CONTEMPORARY

BUSINESS
COMMUNICATION

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 Abstract:-
This report aims to substantialise the significance of English as lingua franca in the business
world and study its importance and implications towards modern globalization. The advent in
which globalization is occurring is growing constantly and rapidly, diminishing all barriers such
as sex, language, region, religion, area or community. With the historic rise and fall of the British
empire, the only thing that still survived and is relevant for even centuries and many more to
come is their language that was initially used to standardise British administration. Soon, the
language became widespread and today it is the most popular and preferable language of the
business community. Corporates operate in English and business schools teach in English.
Businesses are looking for operatives that are fluent and fluid in English as they would be acting
as the voice of the company. With globalization creeping faster than ever before, people are also
accepting the presence and significance of the language as a competitive advantage as they can
now communicate with other clients and businesses from multiple other regions of the world,
giving them a chance to expand and become truly globalised. The use and acceptance of English
as lingua franca would only facilitate this process. Coupled with the capabilities of the internet,
businesses can spearhead the industry with very concentrated efforts and can be able to conquer
a major share of the market. The use of English as common language would uplift all possible
social barriers while business is being conducted. The internet not only allows businesses to
communicate with people, but also radically minimises socio cultural and especially, language
barriers. Customers can view products and websites in the language they prefer and they are
hence exposed to a more globally-active market. The internet has sewn the company and the
client together in synergy and both their visions are synchronised. It helps businesses establish a
strong brand equity by defining its’ presence in the market and on their minds.
These two factors have facilitated globalisation and are radically changing the world as we
experience it by removing all possible hindrances and obstructions.

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 INTRODUCTION

Globalization is in vogue. It basically means the integration of global trade, it, investment and
cultures (Investopedia, 2018). The previous few decades saw massive leaps in communication,
technology, lifestyle and parity. Entrepreneurs no longer sell locally. It started with corporate
business and slowly spread to other parts of our lives as well. It enhanced the supplyand the
demand system which now means that businesses can have a virtually unlimited demand in the
market and the customer shave a plethora of options to choose from and ask for. This can easily
change the course of how our lives are based.

The internet has emerged as one of the most important and pivotal developments in recent
history. It has become arguably indispensable in our daily lives and also in the way businesses
conduct their activities. The internet is no longer just a medium of communication. It is a whole
new industry in itself and is rightly justified so. For businesses, the internet is such a magical tool
that enables them to seamlessly connect with a large audience and engage them with suitable
content. Rapid response and effective communication messages released through the internet has
boosted customer relations and will continue to do so. E-mail is an important tool for businesses
as they can be customised according to the needs and requirements of the customer. The internet
has proved itself successful time and again that it is indeed a very powerful tool and the right
approach can open many doors for a company or organization. The internet has aided
globalization tremendously and facilitates room for further expansion to new markets and allows
businesses to deliver their products, services through a fast delivery system. Businesses can now
sell their products internationally, in any part of the world. Customers looking for products can
be approached with the use of a suitable website which is available in multiple languages.
Wikipedia is available in 301 language versions.

Another major element of the internet is social media and is segregated into various platforms
such as Facebook which was designed to make new friends and connect with new people,
Instagram which is a lifestyle app designed with an approach to tell a story in a picture, Pinterest
which is an open image source where people can showcase their products, twitter which is a
concise form to voice your opinions, YouTube which is a platform for content creators and has a
huge video database. These can be effectively used to cater to a wide variety of consumers who
come from different regions, nations and speak different languages while being familiar with
regional ethnic culture. Social media not only allows you to connect with a mass audience, but is
also effective in gauging the company’s reach and response. Social media campaigns have been
a key tool in marketing and LinkedIn is another platform where professionals can connect with
each other from different industries. The beneficial utilisation of these platforms and tools can
enable a business to erase any existing difference and view all potential buyers as an equivocal
customer.

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 GLOBAL ENGLISH IMPACT
English has eventually been accepted as lingua franca of the business world. Globalization
comes up with the idea where a business if boundless but it can be obstructed by barriers such as
the language barrier. If the two businesses are from different countries, then communicating
among them can act as a major barrier and even worsen relationships between those. It clearly is
known that we must have a single language as a standard to conduct business effectively. English
has now been accepted as a common language for speakers with different native languages.
(oxford, 2018).
The proficiency of a person’s English is directly proportional to his ability to survive in a highly
competitive global business environment. Today, half a billion people speak English as their
primary language of communication and more than a billion use it as their secondary language
(Sekhar, 2012). English is now used as a mandatory medium of language in multiple countries
including the likes of India. All subjects are taught in English and students are encouraged and
prepared for a global world full of threats and opportunities. English is the language of business
and when students are asked on why they should be having English proficiency most will reply
that it would prepare them for a world that speaks English and they don’t want to be left out.
English will eke them a competitive advantage when it comes to others as they could be better
communicators, speakers and influencers.
International trade requires direct interaction at multiple levels with a number of parties and
English as lingua franca directly smoothes out the wrinkles of language barriers.
All major countries and businesses have adopted English as their operative language and the use
is increasing. Japanese retail giant Rakuten recently went English organization where they asked
their Japanese employees to learn English or get out of the organization. Many other companies
followed suit and the response from the employees was same. Many of them were allergic to
English. All companies gradually accepted the importance of English and said that this is going
to be effective in the long run. Methods included encouraging employees to speak in English in
meetings and while presenting important projects. Employees were also given 200 question tests
to analyse their English comprehension and made to take the test until they passed. Other French
people also described the use of English as reducing the value of their own language, managers
continued to pursue employees and it companies successfully accepted English as lingua franca.
Native language in some parts of the world dominates their culture and people are very close to
their motherland.

WHY ENGLISH AS LINGUA FRANCA

Businesses are actively looking for people who have great communication skills in the English
language because effective and smart communication in English language is necessary for large
businesses and small businesses alike. Marketing is also something which is extremely important
for a business in earning revenue and this particular area required a good grasp of the English
language in today's business world which means said the company can voice their opinions
better and more effectively and hence earning them better revenue. They are looking for or better
employees who speak and listen well and send proper emails and provide excellent presentation
as one of the criteria for operations are based on presentation and communication skills.1 study

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also says that skilled employees who have good English communication do achieve their target
on time and comprehensively contribute towards organisational discussions and are most suited
towards leadership roles. The key to acting professional is also speaking and communicating
professionally and using a strong English vocabulary which leaves a powerful impact and
impression on the person listening to you. (inurture,2018)

Adoption by major companies:-

The adoption of English language as lingua franca has seen a drastic increase in in the Japanese
industry. Major Japanese players such as Honda, Rakuten have officially adopted English as
their corporate language. Siemens is another German firm which also adopted English as official
corporate language.

The intention behind using English as a new corporate language was widely apprehended but the
leaders were staunch and people started respecting the requirement of a single language for
conducting seamless business throughout the globe. Single language for communication would
simplify things and provide them better opportunities to explore each other countries and market.
The coming of globalisation show the limitations of businesses becoming zero and now go out of
their domestic country or a singular region to collaborate with various other companies which
have ideas that are similar to them and according to sodexo’s vice president, English is an
enabler of that. (borzykowski, 2017)

Approaches to social interaction:-

Interaction usually involves local or written communication between two parties or people.
There is different type of people in the world and their field with diverse cultures, multiple
languages and social beliefs. Bowman (2013) says that the world is becoming singular and
homogenous with the advent of globalisation. 30 years back there were no international change
like Wal-Mart McDonald’s. Levi’s jeans could not be bought anywhere apart from the united
states. But today person from India has access to fashion brands and goodies from all over the
world. Brands like Rakuten and Amazon have work together with people multiple cultures,
diversities and language to create aworld that has unlimited potential. And to do this they
required a single language with could be used for communication as it would health and go
above and beyond without having a bad communication problem. English comes in at this phase
and now it is one of the major languages in the world. Multiple culture and people from different
language rules have different societal rules but English nullifies all of this.

The three approaches for social interaction are formal, informal and symbolic approaches.
Formal approach is communicating with people with decided formalities which are set for the
language. This approach is used to communicate while exchanging official information, making
announcements and giving decision making order.

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The three forms of social interaction via formal approaches of our written oral and graphic
medium of approach.
Written communication includes communicating with the other party a letter, social media and
email.
Oral feedback includes communicating via talking through phone or video call.
Graphic medium is a combination of written and verbal communication which includes graphics
and pixel descriptions. The major mediums in which graphic approaches used is while using
advertisements and delivering presentations.
Informal mode of approach is inclusive of communicating casually and freely with others
without any rules. This is done with friends and people you are familiar with and includes talking
to do customers through social media on telephone. This is usually done for social interaction
and is completely based on the closeness with each other.

There are three types of informal approaches which are structural interactional and functional.
The structural approach is based on the density and quantity of the network.
Interactional approach is based on the closeness of each other in a relationship and is dependent
on the support which is given to each other.
The functional approach is materialistic and involves emotional support during hard times or,
appraisal support or money.
The symbolic approach is using gestures and body language to express your feelings and
thoughts.

MULTILINGUAL PERPECTIVE

Multilingual person is a person who can communicate effectively using two or more languages.
Globalisation has encouraged people to become multilingual and of language such as English
alongside the native language. English is one of the most popular languages and that is why it is
accepted as lingua franca. The use of English is not only limited to daily lives but mostly in
business such as while doing emails for making corporate call. Even though English is being
used as lingua franca we are far from the saying that the business community is dominated by
single language. The mere usage in popularity of English will not replace people’s native
languages in the corporate world. People will still continue to communicate in their native
languages to comprehend each other better. Most organisations looking for people who can
speak multiple languages primarily include in English. What is considered normal in one
language might be offensive in another so people must be careful while communicating. This is
one of the benefits of using a common language while operating businesses and this is the same
reason why businesses prefer having people who are fluent in English because they want their
company to give the best of services to the customers and as well is to their partners.

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Multicultural perspective:-

This can be divided on the basis of multiple factors such as ethnicity nationality or race? Social
interaction when done and multicultural perspective can help businesses understand thoughts of
people from a particular cultural or social group. This is because people from different culture of
social groups of different norms. Every country has a different culture and some cultures might
even conflict each other. In India where a cow is a holy animal, beef is consumed freely in the
united states and other European countries. These are usually cultural and religious differences
but different countries have different corporate culture as well.

The Germans have a culture where they do what they say and they are expected to keep the
word. Germans are straight people and finish your work and headlines nonetheless of the
problems or difficulty. They expect honest bilateral communication even if it will hurt them,
(cultureinfluences,2018)

The Japanese work culture believes in achieving maximum efficiency through hard work and
calculated effort. They do not appreciate wasting time because time is money.

Multi ethnic perspective:-

People may belong from different social and cultural background but in today's business
environment people coming from multiple societies and background work together in building an
organisation. Rakuten actively hire people from neighbouring countries and developing countries
to work in Japan for their own company. People are no longer divided on the basis of ethnicity.
Also, the national and social norms dictate the way people interact. In a country like India
coming to the office in ethnic dressing is acceptable, multinational companies usually have a
formal uniform dress code for everybody.

But the world is changing due to globalisation as people are getting exposed to more culture and
readily accepting them. This helps them understand and interact with people from various
background and encourages communication with effectively. Social media has been a great tool
for this and as felicitated interaction of people from multiple social cultural and economic
background with each other. A strong work culture does not differentiate one person from the
another and treats them equally. A company which has people from different backgrounds will
only help them a match idea that will cater to a wide variety of audience.

Managerial Effectiveness Model:-

These are tools used by managers and leaders to effectively bring out the best in from their
employees. Different markets require different approaches and it is most logical to blend the
model effectively. One major model which is based on chain of command is made up of two
types of commands and is different from culture to culture.

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  Tall chain of command is followed in autocratic countries like Japan and India where the
top of the hierarchy commands the lower sections and the level of power and authority
goes down the pyramid. People from the lower order get strict regulations and
instructions.
 Short chain of command is entirely the opposite and is more pronounced in Western
countries like United States where the leaders are more coherent to their subordinates and
the subordinates are treated with respect. Everybody can contact everybody and an issue
can be resolved.

ANALYSIS
The model descripted above is one of the most popular working models in the world. But it
needs to be tweaked accordingly of the nations a business is operating in due to ethno social and
cultural differences which need to be respected in order to conduct a business effectively and
keep both the employees and the customers happy.

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 CONCLUSION

The world is nothing but diverse and English has radicalized the way businesses and people
communicate and conduct business. The acceptance of English as Lingua Franca has just begun
but is expected to completely take off in the next few years where we proceed towards a world
free of any boundaries to conduct free trade and commerce globally. Multiple countries and
cultures are now actively promoting the use of English as Lingua Franca to make themselves
future-ready. The future does not have a race or any social background, just boundless potential
and opportunities.

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