ABSTRACT
A sresearchers, trainers, and/or practitioners, one ofour centralconcerns should be with increasing the effectiveness of thecommunication between members ofdifferent cultures. Indeed, much of the research in our field has attempted to describe the nature of intercultural effectiveness (ICE; Abe & Wiseman, 1983; Hammer, Gudykunst, & Wiseman, 1978), the dynamics of culture shock (Oberg, 1960; Taft, 1977), and relevant strategies for intercultural adjustment (Kealey, 1978; Useem & Donoghue, 1963). In their study of the literature on intercultural effectiveness, Kealey and Ruben (1983) suggest that there is a growing consensus in the research on the conceptualization of ICE. They posit that empathy, open-mindedness, and flexibility are important to intercultural effectiveness. Given our growing understanding of the nature of ICE, the next step in our inquiry should be to ascertain what individual differences are relevant to ICE. In other words, what type of person is more empathic, open-minded, and flexible in intercultural encounters?
