International Journal of Intercultural Relations 48 (2015) 22–23 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect International Journal of Intercultural Relations journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ijintrel Intercultural communication competence in retrospect: Who would have guessed? Brent D. Ruben * Center for Organizational Development and Leadership, Rutgers University, ASB II, 57 Route 1, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA article info Article history: Available online 2 April 2015 abstract The formative work on intercultural communication competence reflected a wide array of definitions and methodologies. In the years since it was introduced the impact concept has been substantial. First, the ICC conceptualization provided a linkage between interpersonal communication and intercultural communication. Second, the ICC concept contributed to the shift away from linear, information-transmission views of communication, in favor of transactional, constructivist perspectives on the process—perspectives that emphasized meaning and interpretational dynamics, rather than solely messages and media. Third, attention to ICC made it clear that intercultural knowledge and good intentions—without the appropriate behaviors—often lead to other-than-intended outcomes. Conversely, a cul- turally defined skill set, without more general knowledge, may result in outcomes that are only appropriate in particular cultural settings. Fourth, while “intercultural” began as a somewhat limited concept referring to interactions between individuals from differing national backgrounds, the concept of “culture” gradually expanded to regional, ethnic, orga- nizational, occupational, and relational entities. Scholars of the day may have failed then to recognize the importance of the concept. Nonetheless, the competence concept envisioned in our earliest work has been influential in into writings in many areas, including relation- ships, organizations, healthcare, leadership and other areas (Ruben, 2006, 2014). One can only imagine how the concepts of intercultural, communication, and competence will evolve and influence the shape of future scholarship and practice within communication and other social science endeavors in the years ahead. © 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd. When the special issue of the International Journal of Intercultural Relations (IJIR) was published in 1989, who could have imagined how important a topic “intercultural communication competence” would become? In the intervening 25 years, ICC has become the foundation for significant research programs, a focal issue of countless academic and practitioner-oriented books and articles, and a core element in intercultural courses and workshops. What is perhaps even more remarkable is the way constituent elements of ICC—intercultural, communication, and competence—have evolved and increased in significance. The formative work on ICC reflected a wide array of definitions and methodologies. Amidst that diversity, however, were factors that help to explain the substantial influence of that early scholarship. First, the ICC conceptualization provided a linkage between interpersonal communication and intercultural communication. Prior to that period, many communication scholars conceptualized cross-cultural communication in terms of international and media studies, emphasizing cross- * Tel.: +1 848 932 3968. E-mail address: bruben@rutgers.edu http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2015.03.010 0147-1767/© 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd.