A large number of industry reports and academic papers have repeatedly reported that communication skills – and skills related to them (e.g. working in diverse teams) – are highly sought after by employers. Yet at the same time, there are also reports that graduates are not always meeting employers’ expectations in this regard, including in their ability to function well in an increasingly globalising world. So, what is the problem? A newly published study by Dauber and Spencer-Oatey[1] explored the issue by researching which factors affect the development of global communication skills.
What are global communication skills?
Global communication skills (an aspect of global fitness, often referred to as intercultural communication skills or competence) are the skills needed to communicate effectively in culturally diverse or unfamiliar contexts. Many of these skills are identical to those needed for communicating in any context, but the authors explain that global communication skills also have some particular features.
Firstly, it’s important to note that global communication skills are not the same as foreign language skills. Foreign language skills refer to proficiency in one or more foreign languages. However, fluency in a language – whatever that language, whether mother tongue or additional language – does not automatically imply having a high level of skill in global communication. This is because the meaning of messages is not coded and decoded mechanistically via language signals (words and grammar), but rather requires the application of background knowledge and interpretation. When people do not share similar background knowledge, this can easily give rise to different interpretations of meaning and to misunderstandings.
To overcome such challenges, global communication skills require strategies such as active negotiation and checking of meaning, careful attuning to subtle signals and messages, and the gradual building of shared knowledge.
To learn more about global communication skills, see our book Global Fitness for Global People: How to manage and leverage cultural diversity at work and our blog Minimising misunderstanding – reducing risk Or get in touch if you’d like to know more. Just email GPC or Helen directly.
How can global communication skills be fostered?
The researchers investigated the impact of four main factors:
- The importance that students attached to developing global communication skills
- The extent to which students engaged with the diverse campus community
- The opportunities provided by the university for developing global communication skills (as perceived by students)
- Students’ engagement with developing their foreign language skills
The Study
The researchers collected data from 2359 students in seven different institutions located in five different countries (Belgium, Germany, Ireland, UK, and Uruguay), using the Global Education Profiler (GEP – developed at the University of Warwick and now licensed to Tribal’s i-graduate). The GEP is a diagnostic tool that enables universities to evaluate the extent to which they provide students with an internationalised university experience and the level of engagement that students have with the various facets of internationalisation.
Interested in exploring how successfully your own organisation is fostering global skills? GPC’s Global Fitness Profiler (GFP) provides valuable diagnostic data on diversity and globalisation to inform your organisation’s strategic planning. Find out more here and get in touch if you’d like to know more. Just email GPC or Helen directly.
What did they find?
The results showed that two factors were particularly important for fostering global communication skills:
- The importance that students attached to developing global communication skills
- The extent to which students engaged with the diverse campus community
The other two factors also contributed to the development of global communication skills, but to a lesser extent:
- The opportunities provided by the university for developing global communication skills (as perceived by students)
- Students’ engagement with developing their foreign language skills
The first factor might seem obvious. After all, it links with motivation and it is well known that motivation is important. However, most degree programmes aim primarily to socialise students into the styles of communication required for their discipline and it is unclear how far they actively foster the development of global communication skills.
Key takeaways
- Global communication skills are not the same as native (or near-native) speaker proficiency in a language – they need to be understood in their own right.
- Studies have repeatedly shown that many employers are dissatisfied with the global communication skills of their recruits.
- Students and professionals need to attach importance to global communication skills if they are to become ‘globally fit’ communicators and help meet employers’ needs.
- Students and professionals need to engage actively with members of a diverse community if they are to become ‘globally fit’ communicators and help meet employers’ needs.
- Organisations have a responsibility to provide suitable opportunities for fostering global communication skills.
Engagement with foreign language learning is also helpful.
Learning more about Global Communication Skills
If you would like to learn more about Global Communication Skills – what they are and how to foster them, see our latest book Global Fitness for Global People: How to manage and leverage cultural diversity at work If you would like to find out how successfully your organisation is fostering Global Communication Skills, and Global Fitness more broadly, get in touch. Just email GPC or Helen directly.
Professor Helen Spencer-Oatey, Managing Director
References / Notes
[1] Dauber, D., & Spencer-Oatey, H. (2023). Global communication skills: contextual factors fostering their development at internationalised higher education institutions. Studies in Higher Education, Online first. Available open access at https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2023.2182874.
