IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/taf/mimoxx/v35y2005i1p10-27.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Speaking in Tongues : The Importance of Language in International Management Processes

Author

Listed:
  • DENICE WELCH
  • LAWRENCE WELCH
  • REBECCA PIEKKARI

Abstract

This paper considers recent research on language effects in some international management situations, specifically, intraorganizational interactions, such as interunit communication and subsidiary autonomy, and in postmerger integration. Within the multinational corporation (MNC), the need for control and coordination has driven the move toward language standardization, in the form of a common corporate language, with widespread effects on management processes. Our analysis indicates that, while important, language issues have been relatively ignored but may offer a rewarding research avenue regarding the functioning of the MNC, with potentially important implications for management.

Suggested Citation

  • Denice Welch & Lawrence Welch & Rebecca Piekkari, 2005. "Speaking in Tongues : The Importance of Language in International Management Processes," International Studies of Management & Organization, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(1), pages 10-27, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:mimoxx:v:35:y:2005:i:1:p:10-27
    DOI: 10.1080/00208825.2005.11043723
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/00208825.2005.11043723
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1080/00208825.2005.11043723?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Amy Church-Morel & Anne Bartel-Radic, 2016. "Skills, Identity, and Power: The Multifaceted Concept of Language Diversity [Competencias, identidad y poder: las múltiples facetas del concepto de diversidad lingüística]," Post-Print halshs-01996048, HAL.
    2. Navío-Marco, Julio & Solórzano-García, Marta & Matilla-García, Mariano & Urueña, Alberto, 2016. "Language as a key factor of long-term value creation in mergers and acquisitions in the telecommunications sector," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(10), pages 1052-1063.
    3. König, Andreas & Fehn, Angela & Puck, Jonas & Graf-Vlachy, Lorenz, 2017. "Primary or complex? Towards a theory of metaphorical strategy communication in MNCs," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(2), pages 270-285.
    4. Amy Church-Morel & A. Bartel-Radic, 2014. ""Not all multilingual teams are created equal " : Conceptualizing language diversity management," Post-Print halshs-01185822, HAL.
    5. Tokunaga, Masahiro & Suganuma, Keiko & Odagiri, Nami, 2018. "From Russia to Eurasia : Specific Features of the “Russosphere” from the Perspective of Business Activities of Japanese Firms," RRC Working Paper Series 77, Russian Research Center, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    6. Yun Zhao & Ronghui Zhao & Yuanyuan Liu, 2022. "An ethnographic study of multilingual language policy localization with a focus on the resolution of communication problems in international Non-governmental Organizations (INGOs)," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-10, December.
    7. Aichhorn, Nathalie & Puck, Jonas, 2017. "Bridging the language gap in multinational companies: Language strategies and the notion of company-speak," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(3), pages 386-403.
    8. Lauring, Jakob & Selmer, Jan, 2012. "International language management and diversity climate in multicultural organizations," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 156-166.
    9. Jiménez, Alfredo & Bayraktar, Secil, 2021. "Hello! Namaste? Within-country linguistic diversity and infrastructure projects in emerging markets," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 86-97.
    10. Björkman, Anette & Piekkari, Rebecca, 2009. "Language and foreign subsidiary control: An empirical test," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 105-117, March.
    11. David P. Kroon & Joep P. Cornelissen & Eero Vaara, 2015. "Explaining Employees’ Reactions towards a Cross-Border Merger: The Role of English Language Fluency," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 55(6), pages 775-800, December.
    12. Janowicz-Panjaitan, Martyna & Noorderhaven, Niels G., 2008. "Formal and informal interorganizational learning within strategic alliances," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(8), pages 1337-1355, September.
    13. Denice E. Welch & Lawrence S. Welch, 2008. "The importance of language in international knowledge transfer," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 48(3), pages 339-360, May.
    14. Ashish Malik & Ralf Bebenroth, 2017. "Mind Your Language! : Role of Target Firm Language in Post-Merger Integration," Discussion Paper Series DP2017-15, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University.
    15. Liu, Xiaohui & Gao, Lan & Lu, Jiangyong & Wei, Yingqi, 2015. "The role of highly skilled migrants in the process of inter-firm knowledge transfer across borders," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 56-68.
    16. Peltokorpi, Vesa, 2007. "Intercultural communication patterns and tactics: Nordic expatriates in Japan," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 16(1), pages 68-82, February.
    17. Steyaert, Chris & Ostendorp, Anja & Gaibrois, Claudine, 2011. "Multilingual organizations as 'linguascapes': Negotiating the position of English through discursive practices," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 46(3), pages 270-278, July.
    18. Jihad Ait Soussane & Mohamed Yassine Fakhouri & Ayoub Sabir Almaslouhi & Zahra Mansouri, . "Does language affect the location choice of developing-economy MNEs? The case of Moroccan outward FDI," UNCTAD Transnational Corporations Journal, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development.
    19. Hurmerinta, Leila & Nummela, Niina & Paavilainen-Mäntymäki, Eriikka, 2015. "Opening and closing doors: The role of language in international opportunity recognition and exploitation," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 24(6), pages 1082-1094.
    20. Latukha, Marina & Doleeva, Anna & Järlström, Maria & Jokinen, Tiina & Piekkari, Rebecca, 2016. "Does corporate language influence career mobility? Evidence from MNCs in Russia," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 34(4), pages 363-373.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:taf:mimoxx:v:35:y:2005:i:1:p:10-27. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Longhurst (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.tandfonline.com/mimo .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.