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Intercultural engineering beyond stereotypes: Integrating diversity competencies into engineering education

Jasmin Mahadevan (School of Engineering, Pforzheim University, Pforzheim, Germany)

European Journal of Training and Development

ISSN: 2046-9012

Article publication date: 29 July 2014

1769

Abstract

Purpose

This article aims to suggest implementing an integrated approach – named intercultural engineering – at university level. Engineering today often takes place across cultures, locations and organizations. As a result, many companies have included cross-cultural training activities into their internal human resource development program. However, current practice neglects the engineering context and might enable sophisticated stereotyping.

Design/methodology/approach

This article presents the case of a German bachelor study program in International Industrial Engineering and the theoretical foundations of its design.

Findings

Engineering education needs to move beyond simplistic comparative cross-cultural management theory. It needs to acknowledge cultural complexity in engineering through an integrated development of competencies for utilizing the benefits of cultural diversity.

Originality/value

The contribution of this article lies in providing a practical example of how to develop integrated competencies for cultural diversity in engineering, as based on latest theory.

Keywords

Citation

Mahadevan, J. (2014), "Intercultural engineering beyond stereotypes: Integrating diversity competencies into engineering education", European Journal of Training and Development, Vol. 38 No. 7, pp. 658-672. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJTD-10-2013-0107

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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