Cross-Cultural Training Programs

Drawing from a diverse literature that underscores America's growing racial hostility and violence, York defines and explores the claims of cross-cultural training as an aid to increasing personal satisfaction and professional productivity in culturally diverse work environments. York claims that soaring failure rates among cross-cultural workers, particularly teachers, business personnel, and missionaries, are the result of inadequate, poorly administered, or inappropriate cross-cultural training. Examining more than 500 studies of cross-cultural training programs in more than a dozen occupations, York compares training given to Peace Corps and diplomatic corps members, teachers, doctors, and others who work in culturally diverse environments. In an analysis of these programs, she determines whether differences in policies, goals, selection procedures, lengths of training time, age or race of trainees, training location, or other factors contribute to long-term effectiveness of the programs.

An analysis of successful components of 500 cross-cultural training programs used in a variety of occupations with the purpose of highlighting effective methods for reducing cultural strain mounting from an increasingly diverse American society.

DARLENE ELEANOR YORK is a Visiting Professor of Education at Emory University in Atlanta.