Assumptions motivating a framework to enhance intercultural communication within a diverse organisation : the case of Tshwane University of Technology

Abstract

The composition of the South African workforce has changed and many organisations employ people from different cultural backgrounds. Cultural diversity affects behaviour and, regarding organisations, its impact also becomes evident in the way employees communicate with each other as they struggle to identify how they relate to colleagues who are different to them. Organisations that manage intercultural communication benefit from such an approach, as they are more likely to improve intercultural communication competence of employees. Without effective intercultural communication, culturally diverse organisations, such as TUT, cannot effectively function, which is why its strategic and continuous enhancement is important. This study maintains that strategic and continuous enhancement of intercultural communication is one possible way of improving intercultural competence and ultimately assisting an organisation to achieve success. The study suggests that intercultural communication needs to align with the strategic orientation of an organisation. Accordingly, the study argues that the strategic orientation of an organisation ought to serve as the specific purpose or main motive for why employees, despite different cultural backgrounds, need to adapt to one another in intercultural communication encounters. It is assumed that strategy-aligned intercultural communication enhancement endeavours could improve intercultural communication competence of employees, including the overall effectiveness of a team, in that it allows coherence and integration between strategic priorities of an organisation and the goals and desired outcomes of internal communication. In view of this assumption, the following general research question guided the study: What are the assumptions motivating a communication framework to assist Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) to enhance intercultural communication such that employees from various cultural backgrounds could improve intercultural communication competence, and ultimately assist the university to achieve success? The study’s design was divided into three parts. First, the conceptualisation of the study involved a literature review that was intended to extract theories pertinent to intercultural communication adaptation principles. Second, an empirical study that followed a mixed methods research approach was conducted to explore TUT’s intercultural communication and approaches and practices. Phase 1 of the empirical study involved content analysis of TUT’s strategic and policy

documents. A significant finding from content analysis results is that, even though TUT, currently, values cultural diversity and recognises it as a strategic priority, there is no strategic emphasis on enhancing intercultural communication to assist employees to improve their intercultural communication competence. Phase 2 of the empirical study involved extracting information and data by means of semi-structured interviews and an online survey respectively. The findings pertaining to information sourced through semi-structured interviews overall point to a need for TUT to develop and implement a framework to assist the university to enhance intercultural communication. The conclusions drawn from findings of the online survey emphasised the need for TUT to utilise intercultural communication adaptation as a foundation for its intercultural communication enhancement endeavours. This finding supports the literature review finding that the extent to which intercultural communication effectiveness is achieved is based on the extent to which intercultural communication adaptation determinants are inculcated in an internal communication strategy. In the third part of the study, the assumptions motivating a framework to enhance intercultural communication within a culturally diverse organisation, specifically TUT, were identified based on the literature review and empirical findings and conclusions. Overall, the current study argues that following a common approach to issues of intercultural communication, including its enhancement, could assist a culturally diverse organisation to improve intercultural communication competence and offer it a common basis for increasing effectiveness of a team, unifying employees towards a common purpose and achieving success. With strategy alignment and continuous enhancement as guiding principles, informed by assumptions motivating a framework that the study proposes as its main contribution, the study adds to the volume of research that has been conducted, and to the knowledge base regarding enhancement of intercultural communication, with the primary purpose of improving intercultural communication competence.