The need for linguistic proficiency in global business

Ferraro, Gary P.

doi:10.1016/s0007-6813(96)90006-3

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Research in psychology (Swagler and Ellis 2003), sociology (Tainer 1988), and sociolinguistics (Gallois et al 1995;Gumperz and Cook-Gumperz 1982) has identified language fluency as an important variable influencing the success of crosscultural interactions. Even while nonnatives attempt to adapt their behavior to accommodate to norms of a foreign setting, they are engaged simultaneously in a linguistic struggle to navigate this foreign setting with the uncertain vehicle of a nonnative tongue (Babcock and Du-Babcock 2001;Ferraro 1996). I focus specifically on the effect of language fluency, and poor language fluency in particular, on the evaluation of culturally inappropriate behavior.…”

Section: Brandeis Universitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Language Fluency and the Evaluation of Cultural Faux Pas: Russians Interviewing for Jobs in the United States

Molinsky

2005

Soc Psychol Q

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How are nonnatives evaluated when committing cultural faux pas, and how does their fluency in the language of the foreign culture affect the evaluation of their culturally inappropriate behavior? I address these questions in the context of Russian professionals learning to interview for jobs in the United States, an arena of strong cultural differences where cultural faux pas can occur easily. Building upon previous research on stereotypes and stigma, and upon research on accounts and discounting, I find that language fluency has a contingent effect on the evaluation of culturally inappropriate behavior. When an individual is assessed on interpersonal dimensions, poor language fluency leads to a less negative impression of culturally inappropriate behavior, but this shielding effect is reversed when the dimension of evaluation is professional competence.

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Section: Brandeis Universitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Language Fluency and the Evaluation of Cultural Faux Pas: Russians Interviewing for Jobs in the United States

Molinsky

2005

Soc Psychol Q

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“…Negotiator communication skills, such as foreign language proficiency, were also recognised as important factors in international business negotiations with the focus of studies’ ranging from semantic issues to the ability to understand foreign cultures (Adachi, 1998; Ferraro, 1996; Graham, 1993; Osland, 1990; Simintiras, 2000; Swift, 1991; Tung, 1991). Researchers also examined foreign accent and found that it affected source credibility in international communications (Tsalikis et al , 1991).…”

Section: Discussion Of Issues Addressedmentioning

confidence: 99%

International business negotiations

Reynolds

Simintiras

Vlachou

2003

International Marketing Review

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Global companies increasingly rely on the effectiveness of business negotiations for their survival and growth. As an important business function for creating and maintaining successful relationships, international business negotiations during the last decade (1990)(1991)(1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997)(1998)(1999)(2000) have attracted considerable attention among researchers. Although these research efforts have shed light on several aspects of international business negotiations, there has been neither a comprehensive assessment of the knowledge gained, nor a systematic analysis of the issues that this research appears to have left unexplored. It is the purpose of this study to provide a thorough review of the publications on international business negotiations generated in the last decade, identify trends, assess where the discipline currently is and where it might be going.

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“…Language competency has become an important issue to study because much of the world's business is now carried out using multiple languages (see Ferraro, 1996). English has emerged as the world's prominent linking language in international business communication (Crystal, 1997;Kameda, 1996), and individuals from around the world are learning English in order to fulfill this linking role.…”

Section: International Business Communicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Language-Based Communication Zones in International Business Communication

Babcock

Du-Babcock

2001

Journal of Business Communication

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This paper presents a model of language-based communication zones in international business communication. The model builds on Du-Babcock and Babcock's (1996) descriptions of expatriate-local personnel communication patterns by reconfiguring and adding new zones, which vary according to the language proficiency matches of the interactants. The eight new communication zones represented here can contribute to a more comprehensive framework that represents the dynamic, bi-directional, multiply influenced, and tmnsformational translation process integral to international business communication. Previous research has operated on the assumption that all participants within an international business communication setting function as fully proficient users of all languages being spoken, with no accounting for communication difficulties based on varying levels of language proficiency. This study asserts that there is, in fact, a language-competency variable that greatly impacts communication and communication dynamics within the eight identified language-based communication zones. Research-based incidents from four countries illustrate likely communication patterns in the language-based communication zones.

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The need for linguistic proficiency in global business

Cited by 8 publications

References 1 publication

Language Fluency and the Evaluation of Cultural Faux Pas: Russians Interviewing for Jobs in the United States

Language Fluency and the Evaluation of Cultural Faux Pas: Russians Interviewing for Jobs in the United States

International business negotiations

Language-Based Communication Zones in International Business Communication

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