to know others as individuals and as a complex amalgam of the influences of
multiple cultures (Cultural Literacy).
3. Fully include, utilize and appreciate everyone involved, leveraging their
similarities and differences as assets (Cultural Bridge).
For more information about Cultural Detective® please watch the following short video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOcMCS2WkFg&feature=player_embedded#
Q: Who can use the Cultural Detective® materials?
A: Anyone can purchase licenses for and use the Cultural Detective® Materials. If
you are interested in improving your skills in communicating and relating across cultures
then Cultural Detective® can provide you with a consistent Method and process for
growth and cross-cultural effectiveness. The Cultural Detective® tools are theoretically
sound yet easy-to-understand and designed for use even with those relatively
inexperienced with intercultural communication training.
Q: Why Would You Use Cultural Detective Materials?
A: Use Cultural Detective to:
• Build productive working relationships with others on a multicultural team.
• Learn how to lead and motivate a team with members from different cultures.
• Build a team with members located around the world.
• Get the best out of people from different backgrounds and experiences.
Cultural Detective: Increase Productivity, Strengthen Relationships www.culturaldetective.com
Kris Bibler, Cultural Detective Business Development
kris@culturaldetective.com
ph: 913.764.2624

2. • Establish engaging relationships with clients from all over the world.
• Decrease negative stereotyping and judgments across locations and functions;
enhance desire and effort to collaborate.
• Promote improved intercultural decision-making by practicing multicultural team
solving in real world business scenarios.
• Incorporate into international travel and expat relocation coaching: alleviate the
typical “low” resulting from culture shock that many expats feel
• Raise intercultural awareness and gain an overall appreciation for different
cultural values
• Develop a shared mental model for building intercultural competence, and shared
tools for cross-cultural collaboration.
• Learn to listen and observe from an intercultural perspective
• Understand the value and high impact of open dialogue and when to ask questions
versus knowing a list of “do’s and don’ts”
Q: Can I preview the Cultural Detective® files prior to making a purchase?
A: Yes! From the Online Store http://www.culturaldetective.com/purchase click the
PREVIEW button to download a free, abridged version of the culture you are interested
in. On the preview page, enter your name, email address and affiliation. After you enter
that data you will be taken to a preview download screen where you will select the
packages you would like to preview.
Q: How do I purchase Cultural Detective® packages?
A: For small quantity purchases you may go to our online store
http://www.culturaldetective.com/purchase and select the package you wish to purchase.
Cultural Detective® is sold as a license for use, so you must purchase the number of
licenses based on the number of people who will be exposed to the materials. The
minimum purchase requirement for full package licenses is 5 licenses and for Values
Lens packages the minimum is 10 licenses.
Pricing: Licenses are sold in sets of five, with a minimum purchase of 1 set of five
licenses for US$125 ($25 per user). We offer quantity discounts: your price drops to $20
per user when purchasing 3 or more sets, and down to $15 per user when purchasing 6 or
more sets.
You will select the package and the quantity of licenses then you will be required to agree
to our licensing terms prior to entering your contact and payment information. After your
Cultural Detective: Increase Productivity, Strengthen Relationships www.culturaldetective.com
Kris Bibler, Cultural Detective Business Development
kris@culturaldetective.com
ph: 913.764.2624

3. credit card is accepted you will be able to download the Cultural Detective® files directly
to your computer.
To open and view the files, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you do not have
Reader installed or need to update it, go here:
http://get.adobe.com/reader/
Q: What exactly do I download once I’ve purchased the Cultural Detective® package
licenses?
A: Each specific culture Cultural Detective® Packages include three .PDF files:
1. A Series Guide, with complete instructions on how to facilitate a Cultural Detective®
learning event, including definitions of culture, intercultural communication, and
intercultural competence.
2. The specific culture Participant Materials, which is what you will print for your
participants. This usually includes an introduction to the culture, a Values Lens,
explanations of the values and their negative perceptions, proverbs or sayings that
illustrate the values, a minimum of five critical incidents, a list of best practices for
bridging cultures, and a bibliography.
3. The specific culture Facilitator Manual, which includes a story to introduce the
Cultural Detective® Method, examples of the values and their negative perceptions in
action, sample debriefs of the critical incidents, and a list of music that you might play
during a learning event.
Cultural Detective: Increase Productivity, Strengthen Relationships www.culturaldetective.com
Kris Bibler, Cultural Detective Business Development
kris@culturaldetective.com
ph: 913.764.2624