Mapping Intercultural Communicative Competence Requirements In The Multinational Electronics Industry: The Case Of Samsung Sinova, Algeria
Auteurs : Lakehal Ayat Lina . Boudinar Somia .
Résumé
Algeria’s multinational businesses are blooming, the electronics sector in Sétif specifically, where managers communicate with international partners on daily tasks on multiple cultural levels, which is what English for Specific Purposes (ESP) and intercultural communicative competence (ICC) frameworks have yet to investigate. This study examines the ICC needs of managers at Samsung Sinova, the communication challenges they report with international partners, and their priorities for targeted training and development. A mixed-methods needs analysis combined a questionnaire for 50 managers with semi-structured interviews of HR representatives and team supervisors. Findings suggest that while managers consider their English adequate for routine tasks, it appears to be lacking cultural sensitivity, pointing to a possible gap between perceived and actual ICC. Intercultural competence was acquired primarily through informal experience rather than systematic formal development, despite managers’ reported openness to ICC-focused training. These findings may contribute to ICC workplace research by showing how informal acquisition can dominate in an under-studied industrial context, and to ESP curriculum design by highlighting the value of context-specific programmes that integrate business English with intercultural awareness, adaptive communication strategies, and relational skills to support multinational collaboration.
Mots clés
Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) ; Needs Analysis ; English for Specific Purposes (ESP) ; Multinational Electronics Industry ; Workplace Communication
