| Titre | Language use in establishing rapport and building relations : implications for international teams and management education | |
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| Auteur | Linda Cohen, Jane Kassis-Henderson | |
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Revue | Revue management & avenir |
| Numéro | no 55, juillet-août 2012 La question du langage et de la communication dans le management international : un défi pour les hommes et les organisations | |
| Rubrique / Thématique | Cahier : La question du langage et de la communication dans le management international : un défi pour les hommes et les organisations |
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| Page | 185-207 | |
| Résumé |
En s'appuyant sur des recherches en sociolinguistique portant sur les interactions en contexte multilingue, cet article analyse les stratégies linguistiques à l'œuvre dans la construction des relations interpersonnelles pour favoriser et consolider l'interaction dans les équipes internationales dans les entreprises. Source : Éditeur (via Cairn.info) |
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| Résumé anglais |
When language issues are discussed in management literature the focus has most often been on resolving what has become known as “the language barrier” which is found to slow down business and increase costs for the company. This operational dimension is certainly important, but it has taken center stage while another important function of communication, namely the management of relations and the establishing of rapport, has tended to be overlooked. Research conducted on relationship building and managing distance in global teams has shown the importance of psychological and social factors but tends to ignore the primordial role played by verbal communication in intercultural interactions. This is surprising given that varying degrees of language knowledge and of communication competencies among members of such teams can create obstacles for effective teambuilding and cooperation. Companies invest large amounts in technology such as video-conferencing and sophisticated e-mail networks, and although a lingua franca may be used, individuals are often unable to relate to each other. While information has the potential to flow more quickly, collaboration remains difficult as the ‘language barrier' has not been dealt with effectively. An understanding of language use in interactions is therefore critical for the successful management of interpersonal relations and for establishing rapport in international teams. This paper demonstrates that these language and cultural differences can be opportunities rather than obstacles and that an understanding of the effects of language strategies and choices leads to more enlightened communication for managing relations and establishing this rapport. Based on a review of a sample of the management literature and on illustrative empirical data analysed from a sociolinguistic perspective, findings show the importance of understanding language use in context and demonstrate how interactional patterns and discursive strategies affect the management of relations in teams. A lack of trust and the stigmatization of individuals or groups have been identified in recent management research as being part of the risk factors for individuals in multicultural work settings. The paper discusses the implications of this research for management education and for the development of “soft skills”, said to be lacking among graduate trainee managers. Some linguists have claimed that many textbooks on intercultural business communication deal with the question of the effective management of communication very superficially. This supports the argument for an interdisciplinary approach bringing together research in the human sciences and management sciences. It is essential for the “language” faculty in business schools to understand the challenges facing managers in international professional settings. In many “language” courses in business schools in France, for example, the focus is on language as representing a given national culture or “civilisation”. This approach tends to be comparative and contrastive, with the aim of facilitating insertion in a given country, in the case of an overseas assignment for example. However it is insufficient for preparing students for working in international teams. The recommendation made in this paper is that there should be a shift of focus in language training for management students with an emphasis on “borders and frontiers that join rather than divide” (Alread et al 2003, in Bargiela-Chiappini & Nickerson 2003). Source : Éditeur (via Cairn.info) |
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| Article en ligne | http://www.cairn.info/article.php?ID_ARTICLE=MAV_055_0185 |
