Includes CD

Includes literaturverzeichnis (199-215 p.)

'ABSTRACT This dissertation examines and analyses the interpersonal communication in multinational teams at multinational companies (MNC) with the aid of Schulz von Thun's (2016a) four-sides communication model and describes how it can be improved. Therefore, the goal of the research is to empirically test the applicability of the four-sides model in MNC and identifying factors that could lead to communication problems.The four-sides model which will be empirically verified in the course of this Dissertation postulates that messages encompass a multi-layered structure, whereby messages sent or received both have four facets. Interpersonal communication in multinational teams is one of the aspects in multinational companies which is important and versatile in everyday team activities. Its negligence could lead to vital information not being adequately sent, received, or processed. Data were collected from 385 Project Team Managers from different multinational companies. They were requested to interpret interpersonal communicative situations using verbal representations of the four sides of a message. The result indicates that the team members regardless of gender perceive emotional information and accusations in messages more often than the mere factual information. The applicability of the four-sides model in MNU was confirmed, although the model itself was partially verified. Contrary to the commonly held assumption that a message is perceived in four independent dimensions, the project teams could not perceive certain dimensions independently of each other. Keywords: Project team, interpersonal communication, four-sides model, communication problem, multinational team'