Intercultural Communication Requirements for Special Forces Teams.
Abstract
Communicating effectively with individuals from different cultures is essential for Special Forces (SF) teams. SF soldiers must possess language skills, interpersonal skills, cultural knowledge, as well as nonverbal skills, to do their job of conveying technical skills and knowledge to indigenous troops, negotiating resources and plans, and developing positive regard for the United States and SF. The goal of this project was to identify critical performance dimensions relevant to intercultural communication for SF and appropriate intercultural training topics. The approach involved reviewing the published literature, analyzing existing critical incident data, and tying intercultural communication performance categories to the content of current training courses. The analyses resulted in a set of eight intercultural communication performance categories for SF. The categories vary in the level of intercultural skill requirements-from basic awareness, to knowledge of the specific culture, to application of intercultural skills. The findings include specific suggestions for enhancing the training SF soldiers receive in intercultural communication.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jul 01, 1995
- Accession Number
- ADA298798
Entities
People
- Jennifer L. Crafts
- Judith E. Brooks
- Teresa L. Russell
Organizations
- Human Resources Research Organization