Inexorable Computer-aided Communication in an Online Relationship Formation: A Cross-Cultural Communication Elucidation

Abstract

The Computer and the Internet have enriched people’s perspectives on how individuals communicate and establish intimate online relationship across cultures. With the appearance of Computer-aided Communication (CAC), new notions towards understanding the importance of relationship maintenance, interdependence, commitment and relationship barriers in Cross-cultural communication situation have surfaced. Some individual find the use of modern communication technology dynamic while others find it superficial. Because of this, issues and concerns relating to the parameters of its use and how it affects friendship in the context of cross-cultural communication are opening all kinds challenging ideas for researchers all over the globe to explore. Hence, this study ventured into investigating the Computer-aided intimate friendship between Filipino students and their foreign friends: Towards an emerging Cross-cultural communication. Cultural Dimension, Relational Maintenance, and CAC theories served as primary theoretical backbones for this research. As this research was qualitative in nature, methodologies used include in-depth interviews, questionnaire and focus group discussion (FGD) which was voluntarily participated in by Filipino college students and their intimate online foreign friends. Results showed that informants utilized practical relationship maintenance strategies. Relative to publicized relationship maintenance strategies, however, another three notable strategies came to the surface. These are Material and financial support, Cyber-sensual activity and Constant and regular communication through CAC. Such strategies profoundly created strong interdependence and commitment that help broke certain relationship barriers between the collectivist and individualist informants. Further, informants convincingly explicated seven (7) online interaction practices that magnified the conceptualization of an emerging cross-cultural communication pattern. These practices are: a) Openness in communication; b) Willingness to commit to one’s online friend; c) Benefiting from distance interaction; d) Strong Interdependence; e) Practical relationship maintenance strategies amidst relationship barriers; f) Active participation of social networks; and, g) Mutual support. Overall, the study brought the “techno-dyadic cross-cultural communication pattern” to the fore.