How World Trade Centers, JET and International Education Consider Cultural Dimensions when Facilitating Intercultural Communication with Japanese

Abstract

Abstract Due to globalization, situations requiring intercultural communication skills such as cross-cultural business exchanges and foreign language teaching are more frequent and necessary. To provide a snapshot of how professionals currently practice intercultural communication, I researched how those from three case studies consider, intentionally or otherwise, cultural dimensions when interacting with those from Japan. Moreover, I speculated how these professionals and those in similar situations might be able to practice better intercultural communication skills. I preselected two interviewees from World Trade Centers, those that have taught in the Japan Exchange and Teaching program, (JET), and international education programs and performed loosely structured interviews through a process influenced by the incremental interview protocol, asking questions regarding how they consider five cultural dimensions: collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, assertiveness, context orientation and tightness. I conducted a thematic, qualitative analysis of interviewees responses through a method influenced by the general inductive approach. I found that context orientation was accounted for the most by interviewees and discovered a common trend in interviewees reluctance to rely too heavily on absolutes derived from cultural competencies. As such I recommend being aware of cultural dimensions theory, emphasizing consideration of context orientation and expressing cultural humility in similar situations.