The Effectiveness of an Intercultural Communication Course in Increasing International and European Studies Students’ Intercultural Sensitivity

Abstract

The present study examines the effectiveness of an intercultural communication course in increasing international and European studies students’ intercultural sensitivity. In order to determine this effectiveness, the study considers the pre and post data obtained from administering the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS) devised by Chen and Starosta (2000) to a group of Greek International and European studies majors. More specifically, 29 fourth-year university students studying in a department of International and European studies in Greece completed the ISS at the onset and at the end of the intercultural communication course. The results indicate that there is not a statistically significant difference in the pre and post data obtained with the exception of two constructs, where a statistically significant difference was found. The findings obtained herein are used to draw conclusions and consider the practical implications. Moreover, potential limitations and suggestions for further research are discussed. Overall, the current study attempts to respond to the calls for the context-specific (Greece) research. In other words, this study aims to contribute to an existing knowledge base by reporting on an enquiry undertaken to quantitatively determine the levels of intercultural sensitivity among the sample group.

Keywords

Intercultural communication / intercultural sensitivity / European and international studies students

References

[1] Adelman, Clifford, Jenkins, Davis & Kemmis, Stephan. (1980). Rethinking case study: notes from the second Cambridge conference. In Simons, Helen (Ed.), Towards a science of the singular (pp. 45-61). Center for Applied Research in Education. East Anglia: University of East Anglia.

[2] Alred, Geof. & Byram, Michael. (2002). Becoming an intercultural mediator: A longitudinal study of residence abroad. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, 23(5), 339-352.

[3] Babbie, R. Earl. (1990). Survey research methods. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

[4] Barnlund, Dean & Nomura, Naoki. (1985). Decentering, Convergence and Cross—cultural Understanding. Intercultural communication: A reader. 4th Edition, (pp. 347-366). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

[5] Bennett, J. Milton. (1986). Towards ethnorelativism: A developmental model of intercultural sensitivity. In Paige, R. Michael (Ed.), Cross—cultural orientation: New conceptualizations and applications, (pp. 27-69). New York: University Press of America.

[6] Bennett, J. Milton. (1993). Towards ethnorelativism: A developmental model of intercultural sensitivity. In Paige R. Michael (Ed.), Education for the intercultural experience, (pp. 21-71). Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press.

[7] Bennett, J. Milton. (2001). The empathic healer: An endangered species. San Diego, CA: Academic Press.

[8] Bernat, Eva & Gvozdenko, Inna. (2005). Beliefs about language learning: Current knowledge, pedagogical implications, and new research directions. TESL—EJ, 9(1), 1-21.

[9] Berryman—Fink, Cindy. (1997). Gender issues: Management style, mobility, and harassment. In Byers, P. Y. (Ed.), Organizational communication: Theory and behavior, (pp. 259-283). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

[10] Bhawuk, Dharm & Brislin Richard. (1992). The measurement of intercultural sensitivity using the concepts of individualism and collectivism. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 16, 413-436.

[11] Blue, Janet; Kapoor, Suraj & Comadema, Mark. (1996—1997). Using Cultural Values as a Measure of Intercultural Sensitivity. Intercultural Communication Studies, 6(2), 77-94.

[12] Byram, Michael. (1997). Teaching and assessing intercultural communicative competence. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters.

[13] Chen, Guo—Ming. (1990). Intercultural communication competence: Some perspectives of research. The Howard Journal of Communications, 2, 243-261.

[14] Chen, Guo—Ming. (1997). A review of the concept of intercultural sensitivity. Paper presented at the Biennial Convention of the Pacific and Asian Communication Association.

[15] Chen, Guo—Ming & Starosta, J. William. (1996). Intercultural communication competence: A synthesis. In Brant R. Burleson. (Ed.), Communication yearbook, 19, 353-383. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications.

[16] Chen, Guo—Ming & Starosta, J. William. (1998). A review of the concept of inter—cultural sensitivity. Human Communication, 1, 1-16.

[17] Chen, Guo—Ming & Starosta, J. William. (2000). The development and validation of the intercultural sensitivity scale. Human Communication, 3, 1-15.

[18] Chen, Guo—Ming & Starosta, J. William. (2008). Intercultural communication competence: A synthesis. In Asante, Molefi Kete, Miike, Yoshitaka. & Yin, Jing. (Eds.), The global intercultural communication reader, (pp. 215-237). New York: Routledge.

[19] Chomsky, Noam. (1965). Aspects of the Theory of Syntax. Cambridge: MIT Press.

[20] Creswell, W. John. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. 3^rd Edition, Los Angles: Sage.

[21] Cui, Geng & Van Den Berg, Sjef. (1991). Testing the construct validity of intercultural effectiveness. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 15, 227-241.

[22] Cushner, Kenneth. (1989). Assessing the impact of a culture—general assimilator. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 13, 125-146.

[23] Davis, H. Mark. (1996). Empathy: A social psychological approach. Madison, WI: Brown and Benchmark.

[24] Derdorff, K. Darla. (2004). Identification and assessment of intercultural competence as a student outcome of international education at institutions of higher education in the United States. Unpublished dissertation, North Carolina State University, Raleigh.

[25] Deardorff, K. Darla. (2006). The identification and assessment of intercultural competence. Journal of Studies in International Education, Fall 2006.

[26] Eschbach, M. Doris; Parker, E. Gerald & Stoeberl, A. Philipp. (2001). American repatriate employees’ retrospective assessments of the effects of cross—cultural training on their adaptation to international assignments. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 12(2), 270-287.

[27] Fantini, Alvino. (2006). Exploring and assessing intercultural competence. Retrieved June, 15, 2016 from http://www.sit.edu/publications/docs/feil_research_report.pdf

[28] Fish, Alan. (2005). Assisting cross—border manager adjustment: Psycho—cultural and sociocultural interventions. Personnel Review, 34(2), 225-245.

[29] Fritz, Wolfgang; Möllenberg, Antje & Chen, Guo—Ming. (2002). Measuring intercultural sensitivity in different cultural contexts. Intercultural Communication Studies, 11(2), 165-176.

[30] Gage, Mary. (2001). International study for outstanding students: A case study. New Directions for teaching and learning, 2001(85), 43-48.

[31] Graf, Andrea. (2004). Screening and training intercultural competencies: Evaluating the impact of national culture on intercultural competencies. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 15(6), 1124-1148.

[32] Gudykunst, B. William & Kim, YoungYun. (1984). Communicating with strangers, An approach to intercultural communication. Random House, New York.

[33] Hammer, R. Mitchell & Bennett, J. Milton. (1998). The intercultural development inventory (IDI) manual. Portland, OR: Intercultural Communication Institute.

[34] Hammer, R. Mitchell; Bennett, J. Milton & Wiseman, Richard. (2003). Measuring intercultural sensitivity: The intercultural development inventory. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 27, 421-443.

[35] Hodge, Sheida. (2000). Global smarts: The art of communicating and deal making anywhere in the world. New York: Wiley.

[36] Hofstede, Geert. (1984). Culture’s consequences: International differences in work—related values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.

[37] Hofstede, Geert. (2001). Culture’s consequences. 2^nd Edition, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

[38] Huang, Yuelu.; Rayner, Charlotte & Zhuang, Lee. (2003). Does intercultural competence matter in intercultural business relationship development. International Journal of Logistics, 6(4), 277-288.

[39] Imahori, T. Todd & Lanigan, L. Mary. (1989). Relational model of intercultural communication competence. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 13, 241-268.

[40] Jurgens, C. Jill & McAuliffe, Garrett. (2004). Short—term study—abroad experience in Ireland: An exercise in cross—cultural counselling. International Journal for the Advancement of Counselling, 26(2), 147-161.

[41] Kapoor, Suraj; Blue, Janet; Konsky, Catherine & Drager, Michael. (2000). Intercultural sensitivity: A comparison of American and Japanese value preferences. Intercultural Communication Studies, 2, 215-232.

[42] Kim, Kwanghyun & Slocum, W. John. (2008). Individual differences and expatriate assignment effectiveness: The case of U.S.—based Korean expatriates. Journal of World Business, 43, 109-126.

[43] Khan, Samia & VanWynsberghe, Robert. (2008). Cultivating the under—mined: Cross—case analysis as knowledge mobilization [54 paragraphs]. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 9(1), Art. 34. Retrieved July, 14, 2016 from http://nbn—resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114—fqs0801348

[44] Landis, Daniel & Bhagat, S. Rabi. (1996). A model of intercultural behavior and training. In Landis, Daniel and Bhagat, S. Rabi (Eds.), Handbook of intercultural training, (pp. 1-16). Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage.

[45] Langley, S. Crolyn & Breese, R. Jeffrey. (2005). Interacting sojourners: A study of students studying abroad. Social Science Journal, 42(2), 313-321.

[46] Mascadri, Julia; Brownlee, Jo Lunn; Walker, Susan & Alford, Jennifer. (2016). Exploring intercultural competence through the lens of self—authorship. Early Years: An International Research Journal. Retrieved August, 20, 2016 from http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2016.1174930

[47] Medina—Lopez—Portillo, Adriana. (2004). Intercultural learning assessment: The link between program duration and the development of intercultural sensitivity. The Interdisciplinary Journal of Study Abroad, X, 179-199.

[48] Mukalel, C. Joseph. (1998). Psychology of learning. Delhi: Discovery Publishing House.

[49] Parker, Barbara & McEvoy, M. Glenn. (1993). Initial examination of a model of intercultural adjustment. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 17(3), 355-379.

[50] Penbek, Sebnem; Yurdakul, Dicle & Cerit, A. Guldem. (2009). Intercultural communication competence: A study about the intercultural sensitivity of university students based on their education and international experiences. European and mediterranean conference on information systems.

[51] Peng, Shi—Yong; Rangsipaht, Savitree & Thaipakee, Supaporn. (2005). Measuring intercultural sensitivity: A comparative study of ethnic chinese and thai nationals. Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, 34(2), 119-137.

[52] Redden, Elizabeth. (2007). So what did you learn in London?. Retrieved May, 20, 2016 from http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/06/01/research

[53] Richards, Keith. (2011). Case studies. In Hinkel, Eli (Ed.), Handbook of research in second language teaching and learning, 2 (pp. 207-221). London: Routledge.

[54] Schwartz, H. Shalom. (2006). Value orientations: Measurement, antecedents and consequences across nations. In Jowell, Roger. Roberts, Caroline. Fitzgerald, Rory. & Eva, Gillian. (Eds.), Measuring attitudes cross—nationally — lessons from the European Social Survey (pp. 133-144). London: Sage.

[55] Shaules, Joseph. (2007). Deep culture. The hidden challenges of global living. Clevedon—Buffalo—Toronto: Multilingual Matters.

[56] Spencer—Oatey, Helen & Franklin, Peter. (2009). Intercultural interaction: A multidisciplinary approach to intercultural communication. New York: Palgrave Macmillan.

[57] Spitzberg, H. Brian. (2000). A model of intercultural communication competence. In Samovar, L. A. and Porter, R. E. (Eds.), Intercultural communication: A reader. 2^nd Edition (pp. 7-24). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.

[58] Steers, M. Richard; Sanchez—Runde, J. Carlos & Nardon, Luciara. (2010). Management across cultures challenges and strategies. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[59] Taylor, W. Edward. (1994). Intercultural competency: A transformative learning process. Adult Education Quarterly, 44, 154-174.

[60] Tesoriero, Frank. (2006). Personal growth towards intercultural competence through an international field education programme. Australian Social Work, 59(2), 126-140.

[61] Ting—Toomey, Stella. (1999). Communicating across cultures. New York: The Guilford Press.

[62] Williams, Tracy Rundstrom. (2005). Exploring the impact of study abroad on students’ intercultural communication skills: Adaptability and sensitivity. Journal of Studies in International Education, 9, 356-371.

[63] Wiseman, L. Richard. (2003). Intercultural communication competence. In Gudykunst, B. William & Mody, Bella. (Eds.), Handbook of international and intercultural communication, 2^nd Edition (pp. 207-224). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

[64] Vuckovic, Aleksandra. (2008). Intercultural communication: A foundation of communicative action. Multicultural Education and Technology Journal, 2, 47-59.

[65] Zhao, Chun—Mei. (2002). Intercultural competence: A quantitative study of significance of intercultural competence and the influence of college experiences on students intercultural competence development. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Retrieved May, 14, 2016 from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd—05152002—135459/unrestricted/01ZhaoCover.pdf