This intercultural investigation starts where state-of-the-art research usually ends. Therefore it can provide valuable impulses to innovative management thinking and practice in the field of international diversity management.
Table of Contents
I. The Intercultural Complementarity Principle
II. The Intercultural Integration Principle
A Review of the Intercultural Paradigm
1. The State of the Intercultural Art and Science:
On Human Relativity in Intercultural Research
2. Enhancing the Intercultural Art and Science:
Sources, Models and the Achievement of Supreme Cultural Intelligence
III. Inventory of Complementary Inter-/Transcultural Integration Instruments
IV. A Semiotic Systematization of the Complementary Inter- and Transcultural Space of Consciousness
Objectives & Research Themes
The primary objective of this work is to address the deficits in existing intercultural theory and practice by introducing a transdisciplinary and transcultural perspective. The author argues that contemporary intercultural management often remains trapped in fragmented, surface-level approaches. By integrating principles from physics (quantum complementarity), neurophysiology, and diverse global philosophical traditions, the work seeks to move towards a holistic, integrative consciousness that can resolve the conflicts inherent in cultural diversity. The central research question explores how the "One" (essential unity) and the "Two" (diverse manifestations/divisions) can be reconciled to achieve sustainable global management.
- Metaphorical application of the quantum complementarity principle to human consciousness.
- Development of the Transcultural Profiler as an integrative management instrument.
- Critique of reductionist, instrumentalist approaches to cultural management.
- Reconciliation of essential human unity with the reality of cultural and perceptual diversity.
Excerpts from the Book
The State-of-the-Art of the Intercultural Art and Science
A parabolic story in which an individual is looking for an object in the light of a lantern can be considered symbolic of mainstream intercultural research. When a passer-by asks the searching individual where exactly he has lost the object, the latter answers that it must have been a little further away, whereupon the puzzled passer-by further asks why he was not looking where he assumes he has lost the object in question. The searcher answered that he was looking here in the light of the lantern because the visibility was better in the light of the lantern.
Some intercultural research does not seem unlike the search of the lost item in our didactic, parabolic anecdote, as there seems to be a tendency to enquire within the known, rather than exploring new horizons that might cast a new, creative light on the object the research. While, for example, quantified sophistication is certainly legitimate and may provide precious insights and meet a human need for formula-like certainty based on specific numbers without ambiguity it does not necessarily mean that the researcher leaves the already charted territory of the known and comes closer to the destination aimed at by the pioneers of true intercultural research, which consists, so to speak, in the realization of a form of cultural Eldorado in the sense that man may reach masterhood in the control of the ambivalence of the culture variable with its divisive as well as its integrative and synergistic potentiality alike in this era of globalization with its increasing cultural challenges across the world as we have seen and said in the few introductory examples that epitomize the state of the world.
Summary of Chapters
I. The Intercultural Complementarity Principle: Introduces the concept of "One" and "Two" as complementary aspects of reality and asserts that human consciousness must reintegrate parts into an integral whole to resolve division.
II. The Intercultural Integration Principle: Reviews existing paradigms and proposes using scientific and metaphysical principles to move beyond surface-level cultural differences toward a higher transcultural awareness.
1. The State of the Intercultural Art and Science: Critiques the limitations of mainstream, "lantern-light" research that focuses on narrow data rather than fundamental, integrative human consciousness.
2. Enhancing the Intercultural Art and Science: Presents the Transcultural Profiler as a tool for mapping the psychological infrastructure of global managers and facilitating higher-level cultural intelligence.
III. Inventory of Complementary Inter-/Transcultural Integration Instruments: Provides a practical collection of models (e.g., ORJI, PIE, MIS) designed to manage intrapsychic processes and resolve cultural conflicts.
IV. A Semiotic Systematization of the Complementary Inter- and Transcultural Space of Consciousness: Serves as a reference section providing definitions and semiotic frameworks that underpin the proposed integrative approach.
Keywords
Intercultural Management, Transcultural Intelligence, Complementarity Principle, Global Consciousness, Cultural Diversity, Integration, Quantum-Cultural Effect, Holistic Management, Human Nature, Transcultural Profiler, Self-Awareness, Consciousness Management, Cultural Synergy, Ethics, Epistemology.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this work?
The work focuses on enhancing the management of cultural diversity by shifting from a fragmented, instrumentalist view to a holistic, consciousness-based approach that recognizes both the unity and the diversity of the human experience.
What are the primary themes explored?
Central themes include the complementarity of unity and diversity, the use of metaphorical transpositions from science (quantum physics, neurophysiology) to cultural management, and the necessity of self-awareness for global leadership.
What is the primary goal of the author?
The author aims to provide a new "integrative instrument"—the Transcultural Profiler—that helps global managers navigate cultural complexity by moving toward a higher level of transcultural consciousness.
Which scientific methods are utilized?
The work employs a transdisciplinary approach, blending insights from psychology, physics, philosophy, and metaphysics to describe the structural and functional integration required for effective cultural management.
What is discussed in the main body of the text?
The main body examines the history of intercultural research, introduces the "One/Two" duality, presents the 12-octave architectural dome model for cultural management, and details various diagnostic tools for overcoming cultural conflict.
Which keywords characterize the book?
Key terms include Transcultural Intelligence, Complementarity Principle, Holistic Management, Cultural Synergy, and Global Consciousness.
What does the "Dome" model represent?
The "12 Octaves" or Dome model is a metaphorical visualization of the integrated psychological architecture of a global manager, highlighting the hierarchy from basic cultural traits to advanced transcultural integration.
How does the author suggest solving cultural conflict?
The author suggests that conflicts arise from a "lopsided" perception of surface differences. The solution lies in developing an integrative awareness—or transcultural intelligence—that recognizes the underlying unity of all humanity.
- Quote paper
- D.E.A./UNIV. PARIS I Gebhard Deissler (Author), 2012, The Intercultural Complementarity And Integration Principle, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/188646
