INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS OF MANAGERS AND CONFLICT BEHAVIOUR STYLES IN MULTICULTURAL BUSINESS INTERACTION
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.main##
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.sidebar##
Abstract
This article examines the relationship between managers' self-assessed intercultural communication skills and their conflict behaviour styles in multicultural business interactions. It focuses on four components of intercultural communicative competence: intercultural sensitivity; tolerance of uncertainty; active listening; and message adaptation. The empirical basis consists of two comparable cross-sectional survey datasets, each comprising 100 manager responses, collected in 2023 and 2025. The research employed a shortened self-report questionnaire that was based on the conceptual logic of the following models: intercultural sensitivity; tolerance of uncertainty; active listening; message adaptation; and conflict behaviour. The results showed that managers in both samples rated their intercultural communication skills as above average. The 2025 sample had higher mean values for most components than the 2023 sample, particularly for tolerance of uncertainty and message adaptation. Collaboration and compromise were the most common conflict behaviour styles in both samples, while avoidance, competition and accommodation were less common in 2025. Correlation analysis revealed strong positive associations between the components of intercultural communicative competence and constructive conflict behaviour styles, particularly collaboration and compromise. Active listening and message adaptation were found to be most closely associated with constructive responses. However, these findings should be interpreted with caution as all indicators were self-reported and measured using shortened scales within a correlational design. While the results do not prove causal effects, they do indicate consistent patterns between managers’ communication self-assessments and conflict behaviour styles. The study's practical value lies in its implications for the foreign language training of future managers. This should encompass professional vocabulary and standard business dialogues, as well as intercultural negotiation scenarios, conflict resolution exercises, active listening tasks, and adapting messages. It should also involve working with uncertainty.
How to Cite
##plugins.themes.bootstrap3.article.details##
intercultural communication, intercultural communicative competence, managers, conflict behaviour, multicultural business interaction, active listening, message adaptation, tolerance of uncertainty, foreign language training, professional training
Akhter, A., Karim, M. M., & Islam, K. M. A. (2021). The impact of emotional intelligence, employee empowerment and cultural intelligence on commercial bank employees’ job satisfaction. Banks and Bank Systems, 16(4). https://doi.org/10.21511/bbs.16(4).2021.02
Alifuddin, M., & Widodo, W. (2022). How is cultural intelligence related to human behavior? Journal of Intelligence, 10(1), Article 3. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence10010003
Bodie, G. D. (2011). The Active-Empathic Listening Scale (AELS): Conceptualization and evidence of validity within the interpersonal domain. Communication Quarterly, 59(3), 277–295. https://doi.org/10.1080/01463373.2011.583495
Chen, G. M., & Starosta, W. J. (2000). The development and validation of the intercultural sensitivity scale. Human Communication, 3, 1–15.
Hrona, N., Khomych, T., Semenog, O., Kharchenko, I., Yurchenko, A., & Semenikhina, O. (2024). Tools for the development of emotional intelligence: Cognitive native language teaching. International Journal of Instruction, 17(2), 599-616. https://doi.org/10.29333/iji.2024.17233a
Kharchenko, I. I., & Semenikhina, O. V. (2024). Culture of professional communication and emotional intelligence: Identifying connections. In Modern educational strategies under the influence of the development of the information society and European integration (pp. 526–576). https://doi.org/10.30525/978-9934-26-405-4-27
Klimova, B., & Chen, J. H. (2024). The impact of AI on enhancing students’ intercultural communication competence at the university level: A review study. Language Teaching Research Quarterly, 43, 102–120. https://doi.org/10.32038/ltrq.2024.43.06
Lamri, J., & Lubart, T. (2023). Reconciling hard skills and soft skills in a common framework: The Generic Skills Component Approach. Journal of Intelligence, 11(6), Article 107. https://doi.org/10.3390/jintelligence11060107
Li, J., Wu, N., & Xiong, S. (2021). Sustainable innovation in the context of organizational cultural diversity: The role of cultural intelligence and knowledge sharing. PLOS ONE, 16(5), Article e0250878. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0250878
Markey, K., Prosen, M., Martin, E., & Repo Jamal, H. (2021). Fostering an ethos of cultural humility development in nurturing inclusiveness and effective intercultural team working. Journal of Nursing Management, 29(8), 2724–2728. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13429
McLain, D. L. (2009). Evidence of the properties of an ambiguity tolerance measure: The Multiple Stimulus Types Ambiguity Tolerance Scale-II (MSTAT-II). Psychological Reports, 105(3), 975–988. https://doi.org/10.2466/PR0.105.3.975-988
Men, L. R., Qin, Y. S., Mitson, R., & Thelen, P. D. (2023). Engaging employees via an inclusive climate: The role of organizational diversity communication and cultural intelligence. Journal of Public Relations Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/1062726X.2023.2222859
Meneses-La-Riva, M. E., Fernández-Bedoya, V. H., Suyo-Vega, J. A., Ocupa-Cabrera, H. G., Grijalva-Salazar, R. V., & Ocupa-Meneses, G. D. D. (2025). Enhancing healthcare efficiency: The relationship between effective communication and teamwork among nurses in Peru. Nursing Reports, 15(2), Article 59. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep15020059
Omelyanenko, V., Kudrina, O., Semenikhina, O., Zihunov, V., Danilova, O., & Liskovetska, T. (2020). Conceptual aspects of modern innovation policy. European Journal of Sustainable Development, 9(2), 238–249. https://doi.org/10.14207/ejsd.2020.v9n2p238
Portalla, T., & Chen, G. M. (2010). The development and validation of the Intercultural Effectiveness Scale. Intercultural Communication Studies, 19(3).
Przytuła, S., Barzykowski, K., Tracz-Krupa, K., Cassar, V., & Said, E. (2024). Developing cross-cultural competence of students through short-term international mobility programme. International Journal of Training and Development, 28, 169–188. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijtd.12315
Rudenko, Y., Naboka, O., Petrenko, S., Ostroha, M., Pronikova, M., & Semenikhina, O. (2022). Using web quests in professional training student-managers. In 2022 45th International Convention on Information, Communication and Electronic Technology (MIPRO) (pp. 770–775). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.23919/MIPRO55190.2022.9803400
Santa, R., Moros, A., Morante, D., Rodríguez, D., & Scavarda, A. (2023). The impact of emotional intelligence on operational effectiveness: The mediating role of organizational citizenship behavior and leadership. PLOS ONE, 18(2), Article e0284752. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0284752
Semenikhina, O., & Drushlyak, M. (2026). The role of artificial intelligence in the career expectations of Ukrainian students: Implications for higher education. International Journal of Information Technology and Computer Science, 18(2), 19–30. https://doi.org/10.5815/ijitcs.2026.02.02
Semenog, O., Hrona, N., Khomych, T., Stasiuk, T., Yurchenko, A., & Semenikhina, O. (2024). Communicative Tasks as a Means of Developing the Emotional Intelligence of Students. International Journal of Modern Education and Computer Science (IJMECS), 16(4), 46-57. https://doi.org/10.5815/ijmecs.2024.04.04
Thomas, K. W., & Kilmann, R. H. (1974). Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument. Xicom.
Zhang, Q., & Hao, S. (2022). Construction project manager’s emotional intelligence and team effectiveness: The mediating role of team cohesion and the moderating effect of time. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, Article 845791. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.845791
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.