Language Issues in Multinational Corporations

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Introduction
In today’s world, many firms operate worldwide. People travel from place to place

globally to achieve their business and management activities. By performing such operations

internationally, people need to interact freely despite cultural and language difference. Therefore,

learning of other nations new language is a way of creating close and easy interaction when

conducting some services from people from these areas. Therefore, learning makes one

appreciate and understand the culture of these nations. Since many nations have very many

cultures inbound in them hence many cultures, this makes it difficult in interacting freely in these

countries. Therefore, in this research paper, we are going to discuss on the multinational

corporation issue. This study will present on the multinational corporation which has some issues

on multinational management due to its operation worldwide. The corporation has its

headquarters and its units located in different areas in other nations. These organizations may

face some ethnic differences due to diverse cultures and languages hence can create some

challenges in management.

Language has been less concentrated in the area of international management in general.

The concentration is because words are mainly associated with cultures. This research paper is

aimed at discussing the language issues in multinational corporations especially the English

which is inadequate to manage complex and evolving enterprises. This research concentrates

mainly on the internal operation of the organization rather than on the customers, suppliers or

even the competitors. Mainly this research paper will focus on the reason language matters in

managing the multinational corporation in the 21st century and will provide some ways of

dealing with these issues.

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Many communication researchers have discussed mainly on the importance of internal

communication for the wellbeing of employees and the performance of the organization (Wang

and Vitell, 2012). Internal communication has been identified as an essential part of a

corporation's effectiveness as it enhances knowledge sharing. Also, positive contributions can be

brought in by well-informed employees who can make the company external public relation.

The making of my concentration on this project is because most corporations that operate

internationally experience some both positive and negative issues abroad. Here we examine that

language use within a company acknowledging that this takes place beyond national borders and

across cultures globally allowed by the present-day technology (Lauring and Selmer, 2010).

Language has not been directly examined in public relations research, but in this study, we can

see why it should not be taken as granted or given without any further problem identification.

This research paper is needed for the improvement in contribution to public relations by

examining language strategy and language use in the international communication of

corporations that operate globally and have a need to communicate widely and within the

company. This research will also discuss as to why language strategy and language use from the

perspective of international cultural difference and communication. Organizations need to have

strategic attention on language as a factor in their operation. Today language internationally on

different cultures is an essential element of the social system. From the language perspective, this

article discusses on the contribution of this study, contributions of the study and how the research

will fill the gap from the previous research.

Also, another input of this research will be that, in a corporation, there is a need for a

continuous review of the culture. A corporate culture may be subject to changes. This can be

brought in by merging of the companies or the social changes. Therefore, this research will help
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us to understand that a company needs to continuously check the corporate culture is perceived

and understood by the employees. Also, the company in question will need to promote the

exchange of cultural knowledge and learning new languages by its employees.

Language policies are used to change language behavior within the operation of the

corporation. Therefore, language policy encourages the use of varieties of languages in the

enterprise's environment (Peltokorpi and Vaara, 2014). Therefore, for a business to function well

in overcoming the language issues, it needs to have a policy which supports or discourages the

use of words or a variety of languages in the corporation. This research paper is to identify the

best practices about language policy in society and ways in which language management can be

achieved in directions of the future research and practice.

Also, this research has also an extensive program contribution. Through a discussion of

some activities taking place and the interactions among the workers in this research paper, it will

be easier for one to understand all the activities that will be held at the globally situated

corporations. These firm's employees and management may face several issues, but through this

program, they will have to plan to face these problems by, acquiring more information about

these areas cultures. They will find a way in which the can interact with these people freely and

even on how they will cover some challenges which may appear.

The role of language in improving knowledge sharing and contributing towards on the

aims of the corporation is more complicated in the running of the firm. There is always lack of

awareness of what communication across different cultures constitutes (Hislop, 2013). These

connections require specific practical skills such as attitudes, skills, and values which cannot be

reduced to the public aspect of the foreign language. Therefore, this research paper can act as a
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contribution to the practical aspect where issues of multicultural and interaction skills are

included.

Some earlier research emphasized the advantages of managing language as a corporate

asset, stating that the value of language barriers cannot be weighed by translating and

interpreting but by broken relationships (Van Barneveld and Campbell, 2012). Language has also

been being shown to have some link between the trust of the communicators, which then

indicates the importance of cultural competency in communication. This means that language is

a cofactor in creating some good relationships on beliefs and trust among the interacting

workers.

Also, several communication researchers have argued for the importance of the internal

communication for the proper interaction of employees and well performance of the

organization. Also, some research papers stated that internal communication had been

recognized as the organization's effectiveness in enhancement in knowledge sharing. Further, the

progressive improvement of the corporate is not only contributed to the good performance of the

employees in the corporate but by the positive contributions of the well-informed employees

who can make the company’s external relationship safe. Therefore, this research bridge the gap

since it discusses presently internal communication from the point of view the globally operating

organizations with the focus of language as an issue. This research examines language use within

the organization and the fact that it increasingly takes place across national borders and cultures,

in the wide context enabled by the present-day technology.

The problem arising from my research literature is the quantitative analysis method. This

research is carried out in a few number of states under the company. Many methods such as
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focus groups, interviews and survey on language are to be used to investigate the language issues

in the corporations in these states.

The results should clearly indicate what the expected language to be used was, and why

the employees didn’t consider the assigned language scheduled to be used? Also In what was the

challenge of using other many local languages despite the original language from the

headquarters pointed out. Also, how did the use of English ease communication within the

corporation and outside? Were there any translators and if they were there, what challenges did

the face? How will this research have an impact on the business? Will this study have an impact

in filling the gap for greater understanding? What areas need further explorations? These are

many the hypothesis questions that will need to be used in the research process.

Methods

Surveys

The researchers will need to collect information from large groups of people working and

around this corporation. This will be done using questionnaires, interviews or even telephoning.

The both types of the survey where a survey can be administered to a sample of people at a set

period. A different kind in which workers complete before an event or experience and afterward.

Using questionnaires is where the corporates employees and the surroundings are involved at

questionnaires. They are asked many questions concerning the operation of the corporation and

its challenges. Also, the use of interviews is where the people are asked questions directly, and

the answers are recorded. The people involved can explain vividly to the surveyors on the issues.

Sometimes even calling can be used in carrying out surveys. The engineers call at random and

ask questions on people’s opinions on the corporation’s performance. This method can contact
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any number of individuals ranging from 50-100. Their opinions are then noted. The method of

data collection in this survey will include the use of online methods, use of hard copy written

documents and use of telephone calls and short message send(SMS).

Questionnaires.

This method is used to acquire information from many people who cannot attend

interviews or even take part in experiments. This method allows people to take a question, take

the time to understand it then answer it back when ready. This approach provides a fast response

on the survey. This method will also be used in this research to gather information from people

involved in the operation of the corporation. They are asked about their relationships and the

challenges they face on their operation. They are also asked on their opinions on the functioning

of the enterprise globally. Questionnaires contain some questions, attitude scales, closed

questions and open-ended questions. This method is appropriate for the research since people can

have enough time to reason on the issues and give the feedback when ready. In this manner, the

participant may think that he is taking part in the plan rather than completing the questionnaire.

Interviews.

This is always carried out in the presence of the two parties. It can also be done through

telephoning or even Omegle and Skype. This can be done both formally or in an informal way.

Therefore, the researchers will need to meet the workers, and the people from the area of the

corporation then ask questions concerning the language as an issue in the running of the firm. B

y doing so firsthand information can be obtained and this method has an ethical consideration

since the person being interviewed can be read easily emotionally. This method is the most

efficient therefore it is suitable since first hand, and genuine information can be obtained.
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Data sources.

Data can be collected from a few sources in the field of research. These sources which

will be used to gather data in this study are;

Articles- Most articles explain about trading at different areas and languages as a barrier

to this process. Therefore, these materials can act as the source of some data to this research.

Online- Internet contain vast information of all aspects of all corporations. This can

include information about people from different areas and the operation of some companies

about their employees from various cultures. This area can act as our principal source.

Trade, business, and expert affiliations- some people have traveled vastly and operated

within a few firms. These people can serve as a good source of some data. They can explain to

researchers about all the have come across around the study.

Corporate fillings- some companies keep the record of its workers, performance and

operation levels. This data can contribute to identifying the types of people being employed and

how they do it to contribute to the functioning of the company despite having some language

barriers.
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Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May

MONTH 2016 2016 2017 2017 2017 2017

2016

ACTIVITY

Timetable Schedule on the Research

The project started, and will be proceed as scheduled.

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Proposal

development

Proposal

presentation

Sample

collection

Sample

preparation and

extraction

Sample

analysis

Data

analysis

Report

write up and

presentation

In conclusion, in our modern society, most issues are valued in quantitative forms.

Peoples quantitative skills such as native language skills or cultural knowhow may not be

necessarily applicable for one to interact freely. However, one needs to make some training in

foreign languages and cultures especially the students in business and management. Showing an

interest and having some knowledge of others knowledge is a way of creating good relationship,
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trust and free interaction with the new cultures. This therefore can lead to a good foundation to

any international business activity.

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References

Ho, F.N., Wang, H.M.D. and Vitell, S.J., 2012. A global analysis of corporate social

performance: The effects of cultural and geographic environments. Journal of business ethics,

107(4), pp.423-433.

Lauring, J. and Selmer, J., 2010. Multicultural organizations: Common language and group

cohesiveness. International journal of cross cultural management, 10(3), pp.267-284.

Chaney, L. and Martin, J., 2013. Intercultural business communication. Pearson Higher Ed.

Peltokorpi, V. and Vaara, E., 2014. Knowledge transfer in multinational corporations: Productive

and counterproductive effects of language-sensitive recruitment. Journal of International

Business Studies, 45(5), pp.600-622.

Hislop, D., 2013. Knowledge management in organizations: A critical introduction. Oxford

University Press.

Van Barneveld, A., Arnold, K.E. and Campbell, J.P., 2012. Analytics in higher education:

Establishing a common language. EDUCAUSE learning initiative, 1(1), pp.l-ll.

Example the qs is like should we invest or not invest for this company (one case) ? explain why ?