The Methodology of Developing an International Cross-Cultural Diagnostic

The aim of this article in two parts is to synthesize the necessary methodological issues ininternational cross-cultural diagnosis. The global village of the millennium XXI cultural intermediaryinitiatives occurs everywhere, without producing a parallel reflection and clarification of itstheoretical foundations. All over the world there is the possibility to experience cross-cultural trainingprograms for mediators, as well as conventions for contracting so-called person liaison, “linkworkers”.These experiences, otherwise commendable by their formative and practical aspect, areoften lacking a theoretical foundation, so knowledge of cross-cultural methodology appears as a sinequa 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 inorder to be valued. The specific knowledge of global cross-cultural relations lies in discovering andcorrecting the major problems of collaboration as well as the professional necessity to know andbetter treat members of other international communities. The main objectives of this paper are acomparative analysis of cultural dimensions and to present some methods according to a logicalsystem of organization strategies. In this first part of the article a special focus is on cross-culturaldiagnosis, the prerequisites for achieving a cross-cultural approach and methods and ways of cross-culturalresearch.