The Model to Practice Dialogues™
The MTPD™ fosters awareness about national identity, as a cohesive whole, provides contexts and the impact these have on one’s role in the society. For example, the functioning of marginalized communities. We are educating students, addressing cultural differences, making clear that we share universal rights and dignity no matter where we are from, by emphasizing that one cannot explain away injustices by cultural relativism.
About the MTPD™
Intercultural Communication is identified within education as a ‘slippery problem’. The MTPD™ addresses practical and methodological skills to tackle the unfamiliar and complex issues which almost always first relate to cultural misunderstandings, which are characterized as complex, dynamic and networked. A positive result requires a strong capacity for: analytical critical thinking, and application of organizational and intercultural sensitivity.
The Creation of MTPD™
The MTPD™ team is diverse, as it is different in the knowledge, abilities and experience each member brings to the programme. Central to the ethos that drives this initiative, is their continuous curiosity and willingness to engage in sense making, championing student learning that is durable, sustainable, and designed to evolve and adapt to the global and constant changes in education.
Learning how to navigate culturally complex relationships is vital to their longstanding experience in understanding what it takes to lead and work successfully across cultural barriers and boundaries. From this personal position, deep important connections between culture and education is central to their work.
It is explicitly understood that there is a prevalence of cultural misappropriation toward minority groups within the university and community at large. Also noted, is the prevalence of anger and misunderstanding which lead to the creation of the MTPD™ with the goal that this paradigm needs to be changed.
“Culture is a fundamental phenomenon. It affects not only our daily practices: the way we live, are brought up, manage, are managed, and die; but also the theories we are able to develop to explain our practices. No part of our lives is exempt from culture's influence"
MTPD™ has been developed as a support tool for students within the honours programmes. We have observed, based on conversations with our colleagues lecturers, and collaborating NGOs, that there is an immediate need for cultural education in the working environment. Consequently, we are also investigating possibilities for further support and development related to sharing this platform in the future.
Universities with the biggest needs are not the ivy league institutions, but universities without endowments, with students indigenous populations or migrants . MTPD™ will hopefully fortify the skills necessary to leverage intercultural competences which will help the students later on, as well as provide answers to the critical issues they are constantly confronted with.
The MTPD™ Team
Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau
Honours Program Director
Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
Emily Rutland-Beenakker
MTPD™ Course Designer & Coordinator
Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences
Loes Husain-Cornelissen
Rights Manager
Geert Hofstede B.V.
Prof. Dr. Ineke Hendrika Martine Crezee
Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit; Ethics Oversight; Auckland University of Technology
Tymoteusz Filipczuk
IT-Coordinator
MTPD™ Case Models
Technology and Culture
The head of legal affairs and sustainability at a Finnish mobile device manufacturer oversees responsibilities related to governance, ethics, and long-term impact. The company emerged after taking over a well-known mobile phone business in the mid-2010s and operates as a global organization with a presence in more than 150 countries, serving highly diverse markets across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas.
The Influence of Culture within the Hospitality Sector
The company is a part of a global hospitality industry that delivers high-quality service and fosters a diverse and inclusive culture. The hotel located in The Netherlands is a destination for both business travelers, tourists and guests who come from a wide range of countries across Europe and from all around the world. Due to the diverse backgrounds, not all clients are fluent in English, which is mainly used in communication between the staff and guests. Many guests rely on basic English, gestures or support from multilingual staff to express their needs. As a result, cultural differences in communication styles and expectations of service vary depending on the customer, which creates challenges for the company.
Intercultural Communication
This case model examines how cultural differences influence communication and collaboration within a multicultural hospitality organisation, based on an interview with a staff member working in an international service environment. The case highlights how variations in directness, feedback styles, and expectations can lead to subtle misunderstandings between staff and guests. By applying intercultural communication theories, the analysis demonstrates how awareness of cultural norms can reduce inhibitive communication and support more effective teamwork and service quality in an international workplace
Technology and Culture
The head of legal affairs and sustainability at a Finnish mobile device manufacturer oversees responsibilities related to governance, ethics, and long-term impact. The company emerged after taking over a well-known mobile phone business in the mid-2010s and operates as a global organization with a presence in more than 150 countries, serving highly diverse markets across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas.
MTPD™ Courses
We believe that students and professionals greatly benefit from becoming more interculturally aware, bridging intercultural differences and promoting diversity. The course makes clear that we share universal rights and dignity no matter where we are from, by emphasizing that one cannot explain away injustices by cultural relativism. It shows that people of diverse backgrounds can join for the cause of all humanity. We offer these courses to students and professionals remotely and in-house.