MDB Group logo; IDI to measure cultural competenceSunrise logo; Intercultural Development Inventory to guide individual and team development
 

Culture in the Workplace Questionnaire (CWQ)

Description of the Instrument



Index to the MDB Group Intercultural Competence Section
 
Developing core intercultural competence: IDI Applications - individual, team, organization productivity & innovation
 
 
 
Sample IDI feedback report - to see the profound culture-general feedback
 
Utilizing culturally-based preferences and tendencies: CWQ Applications - boosting productivity and innovation of specific groups
 
Culturally-Based Preferences and Tendencies (CBTs) - the research basis
 
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Sample CWQ feedback report - to see the focused and practical feedback
 



The Culture in the Workplace Questionnaire™ (CWQ) is derived from the work of Professor Geert Hofstede
, a Dutch social scientist who developed this questionnaire to illustrate culturally-dependent work preferences. Dr. Hofstede is Director (Emeritus) of the Institute for Research on Intercultural Cooperation (IRIC) at the University of Limburg at Maastricht, the Netherlands.

CWQ is the basis for acquiring insight into and deriving tangible business value from culturally-based work preferences and tendencies (CBTs). It helps:
  • Measure: The instrument measures CBTs of an individual or a group of people.

  • Report: The report produces a display of preferences along Hofstede’s five cultural dimensions: Individualism, Power Distance, Certainty, Achievement, and Time Orientation.

  • Compare: These results are compared against selectable reference country averages.

  • Develop: Automated expert analysis helps respondents understand the effect of their CBT profile compared to the reference cultures, and how to improve business results through greater cross-cultural understanding.
CWQ helps increase individual and group productivity, innovation, creativity, agility, and safety (PICAS) in working with people from specific aspects of diversity or cross-cultural difference. This builds upon and leverages one's platform of core intercultural competence in specific situations.

Some salient characteristics of CWQ are:
  • In use globally. Direct forerunners date to the mid 1980s.

  • Sixty items or questions. Takes about 15 – 20 minutes to complete.

  • Available in English and German. European Spanish and Latin American Spanish are planned and other languages may be provided as needed.

  • Available in an online format with a detailed online report that may be saved in PDF format.
CWQ is developmental in nature. There are no "right" or "wrong" places on the five continua. The CWQ results report is structured to encourage developmental thinking. It discusses potential implications of CBT differences on mindset and behavioral norms. Typical feedback conversations may address:
  • The definitions and workplace effect of the dimensions of culture.

  • The possible effects of differences between the individual's or team's tendencies and the reference national norms. These are factors to consider in adapting one's mindset and behavior to be more effective working with people more characteristic of the reference cultural norms.

  • The importance of not stereotyping individuals from another cultural background who may be similar to or quite different than their culture's norms.
MDB Group's partner ITAP International licenses the Culture in the Workplace Questionnaire™ from Dr. Hofstede and has the worldwide exclusive rights to its use. It is through our relationship with ITAP that we are pleased to leverage this uniquely-valuable instrument for our clients.

MDB Group is pleased to provide certified CWQ administrators to work with you in any capacity needed. We provide complete coaching and developmental interventions based on the CWQ.

Please call us; we will be happy to discuss how you may realize the full business benefits of the Culture in the Workplace Questionnaire™.


Related links

The Culture in the Workplace Questionnaire™ helps build individual and team effectiveness and improve cross-cultural communication and teamwork. It is applicable to conflict management, executive coaching, and general workplace assessments.

Culturally-based preferences and tendencies are one component of effectively leading or working with a diverse, multicultural team or organization.
Building cross cultural communication competence, or the ability to communicate with other people, helps build team effectiveness.
When an executive takes on new challenges, success frequently hinges upon building new abilities to communicate and work with people having different backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives.
Diagnosing and addressing ineffective communications is frequently at the heart of resolving workplace conflict.
Workplace assessments involve diagnosing individual, team, or organizational intercultural sensitivity and communications competence. These assessments facilitate designing strategies, action plans, development, and training matched to peoples’ current state of development. This helps ensure a successful business-related outcome.

Next steps
Please call us so that together we can start increasing your workforce’s productivity and innovation.

Your business success is our most important objective.


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