The Importance of Understanding Cultural Differences in International Business Communications

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Recommended: English as language of global communication

Due to globalization, organizations rely on international transactions to take place to keep their business running. Even with knowledge of how important international interactions are for their companies’ success, miscommunication occurs and someone involved in the transaction is left scratching his or her head. This is a result of the lack of cultural training and understanding. This paper will discuss the different implications that have been discussed in the international business world. This paper will address some of the common barriers in international business communications, the steps that have been taken to alleviate these problems, and future consideration for international business communication. What are some common issues that can prove to be problematic in international business communications? English Language The English language is at least one of the official languages in over 80 countries (Wikipedia). By having a declared official language, that means it is the language used within its government – its courts, parliament, administration, etc. – to run its operations and conduct its business. ("Official Language", 1998.) English is spoken all over the world, but it is still not completely understood by everyone who speaks it. An article written by Sam Alexander, on his website Xamuel.com, he gives ten reasons why English is a difficult language to learn. Some of the reasons he lists include our complex spelling system, our rich sounds, how stressing certain words can change the entire meaning of a statement, and even how a single word can act as an adjective, verb or noun without changing the spelling. (xamuel.com) It is common to come across someone in another country and they are able to speak E... ... middle of paper ... ...ted Tunstall, J. (2008). “Anglo-American, Global, and Euro-American Media Versus Media Nationalism,” The Media were American. 3-10. Yingqin, L. (2012). Exploring the Impacts of Cultural Globalization on Cultural Awareness/Values and English Writing in Chinese Context. Intercultural Communication Studies, 21(2), 94-110. Govil, S. K., and Jain, R. (2013). Globalization of Markets. Advances in Management, 6(6), 65. McGuigan, G. (2002). When in Rome: a rationale and selection of resources in international business etiquette and intercultural communication. Reference & User Services Quarterly, 41(3), 220-227. "Official Language", Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language, Ed. Tom McArthur, Oxford University Press, 1998. “International Business.” (2013). Collegeboard.com. https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/majors/business-international-business

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