The present study developed and assessed reliability and validity of a new instrument, the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS). Based on a review of the literature, 44 items thought to be important for intercultural sensitivity were generated. A sample of 414 college students rated these items and generated a 24-item final version of the…

Chinese have systematically practiced communication for over two thousand years, but from the Western perspective communication education and research in Chinese societies only began to burgeon in recent decades. In addition to summarizing the Western and traditional Chinese communication study and practice, this paper identified four problems…

The current rapid economic development in mainland China strongly demands that the world understand the People's Republic of China's (PRC) negotiating behaviors to ensure a successful business transaction. This study examined the PRC business negotiating behaviors by interviewing 16 Hong Kong businesspersons who have experiences in doing business…

The development of a "global village" strongly demands the ability of intercultural sensitivity between people for survival in the 21st century. Due to current lack of study on the subject, this paper aims to: (1) provide a conceptualization of intercultural sensitivity; (2) specify the role intercultural sensitivity plays in…

This paper analyzes the impact of harmony on Chinese conflict management and resolution. It explicates the philosophical foundation of harmony based on Chinese culture, and offers guidelines for Chinese conflict behaviors. Differences between Chinese conflict resolution styles and those of Western societies are also discussed. The paper then…

A study used the seven elements of B. D. Ruben's Intercultural Behavioral Assessment Indices (IBAI) to investigate the concept of intercultural communication competence. Subjects, 149 foreign students enrolled in a large midwestern university in the United States, completed five questionnaires designed to measure the seven elements of the IBAI…

A study investigated the relationships between social desirability (the tendency to seek socially and culturally approved behaviors) and argumentativeness, communication apprehension, and communication competence. Using R. Strahan and K. C. Gerbasi's Social Desirability Scales, from a pool of 259 undergraduate students, 70 students were identified…

Describes Confucianism, identifying it as a major cultural factor explaining the economic success of Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. Explores the impact of Confucianism on the organizational communication in these nations, based on four key principles of Confucian teachings: the hierarchial relationship, the family system,…

A study investigated the conceptual and functional meanings of the concept of conflict from the perspectives of United States culture (a low-context culture) and Chinese culture (a high-context culture). Subjects, 50 American and 48 Chinese graduate students in a midsize northeastern university, were interviewed using a semi-structured format to…

A study of 142 foreign college students staying in the United States examined the effects of communication adaptability and interaction involvement on cross-cultural adjustment. Further testing was conducted to investigate which of the components of communication adaptability and interaction involvement best predicted the dimensions of…

A pilot study examined problems encountered by foreign instructors teaching in American colleges. Fourteen Chinese-born instructors teaching in Speech Communication answered a questionnaire containing 12 open-ended questions. Recurring themes were coded from the answers, and then organized into three categories: cultural differences; linguistic…

Investigates the relationships between the dimensions and components of intercultural communication competence. Finds significant and positive correlations between and among measures of personal attributes, communication skills, psychological adaptation, and cultural awareness. (MS)

A study examined the difficulties Mainland Chinese students encountered in the process of adjusting to American culture. Subjects were 10 Mainland Chinese students enrolling in a mid-size public university, 8 females and 2 males. The length of time in America was from 10 months to 3 years, the average age was 27.9, and 6 were married. In-depth…

To determine which measures best predict the seven dimensions of the Intercultural Behavioral Assessment Indices, a study examined 149 international students (mainly from the Far East, Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Europe) at a large midwestern university in the spring of 1986. Average age was 27.5 years, and average length of stay in the United…

Employing participant observation methodology, this paper analyzes a 4-hour meeting held among the representatives of a large religious organization in Taiwan. The analysis focuses on the influence of seniority on the Chinese decision making process. Five components of decision making proposed by Stewart (1985) and Kume (1985) were used for the…