Does mindfulness moderate the relationship between anxiety, uncertainty, and intercultural communication effectiveness of the students in Pakistan?

Abstract

The current study tests key variables of anxiety uncertainty management (AUM), a well-known theory of interpersonal communication, within the context of Pakistan. Previous research has been more concerned with the extension of AUM rather empirically testing its major components; plus, previous studies were conducted primarily in Western cultural contexts. This study proposes a direct effect of anxiety, uncertainty, and mindfulness on intercultural communication effectiveness (ICE). In addition, interaction (moderating) effects are proposed for mindfulness on the relationships between anxiety, uncertainty, and ICE. This study incorporates a quantitative research design to address the relationships between the variables. Data were collected from a survey technique of students (N = 549) of the capital city of Pakistan through convenient sampling. Findings reveal that anxiety and uncertainty have a negative influence on ICE. However, mindfulness has a positive impact on ICE. Furthermore, mindfulness significantly moderated the relationship between anxiety, uncertainty, and ICE. Even though this study considered a new cultural context (Pakistan), still the findings were in accordance with the predictions of AUM. This study empirically validates the theoretical framework and axioms of AUM within the context of Pakistan. This study is useful for the policy makers of Pakistan to develop new policies regarding internationals. Furthermore, they can train their nationals how to manage anxiety and uncertainty and to be mindful during intercultural interactions to avoid problems and confusions among people.