Importance Of Intercultural Competences For Effective Management:Role Of Business Schools

Intercultural education is important for all those who are dealing with managerial responsibilities, regardless of whether they work in a profit or non-profit organizations, private or public sector, government agencies, healthcare, educational, scientific, artistic or sports institutions. Intercultural education is necessary to improve understanding of managerial processes, particularly those associated with the impact of culture on communication and society interactions while establishing business relations. Economic, social and political migration created the foundation for the emergence of multicultural societies. In these new conditions, as an economic activity, management is facing challenges of plural-cultural environments; its effectiveness largely depends on the ability of managers to adapt their skills to the needs of the cultural context in which they carry out their business activities. It is therefore important that future managers have raised awareness of the need for discernment, understanding and appreciation of cultural characteristics of all participants in their business processes. In this sense, intercultural education is becoming extremely important. It is necessary to develop new educational models in order to increase intercultural competence of students of business schools, necessary for effective management in the21st century.The main objective of this paper is to examine the level of intercultural competence of students of business schools and economics faculties, or intended learning outcomes for this academic profile and student interest in acquiring knowledge and appreciation of the value of European democracies and culture of national and ethnic groups. The results of the survey should serve as a stimulus for the formulation of new and enrichment of existing academic programs of initial education of managers intercultural contents.