Foreign Language Competence and International Business

Book Information

Full Description:

The past three or four decades have seen a steep rise in the number of cross-border operations taking place throughout the world, as measured in terms of trade flows (imports-exports), FDI (foreign direct investment), or joint venture initiatives. The scope and depth of today’s international business operations would suggest that cross-border contacts are inevitable for all but a small minority of companies. If we accept this premise, then it surely follows that those companies that wish to operate competitively should be prepared to adapt their operations accordingly.

Communication (or more precisely language) is a key factor in developing trust, commitment, cultural affinity, experience, and satisfaction. Thus it is communication (language) that provides the thread that runs through the whole process of relationship development. This is why ‘foreign language competence’ (FLC) is a major component of successful cross – cultural relationship development, and why companies seeking to develop international relationships should ensure that they have access to skilful cross-cultural communicators.

This title deals extensively with the necessity for FLC in international business, ways of understanding foreign culture, and of how to best implement strategies to overcome these intitial barriers.

Table of Contents:

Introduction 1
1: The Cultural Environment 11

2: Cross-cultural Interaction 55

3: Using the Foreign Language 87


4: Foreign Language Acquisition 113


5: The Study and Initial Findings 155

6: Data Analysis 225


7: Conclusions and Recommendations 283

Appendix A 315

Bibliography 323

Index 363

Author Information:

Dr Jonathan S. Swift is currently Senior Lecturer at Salford Business School, University of Salford, Manchester. He is the Programme Leader for the MSc in International Business, and teaches International Business, International Marketing and International Management. He has published widely in key management journals, generally in the area of foreign language competence and cross-cultural business relationship development. Dr Swift has conducted research and presented papers at various conferences in many areas of the world, although his main geographical areas of interest are Europe and Latin America, where he has lived and worked for many years.