Quality of Communication Experience: Definition, Measurement, and Implications for Intercultural Negotiations
Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 95, No. 3, pp. 469-487, 2010
19 Pages Posted: 29 Mar 2010 Last revised: 7 Jul 2011
Date Written: December 2, 2010
Abstract
In an increasingly globalized workplace, the ability to communicate effectively across cultures is critical. We propose that the quality of communication experienced by individuals plays a significant role in the outcomes of intercultural interactions, such as cross-border negotiations. In 4 studies, we developed and validated a multidimensional conceptualization of quality of communication experience (QCE) and examined its consequences in intracultural versus intercultural business negotiations. We proposed and found 3 dimensions of QCE - namely, Clarity, Responsiveness, and Comfort. Findings from intercultural and same-cultural negotiations supported the hypotheses that QCE is lower in intercultural negotiation than in intracultural negotiation and that a higher degree of QCE leads to better negotiation outcomes. Moreover, we found evidence that the beneficial effects of higher QCE on negotiation outcomes are more pronounced in intercultural than in intracultural negotiations. We propose an agenda for future research and identify implications for practice.
Keywords: quality of communication experience, intercultural negotiations, intracultural versus intercultural negotiation, cognitive, behavioral, and affective processes in negotiation, cross-cultural communication, cross-cultural negotiations
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