Mechanism of cross-national communication barriers between Chinese and Thai employees, a study of companies at the Eastern economic corridor of Thailand

Abstract

Scholars give different and inconsistent definitions of cross-national communication barriers. It is not beneficial for the research of cross-national communication barriers. To confirm the affecting factors of cross-national communication barriers, this research reviewed and summarized the potential factors through reviewing the articles. There are some factors are explored, for instance, personal emotion, communication attitude, communication atmosphere, culture traits, and individual traits. It is essential and valuable to research the communication barriers. Furthermore, the relationships between cross-national communication barriers and the affecting factors should be tested and be tested in this research.

In interpersonal communication, encoding, transmitting, and decoding are three key communication phases. Noises are the main influence factors in three phases. With conjoining the concept of mechanism, this research proposed the personal emotion, communication attitude, communication atmosphere, culture traits, and individual traits as noises and constructs the research framework. and all factors (personal emotion, communication attitude, communication atmosphere, culture traits, individual traits, encoding, transmitting, decoding, and cross-national communication barriers) are operationally measured. After the operational measurements of all factors, this research makes a questionnaire about cross-national communication barriers which includes questions to measure all factors.

This research targeted the employees of companies at the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) of Thailand. 516 valid questionnaires were collected. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to confirm all factors are measured and classified in correct. 13 factors are extracted. Every factor has a higher value of Cronbach’s Alpha. The analysis of Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) confirms the factors classify and measurement. Finally, the regressions and multi-group analyses in the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) test all effects and hypotheses.

Some effects are tested: the effects verbal communication on cross-national communication barriers; the effects of nonverbal communication on cross-national communication barriers; the effects of decoding on cross-national communication barriers; the effects of transmitting on cross-national communication barriers; The effects of personal emotion, communication atmosphere, communication attitude, intrinsic culture traits, special traits to other culture, conflict control, intercultural sensitivity, and Individual traits on verbal communication, nonverbal communication, decoding, transmitting, and cross-national communication barriers.

To decrease the cross-national communication barriers, the key capabilities of understanding special traits to other cultures need to be increased. The special traits to other cultures, both directly and indirectly, affect the cross-national communication barriers through verbal communication and decoding. Personal emotion and intrinsic cultural traits affect the cross-national communication barriers, but their effects are subtle. Verbal communication will increase the cross-national communication barriers, and the special traits to other cultures can decrease the verbal communication and decrease the cross-national communication barriers. In addition, verbal communication is affected by both personal emotion and special traits to other cultures. Nonverbal communication is affected by personal emotion, atmosphere, intrinsic culture traits, special traits to other cultures, conflict control, and Individual traits. The decoding is affected by personal emotion, atmosphere, attitude, intrinsic culture traits, special traits to other cultures, and conflict control. The transmitting is affected by personal emotion and atmosphere. Intercultural sensitivity has no influence on verbal communication, nonverbal communication, decoding, encoding, and cross-national communication barrier.