5. An international workplace culture

Educational institutions, both national and international, vary in terms of educational traditions and values, organizational structure, and workplace culture. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that new employees who come to UCPH may need to undergo a certain period of adjustment to the new work setting.

To facilitate onboarding for international employees, HR departments should prepare different materials and organize various activities that are available to employees not only when they arrive, but also in the subsequent years of their employment.

Working at an internationalized workplace, however, requires that not only new but all employees are aware of and equipped to work effectively in the dynamic international landscape at UCPH, regardless of their background or working experience.

HR departments may consider developing materials and activities such as:

• Welcome packages with information about UCPH’s organizational structure, work culture, professional expectations, as well as practical tips related to topics like payroll, tax, retirement, holidays, and insurance
• Introductory courses for new employees on various topics: working at UCPH and UCPH’s educational traditions and values
• Mentoring programmes in which new employees can have the opportunity to discuss their experience of working at UCPH with fellow employees
• Idea catalogues with insights, ideas, and tips for employees and managers about how to ensure a safe international environment and deal with challenges that may occur at an international workplace
• Courses and meetings that allow employees to discuss their successes, challenges, and concerns about working at an international workplace
• Opportunities for dialogue where employees can negotiate solutions for establishing and maintaining the international environment at their units

Preparation of materials and courses that focus on factual and technical information (e.g., organizational structure, payroll, tax) may seem straightforward because it can draw on information that is readily available in various university documents. However, developing materials and activities that focus on the cultural aspects of the organization may require more consideration in order to avoid cultural stereotyping and only superficially representing cultural values, the communication process and professional engagement at the workplace.

The development of materials and activities focusing on cultural aspects and internationalization should draw on actual experiences employees have of working in a culturally diverse setting at various organizational levels (e.g., research group, departmental section, department, faculty). These experiences can include success stories that present solutions and strategies used to overcome situations in which employees faced communication or work-related challenges based on cultural and/or educational diversity.

CIP can facilitate workshops for departments or other units at UCPH that would like inspiration for implementing the language policy locally and facilitate what can be quite difficult conversations about internationalization.

CIP can also offer tailor-made courses in Danish or English – for individuals or groups – focused on internationalization needs associated with specific activities at the university.

If you’re interested in knowing more about what we offer at CIP and our prices, please contact us at cip@hum.ku.dk or by phone +45 35 32 86 39.