Year
2025
Abstract
This study discusses the role of intercultural communication competencies of leaders in the context of multinational companies in Indonesia. The background is a multicultural global business landscape, where the ability to communicate across cultures is key to organizational success. The objectives of this research are to identify the forms of intercultural communication competencies that emerge in interactions between foreign leaders and local employees, to explore leaders' communication adaptation strategies in the Indonesian cultural context, and to analyze how local cultural dimensions such as high communication context, power distance, and collectivism influence the effectiveness of leadership and communication styles of multinational company leaders in Indonesia. The method used was qualitative phenomenological through in-depth interviews with teen multinational employees and tree intercultural communication experts. Thematic analysis revealed several key findings. First, there are fundamental differences between high-context (Indonesian) and low-context (Western) communication styles that often lead to misunderstandings. Second, successful leaders demonstrate adaptive strategies, such as using cultural intelligence (CI) with its cognitive, motivational, and behavioral dimensions to adjust their communication styles. Third, five core competencies were identified as the foundation of effective cross-cultural leadership: cultural self-awareness, openness, cultural sensory perception, global perspective, and adaptability. The practical implications of this research emphasize the importance of contextual training, CQ development, and awareness of local cultural dimensions (e.g., power distance, collectivism) in multinational leadership programs. These findings enrich the literature with an Indonesian context and provide practical direction for strengthening intercultural communication competencies in global organizations.
Keywords:
Intercultural communication competence, leaders, multinational companies
Recommended Citation
S.E., M.M., Andi Kurniawati and , MIR, Dr. Fuad Mas'ud, "Communication Competency and Intercultural Adaptation of Multinational Company Leaders in The Local Cultural Context" (2026). International Conference on Business and Management Research (ICBMR). 34.
https://scholarhub.ui.ac.id/icbmr/2025/1/34
Included in
Business and Corporate Communications Commons, Human Resources Management Commons, Leadership Commons
Communication Competency and Intercultural Adaptation of Multinational Company Leaders in The Local Cultural Context
This study discusses the role of intercultural communication competencies of leaders in the context of multinational companies in Indonesia. The background is a multicultural global business landscape, where the ability to communicate across cultures is key to organizational success. The objectives of this research are to identify the forms of intercultural communication competencies that emerge in interactions between foreign leaders and local employees, to explore leaders' communication adaptation strategies in the Indonesian cultural context, and to analyze how local cultural dimensions such as high communication context, power distance, and collectivism influence the effectiveness of leadership and communication styles of multinational company leaders in Indonesia. The method used was qualitative phenomenological through in-depth interviews with teen multinational employees and tree intercultural communication experts. Thematic analysis revealed several key findings. First, there are fundamental differences between high-context (Indonesian) and low-context (Western) communication styles that often lead to misunderstandings. Second, successful leaders demonstrate adaptive strategies, such as using cultural intelligence (CI) with its cognitive, motivational, and behavioral dimensions to adjust their communication styles. Third, five core competencies were identified as the foundation of effective cross-cultural leadership: cultural self-awareness, openness, cultural sensory perception, global perspective, and adaptability. The practical implications of this research emphasize the importance of contextual training, CQ development, and awareness of local cultural dimensions (e.g., power distance, collectivism) in multinational leadership programs. These findings enrich the literature with an Indonesian context and provide practical direction for strengthening intercultural communication competencies in global organizations.