Successful Cross-Cultural Strategies for Distance Education Partners

This study of Caribbean-based institutions offering Distance Education programs from universities in North America and the UK identified stakeholder perspectives on cross-cultural issues and found stakeholder consensus on three main strategies for successfully dealing with these issues. The three broad strategies include a focus on high levels of: Contact between partners, Customization of offerings to local needs, and mutual Confidence between partners. A proposed model of interaction among these three strategies is explored, and proposals for implementing these strategies are tendered. The study also interprets the cross-cultural issues in the light of the literature on cultural differences and cultural integrity.