The purpose of this action-based Bachelor’s thesis was to develop a concept for an educa-tional event aiming to the increase understanding of culture and cultural differences in an intensive program. The concept was designed to be used in a short-term, intensive program, where fast grouping and effective teamwork are emphasized. The concept was tested in an education event organized as a part of Laurea University of Applied Science’s international program called International Facility Management Program.

International Facility Management Program, IFMP, is a six-week study program dealing with topics such as international and strategic facility management, risk management and project management. During the program the students work intensively in multicultural teams. Re-gardless the long history of IFMP, a multicultural program, cultural issues have not been part of the curriculum, yet misunderstandings between students of different nationalities have occurred. As the work in general continues globalizing and the interaction between different cultures increases, an introduction to working in a multicultural group was considered rele-vant. The need is emphasized also because of the short term and intensive nature of the pro-gram.

The nature of the thesis is qualitative and it is implemented with the methods of action re-search. The selected theoretical framework created the framework for the content of the educational event itself. The purpose was to organize an educational event, where through discussions the students would create an image of their own culture, the culture of the other participants and how these cultures affect each other. The educational event included lectur-ing and assignments carried out alone and in a group. The educational event was evaluated by analyzing the content of the made group assignments.

The report of the thesis is made to follow the structure of the given cross-cultural education. First presented is the used theoretical background starting from the basic concept of culture, continuing towards wider cultural concepts. By presenting the theoretical background first, the reader is provided with the necessary terms and key concepts used in the Cross-cultural Introduction.

When reviewing the results, it can be stated that the objectives set for the educational event were partially reached. The theories used supported the educational purpose of the event, even though the inexperience of the lecturers obstructed the understanding and assimilation of the subject taught. A critical viewing of the educational event, used theories and the used methods is essential when evaluating the need and usability of the created concept.