Ethnocentrism and intercultural willingness to communicate - A study of New Zealand management students
Abstract
The author investigated the level of ethnocentrism and the willingness to communicate interculturally of management students (N = 438) at a university in New Zealand. The 22-item Generalized Ethnocentrism (GENE) scale and the 12-item Intercultural Willingness to Communicate (IWTC) scale were used. Results show that respondents were not highly ethnocentric and were moderate in their willingness to communicate with people from other cultures. Respondents were also asked additional questions regarding intercultural interaction on campus and in the workplace. The results suggest that they recognized the importance of intercultural communication in the workplace but that their attitudes toward interaction with students from other cultures were not conducive to developing intercultural communication skills. Implications for educators are discussed.
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