In the literature on cross-cultural communication, the terms 'cross-cultural communication', 'intercultural communication' and 'international communication' are frequently used interchangeably. Although 'cross-cultural communication' and 'intercultural communication' can be treated synonymously, an important distinction needs to be made between 'cross-cultural communication' and 'international communication'. 'International communication' takes place across political or national borders while 'cross-cultural communication' takes place across cultures.

Culture can be defined as a community's shared values, attitudes, behaviour and acts of communicating which are passed from one generation to the next. Communication means a goal-directed and context-bound exchange of meaning between two or more parties. In other words, communication takes place between people for a specific reason in a particular medium and environment. An American meets a Japanese to negotiate a business deal. The context in which the purpose of communication takes place can be either within the same culture or across different cultures. In the example given, the business negotiation takes place across different cultures. Communication is therefore a culture-bound activity. To communicate means expressing the uniqueness of one's cultural heritage, and this includes not only the verbal and non-verbal peculiarities but also the preferred medium and context of communication.

The scope of cross-cultural communication is extremely wide. It is a multidisciplinary field of study with roots in anthropology, sociology, psychology, cognition and linguistics, among other disciplines. In business and management, understanding cross-cultural communication is very important not only in managing people but in marketing between cultures. Growing economic convergence and the increasing globalization of the economy is making cross-cultural communication even more important than before.

Joo-Seng Tan