Structured Experiences and Training Materials

An Alien Among Us: A Diversity Game. Richard B. Powers. Intercultural Press, P.O. Box 700, Yarmouth, ME; (800) 370–2665. This 90-minute simulation challenges assumptions people hold about others.

Bafa Bafa: Cross-Cultural Orientation. Gary R. Shirts. P.O. Box 910, Del Mar, CA 92014; (619) 755–0272. This experiential activity simulates the contact between two very different cultures, Alpha and Beta. The activity is structured so that participants learn through direct simulated experience and then apply that learning to real-life situations.

Barnga: A Simulation Game on Cultural Clashes. Sivasailam Thiagarajan. Intercultural Press, P.O. Box 700, Yarmouth, ME 04096; (800) 370–2665. Through playing a simple card game in small groups, participants experience the effect of simulated cultural differences on human interaction. This activity is easy to run in a relatively short time.

Diversity Tool Kit. Lee Gardenswartz and Anita Rowe (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1995). This training kit in a box provides over one hundred diversity training activities in reproducible format with directions for trainers. Exercises designed to build awareness, knowledge, and skills are categorized by topic such as stereotypes and prejudice, culture, communication, and team building.

Ecotonos. Nipporica Associates and Dianne Saphiere. Intercultural Press, P.O. Box 700, Yarmouth, ME; (800) 370–2665. This simulation deals with problem solving and decision making in multicultural groups.

The Global Diversity Game. Quality Educational Development, Inc., 41 Central Park West, New York, NY 10023; (212) 724–3335. This board game is played by teams answering questions focusing on demographics, jobs, legislation, and society related to the global business environment. Cross-cultural and transnational information is highlighted, stimulating a dynamic exchange of knowledge and experience between participants.

Living and Working in America. American Media Incorporated; (800) 262–2557. This three-volume audiovisual series trains non-native speakers of English in communication skills for managing a multicultural workforce. Set includes video scenes, textbook, audiotapes, instructor's manual, and experiential activities.

The Managing Diversity Survival Guide. Lee Gardenswartz and Anita Rowe (Burr Ridge, IL: Irwin Professional Publishing, 1994). This resource provides over eighty reproducible checklists, questionnaires, and worksheets for raising awareness and building knowledge about diversity. Directions for trainers, sample agendas, and transparency masters are also included.

Multicultural Customer Service: Providing Outstanding Service Across Cultures. Leslie Aguilar and Linda Stokes (Burr Ridge, IL: Irwin Professional Publishing, 1995). This skills training handbook provides worksheets, quizzes, and case studies to train customer service staff.

Randömia Balloon Factory: A Unique Simulation for Working Across the Cultural Divide. Cornelius Grove and Willa Hallowell (Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press, 2001). This three-hour business simulation helps participants understand the dynamics of doing business with people who have different values.

Redundancia. Dianne Hofner-Saphiere and Nipporica Associates; (913) 901–0243. This short, effective simulation helps people understand the challenges faced by people attempting to communicate in a second language.