The Role of Communication in Bridging Cultural Gaps: Strategies for Leadership in Global Organizations

Zaccheaus Olufunminiyi Olonade; Olubunmi Comfort Ayodele-Akeroro; Abosede Mayowa Adeleke; Oluwatoyin Comfort Adegoke

doi:10.18290/rkult26172.3

Published : 2026-06-26

Vol. 17 No. 2 (2026)

The Role of Communication in Bridging Cultural Gaps: Strategies for Leadership in Global Organizations

Zaccheaus Olufunminiyi Olonade

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8815-5677

Olubunmi Comfort Ayodele-Akeroro

https://orcid.org/0009-0002-7185-4436

Abosede Mayowa Adeleke

https://orcid.org/0009-0002-6308-5083

Oluwatoyin Comfort Adegoke

https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5906-5446

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18290/rkult26172.3

Abstract

In today’s globalized business environment, effective communication serves as a cornerstone for leadership success across culturally diverse organizations. This study investigated the challenges leaders face in communicating across cultural boundaries in global organizations. It presented strategies for overcoming cultural barriers, emphasizing the importance of adaptability, empathy, and cross-cultural competence in leadership communication. Drawing on theories such as Hall’s context theory, Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory, the cultural intelligence (CQ) model, and the communication accommodation theory, the research highlighted how adaptive, inclusive, and context-sensitive communication fosters mutual understanding among culturally heterogeneous teams. Empirical evidences from cross-cultural leadership and global team studies demonstrated that leaders with high cultural intelligence, emotional sensitivity, and narrative competence that are used to manage diversity problems, leveraged on cultural differences for innovation. The findings revealed that communication is a tool for information exchange and also a method of identity formation, conflict resolution, and organizational cohesion. The study concluded that successful global leadership depends on integrating individual competencies such as CQ and empathy with organizational structures that institutionalize inclusive communication practices.

Keywords:

communication, cultural intelligence, organizational identity, inclusivity, adaptability, hermeneutics

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Olonade, Z. O., Ayodele-Akeroro, O. C., Adeleke, A. M., & Adegoke, O. C. (2026). The Role of Communication in Bridging Cultural Gaps: Strategies for Leadership in Global Organizations. Roczniki Kulturoznawcze, 17(2), 67–107. https://doi.org/10.18290/rkult26172.3

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