Although language is gaining increasing attention in the international management literature, much of the existing empirical work takes a mechanistic approach and as such fails to give sufficient attention to the relationship between language policies and power. By synthesizing the languagesensitive literature in international management with that of organization studies, I demonstrate how the choice of language policy can be viewed as a particular application of power and how employees may seek to resist such choices. This is an important contribution to the cross-cultural management literature, as it extends the understanding of the link between language policies and power by moving away from neutral, pragmatic understandings of language use which have dominated previous research. In doing so, it provides future directions for empirical research in order to enable a deeper understanding of the microprocesses by which employees subjectively experience and resist the imposition of such policies.

Purpose This study aims to investigate the treatment of translation within the international business and management (IBM) literature to highlight colonialist assumptions inscribed in this treatment as a result of the hegemonic status of English. Design/methodology/approach This investigation takes the form of a systemic literature review to examine the treatment of translation in the IBM literature through a postcolonial lens. Findings The findings demonstrate that despite growing interest in language in international business, matters of translation have received comparatively little attention. However, those articles that do address translation matters tend to do so in five key ways, including epistemological/methodological considerations, exploring translator agency, the investigations of the discursive void/conceptual fuzziness between languages, and approaches that discuss translation as social practice. Research limitations/implications Despite the authors’ critique of English-language hegemony, this literature review is restricted to English-language journals, which the authors acknowledge as problematic and discuss within the article. Practical implications In exposing the limited treatment of translation within the literature, the authors provide a call to action for IBM scholars to be more explicit in their treatment of translation to ensure representation of cultural and linguistic Others, rather than providing domesticated accounts of multilingual research. Originality/value Although there have been other articles that have examined translation in the past, this paper is the first to do so through a postcolonial lens, demonstrating from a linguistic perspective the colonialist assumptions that are still prevalent in IBM knowledge production, as evidenced by the treatment of translation in the field.

a sheffield Business school, sheffield Hallam university, sheffield, uK; b international education consulting services, curitiba, Brazil ABSTRACT Business schools have the responsibility of preparing students for work in multicultural organisations and global markets. This paper examines a situated learning experience for undergraduates through a virtual collaboration between a UK university and a Brazilian university. This facilitated remote communication using social media and smart devices, allowing students from both institutions to enhance their cross-cultural management competencies. A qualitative approach was used for the research, drawing on the reflections of the tutors from both institutions and feedback received from students in the UK and Brazil. This paper provides empirical observations regarding the use of this innovative pedagogic approach, generating discussion of the implications for teaching, thus contributing to the literature on international collaborations in cross-cultural management education.

Although language has claimed a place in the field of international business studies, the vast majority of research in this area has focused on language management practices in multinational organisations, and has therefore largely ignored the question of how small organisations cope with linguistic diversity in their international supply chain relationships. This doctoral research uses a case study methodology in order to explore language management practices at four British SMEs, aimed at understanding the practices used; the interplay between language practices and power; how practices vary depending on whether they are implemented in upstream or downstream supply chain relationships; and the perspectives of language agents on these issues. My findings highlight a number of issues which have implications for the international management literature. Firstly, I contribute to the literature on language management practices to show the methods used by smaller organisations, including language nodes, lingua francae, body language, pictorial communication, translators, the extensive use of lean media, and Google Translate.

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The chapter aims to explore how some successful global firms organize and manage their supply chain activities at a global level. Three interlink areas of international supply chains including global production, global sourcing, and global distribution within three separate case-studies; Samsung's global production, UK Airbus's global sourcing, and Tesco's global distribution are examined in the chapter. The overall results highlight the importance of a holistic approach to international supply chain management. Findings from Samsung's smart phone production network and Tesco's global distribution suggest that firms are able to be successful when they exploit specific opportunities wherever they are located in the world. Whilst Samsung have been successful with keeping in-house production, Airbus are doing well with outsourcing. The Airbus case highlights the importance of risk management in global supply chains. All three cases demonstrate examples of benefits and challenges posed by knowledge sharing with partners in the supply chain.

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This book draws on case studies of language management within British organisations to examine the decisions they make about language diversity in their professional communications in order to be successful in a multilingual world.