An Investigation into Iranian Employee’s Intercultural Communicative Competence: Does Learning English as a Foreign Language Help?

ABSTRACT Globalization has made English language skills and intercultural communicative competence (ICC) necessary for international and intercultural interactions in the context of business worldwide. The present study sought to survey and compare the levels of 200 Iranian employees’ ICC with a focus on the participants’ native culture and the cultures of the English speaking countries. The findings of this study revealed that, overall, the participants had a moderate level of ICC, and that female employees scored significantly higher on the ICC scale than their male counterparts. Further, this study found that although the participants believed English language learning had a moderate impact on developing their ICC, they viewed their English language classrooms ineffective in promoting cultural awareness. These findings were explained considering the socio-political influences on English language learning and teaching in Iran, the participants’ degree of English language proficiency, experience of visiting other countries and attending international business meetings, and the participants’ views of English and ICC effectiveness in their career progress, in addition to the impact of the changes in the gender roles in Iran. Implications and limitations are discussed.