Media Choice in Multicultural Business Interactions

Mervi Varhelahti,Carmen Pérez-Sabater,Marjo Joshi,Mirjamaija Mikkilä-Erdmann

doi:10.7146/hjlcb.v0i56.97230

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify which media is chosen for Computed-mediated Communication (CMC) in multicultural business interactions when the main language of communication is English as a lingua franca. The second aim was to determine how the results of this study should be taken into consideration at Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) in curriculum development. The analyses employed in this survey followed Media synchronicity theory (MST), originally proposed by Dennis/Valacich (1997) and later refined by Dennis et al. (2008). This study was conducted using a mixed method approach with data from a quantitative survey regarding media usage of 274 respondents and qualitative theme interviews of five working life representatives. The findings indicate that the choice of media varies between different countries and is dependent on the different capabilities and synchronicity of the media. The team structure, communication processes, choice of language, cultural diversity and ethical rules of the company play an important role in communication and are meaningful when choosing the media for communication. The main conclusion is that the ability to choose the media that is suitable for varying communicative situations in working life has become essential and therefore needs to be developed as part of curriculum development work at HEIs.

Highlights

We use mobile and virtual communication for networking, learning, and innovation in working life (Waldeck et al 2012; Kirkwood/Price 2005)
Through Media synchronicity theory we suggest that these findings are important because media chosen for communication have different capabilities in the delivery of information, especially when you are not using your mother tongue
If we compare the findings of this study with previous studies we can agree on three issues: the frequency of media chosen for business communication is affected by the cultures of the communicators

Summary

Introduction

We use mobile and virtual communication for networking, learning, and innovation in working life (Waldeck et al 2012; Kirkwood/Price 2005). Internationalization has augmented the importance of communication and networks (Ojala 2008) and to be able to communicate in virtual networks, new communication competences are required, along with skills in language and intercultural communication (Lönnblad/ Vartiainen 2012). The communication situation and the choice of language, such as English as a lingua franca, as well as cultural differences may affect how we prefer to communicate. When using English as a lingua franca, some people prefer using email while some may find a skype call more effective. It is worth investigating which aspects affect the choice of medium for communication.

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Conclusion