Cross-cultural communication is a process of creating and sharing meaning among people from different cultural backgrounds using a variety of means. The term cross-cultural communication is used interchangeably with intercultural communication at times. However, cross-cultural communication and intercultural communication are differentiated based on the focus of the research: whereas intercultural communication focuses on the interaction with different cultures, cross-cultural communication focuses more on the comparisons of different cultures. After providing a more thorough definition of cross-cultural communication, this entry offers a review of the inception of cross-cultural communication and a description of different approaches toward research. Major cross-cultural communication theories are then discussed, and considerations for those conducting cross-cultural research are provided.

Conventionally, culture, in the narrow sense, implies different ethnicities and races that developed their ...