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Session E5

Tracks
Stream E
Saturday, May 17, 2025
1:45 PM - 2:45 PM

Overview

Increasing Cultural Intelligence (CQ) to Foster Workplace Inclusion and Community Cohesion | Trisha Carter and Hanlie van Wyk (60 mins)


Presenter

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Ms Trisha Carter
Trans Cultural Careers

Increasing Cultural Intelligence (CQ) to Foster Workplace Inclusion and Community Cohesion

1:45 PM - 2:45 PM

Abstract

Aim: Through increasing cultural intelligence (CQ) in attendees, this session aims to mitigate the impact of cultural misunderstandings, and geopolitical conflicts on local communities and workplaces, to foster social cohesion and reduce instances of hate victimisation.
It also aims to promote a more globally representative approach to psychological training and intervention development.

Goals:
1. Introduce the concept of cultural intelligence and its relevance in diverse settings and groups
2. Provide practical tools and strategies for leveraging CQ to foster social and workplace cohesion
3. Facilitate interactive activities where participants can apply CQ techniques to hypothetical scenarios.
4. Encourage participants to develop action plans for implementing CQ principles in their professional or community environments

Content:
With globally experienced transnational facilitators this session will discuss the importance of Cultural Intelligence (CQ) in fostering cultural competence in the workplace and promoting social cohesion in communities, especially in the face of global interconnectedness and cultural diversity. CQ, or the ability to relate and work effectively across cultures, is crucial in today's multicultural work environments. Individuals with high CQ are better equipped to navigate cultural differences, build stronger relationships, and drive innovation. In the workplace, CQ can be cultivated through targeted training programs, inclusive policies, and promoting a culture of belonging.

However, CQ's impact extends beyond the workplace. As communities grapple with geopolitical tensions and increased hate victimisation, the need for cultural understanding becomes paramount. Approaching these issues through a single cultural approach will limit effectiveness in achieving change. Psychologists can use CQ principles to foster social cohesion in diverse communities, potentially mitigating the impact of global conflicts on local social dynamics.

To address these challenges, this session will utilise a more international approach to psychological training and research, incorporating diverse cultural perspectives and experiences. Transnational co-facilitators will share cultural knowledge and experience from their home and practising cultures combined with video and audio representation from other global researchers and practitioners. Attendees will learn and personally develop the four CQ capability areas.

This culturally intelligent approach can lead to more comprehensive and globally applicable psychological theories and interventions, to a more nuanced understanding of cultural dynamics and to more effective strategies increasing effectiveness in diverse settings where psychologists are focused.


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Trisha Carter is an Organisational Psychologist whose work builds bridges of understanding between cultures, genders and generations. Working as a consultant, coach, workplace trainer and facilitator, she develops skill-sets, such as cultural intelligence (CQ), psychological flexibility, and wellbeing in leaders and team members globally. With an MA (Hons) from the University of Canterbury in New Zealand, Trisha has a career spanning 30 years, working from Australia with organisations around the world.. She has consulted in both the government and private sectors in Australia, New Zealand, the USA, China and Papua New Guinea. In 2023 Trisha was accredited as an inaugural CQ Fellow, the highest level of cultural intelligence global thought leader recognition.
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Ms Hanlie van Wyk
Unisa

Increasing Cultural Intelligence (CQ) to Foster Workplace Inclusion and Community Cohesion

1:45 PM - 2:45 PM

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Hanlie is inspired by Nelson Mandela’s quote “People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love”. Her work as a global consultant with the Kaleidoscope group focuses on fostering diverse, equitable, and inclusive communities, societies, and workplaces. Her areas of research include hate and bias-motivated violence, peace psychology, and human rights, focusing on the need for multidisciplinary, interdisciplinarity, transdisciplinary, and transnational work. This approach allows for insight into different perspectives on the harms of bias-motivated violence, developing globally relevant guidelines, and providing responses to real-world problems. As a founding member of the Hate Crimes Working Group, she contributed to research that culminated in the drafting of a Hate Crimes Bill that is currently under review by the South African government. In the last decade, she has presented her research in South Africa, Sweden, Japan, Canada, Colombia, the USA, and Russia and co-authored the User guide: Hate and Bias Crime Monitoring Form, a chapter on Victim Empowerment in South Africa in Victimology in South Africa (2nd Ed.), several academic articles and contributed to a report for the UNODC on the Victim Empowerment Baseline Study. Her PhD is in the process of comparing a sample of countries in the Global South to those in the Global North and is titled Developing an International Framework for Prevention and Interruption of Hate and Bias Motivated Violent Behavior: A Context Design Approach to Guide Organized Psychology. She has lived and worked in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Singapore and currently resides in the USA.
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