Authors: Ilian Mikov; Roger Palmer
This exploratory study considers the role of language and socio-linguistic competence in the development of interpersonal relationships between individuals and teams. Globalization is a relatively recent phenomenon supported by the development of telecommunications and IT that has dramatically lowered the cost of doing business, together with the advances in logistics and supply chain management that has facilitated it. Intrinsic in this is the role of inter-personal communication between individuals and teams. Whilst the lingua franca of business is increasingly if not universally English, the corollary of this is that many actors communicate as non-native speakers. This poses many challenges for individuals, teams and organizations as they attempt to communicate between cultures, across time zones and often discussing complex and technical issues with an imperative for decision making perhaps in circumstances of ambiguity and complexity and within interdependent networks of relationships.In discussing the IMP Interaction model Håkansson (1982:10) noted, with reference to an IMP team of researchers that ‘several researchers with different backgrounds’ had problems further complicated amongst other factors by ‘differences in language, approach and emphasis’ between them. Consequently, the IMP Group interaction model becomes very pertinent in the analysis of the relationships among team members of diverse multi-cultural and multi-lingual background. This paper discusses the effects of sociolinguistics, the interactional-relational dimension of language, on the management of multi-cultural, multi-lingual teams and its influence on the links and relationships, internal and external to these teams, created in the process.The research was conducted using a questionnaire that respondents completed prior to a semi-structured interview. The respondents were all working in teams in an international context, that is to say outside their country of birth, most were plurilingual and communicating in a language other than their native tongue.This initial study suggests that socio-linguistic competence is important in developing relationships. Communication depends not just on language competence and performance but on bridging what is colloquially known as the language barrier. This study proposes that this is seen as connectedness at a social level. In which language involves not just communication but the signalling of trust and the consequent reduction of risk and personal insecurity. This suggests that socialisation and adaption take place in order that plurilingual team members develop meaningful interactions.
Journal: n.a. (n.a. – n.a.)
Web Address: n.a.
Publish Year: 2012
Conference: Rome, Italy (2012)