| Abstract [eng] |
Due to the growing multinationality of society, contact staff of service organizations faces challenges in the clients servicing and the service customization for various cultures. The important factor of the satisfaction of clients from other countries (cultures) with the services provided, increasing the number of loyal customers, is the intercultural competence of service providers. Public libraries, as service organizations, feel the importance of developing the intercultural competence of the staff, as the needs of the growing diversity of service users must be met. For these organizations, the research on intercultural competence and its development is relevant, but the need for such research is not yet satisfied. Public libraries need a clear definition of intercultural competence and guidelines for the development of this competence. The object of this final project is the development of intercultural competence of contact staff in Alytus Jurgis Kunčinas Public Library. The aim of this work is to reveal the directions of the development of intercultural competence of contact staff in Alytus Jurgis Kunčinas Public Library. To accomplish this goal the following tasks have been set: to conduct a review of problems of the research on intercultural competence of service organizations, to carry out theoretical analysis of the development of intercultural competence, to assess intercultural competence of contact staff of Alytus Jurgis Kunčinas Public Library and to provide directions for the improvement of intercultural competence of contact staff of Alytus Jurgis Kunčinas Public Library. The following research methods were used in the work: analysis of scientific literature, analysis of the content of documents and information provided on the website of Alytus Jurgis Kunčinas Public Library, questionnaire survey and statistical data analysis. Theoretical analysis reveals that mutually satisfying conditions (both for the clients and service providers), created in the process of intercultural interaction, form the basis for the realization of the goal- successful delivery of service. Under transformation of the amount and nature of services, provided by public libraries, it is essential to develop the intercultural competence of their contact staff. This competence is defined as the ability to use knowledge, skills and personal qualities in a targeted manner to achieve the intended outcomes of intercultural interaction. An essential prerequisite for the expression of intercultural competence is the purposefulness of human actions, and the experiential learning is the key factor for the development of this competence. |
