Assessment of Cross-Cultural Communication Adaptability as a Marketing Tool for Entrepreneurs
Abstract
This study is carried out to assess how entrepreneurs adapt to cross-cultural communication as a veritable marketing tool to perform their business operations profitably. The Study seeks to measure the relationship between an entrepreneur's adaptability in cross-cultural communication and the corresponding effectiveness of their marketing strategies. Additionally, this research aims to assess current levels of adaptability among entrepreneurs to determine how effectively they navigate diverse linguistic and social landscapes to enhance consumer resonance. Data were collected from a sample of 250 transnational entrepreneurs with qualitative semi-structured interviews. This enables the assessment of communicative behavioral patterns and the resultant marketing performance. Purposive sampling was adopted to ensure participants demonstrate significant transnational mobility and cross-border commercial engagement. The investigation reveals that high levels of cultural adaptability significantly enhance marketing outcomes by allowing entrepreneurs to decode and leverage heterogeneous social cues. Moreover, the results confirm that distinct entrepreneurial traits, such as proactive self-efficacy and resilience, serve as critical amplifiers that magnify the influence of communicative agility on overall market entry performance. Key Words: Cross-cultural, Communication, Adaptability, Marketing, Entrepreneurs, Tool
Keywords
Cross-culturalCommunicationAdaptabilityMarketingEntrepreneursTool
References
Adejare, B. O., Udofia, E. E., & Olaore, G. O. (2023). Strategy integration, sustainable drivers of firm internationalization performance—Moderated by environmental uncertainty and firm capabilities. Journal of International Entrepreneurship, 21(3), 301– 328. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10843-023-00328-3 Adjabeng, F. N., Kwadwo, O. A., Osei, F., & Boakye, E. Y. (2022). Effect of Entrepreneurial Capabilities and Cultural Diversity on SMEs’ Performance. American Journal of Industrial and Business Management, 12(11), 1629– 1649. https://doi.org/10.4236/ajibm.2022.1211089 Alegbeleye, E. O. (2025). Cultural dynamics and business strategies in international markets. Journal of Management and Business Education, 8(2), 344– 362. https://doi.org/10.35564/jmbe.2025.0019 Anglani, F., Pennetta, S., Reaiche, C., & Boyle, S. (2023). Crossing digital frontiers with cultural intelligence - a new paradigm for project managers. International Journal of Project Management, 41(8), 102543–102543. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijproman.2023.102543 Bailey, A. V. G., & Campbell, B. A. (2026). Uneven gains: understanding LOF and multiculturalism impacts for immigrant and native-founded firms. Small Business Economics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-026-01193-9 Burnell, D., Preedom, J., Fisher, G., Grimes, M., Hampel, C. E., Snihur, Y., Soublière, J., & Whitbeck, J. (2025). The Art of Lean Startup: A Conversation About Experimental Strategy and Cultural Entrepreneurship. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2025(1). https://doi.org/10.5465/amproc.2025.24655symposium Chotisarn, N., Thonglor, R., & Phuthong, T. (2025). Inclusivity in Focus: Patterns, Progress, and Pathways in Diversity Marketing Research – A Bibliometric Analysis. International Review of Management and Marketing, 15(6), 171– 190. https://doi.org/10.32479/irmm.19843 Chrisben, D., Tettey, D. J., Amarachi, S. W., Lawrence, K., Samuel, D., & Azumah, N. C. (2025). Entrepreneurial adaptability in Cross-border startups: Navigating institutional voids in developing business environments. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 25(3), 2379–2396. https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2025.25.3.1006 Clark, D. R., & Li, D. (2024). Cross-cultural arbitrage through acculturation: the opportunity lens of transnational entrepreneurs. Cross Cultural & Strategic Management, 33(1), 15– 38. https://doi.org/10.1108/ccsm-08-2023-0162 Crick, J. M., Crick, D., & Ferrigno, G. (2023). Coopetition and the marketing/entrepreneurship interface in an international arena. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, 31, 414–455. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijebr-01-2022-0099 Cristiano, T. D. A. (2023). A model of cultural intelligence to reduce deficit talent: A comparative study between Taiwan and Vietnam. International Journal of Sociology and Anthropology, 15(1), 24–40. https://doi.org/10.5897/ijsa2022.0954 Cumming, D. J., & Sewaid, A. (2024). Culture, international stakeholders, and crowdfunding. Global Strategy Journal, 15(1), 184–216. https://doi.org/10.1002/gsj.1514 Dong, T. H., & Li, X. (2024). Integrating intrapreneurial self-capital, cultural intelligence, and gender in Chinese international education: pathways to flourishing. Frontiers in Psychology, 15, 1358055–1358055. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1358055 Elo, M., Ermolaeva, L., Ivanova-Gongne, M., & Klishevich, D. (2022). Resilience and business model adaptation in turbulent times: experiences of Russophone migrant entrepreneurs in Germany during Covid-pandemic. Small Enterprise Research, 29(3), 250– 272. https://doi.org/10.1080/13215906.2022.2134916 Elo, M., & Silva, S. C. e. (2022). Who creates international marketing agility? Diasporic agility guiding new market entry processes in emerging contexts. Thunderbird International Business Review, 64(5), 443–463. https://doi.org/10.1002/tie.22284 Falchetti, D., Cattani, G., & Ferriani, S. (2021). Start with “Why,” but only if you have to: The strategic framing of novel ideas across different audiences. Archivio Istituzionale Della Ricerca (Alma Mater Studiorum Università Di Bologna), 43(1), 130– 159. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.3329 Faroque, A. R., Kuivalainen, O., Ahmed, J. U., Rahman, M., Roy, H., Ali, M. Y., & Mostafiz, M. I. (2021). Performance implications of export assistance: the mediating role of export entrepreneurship. International Marketing Review, 38(6), 1370– 1399. https://doi.org/10.1108/imr-07-2020-0141 Fregidou‐Malama, M., Chowdhury, E. H., & Hyder, A. S. (2022). International marketing strategy of emerging market firms: the case of Bangladesh. Journal of Asia Business Studies, 17(4), 804–823. https://doi.org/10.1108/jabs-12-2021-0504 Gao, S. (2025). Digital marketing tools and digital transformation capability as a factor in enhancing business performance in China and Kazakhstan. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 36929–36929. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-20967-x Gölgeci̇, İ., Arslan, A., Kentošová, V., Callaghan, D., & Pereira, V. (2023). The role of marketing agility and risk propensity in resilience and survival of eastern European immigrant entrepreneurs in Denmark. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, 31, 498–530. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijebr-03-2022-0214 Haddad, E. (2024). Leveraging social media, big data, and smart technologies for intercultural communication and effective leadership: Empirical study at the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship. International Journal of Data and Network Science, 8(2), 857–870. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.ijdns.2023.12.019 Hazzam, J., & Wilkins, S. (2021). International marketing capabilities development: The role of firm cultural intelligence and social media technologies. The Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, 30(3), 325–341. https://doi.org/10.1080/10696679.2021.1946409 Hazzam, J., Wilkins, S., & Strong, C. (2022). The impact of social media technologies on organization cultural intelligence and new product development in international markets. Cross Cultural & Strategic Management, 30(2), 272– 300. https://doi.org/10.1108/ccsm-03-2022-0046 Jafari‐Sadeghi, V., Mahdiraji, H. A., Busso, D., & Yahiaoui, D. (2021). Towards agility in international high-tech SMEs: Exploring key drivers and main outcomes of dynamic capabilities. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 174, 121272– 121272. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121272 Joardar, A., & Wu, S. (2022). A Reexamination of Antecedents of Entrepreneur Performance During Covid-19 Pandemic. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2022(1). https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.2022.10576abstract Joardar, A., & Wu, S. (2025). An examination of impact of immigrant entrepreneur cultural intelligence on performance during crisis. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management, 25(2), 531–554. https://doi.org/10.1177/14705958251340545 Kaiser, M., & Kuckertz, A. (2023). Bibliometrically mapping the research field of entrepreneurial communication: where we stand and where we need to go. Management Review Quarterly, 74(4), 2087–2120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11301-023-00355-3 Kalvapalle, S., Phillips, N., & Cornelissen, J. (2024). Entrepreneurial Pitching: A Critical Review and Integrative Framework. eScholarship (California Digital Library), 18(2), 550– 599. https://doi.org/10.5465/annals.2022.0066 Khattab, S. M., & Liu, S. (2026). Cultural Intelligence and Innovation Performance among Arab Entrepreneurs in China: The Moderating Role of Learning Agility. International Journal of Science and Business, 50(1), 65–76. https://doi.org/10.58970/ijsb.2655 Korry, P. D. P., Armanu, A., Sudjatno, S., & Wijayanti, R. (2024). Investigating entrepreneurial resilience toward sustainable competitive advantage: Does local culture matter? Uncertain Supply Chain Management, 12(2), 801–814. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.uscm.2024.1.006 Kreutzer, K. (2022). On the Discursive Construction of Social Entrepreneurship in Pitch Situations: The Intertextual Reproduction of Business and Social Discourse by Presenters and Their Audience. Journal of Business Ethics, 179(4), 1071– 1090. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-022-05161-7 Kurniawan, P. C., Sadali, A., Ismanto, K., & Rosyada, M. (2025). Harmony in Diversity. Dialogue and Universalism, 35(2), 195–213. https://doi.org/10.5840/du202535225 Magni, D. (2026). Algorithmic Narrativity in Entrepreneurship (pp. 187– 220). https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3373-4566-6.ch006 Mäkinen, E. I., Toivonen, A., & Cooren, F. (2026). Tales of Tension and Morality: Analyzing Tensional Interplays Across Cultural Resources in Entrepreneurial Storytelling. Journal of Management Inquiry. https://doi.org/10.1177/10564926251412224 Mammadov, A., & Wald, A. (2025). The Role of Cultural Intelligence and Emotional Intelligence in the Internationalization of SMEs: Does Global Mindset Matter? Management International Review, 65(1), 115–144. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11575-024-00561-5 Mandler, T., Sezen, B., Chen, J., & Özsomer, A. (2021). Performance consequences of marketing standardization/adaptation: A systematic literature review and future research agenda. Journal of Business Research, 125, 416– 435. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.12.023 Marfo, M., Armah, A. A., Ofei, E., Adadevoh, L., & Reindoph, C. (2024). Do Government Interventions and Transformational Leadership Matter? A Moderation-Mediation Analysis of SME Performance During COVID-19 in Ghana. International Journal of Organizational Leadership, 13(1), 59–78. https://doi.org/10.33844/ijol.2024.60399 Moslehpour, M., Kurrahman, T., & Sulistiawan, J. (2024). How does Cultural Intelligence Influence Teamwork Capability? The Role of Leader Emergence and Relational Identification. Engineering Economics, 35(1), 90– 101. https://doi.org/10.5755/j01.ee.35.1.33012 Muna, N., Yasa, N. N. K., Ekawati, N. W., Wibawa, I. M. A., Sriathi, A. A. A., & Adi, I. N. R. (2021). Market entry agility in the process of enhancing firm performance: A dynamic capability perspective. International Journal of Data and Network Science, 6(1), 99– 106. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.ijdns.2021.9.018 Nasta, L., Gatto, L., & Pirolo, L. (2026). Disaggregating cultural intelligence: performance and customer experience quality. Management Decision, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1108/md-07- 2025-2103 Nyilasy, G. (2025). Does Generative AI Help New Venture Symbolic Legitimation? Academy of Management Proceedings, 2025(1). https://doi.org/10.5465/amproc.2025.11755poster Nyilasy, G. (2026a). Ghost Framing Theory: Exploring the role of generative AI in new venture rhetorical legitimation. In arXiv (Cornell University). Cornell University. https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.11384 Nyilasy, G. (2026b). Ghost Framing Theory: Exploring the role of generative AI in new venture rhetorical legitimation. ArXiv.Org. http://arxiv.org/abs/2603.11384 Ogunyemi, F. M., & Ishola, A. O. (2024). Global competitiveness and environmental sustainability: financing and business development strategies for U.S. SMEs. International Journal of Management & Entrepreneurship Research, 6(11), 3806– 3818. https://doi.org/10.51594/ijmer.v6i11.1720 Pidduck, R. J. (2022). The entrepreneurial advantages of experiencing foreignness: leveraging shocks for capability clusters. Cross Cultural & Strategic Management, 29(2), 268– 296. https://doi.org/10.1108/ccsm-10-2020-0211 Pidduck, R. J. (2025). Cultural gaps and class maps: decoding entrepreneurial creativity in cross- cultural contexts. Cross Cultural & Strategic Management, 33(1), 116– 135. https://doi.org/10.1108/ccsm-07-2024-0156 Pidduck, R. J., & Clark, D. R. (2024). Alert during what? Beyond the “Big O” to a culturally- cognizant, process view of entrepreneurial alertness. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 42(1), 137–165. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10490-024-09965-1 Pidduck, R. J., Clark, D. R., Foy, S. E., & Asady, A. A. (2026). Guest editorial: Cultural arbitrage: the forgotten strategy in international entrepreneurship? Cross Cultural & Strategic Management, 33(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1108/ccsm-02-2026-320 Pidduck, R. J., Clark, D. R., & Zhang, Y. (2022). Entrepreneurial imaginativeness: A Janusian- Cognition Lens on the Role of Multicultural Experience. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2022(1). https://doi.org/10.5465/ambpp.2022.250 Pidduck, R. J., & Zhang, Y. (2021). Entrepreneurial sensing capabilities: the stimulating role of cross-cultural experience. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour & Research, 28(1), 203–230. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijebr-05-2020-0329 Purwaningsih, E., Muslikh, M., Suhaeri, S., & Basrowi, B. (2023). Utilizing blockchain technology in enhancing supply chain efficiency and export performance, and its implications on the financial performance of SMEs. Uncertain Supply Chain Management, 12(1), 449–460. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.uscm.2023.9.007 Rehman, F. U., Gyamfi, S., Rasool, S. F., Akbar, F., Hussain, K., & Prokop, V. (2023). The nexus between circular economy innovation, market competitiveness, and triple bottom lines efficiencies among SMEs: evidence from emerging economies. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 30(58), 122274–122292. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-023- 30956-0 Resho, R., & Singh, N. P. (2025). Cultural Intelligence, Communication Effectiveness, Global Leadership, and Organizational Effectiveness: Insights from the Indian Hospitality Sector. KINERJA, 29(2), 234–255. https://doi.org/10.24002/kinerja.v29i2.10233 Sakariya, A. B. (2025). Cultural Intelligence in Marketing Rubber Products: Adaptive Strategies for Emerging Economies. Economic Sciences., 21(2), 395– 401. https://doi.org/10.69889/0z6w8c53 Scheu, M., & Kuckertz, A. (2022). Explorers of the twenty-first century? A systematic literature review of the scholarship on international entrepreneurs from developed economies. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 19(1), 177– 235. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-022-00815-4 Shore, A., Tiwari, M., Tandon, P., & Foropon, C. (2024). Building entrepreneurial resilience during crisis using generative AI: An empirical study on SMEs. Repository@Hull (Worktribe) (University of Hull), 135, 103063– 103063. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2024.103063 Siddiqui, F., Yusheng, K., Ravina-Ripoll, R., & Aden, A. S. (2024). Dynamic firm performance: Entrepreneurship, knowledge, social media, customer relationship management, environment. South African Journal of Business Management, 55(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/sajbm.v55i1.4346 Siddiqui, S. K., Qadri, F. Y., & Chachar, Z. A. (2024). Developing Proficiency in English Language and Embarking on the Journey of Global Entrepreneurship: A Pathway to Achieving Success. Journal of Entrepreneurship Management and Innovation, 5(5), 821– 837. https://doi.org/10.52633/jemi.v5i5.359 Sjachriatin, E., Riyadi, S., & Mujanah, S. (2023). The effects of knowledge-oriented leadership style, digital transformation, and human resource development on sustainable competitive advantage in East Java MSMEs. Uncertain Supply Chain Management, 11(4), 1685– 1694. https://doi.org/10.5267/j.uscm.2023.6.021 Snihur, Y., Thomas, L. D. W., Garud, R., & Phillips, N. (2021). Entrepreneurial Framing: A Literature Review and Future Research Directions. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 46(3), 578–606. https://doi.org/10.1177/10422587211000336 Soublière, J., & Lockwood, C. (2021). Achieving cultural resonance: Four strategies toward rallying support for entrepreneurial endeavors. Strategic Management Journal, 43(8), 1499–1527. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.3373 Suddaby, R., Israelsen, T. L., Mitchell, J., & Lim, D. S. K. (2021). Entrepreneurial Visions as Rhetorical History: A Diegetic Narrative Model of Stakeholder Enrollment. ScholarSphere (Penn State Libraries), 48(2), 220– 243. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2020.0010 Syariati, A. (2022). SMEs’ Performance in Indonesia: The Nexus of Notable Ethics-Strategic Behavior Constructions. Psychology Research and Behavior Management, 3039– 3052. https://doi.org/10.2147/prbm.s382273 Toschi, L., Ughetto, E., & Colladon, A. F. (2022). The identity of social impact venture capitalists: exploring social linguistic positioning and linguistic distinctiveness through text mining. Iris (Roma Tre University), 60(3), 1249–1280. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187- 022-00655-0 Tyagi, M., & Tyagi, S. (2025). Cultural Intelligence in Marketing-Bridging the Gap in Global Business Expansion (pp. 245–278). https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3373-1787-8.ch008 Vrontis, D., Belás, J., Thrassou, A., Santoro, G., & Christofi, M. (2022). Strategic agility, openness and performance: a mixed method comparative analysis of firms operating in developed and emerging markets. Review of Managerial Science, 17(4), 1365– 1398. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-022-00562-4 Walsh, L., & Cooney, T. M. (2022). Understanding the interplay between immigrant nascent entrepreneurship and cross-cultural adaptation. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 30(5), 919–946. https://doi.org/10.1108/jsbed-12-2021-0472 Wulandari, O. A. D., Apriani, D., & Febriansyah, Y. (2023). Sustainable Institutional Entrepreneurial Culture and Innovation For Economic Growth. Aptisi Transactions on Management , 7(3), 221–230. https://doi.org/10.33050/atm.v7i3.2127 Yacub, R., Herlina, H., & Himawan, I. S. (2022). How Cultural Intelligence Develop Students’ Social Entrepreneurship in Indonesia? Jurnal Economia, 18(2), 256– 273. https://doi.org/10.21831/economia.v18i2.44488 Yang, X., Li, P. P., Chen, R., & Hunter, K. (2024). Intercultural Experience as a Unique Facilitator of Immigrant Entrepreneurship. Thunderbird International Business Review, 67(2), 193– 200. https://doi.org/10.1002/tie.22419 Yonel, T., Merlo, O., & Eisingerich, A. B. (2025). Branding in New Ventures: A Systematic Review of Extant Research and Future Research Directions. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 50(1). https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.70167 Zdravković, S., & Peković, J. (2021). The impact of the metacognitive and behavioral factors of cultural intelligence on foreign brand acceptance. The European Journal of Applied Economics, 18(1), 73–88. https://doi.org/10.5937/ejae18-26618
More Articles from INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATION STUDIES
Economic Analysis of Yam Marketing in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria
Author: Agulebe T., Okeke A. M., Targema A. J.
Campus Radio Advertising and Purchase Intentions Among Undergraduates in Selected Polytechnics in Southwest Nigeria
Author: Maryam Awunghay Atukum, Babatunde Sikiru Bello
Effect of Sustainability-Themed Advertising on Consumer Purchase Intention for Guinness Nigeria Plc in Benin City, Edo State
Author: Akinbiyi Oghenegare Patricia1 Moruku R.K2 Ofili P.N
Impact of Marketing Skills on Entrepreneurial Development in Hong LGA of Adamawa State
Author: Umaru Musa, Supurti Irmiya, Ndigefa Earnest Johnson, Kurah, Alheri Nomdono, Ekane Peter Magam, Sunusi Abdulazeez Bala
Digital Marketing Strategies and Consumer Buying Behaviour in E- Commerce Businesses in South-West Nigeria: The Role of Content and Social Media Marketing
Author: Adeoye, Azeez Babatunde, Temitope E. Akinruwa, PhD