It's everyone's business.

The European Intercultural Workplace project addresses intercultural issues arising in the workplace, focusing on the experience of 10 European countries, including accession states. Through situational analysis and case studies it investigates workplaces in various sectors in each participating country, compares the results across Europe, applies the comparative results in the partnership countries and makes them available beyond.

Workplaces in Europe may be similar in some respects but they also differ according to context, demography, geographical area, economic sector and other aspects. Thus, intercultural issues arising in the workplaces of different European countries require careful examination, in order to arrive at sound empirically based findings.

The three groups targeted by this project are:

• Employers/Managers
• Employees
• Clients

In each target group, a distinction is made between those belonging to the host/majority culture and those belonging to immigrant/minority populations and the interactions between these groups will be examined in-depth.

In each partner country 3 key industries/institutions will be targeted for examination within the following sectors:

• Education (primary, secondary, third level)
• Public (healthcare, security, transport)
• Private (SME's, multinationals, tourism/hospitality)

This will allow for in-depth examination of those areas most in need of investigation in each partner country and will also facilitate comparison across sectors.

In addition to the workers directly targeted by this research, potential users of the project results include:

• Policy Departments of National governments and local authorities
• EU Department of Education, Trade, Justice
• Trade Unions
• Professional business organisations
• Migrant Organisations
• Training Organisations for the development of training curricula or modules
• Schools
• Higher Education Institutions & Centres of Further Education
• International business consultants
• Teacher trainers

The project will survey and analyse existing studies and complement these with empirical case studies in those economic sectors most in need of attention in the respective countries. This will yield a comparative analysis on a national level between sectors and on a trans-national level between sectors across partner countries. A set of human resource development modules will be developed reflecting best practice and local needs in order to inform and educate the workplace target group and policy makers. This will lead to possibility of enhanced national training policies and initiatives where required.