Intercultural aspects of online communication a comparison of mandarin‐speaking, US, Egyptian and German user preferences

This paper sums up the results of a survey conducted with four samples of website users, i.e. young urban academics from the PR of China, the United States, Egypt and Germany. The survey analyses the ways in which users from such distinctly dissimilar cultural environments view websites. The websites researched are those of global operators that either offer international services, high price utility items or technologically advanced products. The results gained in the course of this research project demonstrate how the targeted users’ cultural environments may impact on their preferred navigation tools, their perceived quality of web designs and on the perception and processing of the information provided online. A brief overview of the consequences which derive from this culture‐bound user behaviour for corporate communication policies conclude this paper. First Published Online: 14 Oct 201

A Model For Developing Intercultural Competence : An Integrated Approach

Šaltinis neturi ISBN numerioGlobal citizens need to manage and work in multicultural teams, operating both face to face and at a distance. The skills and understanding required for such intercultural communication competence need to be applicable in real life, while also based on appropriate theory. A European Union funded curriculum development project has designed the ‘International Cross-cultural Communication’ (ICC) module, a course which aims to equip Masters Level students and managers with an appropriate balance of intercultural communication theory and management competences relating to project management and creative problem solving. Students learn to make familiar their own and others’ unknown differences and in so doing create cohesion amongst multicultural groups. This paper reports on the ICC module design: its underpinning theory; content; aims and learning outcomes; learning, teaching and assessment. The paper also provides details of on-line materials developed by the project, and discusses the experience of delivering the course and of bringing together international students, who collaborate face to face and remotely, using communications technology to facilitate global learningVytauto Didžiojo universiteta