The document discusses what it takes to successfully communicate across cultures in intercultural business settings. It explores the concept of intercultural interaction competence, which involves more than just language skills and cultural knowledge. Intercultural interaction competence consists of a variety of cognitive, affective, and behavioral competencies. While some competencies can be developed through experience and exposure, others relating to core traits and values are more difficult to change. The document argues that mindfulness, or focusing on understanding both one's own and others' perspectives and the communication process itself, is a guiding principle for intercultural interaction.

1. Mindfulness - and what else
it takes to ‘do’ intercultural
business communication
IATEFL
Business English Special Interest Group Webinar
September 30, 2010
Professor Peter Franklin
Konstanz
KIeM Institute for
Intercultural Management,
Values and Communication

2. Mindfulness – and what else it …
Outline:
• What does it take to „do‟ intercultural
business communication‟?
• What does intercultural competence
consist of?
• Can intercultural competence be
dev-eloped or does it just develop (or
not)?
• Is there a guiding principle for „doing‟
© Peter Franklin
intercultural business communication?
Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010

3. Mindfulness – and what else it …
What does it take
to communicate successfully
across cultures?
© Peter Franklin Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010

4. Mindfulness – and what else it …
• Foreign language skills
• Knowledge of the target culture
Is that all?
© Peter Franklin Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010

5. Mindfulness – and what else it …
• Intercultural Effectiveness
• Intercultural Competence
• Intercultural Communication
Competence
• Transcultural Communication
Competence
• Intercultural Action Competence
• Intercultural Interaction
© Peter Franklin
Competence
Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010

6. Intercultural interaction
competence
is “the competence not only
 to communicate
 (verbally and non-verbally)
 and behave
 effectively
 and appropriately
 with people from other cultural groups,
 but also to handle the psychological
demands and dynamic outcomes that
result from such interchanges”
(Spencer-Oatey & Franklin 2009: 51)
© Peter Franklin Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010

7. Mindfulness – and what else it …
What does intercultural
interaction competence
consist of?
© Peter Franklin Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010

8. Kühlmann & Stahl’s findings about
expatriate managers (1998)
• Tolerance for ambiguity
• Behavioural flexibility
• Goal orientation
• Sociability
• Polycentrism
• Empathy
• Meta-communicative competence
© Peter Franklin Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010

9. What does intercultural interaction
competence consist of? - Some answers
from a wide range of research
open-mindedness resilience to stress
non-judgmentalness display of respect/ interest
empathy knowledge of own culture
tolerance for ambiguity communication skills
flexibility in thinking and knowledge of other cultures
behaviour
language proficiency
persistence
active listening
© Peter Franklin Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010

10. Spencer-Oatey & Franklin’s Model
(2009)
 Message communication
competencies
 Rapport management competencies
 Intercultural cognitive competencies
 Intercultural competencies associated
with emotional strength
© Peter Franklin Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010

11. Chen and Starosta’s Second Model
(2005: 244)
Personal Communica- Psychological Cultural
attributes tion skills adaptation awareness
Self- Message skills Frustration Social
awareness management values
Self- Social skills Stress Social
disclosure management customs
Self- Flexibility Alienation Social
concept management norms
Social Interaction Ambiguity Social
relaxation management management systems
© Peter Franklin Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010

12. Chen and Starosta’s Second Model
(2005: 244)
Personal Communica- Psychological Cultural
attributes tion skills adaptation awareness
Self- Message skills Frustration Social
awareness management values
Self- Social skills Stress Social
disclosure management customs
Self- Flexibility Alienation Social
concept management norms
Social Interaction Ambiguity Social
relaxation management management systems
© Peter Franklin Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010

13. What does intercultural interaction
competence consist of?
The ability to master . . .
 the Affective process:
intercultural sensitivity
 the Behavioural process:
intercultural adroitness
 the Cognitive process:
intercultural awareness
ABC competencies
© Peter Franklin Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010

14. What does intercultural interaction
competence consist of?
A highly varied set of numerous ABC
competencies, of which language
proficiency and culture-specific
knowledge are only two
© Peter Franklin Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010

15. Mindfulness – and what else it …
Can intercultural competence
be developed or does it just
develop (or not)?
© Peter Franklin Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010

16. Can intercultural interaction
competence be developed ... ?
Can be
developed
Skills through
Self-concept exposure
and
Surface: experience
easier to
Traits,
develop motives
Core:
Attitudes, slow to
Knowledge
values change
© Peter Franklin Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010

17. Mindfulness – and what else it …
Is there a guiding principle for
being successful across
cultures?
© Peter Franklin Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010

18. Stella Ting-Toomey on
Mindfulness
“Mindfulness means
attending to one‟s internal
assumptions, cognitions,
and emotions, and
simultaneously attuning to
the other‟s assumptions,
cognitions, and emotions. ”
© Peter Franklin (Ting-Toomey 1999: 267)
Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010

19. How do you ‘do’ Mindfulness?
 Focus with understanding on the
cultural context
© Peter Franklin Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010

20. Bill Gudykunst on Mindfulness
“When we interact with
strangers, we become mindful
of our communication. Our
focus, however, is usually on
the outcome […] rather than the
process of communication. For
effective communication to
occur, we must focus on the
process of our
communication with
strangers.”
© Peter Franklin Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010
(Gudykunst 2004: 253–5)

21. How do you ‘do’ mindfulness?
•Focus with understanding on the
cultural context
•Focus with understanding on the
process of communication and
cooperation as well as on the
outcome
© Peter Franklin Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010

22. How do you ‘do’ mindfulness?
•Create understanding e.g. by
• listening actively
• modifying your language to
make it more
comprehensible
• paraphrasing
• labelling
• summarising
• testing your own understanding
• paying attention to non-verbal
behaviour
© Peter Franklin Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010

23. Available online Available online
from Amazon from
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© Peter Franklin Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010

24. That was it!
Thank you.
Any questions?
Any comments?
© Peter Franklin Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010

25. References
 Comfort, J. & P. Franklin (2008). The Mindful International
Manager. Competences for Working Effectively Across
Cultures. York
 Gudykunst, W. B. (2004). Bridging Differences. Effective
Intergroup Communication. 4th edition. London
 Kühlmann, T. & G. Stahl (1998). Diagnose interkultureller
Kompetenz: Entwicklung und Evaluierung eines Assessment-
Centers. In: Interkulturelle Personalorganisation. C. Barmeyer
& J. Bolten, Sternenfels
 Langer, E. J. (1989). Mindfulness. Cambridge, Mass.
 Spencer-Oatey, H. & P. Franklin (2009). Intercultural
Interaction. A Multi-disciplinary Approach to Intercultural
Communication. London
 Ting-Toomey, S. (1999). Communicating across Cultures. New
York
© Peter Franklin Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010

26. Spencer-Oatey & Franklin’s Model
(2009)
 Message communication
competencies
 Rapport management competencies
 Intercultural cognitive competencies
 Intercultural competencies associated
with emotional strength
© Peter Franklin Mindfulness – and what else it takes to „do‟ intercultural business communication IATEFL BESIG Webinar, 30.9.2010