A Closer Look At:
Intercultural
Communication
Competence
Com 372:
Theory and Research in
Intercultural
Communication
Tiara Tucker
Illinois State University
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
–

Affective Component
–

Motivation, Affect, Emotion
Psychomotor Component
–

Cognition
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!
See Neuliep, 2006, p. 447
Remember, You Have
Completely FREE CHOICE!
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!