Intercultural Communication

Competence

Com 372:Theory and Research in

Intercultural Communication

Tiara TuckerIllinois State University

A Closer Look At:

HOSTED BY:

The Golden “K.A.P.S.” Men“Guiding Your Understanding One Click At A Time!”

How effectively would you

verbally & nonverbally communicate

with each of these people??

Intercultural Communication Competence

“The degree to which you effectively adapt your verbal and nonverbal messages to the appropriate cultural context” (Neuliep, 2006, p. 441)

Intercultural Competence Qualities

Verbal and Nonverbal Appropriateness– Communicating with an understanding of the

rules, norms, and expectancies of a given culture

AND Effectiveness

– How well someone actually performs the behaviors that reveal an understanding of the rules, norms, and expectancies of the culture

(Neuliep, 2006; Spitzberg & Cupach, 1984)

4 Interdependent Components

Knowledge Component– Cognition

Affective Component– Motivation, Affect, Emotion

Psychomotor Component– Behavior, Skills

Situational Features

(Neuliep, 2006; Spitzberg & Cupach, 1984)

(Neuliep, 2006; Spitzberg & Cupach, 1984)

Don’t Slip Away, We Are Half Way Done…

Knowledge Component

The degree of cultural awareness and education one has about someone from a different culture

People perceived as being culturally knowledgeable:– Have an understanding of the values, beliefs, norms, rules, and

behaviors of the other culture– Are aware of the political system (Individualism/Collectivism),

context level (high or low), power distance level (high or low), and uncertainty avoidance level (high or low) of the culture

– Have mental scripts, or plans, in line to guide their encounters– Possess an open cognitive system not limited to stereotypes

(Neuliep, 2006; Spitzberg & Cupach, 1984)

What are some ways to gather information about another culture in order to increase

your Knowledge?

FYI: The more knowledge you have about people from another culture, the more motivated you may be to interact with them and vice versa….

Affective Component

The degree to which one is motivated and willing to communicate with people from different cultures

People perceived as being culturally affective:– Have a tendency to approach (thus less likely to avoid) people

from different cultures– Are low in Intercultural Communication Apprehension (ICA)– If given a choice, will be more willing to communicate

interculturally

(Neuliep, 2006; Spitzberg & Cupach, 1984)

If you have some free time, think about Your Willingness to Communicate!

Remember, You Have Completely FREE CHOICE!

See Neuliep, 2006, p. 447

Psychomotor Component

This component is the “action” dimension that combines the Knowledge and Affective components

Elements: – Verbal Performance (Being familiar with and able to use

the language of a culture)– Nonverbal Performance (Understanding the kinesics,

paralinguistic, haptic, olfactic, and proxemic codes of a culture)

– Role Enactment (Knowing how to verbally and nonverbally perform based on one’s role- professor/student, employee/ supervisor, male/female, etc.)

(Neuliep, 2006; Spitzberg & Cupach, 1984)

Situational Features

The real-life context in which the communication with someone from a different culture occurs

Competence can be affected by:– The Environment (Each interaction may be different based

on the situation)– Previous Contact (The more contact with people from

another culture, the more knowledge, comfort, and experience)

– Status Differential (Communication tactics may need to be modified based on the low, equal, or high status of the person)

– Third-Party Interventions (The entire environment and status may change if another person enters the conversation)

(Neuliep, 2006; Spitzberg & Cupach, 1984)

How culturally aware are you?

Use the Cross-Cultural Awareness Self-Assessment on p. 445 (Neuliep, 2006) to measure your degree of cultural awareness!

Do not fret if you have an “unhealthy” measure of cultural awareness…

It is never too late to become great! Consider an Intercultural Training Program or Workshop

for more knowledge!

Things to Keep In Mind…

Interculturally competent people know how to effectively send AND understand received messages from people of a given culture

People can have a higher degree of competency in one situation, but incompetent in another or with another cultural group

Different cultures may have different perspectives on how one is to greet, smell, dress, sit, stand, touch, arrive, and depart

Now, get out of here & go learn about another culture!