Title: Culture, communication skills and intellectual capital: a theoretical framework

Authors: Saeed Askary; Nudrat Qayyum; Rick Van Sant

Addresses: Department of Accounting, College of Business Administration, Abu Dhabi University, P.O. Box 59911, United Arab Emirates ' University College, Abu Dhabi University, P.O. Box 59911, United Arab Emirates ' Center for International Understanding, The University of North Carolina, 68 TW Alexander Drive, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, 27709, USA

Abstract: This paper focuses on analysing communication skills within socio-cultural values developed by Hofestede (1980) and measuring their effects on intellectual capital. The emerging global business environment including different employees from different cultural backgrounds, provides a rich opportunity for further research in the role of culture on communication skills and intellectual capital. This study explores a positive relationship between culture, effective communication skills and strong intellectual capital for sustainability within an organisation. We theorise that the educational environment for all students would be highly improved by developing their communication skills and intensifying their intellectual capital when the cultural values focus on enhanced collectivism, reduced uncertainty avoidance, and reduced power distance. In turn, the educational environment for all students would be less effective when the cultural values have tendency towards more individualism, lesser uncertainty avoidance, and bigger power distance.

Keywords: academic environment; communication skills; culture; intellectual capital; theoretical framework; socio-cultural values; Hofestede; sustainability; collectivism; uncertainty avoidance; power distance; higher education.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHES.2015.073453

International Journal of Higher Education and Sustainability, 2015 Vol.1 No.1, pp.88 - 101

Received: 30 Oct 2014
Accepted: 10 Feb 2015
Published online: 09 Dec 2015 *

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