This document outlines the steps to create an intercultural communication training slidecast for employees. It discusses defining intercultural communication and competence. It provides examples of how to choose a business/organization context and country for the training. Based on hypothetical manufacturing and non-profit examples, it describes how the business/organization's work would shape the content areas covered in the training, such as business etiquette or cultural customs. The final step is to compose a creative brief to plan and guide the project.

1. Intercultural Slidecast
Employee Training Guide

2. Table of Contents
Definition of Intercultural Communication 3
About Project 2 and Planning Steps 4
Example 2: Non-Profit Organization 10-12
Step 1: Decide the Communication Context 5
: Decide the Content of Your Guide 6Step 2
Example 1: Manufacturing Business 7-9
Step 3: Compose the Creative Brief 13
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3. Definition of Intercultural Communication
Intercultural communication is defined as the communicative
relationship between people of different cultures. The demand for
strong intercultural communication skills is high in today's global
workplace contexts.
And the ability to communicate effectively in these contexts is
referred to as intercultural competence, which is the knowledge,
skills, and attitudes that lead to effective communication between
people of different cultures.
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4. About Project 2 and Planning Steps
This project is designed to give you applied practice in composing
another common workplace genre: Employee Training and
Development Materials. The deliverable of this project is an
intercultural communication training video known as a slidecast.
A slidecast is a slideshow with voice-over narration that is designed
form maximum visual appeal that supports the voice-over.
The purpose of your video will be to train employees of a business
or organization of your choosing to communicate effectively in
another country by developing their intercultural competence.
To be successful, you will first need to make several preliminary
decisions. The following slides will explain three steps you will need
to do in order to arrive at these decisions.
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5. Step 1: Decide the Communication Context
Decide the business or organization and the country it will be
sending employees to work in. The business or organization may be
real or hypothetical, but it will need to have a reason for such a video
guide. Which means it must have a need to do business in a country
outside of the US.
After you have chosen the business or organization and the country,
you will need to design your guide to fit the specific needs of the
employees who work for your business or organization.
To do that, you have to consider what the business or organization does
and in what area within the country you chose.
The following examples will illustrate how to do this by showing you
how what a business or organization does will shape the content of
your guide.
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6. Step 2: Decide the Content of Your Guide
After you have chosen the business or organization and the country,
you will need to decide the content of your guide to fit the specific
needs of the employees who work for your business or organization.
To do that, you have to consider what the business or organization
does and in what area within the country you chose.
The following examples will illustrate how to do this by showing you
how what a business or organization does will shape the content of
your guide.
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7. Example 1: Manufacturing Business
Let’s say you choose a small company that
designs and manufactures bike gear for
business people who commute to work on
bicycles -- a specific product for a niche
audience.
Imagine that some of the employees of this
business will be traveling to Sweden to give
presentations to prospective stores that
might be interested in carrying this line of
bicycle gear.
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8. Example 1: Audience
The audience for your guide will be the
employees this business, but they will be
interacting with high-level decision makers at
these stores.
In addition, the stores will be in an urban
area that caters to business people who
commute to work on bicycles.
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9. How example 1 would shape guide content.
Based on this hypothetical intercultural communication example,
your guide would need to answer the following questions about
Swedish business culture:
• What is the proper phone, email, and business letter etiquette?
• What is the proper etiquette for meeting and greeting business
people?
• What is proper business attire?
• Would it be appropriate to invite people your employees meet to
lunch or dinner? What is the proper dining etiquette?
What other aspects might you need to consider?
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10. Example 2: Non-Profit Organization
Let’s say you choose a non-profit such as
Engineers without Borders.
Imagine that a team of engineers and
students will be going to a country to help
implement solutions to engineering
problems.
This example is based on real events. It was
a partnership between EWB-USA, the
University of Colorado, and the rural
community of Llacamate, Peru
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11. ..
Example 2: Audience
The audience for your guide in this case
would be the engineers and students.
They would be interacting with local liaisons,
as well as the Llacamate natives whom they
will be helping.
The engineers and students would be living
in this community, so you would need to
consider how to help them communicate and
interact within the rural culture and customs
of Peru, specifically, the Llacamate area.
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12. How example 2 would shape guide content.
Based on this hypothetical intercultural communication example,
your guide would need to answer the following questions about
culture and customs of Peru and the Llacamate?
• What is the proper way to greet people?
• How do the Llacamate people view things like personal space,
touching, eye contact, gender etc.?
• What clothing should employees pack and what living conditions
should they expect?
• What can employees expect in terms of transportation, internet
connections, and other infrastructures?
What other aspects might you need to consider?
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13. Step 3: Compose the Creative Brief
A creative brief is a planning document created through initial
meetings, interviews, readings and discussions between a client and
designer before any work begins.
Throughout a project, the creative brief continues to inform and
guide the work.
To compose your brief, download the creative brief worksheet
posted on the project page, fill it out, and submit by the due date
listed in the project 3 schedule.
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