International Business Relationships Research Articles

Exploring the Dynamics of Miscommunication between Arabic and English in Economic Discourse

The main goal of this study is to gain a comprehensive understanding of the complex and diverse dynamics of miscommunication that occur during economic discussions between Arabic and English languages. By exploring this topic, the study aims to shed light on important questions about the origins of these misunderstandings and their effects on economic interactions. To achieve this objective, the research will draw upon valuable insights from previous agreements, intercultural bargaining, and global economic relations. It is crucial to emphasize that economic misunderstandings in conversations arise from various factors, including differences in language structure, disparities in cultural backgrounds, and varying contexts. These elements contribute to the confusion surrounding economic terminology, such as sentence structure, vocabulary and meaning difficulties, and contrasting communication styles. The research also examines the influence of cultural nuances and investigates how past events, cultural practices, and societal legacies shape the understanding of economic terms. The importance of effective communication in promoting trust and facilitating successful economic collaboration cannot be overstated. It goes beyond the economic implications of unfavorable trade terms and strained international relations. This research delves into the challenges faced by interpreters and negotiators, highlighting how technology can either alleviate or exacerbate the issue of miscommunication. Ultimately, it serves as a reminder that managers' misunderstandings play a pivotal role in economic dialogues. In today's interconnected global economy, clear and precise communication is essential for productive negotiations and the maintenance of long-lasting international business relationships. To address this, we propose proactive measures such as supporting training programs, leveraging technology wisely, and demonstrating a strong commitment to intercultural communication. The study underscores the significance of adopting effective communication strategies to navigate complex economic conversations and uphold harmonious global economic relationships in an ever-changing world.

Language in intercultural business interactions: A self-perceived power perspective

Intercultural business interaction has received limited scholarly attention in business-to-business (B2B) marketing research, with language and culture particularly being largely neglected topics despite the literature noting their importance in B2B marketing. This study addresses this omission by focusing on how managers make sense of the role of language in intercultural business interactions. We also explore the role of language as a potential source of individual power in international business (IB) relationships. The empirical enquiry focuses on an extreme case of Russians' intercultural business interactions with Finns or in Finland before the war in Ukraine. The findings show that context and language, as well as translation power dynamics are intertwined, generating an additional level of power dynamics that emerge from the business per se. Language particularly influences self-perceived power in business relationships and can lead to dependence or frustration due to linguistic limitations. The study contributes to research on B2B marketing and IB by highlighting that individual-level exposure to intercultural business interactions entails significant linguistic challenges that cannot be solved only by using English. Specifically, it contributes to addressing the issue of language in use, which has rarely been examined in the literature on intercultural interaction in the B2B environment.

Analysis of Cross-Cultural Communication Using the DEMATEL Method

Cross-Cultural Communication encompasses a diverse range of interactions within cultural contexts, involving the exchange of ideas and emotions. This exchange can occur through both verbal and non-verbal means, encompassing various cultural norms, values, and customs. Effective communication is integral in numerous contexts such as business, education, healthcare, and social organizations, and is particularly crucial in our interconnected world, where individuals with diverse backgrounds frequently engage. In this globalized landscape, cross-cultural communication stands as an indispensable tool for successful interaction and mutual understanding. Awareness of Cultural Differences: Understanding that different cultures have distinct communication styles, norms, and etiquette is fundamental. This awareness helps in avoiding misunderstandings and misinterpretations. Language Proficiency: Language is a primary tool of communication. While English is often used as a global lingua franca, it's important to recognize that not everyone may be equally proficient. Accommodating different levels of language proficiency is crucial. Motions, posture, reactions to situations, even eye contact are all examples of communication that is not verbal. convey a significant portion of a message. These can vary widely across cultures and can sometimes lead to misinterpretations. Listening Skills: Actively listening and paying attention to verbal cues, tone, and non-verbal cues is crucial. It helps in understanding not only the words being spoken but also the underlying feelings and intentions. Respect and Open-Mindedness: Respecting and valuing different cultural perspectives is key to successful cross-cultural communication. Being open-minded and curious about other cultures fosters positive interactions. Avoiding Stereotypes and Assumptions: Making assumptions based on stereotypes can lead to misunderstandings. It's important to approach each individual as just that—an individual with unique experiences and perspectives. Cross-cultural communication research holds a profound significance in our increasingly interconnected world. It serves as a crucial foundation for fostering understanding, tolerance, and cooperation between people from diverse cultural backgrounds. In a globalized society where individuals and groups regularly interact, the research equips us with essential insights into the nuances of communication across cultures, helping to mitigate misunderstandings and conflicts. Beyond interpersonal interactions, it plays a pivotal role in promoting successful international business relationships, enhancing diplomatic ties, and ensuring the efficacy of educational exchange programs. Moreover, it contributes to the creation of inclusive environments, where diversity is celebrated, and individuals from various backgrounds can thrive. In healthcare, cross-cultural communication research is vital for delivering equitable and effective services, and it also aids in the resolution of conflicts by considering cultural perspectives. This research, spanning multiple academic disciplines, has far-reaching implications for enhancing the quality of our personal, professional, and societal interactions. Cultural Sensitivity Training, Awareness of Cultural Differences, Language Proficiency, Non-Verbal Communication and Listening Skills. the Rank using the DEMATEL for Cross-Cultural Communication. Cultural Sensitivity Training is got the first rank whereas is the Awareness of Cultural Differences is having the Lowest rank.

Challenges in promoting local currency corporate bonds in Asia: Evidence from international business relationships

In Asia, in contrast to government bond markets where reliance on foreign currency bonds has diminished after proactive policy initiatives, the corporate sector still has a large share of foreign currency bond outstanding. We analyse this phenomenon by examining the driving factors behind Asian corporate bonds’ currency choice (local currencies versus US dollar). Our results suggest that, although the successful market developments reduced barriers for Asian firms to issue in local currencies, such constructive effect was inevitably limited by firms’ FX exposures induced by Asian firms’ rapid involvement in international business during the same period. In addition, US dollar bond issuances in the region are more associated with FX funding needs from the expenditure side rather than natural hedging against FX revenue, implying that the problem of currency mismatch likely still exist among Asian firms. As such, Asian policymakers should devote more attention to firms with more cross-border payments when scrutinising the corporate sector’s financial vulnerability. They should also continue fostering the development of local currency bond markets and spur the use of local currencies in invoicing regional business transactions.

Buying center-selling center interaction as a driver for power dynamics in buyer-supplier relationships

The concept of power is an enduring topic in various domains of business-to-business literature. However, the extant research is scattered, and synthesizing approaches are largely missing. This study builds on the concepts of buying and selling center and integrates their inherent focus on individual actors with the conceptualizations of business relationships. The purpose is to increase understanding on buying center-selling center interaction as a driver for power dynamics in buyer-supplier relationships. By analyzing two international business relationships manifesting significant power dynamics, the study contributes by building towards synthesis between individual agents and business relationship concepts, and providing a nuanced and multi-layered approach to power dynamics in business relationships. We present an empirically enriched framework that articulates the key insights learnt from the study. The study provides tools for managers to visualize the threats and opportunities in terms of relationship power when managing key individuals in buyer-seller relationships.

ROLE OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS RELATIONS

A company's culture is an integral aspect of this process since it influences the behaviour and performance of individuals and teams within the organization. Due to the challenges inherent in multi-cultural communication, the role of an organization's culture takes on added relevance in the context of global trade. This study looks at the ways in which cultural differences impact the ways in which businesses engage with one another across national boundaries, specifically focusing on the impact that these differences have on communication, negotiation, and dispute resolution. In order to identify the most important aspects of organisational culture, a thorough literature analysis was conducted to examine the available research on the link between organisational culture and international business interactions. This review was also conducted to look at the prior studies done on the subject which indicates that the cultural differences can lead to communication difficulties, misunderstandings, and even confrontations in international business relationships, and that organisational culture affects the actions and decisions of businessmen, domestically and globally. In addition, the essay concludes with several suggestions for further research and some practical implications for world trade relations.

Building Bridges: Bilateral Manager Connections and International Trade

We investigate whether top managers with personal ties to a foreign country facilitate trade with that country by overcoming bilateral trade barriers that obstruct international business relationships. Using individual managers' nationality, we construct a novel database of bilateral top manager connections. We analyze the trade effects of these bilateral manager connections both on the firm and on the country level. On the country level, we provide evidence for a positive effect on both bilateral exports and imports. On the firm level, we find positive effects on destination-specific foreign sales. We show that this firm-level effect is especially pronounced for institutionally distant destinations, which we interpret as bridging the gap between institutionally dissimilar countries. Furthermore, the effect is stronger for destinations with less developed institutions indicating that manager connections help overcoming trade barriers created by low institutional quality. Moreover, we show that the strength of this effect also depends on characteristics of the individual manager. Namely, the effect differs between connections of male and female managers.Gender discriminating institutions in the destination country severely downsize the pro-trade effect of female managers' connections, which could give rise to an unintended importing of gender inequality regarding management positions.

International Business Relationship Management and Negotiations

International Business Relationship Management and Negotiations

Corporate Bond Currency Denomination in Asia: The Role of Financial Market Developments and International Business Relationships

Corporate Bond Currency Denomination in Asia: The Role of Financial Market Developments and International Business Relationships

Cultural sensemaking of corporate social responsibility: A dyadic view of Russian–Finnish business relationships

International Management (IM) needs a better understanding of how managers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) make sense of cultural differences in international business relationships, especially regarding corporate social responsibility (CSR) in relationships between firms from emerging and developed countries. We address this lacuna by uncovering how dyads of Russian and Finnish SME managers, engaged in mutual international business relationships, construct their understanding of CSR. The findings indicate that conceptualizations of CSR are embedded both in SME managers' cultural backgrounds and in the contextual environment. This extends previous research on the role of CSR in IM and respond to calls to study the microfoundations of CSR and internationalization, adding to the sparse knowledge of CSR in cross-cultural SME settings.

The effects of mutuality in exporter-importer relationships

PurposeRelationship marketing has been playing an important role in the development of marketing theory and practice. Though the concept has been extensively applied in international marketing in understanding the dynamics of exporter-importer relationships, few studies have looked at dyadic data to investigate the impact of mutuality of relational variables on the exporter-importer relationships. The objective of this study is to understand the impact of mutuality of key relational variables on exporter-importer relationship performance. A dyadic model of mutuality is proposed. The model highlights the impact of balance, level and quality of perceptual bi-directionality of relational variables.Design/methodology/approachThe model was tested using dyadic data collected from exporter-importer relationships involving Australian exporters and their Southeast Asian import partners through a cross-sectional, quantitative survey. Mutuality of relationship constructs was measured using the perceptual bi-directionality (PBD) method.FindingsThe results support the central hypothesis that mutuality of relational constructs has an impact on relationship performance.Originality/valueThe study is the first to apply the perceptual bi-directionality method to measure mutuality of relational constructs in an exporter-importer setting. The study contributes to the general understanding of international business and exporter-importer relationship performance in particular.

Ethical values adaptation in international B2B relationships: case of Russian immigrant entrepreneurs in Finland

PurposeThis study aims to explore how Russian-origin immigrant entrepreneurs manage to adapt their business-to-business (B2B) relationship management practices and moral concerns to the business ethics of their country of origin and of the host country via the prism of ethical relativism. By focusing on the ethical values of immigrant entrepreneurs in a business relationship context, the study aims to extend the currently limited understanding of these issues in the B2B marketing field.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative approach is applied to provide findings from eight in-depth interviews with first-generation Russian entrepreneurs living and doing business in Finland. A narrative approach to the data analysis is used, in particular by applying a thematic analysis of the collected interviews because of the focus on the personal experiences of the interviewees.FindingsThe results illustrate how the immigrant entrepreneurs adapt to ethical values and norms in Russia and Finland and how they enact those values in B2B relationship management in the countries. Immigrant entrepreneurs share several national and ethical backgrounds, which may influence their interaction in international markets, helping them adapt to country-specific business ethics.Practical implicationsThe results imply that managers should acquire knowledge on ethical norms at the global level and at the national level, where they aim to expand their business. Productive business relationships involve the premises of honesty, transparency, fairness toward business partners and minimizing opportunism. However, business relations between developed and emerging markets may demand relativism when addressing ethical behavior.Originality/valueThis is one of the few studies that explore the ethical values of immigrant entrepreneurs in the context of international business relationships. The study contributes to the limited literature on ethics in the fields of B2B marketing and immigrant entrepreneurship. The authors encourage further research on ethical values adoption by immigrant entrepreneurs, which is an essential topic in times of increased workforce immigration.

Trust and firm internationalization: Dark-side effects on internationalization speed and how to alleviate them

In this conceptual paper, we draw attention to the conflicting effects that trust may have on internationalization speed, exploring the fact that trust is a major component of the influential Uppsala Model of firm internationalization and considering internationalization speed as a multidimensional phenomenon. Building on the literature on trust and international business relationships, we argue that internationalization speed is initially fostered by the bright side of trust but its dark side prevails as the firm strengthens its relationships with foreign business partners. Inspired by research on how to suppress the dark side of trust before it emerges, we identify the choice between causation and effectuation as important in alleviating the negative effects of trust on internationalization speed. Therefore, besides making explicit the role of trust in understanding internationalization speed, our paper contributes to the International Business literature by examining the effects of decision logic in the internationalization process.

Leveraging Internet capabilities for international business relationships: a comparison between Australian, Chilean and Taiwanese exporting SMEs

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate how Internet capabilities influence international business relationships using the resource-based view and capabilities perspective. Many studies highlight the importance of the Internet in helping smaller firms internationalize. However, few studies actually test how this is happening. The central purpose of this research was to examine and test the impact of Internet capabilities on international information availability, international strategic orientation and international business relationships in a sample of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Australia, Chile and Taiwan.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a structural equation modeling process so as to test the Internet capabilities on international business networks. The empirical research is based on an analysis of a sample of internationalizing SMEs in three export-intensive markets in Australia (215), Chile (204) and Taiwan (130) to test a conceptual model.FindingsThe results demonstrate that Internet capabilities have a distinct effect on the development of international business relationships for SMEs in the three countries. That is, Internet capabilities have a positive impact on a firm's international business relationships, but this varies across Australian and Taiwanese and Chilean SMEs.Originality/valueThese studies give empirical validation on the way in which smaller firms are using Internet capabilities for leveraging networks in internationalization and how this varies across countries. The results demonstrate that Internet capabilities have a distinct and positive impact on the development of international business relationships for SMEs in the three countries. However, there are specific differences between countries in how the Internet is being leveraged for the development of international business networks. Something currently not highlighted in the body of knowledge.

Bilingual Strategies for Teaching Sports Majors at Universities in Wuhan

Bilingual teaching (Chinese-English) has a lot of benefits such as improving students’ cognitive skills, increasing their awareness of other cultures, and enhancing their job prospects in an interconnected world. Teaching PE classes bilingually has become one of the most important teaching reforms at Chinese universities, because students who can combine English with their majors are in high demand due to China’s increasing international business relationships. This article discusses the benefits of bilingual teaching for students with sports majors, and then introduces some practical strategies for university PE instructors to teach bilingually.

International Business Relationship Management/Marketing and Negotiations with Tools which Comes with Cultural Heritage

International Business Relationship Management/Marketing and Negotiations with Tools which Comes with Cultural Heritage

International Business Relationship Management and Negotiations

International Business Relationship Management and Negotiations

International Business Relationship Management & Negotiations

International Business Relationship Management & Negotiations

Comprehensive Literature review of Different international business relationship making tools different strategies adopted by different cultures/countries/regions

Comprehensive Literature review of Different international business relationship making tools different strategies adopted by different cultures/countries/regions

International Business Relationship Management and Negotiations: Comprehensive Literature Review

International Business Relationship Management and Negotiations: Comprehensive Literature Review