An Investigation of the Intercultural Communication Competence of Chinese Employees in International Organizations

Abstract

There is scant research on the Chinese employees’ intercultural communication competence (ICC), despite increasing recognition of the importance of ICC as a qualified staff in international organizations. To explore the ICC of Chinese employees and their perceptions, this study used mixed methods by drawing on the semi-structured interview and follow-up questionnaires on the intercultural sensitivity with 7 participants. The findings show that the participants were excellent in terms of intercultural sensitivity, a key indicator of ICC, and that they did not complain much about the ICC challenges, although they did mention some related to work style and target communicating language. They also had different insights about how to cope with the challenges, which have implications for international educators when developing ICC-related curriculum planning and suggest prospective strategies for developing ICC knowledge and practice for those who aspect to pursue a career in international organizations.