Process, Theories of Business Communication rJ1he thesis of this article is that a theoretical framework of intercultural 1 business communication must include business as an essential variable where business is not just used to illustrate a point, but where business as an organization and/or activity becomes an integral part of the theory. As the term implies, intercultural business communication deals with intercultural issues, communication, and business. It is the communication among individuals or groups from different cultural backgrounds in a business environment. As such it has its own identity separate from business communication, intercultural communication, and international business. Some authors use the term international business communication, some use intercultural communication. In this article I will use the term intercultural business communication for intercultural business communication within and between countries.An earlier version of this article was presented at the 1997 Annual Convention of the Association for Business Communication (ABC) in Washington, DC.

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Purpose -This paper aims to assess the relationship between expatriate personality and effectiveness on overseas assignments. Design/methodology/approach -Survey data were collected from 118 expatriates who were currently on assignments overseas or had been on an assignment in the past. Findings -Results of multiple regression analysis show expatriate personality traits to be significant predictors of two of the effectiveness measured used. Extraversion, emotional stability, and openness have a significant, positive impact on expatriate adjustment, and agreeableness is significant and positively associate with expatriate job performance. Practical implications -Organizations may be well-served to consider expatriate personality as an important criterion for selection for overseas assignments, as successful assignments reflect on the organization in a number of ways and thus contribute to the company's global competitiveness. Originality/value -Extant research on the connection between expatriate personality and effectiveness has been limited, relies on expatriate or supervisor perceptions of which traits they believe are important to success, and has been inconsistent in measuring the effectiveness construct. This paper directly assesses personality and employs multiple dimensions of effectiveness, thus contributing to the understanding of this relationship.

Assessing the level of improvement of students' writing competency during a semester is becoming increasingly important for business communication instructors. When conducting an assessment, instructors need to be aware of issues that will affect reliability and validity. They need to develop cleargoals at the beginning; for example, good assessment strives to improve instruction and to develop students' communication skills. Because different schools have different missions and operate in different environments, a custom-made instrument will ensure that the assessment fits the local conditions. Before conducting the assessment, the instrument needs to be validated for specific use, and scorers must be trained in holistic scoring to reach an overall assessment.

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