Intercultural Training

In the process of crossing international borders, a complete new set of rules and regulations apply and different traditions come into play. Some of these are clear and known, while others only appear when confronted with a particular situation.

In Estefa’s experience, there are three main candidate groups for the intercultural services, namely corporate expatriates and businesspeople, exchange students and government officials. These candidate groups are explained in further detail below. Each requires a different set of information before, during and after their intercultural experience.

Estefa extends its services to a wide range of countries, making full use of its international network and its ability to target potential threats and problems. Estefa is currently able to offer assistance in a range of countries stretching from most European countries and North, Central and South America to the Middle East and most Islamic countries . Estefa also offers services related to China, Russia, India, and various African countries. For the countries that are not yet covered, Estefa can often find the right contacts to provide the necessary assistance.

Corporate Expatriates and Businesspeople

Companies and individuals often find an international client that presents a larger opportunity than the local market can offer. In many cases, it is necessary for one or more people to travel between the countries to fulfil a task.

For example, a Dutch construction company could send a team of architects, engineers and managers to Saudi Arabia. A Saudi partner would often be prepared to arrange the visas and the work permits, but that is only the first step. Saudi Arabia has a complicated system of sponsorship that allows a Saudi sponsor, usually the partner, to be responsible and in control of all the movements of the people they sponsor. This can have severe consequences, the worst of which is that a sponsor can reject an employee’s travel out of the country while refusing to pay the employee’s salary. In the same way, a Dutch host can get a Saudi partner in severe trouble with the Dutch tax system, since taxes are almost not applicable in Saudi Arabia.

To help its customers avoid such problems and deal with any issues as they arise, Estefa offers acculturation courses and professional intercultural consultancy tailored to the client’s needs. Estefa also acts as an advisor for companies interested in investing or co-operating abroad, offering high-level summaries and objective market research.

Government Officials

In diplomacy, there are situations that require special attention. Government officials are often confronted with challenging situations in which a lack of cultural knowledge can become fatal for a citizen of their country.

For example, suppose a citizen of a European country and the manager of a department of a large company lands in a Saudi prison, having been arrested by the religious police after having been found alone with a person of the opposite sex while under the influence of alcohol. In Western countries, it would be normal to have a relationship and a drink; in Saudi Arabia, such seemingly innocuous behaviour could have serious consequences. The Saudi government is not always willing to intervene in such affairs, depending on internal tensions. A European government official could be sent to talk to the semi-official religious police to conduct negotiations regarding the sentence of the accused.

Before a government official can be sent to a country like Saudi Arabia to try to resolve the problem, it is essential that they know the key arguments and the power structure of such a country. These tasks require skilled and knowledgeable people who have an insight into the inner workings of the country in question. Estefa can usually help prepare such an official, offering a very high-paced crash course in emergency situations if necessary. In extreme cases, Estefa can provide the manpower in certain countries to conduct the talks and report on any developments. Otherwise, Estefa can simply offer assistance in preparing official and diplomatic staff in receiving the cultural information they need on their journey abroad. Estefa is well equipped to give professional courses to diplomats going to specific countries.

Student Exchanges and Work Placements

Students are often faced with the widest variety of problems when travelling abroad to go on work placement or exchange. The problems start with the paperwork and bureaucracy of unfamiliar governmental institutions and educational facilities. During their travels abroad, students are faced with much greater difficulties. Dealing with ideologies that conflict with their beliefs, understanding the legalities of another country, learning to deal with different spending needs and a low budget… the problems are countless. Even something that seems simple, like finding the right food to eat, can cause a problem for someone who doesn’t eat pork or beef, or has specific dietary requirements dictated by allergies. Finding religious venues for specific religious activities can also be a sensitive issue. And in a country like the Netherlands, learning to bike and to purchase an appropriate bicycle can prove essential as well.

Unfortunately for students and educational staff, educational counsellors often lack the resources and training to solve all the problems. Mentors and counsellors often find themselves dealing with problems that they do not expect in their line of work. This could be an incident or accident involving the police. Traffic accidents are common in the Netherlands since foreigners often need to get used to bikes and trams in traffic. Dealing with unexpected pregnancies or sexual harassment are also possible problems for mentors. It often requires a person from the same cultural background as the student or trainee to know how to understand their personal needs and explain the new boundaries. Knowing how to make appropriate contact with an embassy can prove essential at times.

For that reason, Estefa provides a range of services to the educational facilities, the counsellors and the students. Depending on the clients’ requirements, Estefa can provide training and courses to educational staff, help restructure the educational content to fit both the educational facility and the student, or act as a cultural guide and trouble-shooter for the students.