Cultural Detective FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What is Cultural Detective^®?

A1: Cultural Detective is a core process for improving cross-cultural collaboration, productivity, satisfaction and effectiveness. It has been used on a proprietary basis by major multinationals and NGOs worldwide since 1989, and has been publicly available since 2004. It includes a series of culture- and topic-specific packages available via site license or online download. In late 2010 the series will also be launched as an online tool available to individuals, teams or organizations via subscription. The project is a unique collaboration of over 150 international business, organization and learning professionals. Cultural Detective is anchored in three fundamental capacities:

Know yourself as an individual and as a complex amalgam of the influences of multiple cultures (Subjective Culture).

Get to know others as individuals and as a complex amalgam of the influences of multiple cultures (Cultural Literacy).

Fully include, utilize and appreciate everyone involved, leveraging their similarities and differences as assets (Cultural Bridge).

For more information about Cultural Detective please watch this short video.

Q2: Who can use the Cultural Detective method and materials?

A2: Anyone can purchase licenses for and use the Cultural Detective materials. If you are interested in improving your skills in communicating and relating across cultures then Cultural Detective can provide you with a consistent Method and process for growth and cross-cultural effectiveness. The Cultural Detective tools are theoretically sound yet easy-to-understand and designed for use even with those relatively inexperienced with intercultural communication training.

Q3: Why would we use Cultural Detective materials?

A3: Use Cultural Detective to:

Build productive working relationships with others on a multicultural team.

Learn how to lead and motivate people from different cultures.

Gain full engagement from people of different backgrounds and experiences.

Establish engaging relationships with clients from all over the world.

Decrease negative stereotyping and judgments across locations and functions; enhance desire and effort to collaborate.

Promote improved intercultural decision making by practicing multicultural team solving in real world business scenarios.

Incorporate into international travel and expat relocation coaching: alleviate the typical “low” resulting from culture shock that many expats feel.

Raise intercultural awareness and gain an overall appreciation for different cultural values.

Develop a shared mental model for building intercultural competence, and shared tools for cross-cultural collaboration.

Learn to listen and observe from an intercultural perspective.

Understand the value and high impact of open dialogue and when to ask questions versus knowing a list of “do’s and don’ts.

Q4: Can I preview the Cultural Detective® files prior to making a purchase?

A4: Yes! From the Online Store click the PREVIEW button to download a free, abridged version of the package you are interested in. On the preview page, enter your name, email address and organizational affiliation. After you enter that data you will be taken to a preview download screen where you will select the packages you would like to preview.

Q5: How do I purchase Cultural Detective packages?

A5: For large quantity sales or site licenses please contact Kris Bibler, +1-913-764-2624. For small quantity purchases you may go to our online store and select the package you wish to purchase. Cultural Detective is sold as a license for use; you must purchase a license for each person who will be exposed to the materials. The minimum purchase requirement for full packages is five licenses. One set of five package licenses is US$125 ($25 per user). We offer quantity discounts: your price drops to $20 per user when purchasing three or more sets, and down to $15 per user when purchasing six or more sets. The minimum purchase requirement for Values Lenses only (not full packages) is ten licenses for US$49.95. Values Lens purchases provide you the one-page magnifying glass graphic only, and there are no volume discounts. You may also purchase Lenses via our online Lens store.

After selecting the items and the quantity of licenses you wish to purchase, you will be asked to agree to licensing terms prior to entering your contact and payment information. After your credit card is accepted you will be able to download the Cultural Detective files directly to your computer. To open and view the files, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. Click here to download Reader if you do not have it installed or need to update it.

Q6: What exactly do I download once I’ve purchased the Cultural Detective package licenses?

A6: Each Cultural Detective Package includes three .PDF files:

A Series Guide, with complete instructions on how to facilitate a Cultural Detective learning event, including definitions of culture, intercultural communication, and intercultural competence.

The specific package’s Participant Materials, a portion of which you will print for your participants. These materials usually include an introduction to the culture or topic, a Values or Challenges Lens, explanations of the values or challenges and their negative perceptions, proverbs or sayings that illustrate the values, a minimum of five critical incidents, a list of best practices for bridging cultures, and a bibliography.

The specific package’s Facilitator Manual, which includes a sample story to introduce the Cultural Detective Method, examples of the values or challenges and their negative perceptions in action, sample debriefs of the critical incidents, and a list of music that you might play during a learning event.