The impacts of globalization on communication in developing countries

FINAL ESSAY
The impacts of globalization on communication in developing countries

Nguyen Ngoc Lan Anh – ID: 16095

Instructor: Cristian Antonio Di Paolo

The Vietnamese German University

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The impacts of globalization on communication in developing countries

In this day and age, that a number of nations have been affected by globalization is one
which bears some consideration on social media. According to Dr. Nayef R.F. Al-Rodhan
(2006), he stated that: “Globalization is a process that encompasses the causes, course, and
consequences of transnational and transcultural integration of human and non-human activities.”
Therefore, it is possibly comprehended that its impacts are prevalently appropriate to developing
countries. One of the aspects which has specifically undertaken this globalization is the world of
communication. This essay will discuss the effects of globalization on communication in
developing countries, in terms of those primary elements: the dominance of an international
language, the variety of means of communication and business communication.

In the context of globalization on communication, the dominant language has had an

impressive relationship with the world’s integration in developing countries despite some
limitations. Particularly, globalization takes the responsibilities of forming the common language
in an exceeding form of aspects like politics, economics, health issues, …etc. As is thought,
English has had a major prominence within the world language. The puissance of English took
the initiative when the empire during which the sun never sets had spread English through its
colonies and geopolitical dominance by the late 18th century. As a widely known name, the
British people empire nowadays also incorporates a worldwide expansion within the
communication field. In evaluation, all told likelihood, an honest command of English is going
to be a superb process that facilitates people in developing countries to approach their individual
determination. Thanks to fewer language barriers, international opportunities will show a
tendency to be widespread. As an example, it is easy to agonize that English is playing a vital
role in business communication. Many aspects of corporate life from securing employment
to communicating with clientele and achieving cohesive business partnerships everywhere the
planet require a high level of the common language. However, in parallel with the benefits, there
exist some drawbacks and one specific example is the loss of minority languages in some
developing countries due to the expansion of globalization. Take Nigeria as a valuable example.
Yoruba is considered as an Endangered Nigerian Language. In line with statistics (Annals of
Language and Literature, author Akinkurolere Susan Olajoke, 2018), two main causes that lead
Nigerian to a verge of extinction are ‘Prominence of English language’ (90%) and ‘Love for
Western culture’ (89,3%). Therefore, it will be evaluated to be a two-sided issue to agonize.

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The impacts of globalization on communication in developing countries

With the fast-moving world nowadays, globalization is more and more widespread,
which leads to another fundamental result, the variety of means of communication. As we know,
in the old days, there were a wide range of communication methods, however, it seemed
inconvenient and complicated to utilize. For instance, letters were popular and the only ways of
conveying information across great distances before the invention of the telegraph. Letters were
sent for several reasons and by people from all walks of life. Within the mid-1800s, however,
new advances would be made that may change the way people communicated. In other words,
globalization exerted influence on the countries of the developing world and the changes which
have emerged within the communication. Globalization is likely to be a foundation of boosting
the development of the Internet. Therefore, human can easily get access to new methods of
communication. Nowadays, just through social media network, people can simply contact with
others while living in another country. To Third World countries, what this suggests is that a
rustic where communication of data is made easy and free that country is probably going to
enhance its capability by taking advantage of existing knowledge and achieving it elsewhere.
According to Ruler (2018), there is also the personal influence model of Katz and Lazersfeld,
which considers that responses to media messages are mediated by interpersonal communication
between members of one’s own social environment . To conclude, people in those countries are
able to meet specific requirements thanks to the deep impact of globalization on communication.

On the other hand, globalization is believed to be the base of impulsing the development
of business communication in Third World countries. Communication is significant for
businesses to effectively explain how their products and services differ from their competitors.
Communication is critical for people to precise themselves and to satisfy basic needs. The
identical holds true for businesses, governments, and countries. Especially, companies in
developing countries which have “the power to communicate cross-culturally will have
competitive advantages of devoting longer resources conducting business” (Lowell and Bharat,
2012). Furthermore, global businesses must apprehend the way to communicate with employees
and customers from different cultures so as to meet the organization’s mission and build value
for stakeholders. According to Evanswinter and Cowie, they analyzed that
“True to the tenets of ethical social work, a positive relationship and mutual respect between
practitioner and client can better be fostered through the use of the paradigm of cross-cultural
communication” (2009). However, there are business etiquettes that vary from country to
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The impacts of globalization on communication in developing countries

country. With the exception of those having some principles standing the test of time and
geography, some countries have a few strange business customs which are quite difficult to
follow. For instance, in India, people should not eat beef in business meetings because Indian
people consider that cows are sacred animals. Therefore, those may result in misunderstandings
when reaching the purpose of the conversation. With the flexibility of globalization, it will be
beneficial for developing countries because “training and development of individuals involved in
intercultural interactions should involve more than simply promoting cultural adaptation”
(Lowell and Bharat, 2012).

In conclusion, the globalization process has been radically transforming the way people
communicate in developing countries. This essay has argued three of the impacts of
globalization on communication in Third World countries, including how the world language is
prominent, the variety of means of communication and the role of business communication.
Even though there exist both benefits and drawbacks, all things considered, the advantages are so
far more dominant than the disadvantages.

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The impacts of globalization on communication in developing countries

References

Al-Rodhan, N. (2006). Definitions of Globalization: A Comprehensive Overview and a

Proposed Definition. Retrieved from https://www.studocu.com/en-gb/document/university-of-
dundee/international-relations/coursework/definitions-of-globalization-a-comprehensive-
overview-and-a-proposed-definition/1566906/view

Olajoke, S. A. (2018). Annals of Language and Literature. Delaware, United States:

Sryahwa Publications LLC.

Ruler, B. (2018). International Journal of Strategic Communication. Oxfordshire, United

Kingdom: Taylor & Francis Group.

Lowell C. M. & Bharat T. (2012). The Impact of Globalization on Cross-Cultural

Communication. Retrieved from https://www.intechopen.com/books/globalization-education-
and-management-agendas/the-impact-of-globalization-on-cross-cultural-communication

Evanswinter, V. & Cowie B. (2009). Cross-Cultural Communication: Implications for

Social Work Practice and And a Departure from Payne. Retrieved from
https://cedar.wwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1090&context=jec