Intercultural Competence and the Use of Humor in the International Management Context

This article falls within sociology, anthropology, linguistics and intercultural pragmatics. It is focused on intercultural competences and, more specifically, on humor as a communication strategy in the international workplace. Our goal is to provide an insight into the advantages and limits of humor in interactions between people of different affiliations. In this sense, the article aims at reflecting on the key skills of managers who work in complex social contexts. We first present an inventory of research papers on the subject of humor in international management. Then, based on a case study from an empirical research project, we examine the functions and effects of humor during the verbal and non verbal interactions of a multicultural team. In the end we address the question of the communication skills that are needed for working on the international stage.