Abstract:
1.1 Background of the study
Culture refers to the arts, customs, lifestyles, background and habits that characterize a society
while communication is the sharing and interpreting meaning and information using symbols and
behavior. Intercultural communication therefore involves understanding symbols, values and behaviors
since they vary across cultures and how they impact communication and interactions
among individuals. There is need for intercultural understanding in organizations especially with
the increased globalization as it makes intercultural communication an imperative for many individuals
and the organization itself. This understanding is to enable an individual to become competent
communicator in cross-cultural communication situation as communication is the backbone
of every organization.
This thesis reports the findings through the study to establish the impact of intercultural communication
in Maasai Mara University, how it has affected the functioning of the organization and
how its success can be employed by other organizations.
As a result of academics and employment in Maasai Mara University, there is increased number
of staff comprising of people from different cultures. Due to the increasing globalization and
cross-cultural interaction increases the importance of the realization of the successful intercultural
cooperation and interactions among the university staff members. In this context, the identification
of friction points and the improvement of the potentials of intercultural communication
in Maasai Mara University is an important project that will enable to establish the positive and
negative impacts of intercultural communication. On the basis of the research study the author
shows that the formation of a culture that allows compromise can be considered as a possible
success factor. The recognition and acknowledgment of cultural differences is an important prerequisite
for the academic and cooperation success of Maasai Mara University. The author believes
that establishing the impact of the intercultural (or the cultural society) communication influences
the understanding of the management systems and communications in the university
and has a significant impact on the university's success through the intercultural communication
of the staffs