The Art of Intercultural Business Communication: A Competency-Based Approach

This book examines intercultural business communication issues and practices from a global and interdisciplinary perspective with an Asian focus, which is essential to any contemporary study on business communication. It broadens reader’s understanding of language, culture, and international business and equips them with intercultural business communication tools.

The authors incorporate frameworks from business, management, and communication disciplines. The book comprises three parts. The first six chapters focus on developing theoretical frameworks and application for language, culture, and international business streams. Chapters 7 and 8 address the link-pin communication theories and practices. Link pin is the bilingual communicator standing between primary communicators and relaying messages back and forth in an interactive communication process. Chapter 9 discusses (intercultural) business communication in the digital age. The book concludes by revisiting and integrating universal theories to move toward global situational theories meeting this ever-changing intercultural environment. Approaching business communication from the individual, organizational, and industry levels, the book’s integrated conceptual framework allows readers to progress to more advanced business communication concepts in a staged way. Readers will gain an appreciation of the underlying theories of business communication and practical guidelines to apply the frameworks to meet their own commercial needs.

This book is an essential guide for practitioners and researchers in today’s global business environment. It also benefits students with majors in intercultural business communication and international business.

Bertha Du-Babcock is Chair Professor of Wenzao Ursuline University of Languages. Her teaching included universities in China, Hong Kong, and Japan. Du-Babcock’s research focuses on theory development and teaching innovations in intercultural business communication. She has authored 48 journal articles, 8 books, and 13 chapters.

Richard D. Babcock is Emeritus Professor of Management at the University of San Francisco. His research focuses on developing theoretical frameworks relating language and culture in global business contexts. He has extensive consulting experience, including clients from 25 US-based and international organizations (Johnson & Johnson).