Are business schools meeting the challenge of international communication?

Abstract

As business becomes more international companies have to take account of linguistic and cultural boundaries, both within the organization and in the marketplace. Addresses the question of whether business schools are equipping managers to communicate in such environments. Presents the results of a survey of UK and continental European business schools’ approaches to language teaching. Also reports the results of a survey of young UK managers which illustrates the problems of coping in multilingual business situations. Describes how the attitudes of this group towards languages in a business context were closer to the philosophy of continental European business schools than most UK ones. Concludes by raising the question of non‐European languages which are addressed by neither group of business schools.

Citation

Vielba, C.A. and Edelshain, D.J. (1997), "Are business schools meeting the challenge of international communication?", Journal of Management Development, Vol. 16 No. 2, pp. 80-92. https://doi.org/10.1108/02621719710164265