Cross-cultural competence is a recent movement with important implications for foreign language teaching, schools of business and economics, and firms engaged in either international or national commerce. Until now, it has not been adequately addressed. Higher education must investigate strategies for more effective integration of culture into the language and communicative components of the curriculum for international business and economics. In addition, students should be made aware of the growing phenomenon of globalization and world interdependence and the need for cross-cultural competence for improved international relations. The ethnocentrism predominant in American culture must be addressed as an obstacle to cross-cultural competence. Materials and curricula that challenge cultural assumptions can be presented in separate courses or integrated into subject-area courses in marketing, management, or labor relations. Closer cooperation between foreign language departments and schools of business and economics must receive high priority. In fact, the whole educational system must be restructured to react more quickly and appropriately to the constantly changing competitive world environment. Cross-cultural competence has both pragmatic and humanistic consequences for individual and world cultures. (MSE)