Love Me, Love My Class”: Instructor Perceptions of Rapport Building with Students across Cultures

Abstract

This study examined instructors’ perceptions of rapport-building strategies and motives across cultures. Open-ended data from 35 faculty, representing 14 countries, indicated that regardless of cultural background instructors perceived rapport with students as important. Findings revealed rapport building strategies used across countries. Theoretically, these results revealed that building rapport is motivated by rhetorical, relational, and motivational needs of students. These results provide a foundation for understanding rapport building behaviors.