IAFOR Journal of Education: Studies in Education

Volume 11 – Issue 3 – 2023

Exploring Intercultural Communication as a Means to Promote Inclusivity
in Diverse Organisations: A Study in a South African University
Maria Mushaathoni
Tshwane University of Technology
South Africa

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Abstract
The paper aimed at exploring intercultural communication as a means to promote inclusivity
in diverse organisations. The study adopted a case study design with qualitative data. A semistructured interview guide with open-ended questions was utilised as the main data collection
tool from a sample of ten purposively selected professionals from the departments responsible
for transformation, employment equity, and diversity; human resources development,
corporate affairs, and marketing. The study’s findings showed that the university lacked a wellthought-out action plan for taking a deliberate approach to intercultural communication as ameans to promote inclusivity. In particular, the staff felt that there was no deliberate attempt toguarantee that intercultural communication was handled uniformly throughout the university
and that communication strategy documents did not offer direction regarding how successfulintercultural communication could take place. The university’s current practices in relation to
cultural awareness and training initiatives only focus on cultural diversity and should be
amplified to include raising awareness of how intercultural communication can unify people
who differ culturally towards a common purpose. Furthermore, the university should consider
expanding its current cultural diversity training programmes to include training on interculturalcommunication dimensions. Cultural awareness campaigns in the form of information fliers,
cultural events, and cultural training sessions should form an integral part of interculturalcommunication enhancement initiatives.
Keywords: culture, diversity, inclusivity, cultural diversity, intercultural communication,intercultural communication competence, intercultural communication enhancement, internal
communication

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Cultural diversity has an impact on many aspects of an employee’s work environment,
including how well they get along with co-workers who are different from them (Hellriegel etal., 2013; Smit et al., 2011). Organisational managers and executives must acknowledge that
their workforce comprises culturally diverse groups and that employee cultures affectcommunication. People’s behaviour is influenced by their diverse cultural backgrounds,
experiences, and perceptions, which are evident in how they interact and communicate witheach other (Penceliah, 2008; Nyathi-Saleshando, 2011).
Therefore, differences in cultures can lead to misunderstandings and consequently ineffective
communication. According to Roy and colleagues (2016), misunderstandings occur inintercultural communication simply because people have different perceptions andinterpretations of the same information. According to Green and colleagues (2018), perception
is more of a process in which each individual creates mental images. Green and colleagues(2018) further explain that perceptions drive communication decisions and understanding thisprocess helps us to avoid common perceptual problems. Roy and colleagues (2016) argue that
individual perceptions and cross-cultural communication are crucially shaped by culture. In
particular, they are shaped by culturally ingrained and infused beliefs, values, media,
worldviews, and language.
Since participants in intercultural communication come from a variety of cultural backgrounds,
cooperation is necessary for communication to be effective between all employees (Penceliah,
2008; Sadri & Flammia, 2011). Therefore, the significance of successful interculturalcommunication inside organisations should not be understated because it influences theorganisation’s goals and significantly affects how well it functions. Culturally diverse
organisations may struggle to function properly without effective communication. (Flammia,
2011). This emphasises the significance of a strategic and continuous effort to enhanceintercultural communication.
Organisations should foster a culture where work-related plans, work instructions, issues,
opinions, thoughts, and ideas are shared through effective communication in light of theknowledge that employees use communication to carry out their jobs. (Adu-Oppong & AgyinBirikorang, 2014; Hellriegel et al., 2013). It is of this view that an effective interculturalcommunication approach is important if everyone involved understands the goals and desired
outcomes and can work towards the successful execution of plans and tasks.
Organisations that manage intercultural communication benefit from such an approach.
Managing intercultural communication, including the understanding that cultural diversity has
a communicative purpose, helps culturally diverse organisations to improve interculturalcommunication competence, which is a requirement for employees from various cultural
backgrounds to work together to achieve a common purpose (Gudykunst, 2005; Sadri &Flammia, 2011). In order for organisations to respond to the challenges of interculturalcommunication, they must recognise the communication difficulties and needs of employees.
Hence the recognition and appreciation of cultural differences is the departure point of working

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towards enhancing intercultural communication thereby creating inclusivity within diverse
organisations.
The university’s existing strategy for dealing with intercultural communication challenges does
not support the uniform, concentrated, and coordinated strengthening of interculturalcommunication skills. Turning our attention to barriers of intercultural communication, Sadri
and Flammia (2011) show how encounter contexts can greatly impact whether or not theencounter results in the development of favourable attitudes towards people from different
cultural backgrounds. A preliminary review of the university’s strategic and policy documents,
as reported reveals that the university seems to lack a uniform intercultural communication
enhancement approach, which is necessary for its employees to clearly understand what theinstitutional strategic goals and desired outcomes are so that they can work to achieve them. It
is maintained that effective intercultural communication facilitates the achievement ofpredetermined goals and desired outcomes. The perceived absence of a common approach toissues of intercultural communication is, for the purpose of this study, considered to be a lessthan-ideal practice for the enhancement of intercultural communication to promote employees’
inclusivity, and is unlikely to help the university strategically and continuously improve
intercultural communication competence of its culturally diverse employees. The perceived
gap in the university’s current approach to intercultural communication issues calls for adifferent approach that could enhance intercultural communication so that employees fromdifferent cultural backgrounds could develop their intercultural communication skills andultimately help the university succeed.
By using a strategy appropriate to the university’s distinctive and culturally diverse
environment, the discovered intercultural communication deficit might be addressed. To startclosing the gap, it may be necessary to look into the presumptions driving suggestions for
improving intercultural communication within an organisation with diverse employees. This
study is therefore desirable to extend knowledge on how effective intercultural communication
promotes inclusivity in the workplace. Consequently, the paper sought to find answers to thefollowing research question, How does effective intercultural communication promote
inclusivity in the diverse organisation?
Literature Review
The Impact of Culture on the Intercultural Communication Environment
Culture, as a whole, consists of a set of beliefs, values, attitudes, and patterns of behaviour
shared by members of a social unit. In the context of internal communication, it is assumed thateach culture encourages a particular communication style, has the power to shape perception,and is regarded as the glue that bonds organisation members together (Hartnell, Ou. & Kinicki,
2011; Reisinger & Turner: 2012). As propounded, culture has an impact on behaviour andcommunication. Accordingly, culture and communication are inseparable, as culture is thefoundation of communication this is more prevalent when communication occurs between
individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds. When different cultures are involved,

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communication practices vary. It is indispensable for individuals to understand culturaldifferences, as culture tells us how to interpret the behaviour of others, including how tocommunicate effectively with individuals from other cultural backgrounds (Schmitz, 2012).
It is important to mention that there are different levels of culture, namely, 1) National culture,
the set of norms, behaviours, beliefs, and customs that exist among the population of asovereign nation; 2) Business culture, which represents the working style, accepted norms,
values, and beliefs of the sector within which an organisation operates; 3) Organisational
culture, which is a system of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs, which govern how
individuals behave in organisations; and 4) Occupational culture, which encompasses
associated values, norms, and characteristics of members of a particular occupational group(Westaby, Fowler, & Philips, 2020). Whatever cultural environment surrounds people helps toshape and form their attitudes, behaviour and readiness to respond to intercultural encounters(see Samovar & Porter, 2007). The university, for instance, is characterised by values, norms,
and characteristics that can be understood to be the foundation upon which its interculturalcommunication practices should be based.
In order to effectively improve intercultural communication, all university staff members must
be sensitive to the values, conventions, and traits that are likely to affect the institution’scommunication style. When workers switch from one cultural context and communication style
to another, they must comprehend the underlying meaning of culture (Littlejohn & Foss, 2009;
Schmitz, 2012). Gill and Orgad (2015) assert that cultural aspects show how the group sees its
own social system. In order to comprehend what dominant ideas, values, norms, and traits arebeing ingrained in the way communication occurs in a specific social situation, people must beable to recognise the factors that make up a particular culture.
Mushaathoni (2021) avers that though there might be more similarities than differences
regarding cultural elements among the university employees, and despite the many common
attributes employees share, there still exist cultural differences. As elucidated culturaldifferences also exist within a single race, language group, religious group, or nationality;
people are also differentiated by age, gender, socio-economic status, education, and exposure
to other cultures (ibid). Furthermore, (1) cultures have internal variations, and culturalawareness varies among individuals; (2) one’s own sense of cultural identity is not always
evident until you encounter another culture; (3) cultures continuously evolve; and (4)understanding another culture is a continuous process (Kagawa‐Singer et al., 2010; Samovar& Porter, 2007). It is imperative that decision-makers at the university have a sense of these
dynamics of culture, so that they ensure that appropriate measures that are aimed atenhancement of intercultural communication and improvement of intercultural communicationcompetence are in place.
It is important to stress that each generation passes on its culture to the following one and thatrituals, myths, and symbolism all serve to continually reinforce a particular culture. When it
comes to organisations, culture has a tremendous impact on how people think, act, and mostimportantly, how they view others. Given the impact culture has on communication, it becomes165

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imperative for organisations to recognise that culture teaches significant rules, rituals, andprocedures that are essential for interaction among employees.
The Process of Transformation to a Competent Intercultural Communicator
Compelling intercultural communicators are individuals who are (1) motivated, (2) possess a
wealth of knowledge to draw from, (3) have communication skills, and (4) have good moral
character – qualities that set them apart from others in the field and help them choose the mostsuitable path. Based on the criteria used in this paper, these attributes rank as the most crucial
fundamental prerequisites or facilitators of intercultural communication.
Motivation
Motivation, as it relates to intercultural communication competence, means that, as acommunicator, someone wants to interact with people from cultures different to their own, andfor that to happen successfully, they must desire to improve their ability to communicate
effectively across cultures. Feelings, intentions and actions are conditions that motivate or are
more likely to lead to an attitude conducive to individuals having a desire to become competentintercultural communicators. Feelings are the emotional states that are experienced whencommunicating with someone from a different culture. Intentions guide choices in a particularintercultural interaction – the goals, plans, objectives and desires that focus and direct
behaviour. Actions are the actual performance of behaviours that are regarded as appropriate
and effective during intercultural communication encounters. If people allow feelings ofanxiety, ethnocentrism and prejudice to control their actions, for example, they obviously lackthe motivation necessary to be effective communicators. Instead, individuals need to becommitted to the entire communication process. For employees in a culturally diverse
organisation to become competent intercultural communicators, they need to have positive
feelings about the process of personal transformation, and have intentions to transform and act
in a manner that reflects the desire to transform. It can, therefore, be concluded that motivation
plays an important role as an intercultural communication enabler for employees to becomecompetent intercultural communicators (Kiss, 2008; Samovar et al., 2012).
Knowledge
Knowledge relates to the cognitive aspect of intercultural communication competenceadvanced by Kim (2006). The cognitive aspect of intercultural communication competencerefers to the process by which people acquire knowledge that allows them to function
successfully and interact meaningfully with one another (Kim, 2002; Vevea, 2011). For
someone to interact meaningfully across cultures requires a fund of knowledge about cultures– other people’s and one’s own culture – and the context and the norms of appropriateness that
operate in specific cultures (Samovar et al., 2012). Without such knowledge, it is unlikely thatpeople will be able to select behaviours that are appropriate and enable them to achieveintercultural communication objectives. Penceliah (2008) mentions that knowledge of culture
and of fundamental principles of communication are essential propositions of intercultural

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interactions. Therefore, if we would like to communicate effectively, it becomes necessary for
us to know what culture is, how cultures vary and how culture affects behaviour. Thishighlights that the kinds of knowledge that are essential in intercultural communication include
culture-general and culture-specific information (Kiss, 2008). For organisations, knowledge ofdifferent cultural perspectives gives employees a broader understanding that different cultures
have different customs, standards, social norms and thought patterns, which is essential for
people to become competent intercultural communicators. Knowledge about cultures is,therefore, considered an aspect that is likely to make employees more receptive to initiatives
that are intended to make them become competent intercultural communicators.
SkillsSkills, in the context of this study, refer to skills required to communicate effectively withpeople of other cultures, which Kim (2006) refers to as the behavioural aspect of interculturalcommunication competence. Skills are displayed by intercultural effectiveness, which refers to
the cultivation of communication skills to accomplish specific goals; this is the ability torecognise communication rules, meet the contextual requirements of those rules and recognise
the rules in different contexts. The behavioural skills needed for reaching interculturaleffectiveness include language ability, behavioural flexibility, interaction management,
identity maintenance and relationship cultivation (Littlejohn & Foss, 2009). Skills are,therefore, the actual applications of specific acts that enable people to accomplish theirintercultural communication competence goals; skills are goal directed, because they must be
designed to accomplish something (Jandt, 2013; Samovar et al., 2012). Skills are needed toadapt to the rules of intercultural communication that are appropriate to organisational culture.
Employees need to have the ability to recognise communication rules, meet the contextual
requirements of those rules and recognise the rules in different contexts, as these are the skills
needed for individuals to improve their intercultural communication competence (see Kim,
2006; Samovar et al., 2012). It is assumed that gaining skills in effective interculturalcommunication can minimise intercultural communication conflicts and make it possible for
employees to become competent intercultural communicators.
Character
Character relates to the ability to understand, respect and appreciate cultural differences, andcould be referred to as the sum total of a person’s choices in an intercultural interaction, which
Kim (2002) refers to as affective aspects of intercultural communication competence. The key
is how someone acts out choices when they interact with people of other cultures, as thesechoices indicate character attributes, such as trustworthiness, integrity, honour, altruism,
sincerity and goodwill. A valid measuring instrument of intercultural sensitivity, based on theseelements, was developed by Littlejohn and Foss (2009). Littlejohn and Foss measureintercultural sensitivity by, amongst others, examining people’s open-mindedness concerning
the differences they encounter in other cultures, their flexibility concerning behaving in
unfamiliar cultures, and understanding of different ways they can behave, depending on theenvironment in which they find themselves.

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As far as intercultural communication in the context of an organisation is concerned, employees
need to have the ability to be flexible and to speak the language/s of communication used intheir respective organisations. As communication is interactive, an essential influence on its
effectiveness is people’s ability to understand, respect and appreciate culture varieties,
including their relationships with others. Employees should continuously attempt to understandthe ways communication varies across cultures, and apply these understandings to enhance
relationships, despite differences (Samovar et al., 2012). So, managing cultural differencessuch that employees become aware of and become open-minded about character attributes that
influence intercultural communication, has the likelihood of preparing employees to respondpositively to endeavours that seek to improve their intercultural communication competences.
It is clear that the focus of the attributes advanced by both Kim (2006) and Samovar andcolleagues (2012) can be referred to as intercultural communication enablers or co-requisites,
which capture attributes employees require in order for them to improve their interculturalcommunication competence. Accordingly, the discussion in this section shows that employees
in culturally diverse organisations require the following competences to become competentintercultural communicators and the ability to accommodate each other:• The ability to understand, respect and appreciate cultural differences.
• The ability to change behaviour and act in a way consistent with the culturalenvironment in which people find themselves.
• Possession of requisite cognitive information about different cultures, including one’s
own.
• The desire to improve the ability to effectively communicate across cultures.
To sum up the discussion in this section, motivation, knowledge, skills and character are
distinguished as intercultural communication competence enablers or co-requisites, which areimportant for employees in a culturally diverse organisation, to communicate meaningfully
across cultures. Motivation is considered to be at the root of an employee’s desire to improve
intercultural communication competence. It is maintained by this study that, if an employee is
not motivated to improve intercultural communication competence, the other three attributes
do not really matter. The pivotal conclusion is that motivation and other enablers/co-requisites
can improve intercultural communication competence, promote inclusivity and facilitateachievement of organisational success. Doing so requires culturally diverse organisations toinvest in ensuring that employees are motivated to become competent interculturalcommunicators, and use motivation as the foundation upon which to base the other attributes.
Theories of Intercultural Communication Adaptation
The guiding theories of adaptation are regarded as a guiding principle in relation to interculturalcommunication. The purpose of this section is to explain the meaning, nature, and challenges
of intercultural communication adaption, to help the researcher to understand and determine
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background and how this adaptation will assist them in promoting inclusivity amongst
individuals.
Intercultural Adaptation Contextualised
It is essential to start by indicating that words, such as assimilation, adjustment, acculturation,and even coping, are used by different sources interchangeably to describe how individuals
respond to their experiences of cultures other than their own, as all these terms refer to how
people from one culture react to prolonged contact with those of another culture (Lustig,
Koester, & Halualani, 2018). For Gudykunst (2005), intercultural adaptation is the process ofchange over time that takes place within individuals who have completed their primarysocialisation process in one culture and then come into continuous and prolonged first-handcontact with another, unfamiliar culture. Intercultural adaptation is also considered as an
expansion of one’s worldview to include behaviour and values appropriate to the host or
dominant culture (Bennett, 2005; Patel, Li, & Sooknanan, 2011). This perspective includes
physical, biological and social changes in people who are in the process of adapting to a newenvironment. Lustig and colleagues (2018) and Kim (2006) define intercultural adaptation as
the process by which people establish and maintain relatively stable, helpful and mutuallyshared relationships with others upon relocating to an unfamiliar setting.
Regarding how individuals adapt, Martin and Nakayama (2004) argue that characteristics,
including age, gender, preparation level and expectations, can influence how well they adapt.
Younger people may have an easier time adapting, because they are less fixed in their ideas,
beliefs and identities. In comparison, older people may have more trouble adapting, because
they are less flexible. In pursuit of assisting employees to respond to their experiences incultures different to their own, organisations must do so with due consideration of thecharacteristics of all their employees, including recognising and acknowledging how eachcharacteristic contributes to the manner in which individuals adapt to cultures that differ fromtheir own.
The intercultural adaptation operational definition provided above was approached from acommunication orientation, considering that enhancement of intercultural communication is
the focus of the study. Consistent with the operational definition provided, and in spite of theculturally diverse nature of organisations, it is argued in this study that, from a communication
point of reference, intercultural adaptation reduces cultural distance and increases interculturalcommunication competence. Central to the argument is acknowledging a need for employees
in culturally diverse organisations to respond to their experiences in a manner conducive tothem adapting to a new way of communicating and improve their intercultural communicationcompetence.
Theories of Intercultural Communication Adaptation
The section will now move on to the analysis and contextualisation of theories that explain
adaptation in the context of intercultural communication, to describe the way individuals
respond to their experiences in cultures other than their own.

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The Communication Adaptation Theory (CAT), Intercultural Adaptation Theory (IAT) andCo-Cultural Theory (CCT) are, for the purpose of this study, considered to be theories that
explain adaptation in the context of intercultural communication. Theories of interculturalcommunication adaptation provide a wide range of frameworks aimed at describing the way inwhich employees at an organisation respond to their experiences of cultures not similar totheirs.
Communication Adaptation (Accommodation) Theory
The CAT begins with the socio-historical context of the interaction, including the relations
between the groups having contact, and the social norms. The theory elaborates that the social
environment in which individuals interact also affects their communication behaviour, which
is a reflection of the extent of the influence the socio-historical context has on interculturalcommunication. At its foundational level, the CAT emphasises the cognitive and effective
processes that are fundamental to speech convergence or divergence, which are linguistic
moves to increase or decrease communication distance respectively. In terms of interculturalcommunication, individuals communicating across cultures use convergence and divergencestrategies to signal their attitudes towards each other and their respective social groups.
Convergence is a process in which individuals tend to adapt the other person’s communication
characteristics to reduce the social differences; it involves adjusting one’s communicative
behaviours to be similar to another’s. Divergence contradicts the method of adaptation andrelates to the social and nonverbal differences between people participating in an interculturalinteraction; it refers to adjusting one’s communicative behaviours to be more dissimilar toanother’s (Dragojevic, Gasiorek, & Giles, 2015).
In the context of organisations, the patterns of convergence indicate that, regardless of people’s
differences, it is practicable to enhance intercultural communication and achieve a focused andcommon manner of communicating across cultures. Achieving this requires culturally diverse
organisations to maintain a balance that normalises the process that helps to reduce theuncertainty that results when cultures collide (Ayoko, Hartel & Callan, 2002; MacIntyre, 2019;
Wiseman, 1995). To guide successful enhancement of intercultural communication, it is,therefore, a requirement for a culturally diverse organisation to strategically and continuously
ensure that intercultural communication competence is improved such that collision of cultures
could be avoided.
This component of the CAT relates to cases where intercultural communication is influenced
by the communicators’ accommodative orientation and tendencies, as an illustration,interpersonal or intergroup dynamics or a combination of the two (Ayoko et al., 2002; Giles &Ogay, 2007). Accordingly, employees’ accommodative orientation and tendencies motivate
their desire to improve intercultural communication competence. Employees enter interculturalinteractions with personal attitudes (interpersonal) and social (intergroup) identities as factorsthat shape intercultural communication. Moreover, the attitudes of individuals are determined
more by their immediate surroundings (immediate situation) than by the society within which
they find themselves. Therefore, recognition of the impact on the features of the immediate

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situation of employees is regarded essential for understanding the context within which
enhancement of intercultural communication could be successful, as the extent and nature ofadaptation depends on the influences of the immediate surroundings of people participating inintercultural communication (Giles & Ogay, 2007).
Socio-psychological states signify communicators’ interpersonal orientation and serve as
motivational aspects for adapting to the context of intercultural communication. MacIntyre(2019) contends that the motivational component was expanded, firstly, to incorporate theinitial socio-psychological states of speakers, or the extent to which speakers are motivated tomove towards each other at the outset of an interaction. Secondly, speaker strategies werereconceptualised because of addressee focus, or the way in which one speaker pays attention
to the behaviours of another and, accordingly, adjust their behaviour in order to fit into thecommunication style of the new cultural environment. Thirdly, MacIntyre (2019) expanded theconceptualisation of reactions to interactions to speaker behaviour. Finally, the latter part of
the CAT model was expanded to include an evaluation that interlocutors take away with them,which influences their future orientation to both the other person and other members of that
person’s group (MacIntyre, 2019). To enhance intercultural communication, it is necessary forculturally diverse organisations to embark on improving intercultural communication
effectiveness initiatives that are premeditated by interpersonal and intergroup attitudes of theiremployees. It is reasoned in this study that doing so could contribute to internal relationships
and promotion of a sense of belonging, and is more likely to make employees accommodate
each other and adopt a uniform style of communicating. That, during intercultural interactions,individuals use specific communication accommodative strategies, particularly convergenceand divergence.
A convergence approach is, in this study, suggested as the communication accommodative
strategy culturally diverse organisations should use to move colleagues of different cultures
towards each other, considering that its patterns reflect that, regardless of differences, it ispracticable to achieve a focused and common manner of communicating. Furthermore, forculturally diverse organisations to successfully enhance intercultural communication, theirsocial and historical contexts, and the cultural dynamics of the environment within which theorganisations concerned operate (immediate situation), should form the basis of theirintercultural communication enhancement framework.
Unlike CAT, which elaborates that socio-historic context and immediate situations influenceintercultural communication, the discussion to follow focuses on IAT, a theory designed todescribe a complex, long-term adaptation process in which stress serves as the necessary drivefor individuals to adapt their communication behaviours, specifically for working towards theachievement of a common purpose (purpose-related encounters).
Intercultural Adaptation Theory
From a communication perceptive, the IAT suggests that, during intercultural interaction,
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stressed, experience confusion, and as a result, practice ineffective communication. Through along-term adaptation process, stress-adaptation and growth dynamic subside, as individuals
achieve functional efficacy in interacting with the host environment. IAT holds that, in termsof communication, intercultural adaptation is a complex and long-term process, in which
individuals go through a journey characterised by stress, before they become capable ofcommunicating and functioning effectively in a culture other than the one they were originallysocialised to. Some individuals struggle to cope with the feelings of inadequacy and frustrationin the changed environment and this affects the way they communicate and function. Whenpeople enter an environment in which they no longer communicate and function effectively,
they attempt to change through stress adaptation and growth. In this context, stress, then, serves
as the necessary drive for people who find themselves in a new cultural environment, to adapt
their original cultural habits. In the context of communication, IAT is, therefore, used to explain
why stress serves as the necessary driver for individuals from different cultural backgrounds toadapt their communicative behaviours. From this perspective, stress serves as interculturalcommunication enabler or co-requisite, given that it motivates individuals who are strangers in
a new cultural environment to improve their ability to effectively communicate across cultures(Haslberger; 2005; Kim, 2006).
Of central importance and relevance is that employees at the university communicate with eachother for the purpose of working towards the achievement of a common vision and purpose
guided by the slogan that the university is A people’s university that makes knowledge work.
University’s vision is, therefore, a specific purpose that acts as the main guiding principle inrelation to what the institution hopes to become. From the IAT point of reference, the university
vision, therefore, serves as the specific purpose or main motive why all within the university,
despite different cultural backgrounds, should adapt to one another in interculturalcommunication encounters.
In the context of this study, and consistent with the main insight acquired from this section, allpeople at the university, despite cultural differences, must adapt their behaviours such that they
improve their intercultural communication competence and function effectively towards theachievement of that common vision and purpose.
The deduction from the discussion in this section is that, from the IAT standpoint, it ismaintained that the degree of intercultural communication adaptation and effectiveness isachieved based on (1) the extent to which stress serves as the driver for employees to adapt
their communicative behaviours and (2) a need for employees to adapt their communication
behaviours with the aim of working towards the achievement of a particular common purpose.
From the IAT standpoint, reduction of stress and unification of employees towards a common
purpose should be utilised as intercultural communication enhancement contributing factors orintercultural communication competence enablers.

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Co-Cultural Theory
In the context of CCT, co-cultural group members are individuals who are members of
traditionally marginalised groups, and the theory is specifically helpful for understanding themanner in which co-cultural group members are impacted, and the strategies they use, during
everyday communication with members of the dominant group. CCT offers a practicalframework for identifying and examining non-dominant-group members’ communicative
experiences, as it describes the communication process of those individuals traditionallymarginalised within dominant social structures. In the context of organisations, the theory,
therefore, holds that the degree of intercultural communication effectiveness that is achieved
is based on the value and importance of how employees who are marginalised communicate
with those who have direct access to power (Orbe, 2017).
Fundamentally, CCT provides a structure through which co-cultural group members negotiate
attempts by others to render their voices muted within dominant societal structures. In thecontext of internal communication. The approach co-cultural members choose, therefore,
determines the effectiveness of intercultural communication within an organisation (Orbe,
2017; Orbe & Roberts, 2012; Visagie, Linde, & Havenga, 2011).
An important aspect is the pursuit of enhanced intercultural communication, for which theinstitution needs an approach to communication that considers the perspective of protecting
non-dominant groups from being marginalised by dominant groups. From a standpoint theory
perspective, this can be achieved through inclusion of non-dominant-group members’ culturalexperiences in shaping the manner in which intercultural communication is enhanced such thatintercultural communication is improved (as discussed in a paragraph above). This approach ismore likely to contribute to internal relationships characterised by employee commitment – animperative that was distinguished as one of goals and desired outcomes of internal
communication.
To sum up the analysis and contextualisation of intercultural communication adaptation
theories, namely, CAT, which is regarded as a communication accommodation theory andexplains how socio-historic context influences intercultural communication; IAT, which
explains how communicators from diverse cultural backgrounds adapt to each other in purposerelated communication encounters; and CCT, which emphasises intercultural communicationinteractions among underrepresented and dominant-group members of organisations. Overall,
the analysis of intercultural communication adaptation theories assisted the researcher to gaina better understanding of how individuals respond to their experiences in other cultures during
intercultural communication encounters; an understanding essential for organisations to havea grasp of how intercultural communication could be enhanced.

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Methodology
Research Approach and Design
The study followed a qualitative approach and a case study design was used. Using a qualitative
research approach allows researchers to describe, decode, translate, and come to terms with themeaning of naturally occurring phenomena in a social setting (Brynard, Hanekom, & Brynard,
2014; Leedy & Ormrod, 2015) and was preceded by the semi-structured interviews. For the
purpose of this study, qualitative research is entailing the gathering and analysis of nonnumerical data to comprehend ideas, viewpoints, or past observations. As a result, thequalitative method was applied to develop fresh study concepts or to obtain a thorough graspof a problem (see Bhandari, 2020).
Instrument
The data was gathered through semi-structured interviews. A semi-structured interview is a
type of qualitative research technique in which participants are given the chance to respond toa planned set of open-ended questions. The researcher was guided during the semi-structured
interviews by a planned set of open-ended questions on an interview schedule based ontheoretical concepts (see Maree, 2011:87). The pre-set questions served as a means of gathering
data on the perspectives of experts in marketing, human resources development, employment
equity, and diversity, as well as corporate affairs and transformation, with regard to methodsof intercultural communication in the workplace. The goal of the semi-structured interviews
was to get accurate and trustworthy information from the participants during discussions on
the study’s subject. The goal was always to gather detailed, descriptive data that would aid theresearcher in comprehending the participants’ social realities and level of expertise.
Participants
Ten experts from the departments in charge of transformation, employment equality anddiversity, human resources development, corporate affairs, and marketing were among theparticipants, who were carefully chosen. Purposive sampling, according to Flick (2013), isemployed in unique circumstances when participants are chosen based on their level ofexpertise in a given topic. Because they had in-depth knowledge of the issues the researcher
was trying to investigate, professionals from the aforementioned departments were thus theones the researcher focused on. These individuals were chosen based on their deep knowledge
and comprehension of diversity management, training, and development: the manager incharge of human resources development (a black woman), the officer in charge oftransformation, employment equity, and diversity (a black man), and the manager in charge oftransformation, employment equity, and diversity (a black woman). Expert knowledge andunderstanding of communication dynamics led to the selection of the university spokesperson(a black woman), university brand manager (a white woman), deputy director of corporate
affairs and marketing (a black man) and four staff members (two black men and one white174

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man) in charge of writing electronic the university’s journal articles. Each participant possesses
the necessary qualifications or has a wealth of experience in institutional communication,
diversity management, and human resources development.
Data Analysis
Qualitative responses were analysed independently once all interviews had been conducted.
Analysis was followed by interpretation of the responses sourced through semi-structured
interviews for the purpose of arriving at informed conclusions. Consistent with Maree(2011:105), qualitative responses were analysed manually by transcribing all handwritten notes
and audio-recorded interviews. Viewpoints provided by the ten sampled professionals
regarding the university’s approaches to intercultural communication were carefully read andconstructs were identified accordingly.
Findings
Below the findings are elaborated according to the themes focused on in the study, namely,intercultural communication enablers, cultural elements and the stages of adaptation.
Intercultural Communication Enablers/Co-Requisites
Competent intercultural communicators are individuals who possess the desire to improve theirintercultural communication abilities, who are in possession of requisite information about
different cultures, have the ability to change their behaviour and act in a consistent way in each
cultural environment they find themselves in, and have the ability to understand and appreciate
cultural differences. As a result, organisations need to invest greater efforts in ensuring that
employees are empowered to become competent intercultural communicators, as doing so has
the potential to facilitate effective functioning of organisations.
Comments made by purposively selected professionals indicate that they acknowledged that
there are conditions that contribute as enabling factors for employees to improve interculturalcommunication competence to promote inclusivity.
As an illustration, Participant 4 suggested enablers or co-requisites that are important for
employees to become competent intercultural communicators:“One of the greatest weapons that you can give to employees is to make them feel thatthey matter; by so doing, you know that they will be motivated and encouraged. To
make people feel welcome, make people feel that they matter, make people know thatyou have their back, and make people feel that they are recognised. All these aspects
are essential to motivate and encourage people to become competent interculturalcommunicators”. [P4]175

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Participant 5 offered the following conditions, which are aligned with the enablers that wereidentified by the analysis of the literature:“Employees should be empowered with skills to become competent interculturalcommunicators. People who know that they are skilled enough to communicate acrosscultures easily express themselves in all situations they find themselves. The university
should also train employees regarding the primary language that is used forcommunication purposes.” [P5]Participant 10 gave a statement that is slightly different from what is argued about interculturalcommunication enablers; this participant commented as follows from a cultural integration andawareness viewpoint:“Cultural integration initiatives and awareness campaigns should also be conducted
throughout the year. New employees should also be oriented to ensure that they
understand that the institution they are joining is culturally diverse in nature and that
there exists a need for them to familiarise themselves with the new ways of doing things.
This approach could make them quickly form relationships and make social
connections with ease. [P10]The comments quoted above give substance to the theoretical argument that, for employees tobecome competent intercultural communicators, they require certain attributes and abilities.
Motivation, encouragement, empowering people with skills, training employees, andpresenting cultural integration initiatives and awareness campaigns are suggested as conditions
that are likely to enable employees to improve intercultural communication competence. The
conditions advanced by purposively selected professionals, specifically, motivation, skills,
knowledge and character are aligned with the enablers as conditions that are likely to contributeto helping individuals become competent intercultural communicators. The above assertions
are supported by (Kiss, 2008; Samovar et al., 2012), when they argue that motivation plays animportant role as an intercultural communication enabler for employees to become competentintercultural communicators.
It is assumed that the submission regarding cultural integration initiatives and culturalawareness campaigns as intercultural communication enablers was triggered by anunderstanding that the two conditions are likely to equip employees with knowledge about
different cultures that exist in the environment within which they operate, including their own
culture.
To operationalise the findings related to intercultural communication enablers/co-requisites,
managers at the university have the responsibility to distinguish enablers specific to theuniversity, and to employ them in their purposeful endeavours to enhance interculturalcommunication.

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Cultural Elements
Literature review findings show that cultural elements are contributing factors for effective
intercultural communication and that they direct the manner in which individuals communicate
across cultures. This assumption suggests that cultural elements play an important role inshaping and informing intercultural communication and that culturally diverse organisations
should be conscious of cultural elements that are likely to influence their communication styles.
Furthermore, literature states that elements such as norms, values, beliefs, cultural symbols andstories and rituals are core elements that guide and assist us to shape interculturalcommunication. Strategic Plan (2014–2019) analysis findings point out aspects, such as
integrity, respect, inclusion, honesty and dignity, are features distinguished as fundamentallyimperative for shaping intercultural communication at the university. These elements theuniversity should use as contributing factors in its efforts to enhance interculturalcommunication and to improve intercultural communication competence.
The responses sourced from purposively selected professionals reflect a certain level offamiliarity with cultural elements, which is reproduced in the literature and the university’s
strategic and policy documents, including an understanding of the values the university ascribesto.
For instance, Participant 10 mentioned,“If you share beliefs, norms and values, chances are understanding each otherduring intercultural encounters is possible as these elements inform how people
communicate. These elements make us to learn to understand each other duringcommunication encounters. People who share beliefs, norms and values also tend
to respect each other, maybe because it is a sign of belonging to same cultural
background” [10].
Two other participants also indicated familiarity with the importance of cultural elements inshaping intercultural communication, and gave the following responses.
“I would say respect, language and honesty. These are the basics of interculturalcommunication. Be honest and truthful to yourself and others”. [P4]“For me, I think language, traditions, attitude, values, respect, behaviour, habits
and the way we perceive things are the main cultural elements that influence theway we interact. One of the challenges that we face is that people hold on to what
they believe in and do not want to change that for anything, they have a sense ofentitlement”. [P9]177

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The strategic and policy document analysis findings presented in Section 4.4 in relation tosocial culture being both a perceived and experienced reality point to a need for the university
leadership to aggressively work to change the perspective to a reality that is experienced by all.
Despite documented consciousness, strategic and policy document analysis findings andpurposively selected professionals’ responses overall demonstrate that cultural elements
specific to the university are well documented and employees are familiar with the elements
fundamentally necessary for shaping intercultural communication at the university. Beliefs,
norms, language, values, respect, honesty, tradition, attitudes, habits and integrity are theaspects purposively selected professionals submitted as the elements they considered
fundamentally necessary in intercultural encounters. Having a communication framework that
is, amongst others, structured around the existing documented cultural elements that employees
are familiar with, places the institution at an advantage, and makes it more likely the university
will succeed in its efforts to improve intercultural communication effectiveness.
Stages of Adaptation
Purposively selected professionals referred to the following stages they believed individuals
go through before they adapt and become competent intercultural communicators. Participant
7 said,“When employees find themselves within environments, they are not familiar with, atthe beginning, they might find it strange not understanding what is required of them andmight feel intimidated. Nevertheless, if the environment is conducive for them to adapt
and there is a strategic way of integrating new employees to the new environment,
overtime, they become more used to the new environment, accept the new situation,and no longer feel threatened by it. As soon as they accept that the situation is what itis, they eventually integrate and adapt to the new situation” [P7].
Participant 6 explained,“Largely, as a new employee, you go through the normal and basic three stages ofchange. Firstly, finding yourself in a new working place make sort of being frustrated
by not knowing what is expected of you by everyone around you. Then you go into a
stage where you rather try to form friendship and relate to fellow colleagues. The laststage is asking yourself as to what you do with what you know. How you progress
through these stages is dependent on the kind of support you get from the institution. It
is important for the university to device ways and means of ensuring that employees aretaken by hand for them to navigate through these stages with easy” [P6].
Participant 1 said,“They start from a stage of fear and then they move on to a stage of slightly self-doubt.
You fear and then you express your doubts, after which you are slightly selfactualised. Then, depending on the environment, you become comfortable and start178

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interacting with your colleagues. It is only after one start feeling comfortable that you
slowly start feeling at home. This is then the stage at which you start adapting and get
integrated in the new environment, including understanding the way the newcolleagues communicate and do things in general” [P1].
Participant 8 said,“I think they go through a whole lot of stages. Firstly, they become shocked because
they do not know the environment. Depending on the attitudes of the individual
employee, the second stage will be grouping, that is identifying yourself with specificindividuals within the organisation. That is followed by acclimatising yourself withthe way the group you identify with do things. Thereafter, you observe what othergroups are like as compared to the group you identify with. Slowly you gel-in andstart behaving exactly the same way as everyone else in general behaves, and that
becomes the final stage where you then feel at home and start communication the way
each employee is expected to” [P8].
Though there are differences regarding the specific stages identified in responses provided bypurposively selected professionals, it is clear that they concur that employees go throughdifferent stages of adaptation before becoming competent intercultural communicators.
Frustration, fear and self-doubt, finding it strange, feeling intimidated and feeling shocked are
the experiences purposively selected professionals identified as those individuals go throughduring initial stages of their adaptation journey, namely, fascination and excitement, andanticipation stages of adaptation, and Lysgaard’s honeymoon stage. Forming friendship andrelating, self-actualisation and grouping, acclimatisation, gelling-in and feeling at home areexperiences that relate to Lysgaard’s recovery and integration stages, as are the acceptance,
integration and adaptation stages.
Discussion of Findings
Determining whether intercultural communication fosters inclusion in varied organisations was
the paper’s goal. The results of the research thus demonstrated that the institution did not havea well-thought-out plan of action for intentionally promoting intercultural conversation. Thiswas because the staff believed that there had been no systematic attempt to guarantee thatintercultural communication was managed consistently and that the institution’scommunication strategy documents provided no direction on how to facilitate effective
intercultural communication. This result is consistent with the Strategic Plan (2014–2019),
which did not identify cultural diversity as a strategic goal or even mention the need to set up
controls to direct the application of managing cultural diversity through improved interculturalcommunication.
The elements that are stated under findings coincide with what the literature asserts as guiding
aspects that are essential for assisting to shape effective intercultural communication. The
aspects staff submitted as elements necessary for informing intercultural encounters, namely,179

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integrity, respect, inclusion, dignity, beliefs, language, norms values, honesty, tradition,
attitudes and habits are the cultural aspects from which the university should choose what it
considers most relevant, and use these elements as contributing factors in its efforts to enhanceintercultural communication. The university should also take advantage of having employees
who acknowledge the content of documents that guide its strategic orientation, and use that asa path in its efforts to improve intercultural communication competence and move employeesof the institution towards inclusivity.
The findings also indicated that staff members thought management’s goals for improving theefficacy of cross-cultural communication should be governed by a policy statement. They thinkthat everyone at the university will be able to handle these challenges in a formal and consistentmanner by embracing a formal and consistent approach to intercultural communication.
According to the staff, the organisation needs an operational plan that outlines how interculturalcommunication can be used to unite staff members in pursuit of a single objective. The resultsof this study corroborate earlier research by Mmope (2016), who looked at the motivations
behind a conceptual framework for integrated intercultural staff communication for line
management of changed universities.
The findings of this paper also revealed that employees were of the view that the managementof cultural diversity and communication are essential elements to enhance interculturalcommunication so as to assist the university to develop and implement interculturalcommunication such that employees from various cultural backgrounds could improve
intercultural communication competence. This result is in line with Gumede’s (2016)
investigation into the existence of cultural diversity, whether it necessitates an organisational
response, whether managing cultural diversity affects performance, and, ultimately, what
approaches, techniques, and resources the Engen Refinery should employ to manage its
culturally diverse workforce. Even though the study found no problems with interculturalcommunication, it did highlight the significance of initiating team-building exercises and social
events to foster greater employee interaction, putting cultural diversity programmes andpolicies into place, and reorganising work teams to foster greater multiculturalism.
The study’s conclusions also showed how important it is to recognise and comprehend thephases people go through while trying to adjust to a new work environment. This result is
consistent with research conducted by Nhlapo (2013), who examined interculturalcommunication in information systems development teams across many businesses in theSouth African province of Gauteng. The study came to the conclusion that personality andculture could have an impact on how well people communicate. The study’s conclusions also
showed how important it is to recognise and comprehend the phases people go through while
trying to adjust to a new work environment. This result is consistent with research conductedby Nhlapo (2013), who examined intercultural communication in information systems
development teams across many businesses in the South African province of Gauteng. The
study came to the conclusion that personality and culture could have an impact on how wellpeople communicate. The study’s conclusions also showed how important it is to recognise180

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and comprehend the phases people go through while trying to adjust to a new work
environment.
The results demonstrate that the university values and acknowledges its cultural variety. As
workplace diversity dimensions that reflect the shape and influence of the university as an
institution of higher learning, the uniqueness of each individual, cultural diversity training,
institutional culture recognition, inclusion culture creation, and multilingualism promotion are
all acknowledged. For this reason, they have been prioritised in the aforementioned strategic
and policy documents. The results align with the literature review’s conclusion, which is thatan organisation can begin to systematically improve intercultural communication byacknowledging and comprehending the culturally diverse nature of modern organisations
thereby improving inclusivity amongst employees.
Conclusion
The goal of this paper was to explore the extent to which intercultural communication
contributes in promoting inclusivity in diverse organisations. The study suggests anintercultural communication strategy that could lead a culturally diverse organisation down apath of intercultural development that could ultimately lead to improved interculturalcommunication skills and a cohesive workforce. Complementary findings from multiple
sources helped the researcher to draw holistic conclusions that are relevant for the developmentof the plan, which is intended to be used as a tool for the university and other similarorganisations to become resilient in their pursuit of improving intercultural communication asa strategic and continuous priority.
The paper’s findings also show that intercultural communication variables have positive
relationships. This means that all staff members need to adjust to communication styles that
improve intercultural communication as a whole if diverse organisations are to strategicallyand continuously enhance intercultural communication and improve interculturalcommunication competence. The finding that intercultural communication adaptation has ahigher influence on other intercultural communication characteristics leads to the conclusionthat intercultural communication adaptation is a factor that is essential for varied organisations
to promote inclusion.
This study closed the gap and added to the volume of research that has been undertaken, andto the base of knowledge regarding enhancement of intercultural communication with thespecific purpose of improving intercultural communication competence and the promotion ofinclusivity, unifying employees towards a common purpose and achieving organisational
success, as ultimate outcomes.

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Corresponding author: Maria Mushaathoni
Email: mushaathonim1@tut.ac.za

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