Acta Universitatis Danubius. Relationes Internationales, Vol 5, No 1 (2012)

Abstract

The aim of this article is to synthesize the necessary methodological issues in international cross-cultural diagnosis. The global village of the millennium XXI cultural intermediary initiatives occurs everywhere, without producing a parallel reflection and clarification of its theoretical foundations. All over the world there is the possibility to experience cross-cultural training programs for mediators, as well as conventions for contracting so-called person liaison, “link-workers”. These experiences, otherwise commendable by their formative and practical aspect, are often lacking a theoretical foundation, so knowledge of cross-cultural methodology appears as a sine qua non condition for the success of such an approach (which is the hypothesis of this article). International cross-cultural diagnosis is precisely positioning specific aspects of global culture in order to be valued. The specific knowledge of global cross-cultural relations lies in discovering and correcting the major problems of collaboration as well as the professional necessity to know and better treat members of other international communities. The main objectives of this paper are a comparative analysis of cultural dimensions and to present some methods according to a logical system of organization strategies. In this second part of the article a special focus is on quantitative and qualitative approaches to cross-cultural research, the cultural metaphor and the advantages and problems in achieving a cross-cultural diagnosis.