Three practical tips for intercultural collaboration

«Intercultural competence grows through reflection and awareness, » says Jacqueline Bürki. This is also reflected in the results of a new study. The study examined intercultural incidents at Swiss universities and the resulting training needs for staff. 

Bürki conducts research at the Institute of Marketing & Global Management at the Bern University of Applied Sciences. We asked her for three tips on how intercultural collaboration can be improved. 

Tipp 1: Pause before you interpret.

The study shows that more interculturally competent staff often avoid quick judgements and instead look for underlying causes such as language, communication style, or cultural practices. A brief pause to ask, «What else could explain this? » can prevent many critical incidents from escalating. 

Take-home message: Don’t assume intent – look for context. 

Tipp 2: Build relationships before problems arise.

« Many incidents stem from unspoken expectations around collaboration, hierarchy, or communication, » Bürki explains. The research highlights relationship-building as a key entry point for intercultural development. Clarifying how teams work together reduces misunderstandings early on.  

Take-home message: Make ways of working explicit. 

Tipp 3: Treat incidents as learning, not failure.

Rather than resolving an incident and forgetting it, the study shows the value of reflecting on real workplace situations. What exactly happened? Why did it happen? How did it affect collaboration? «It’s important to engage with these questions and use an incident as a learning opportunity. This helps build empathy, awareness and long-term intercultural competence, » Bürki explains. 

Take-home message: Take time to reflect. 

Jacqueline Bürki is a co-author of the new article published in the Journal of Studies in International Education (JSIE). The article is open access and can be found here.