Business communication needs: A multicultural perspective

Valerie Priscilla Goby, Zayed University

Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

Journal of Business and Technical Communication

Publication Date

10-1-2007

Abstract

How should we teach international business communication? What role can multiculturalism play in the business communication classroom? Can we identify a set of business communication requirements that are valid across different cultures? This article enters this discussion by presenting a small empirical study of the business communication needs expressed by postgraduate students in a North Cyprus university and comparing it to similar studies conducted in the United States and Singapore. The findings reveal some interesting correspondences between the needs expressed by students in these different countries. In addition, the multicultural environment of the North Cyprus university studied suggests that multicultural interaction increases students' sensitivity to the need for a nonethnocentric approach to international communication. The findings also indicate that respondents in multicultural settings may be more inclined to engage in groupthink because of their heightened awareness of cultural differences and their wish to avoid conflict. © 2007 Sage Publications.

ISSN

1050-6519

Publisher

SAGE Publications

Volume

21

Issue

4

First Page

425

Last Page

437

Disciplines

Business | Communication

Keywords

Communication needs, Cross-cultural interaction, Groupthink, International business communication, Multiculturalism

Scopus ID

34548395952

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

no

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