Abstract

This conceptual paper develops an integrated framework explaining the relationship between intercultural communication adaptation and corporate reputation in global organizations. Despite the widely recognized strategic role of corporate communication in managing stakeholder relationships and shaping organizational image, the mechanisms through which cultural competence translates intercultural capabilities into reputational outcomes remain underexplored. To address this gap, the paper proposes corporate communication adaptation as a central mediating mechanism linking three key antecedents namely cultural intelligence, global leadership, and organizational culture to corporate reputation across multicultural environments. Drawing on multidisciplinary literature spanning intercultural communication, cultural intelligence, global leadership, and corporate communication management, the framework positions corporate reputation as the primary outcome of effective communication adaptation, with broader organizational outcomes as extended consequences. Critically, cultural distance, defined as the degree of cultural difference between an organization's home context and its target market environments, is proposed as a moderating variable that determines the magnitude of communication adaptation's reputational impact. The study contributes to corporate communication and intercultural management scholarship by offering a unified theoretical perspective that connects cultural capabilities with reputational performance, while providing practical insights for organizations seeking to build global reputation through culturally sensitive strategies, adaptive leadership, and inclusive organizational practices.