Intercultural Trust in Global Contexts: Synthesizing a Western Nomological Approach with a Chinese Systems Approach

Abstract

Intercultural trust in global contexts plays a central role in helping people from different cultures to communicate comfortably, which is essential for cooperation. Attempting to construct a framework that might foster international cooperation, and thus be helpful for coping with global emergencies, we relate a Western nomological approach to an Eastern systems approach to analyse intercultural trust in global contexts. Considering cultural impacts on intercultural trust and the nomological framework of cultural differences, we propose an intercultural trust model to interpret how cultural differences influence trust. A qualitative study of Chinese-Irish interactions was conducted to interpret this model. We organized 10 seminars on intercultural trust, and interviewed 16 people to further explore the respondents’ deeper feelings and experiences about intercultural trust in global contexts. Through this study, we have identified factors impacting on intercultural trust, and found that intercultural trust can be developed and improved in various ways. To illustrate these ways, we have provided tactics and methods for building intercultural trust in global contexts. Implications are highlighted for organizations to avoid cultural clashes and relevant political or economic risks.

Keywords

Intercultural trust / global contexts / systems approach / Western approach / Chinese approach

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