Research presentation and dissemination: A study of communicative interactions of expatriates in an international joint-venture

Juana Du was awarded a Research and Professional Development grant to research intercultural training of expatriates through communicative action in a joint venture.

Much scholarly attention has been emphasized on language training, to prepare expatriates to communicate effectively during their international assignments. While language proficiency matters, it is observed that mastering of the host language is not necessarily leading to effective communication. Questions remain such as: how does the understanding of communicative action contribute to the intercultural training of expatriates? The researcher conducts 40 in-depth interviews with Chinese expatriates working in a joint venture in Abu Dhabi, and analyzes the communicative interaction scenarios. The complexity of intercultural/ organizational context of communicative action is highlighted. The research findings have several important practical implications.