7th Tricontinental Conference on
Global Advances in Business Communication
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
CONFERENCE RECEPTION
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Location: Marriott Eagle Crest
Please join us for an evening of light jazz, food and drink.
Music provided by EMU Music Department’s
Mark Pappas and Sara DeDona
__________________________________________________________________
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Location: EMU Student Center
BREAKFAST
8:00 AM to 9:00 AM
Location: Room 300
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WELCOME AND KEYNOTE ADDRESS
9:00- 10:30 AM
Location: Auditorium (2nd Floor)
Welcoming Remarks
•
•
David A. Victor, Conference Chair, Eastern Michigan University
Michael Tidwell (video welcome), Dean, College of Business, Eastern Michigan University
Keynote Address
Paul Venn, President – Global, Team Detroit, Dearborn, Michigan
“Global Communication in the Digital Age”
About Paul Venn: Paul was born in Liverpool, England but grew up in Nigeria and Ghana.
His formative years in West Africa influenced his academic choices and he graduated from the
School of African and Asian Studies at the University of Sussex in the UK. In his role at Team
Detroit, Paul is responsible for supporting Ford’s marketing efforts across a diverse set of
businesses: Global Marketing (global product launches and global marketing infrastructure),
Ford Customer Service Division and Ford Motor Credit Company. In addition Paul leads the agency’s business
in Ford’s newest Global region, Middle East and Africa.
About Team Detroit: Team Detroit was formed in 2007 and is located just outside of metro-Detroit in
Dearborn, Michigan. It is the merger of five successful WPP agencies, combining three of the most famous
advertising brands, JWT, Y&R and Ogilvy, with the first name in one-to-one marketing, Wunderman, and one
of the world’s leading media planning and buying networks, Mindshare.
Note: Co-authors not present at the conference appear in the abstract section of the papers to which they contributed.
7th Tricontinental Conference on
Global Advances in Business Communication
COFFEE BREAK
10:30 AM to 10:45 AM
Location: Room 300
MORNING SESSIONS – THURSDAY, MAY 28
Track: CROSS-­‐CULTURAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 10:45-­‐11:55 AM ROOM 302 SESSIONS A-­‐1, B-­‐1, C-­‐1 Moderator: Russ Merz Session A-1
Mahmud Rahman, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
10:45-11:05 AM
“Multicultural Business Communication: A Case for Rethinking the Business School Curriculum”
Session B-1
Andrew Targowski, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
11:10-11:30 AM
“The Virtual Divide As One Of Cross-Culture’s Divides And Communication Repercussions”
Session C-1
11:35-11:55 AM
Bruno Andreoni, MB Consulting, São Paulo, BRAZIL
Ana Lucía Magalhães, State of São Paulo Technological College, São Paulo, BRAZIL
“One Country and Multiple Cultures in a Corporate Environment”
Track: LANGUAGES AND BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 10:45-­‐11:55 AM ROOM 304 SESSIONS A-­‐2, B-­‐2, C-­‐2 Moderator: Chong Oh Session A-2
Kim Janssens, UC Leuven-Limburg, Leuven, BELGIUM
10:45-11:05 AM
Hadina Habil, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, MALAYSIA
“Students’ Perception of Entrepreneurship Education: Insights From Two Cultures”
Session B-2
Momotaro Takamori, Doshisha University, Kyoto, JAPAN
11:10-11:30 AM
“Lessons from Rakuten’s “Englishnization” for Improved Language Management of Japanese
Companies”
Session C-2
Toshiyuki Sakabe, Hokkaido University of Science, Sapporo, JAPAN
11:35-11:55 AM
“Issues Based on ESP Perspective of Volunteer Student Interpreters at International Trade Shows”
Track: CROSS-­‐CULTURAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 10:45-­‐11:55 AM ROOM 330 SESSIONS A-­‐3, B-­‐3, C-­‐3 Moderator: Zafar Khan Session A-3
Elif Persinger, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan USA
10:45-11:05 AM
“Diaspora Strategies for Enhancing Communication with the Country’s Expatriates”
Session B-3
Ainura Aitibaeva, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, MALAYSIA
11:10-11:30 AM
“National Identity in Kyrgyzstan: Regionalism, Ethnicity and Language”
Session C-3
11:35-11:55 AM
Natasha Shrikant, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
“The Construction of an Asian American Identity in Global Business Contexts”
CONFERENCE LUNCHEON
12:00 PM to 1:30 PM Location: Room 300
Note: Co-authors not present at the conference appear in the abstract section of the papers to which they contributed.
7th Tricontinental Conference on
Global Advances in Business Communication
EMU CAMPUS TOUR
1:35 PM - 2:15 PM
COFFEE BREAK
2:25 PM to 2:40 PM
Location: Room 300
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AFTERNOON SESSIONS – THURSDAY, MAY 28
Track: IB COMMUNICATION ETHICS & LAW 2:40-­‐3:50 PM ROOM 302 SESSIONS D-­‐1, E-­‐1, F-­‐1 Moderator: Kyle Sutherland Daniel Palmer, Kent State University, Trumbull, Ohio, USA
Session D-­‐1 “Promoting Business Ethics Globally: An Examination of Two Recent Approaches to
2:40-­‐3:00 PM Business Ethics Education”
Sam Fullerton, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Session E-­‐1 “Does the Size of the Victimized Organization’s Loss Impact the Level of Acceptance
3:05-­‐3:25 PM Associated with a Consumer’s Ethically Questionable Behavior (EQB) in South Korea?”
Colleen Reynolds, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
Session F-­‐1 “Constructing Ethical Response via Rhetoric and Role-Play”
3:30-­‐3:50 PM Track: LANGUAGES AND BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 2:40-­‐3:50 PM ROOM 304 SESSIONS D-­‐2, E-­‐2, F-­‐2 Moderator: Asrat Tessema Katja Pelsmaekers, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, BELGIUM
Session D-­‐2 “Engaging the Museum Visitor: Communicative Tensions in the Multimodal Presentation
2:40-­‐3:00 PM of ‘Dark’ History and Heritage on Museum Websites”
Noor Abidah, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, MALAYSIA
Session E-­‐2 “Writing in e-helpdesk to Promote Use of English Among Novice Communicators”
3:05-­‐3:25 PM Mahani Stapa, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, MALAYSIA
Session F-­‐2 “A Genre Analysis of Informative Emails Written by ESL Practitioners”
3:30-­‐3:50 PM Track: CROSS-­‐CULTURAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 2:40-­‐3:50 PM ROOM 330 SESSIONS D-­‐3, E-­‐3, F-­‐3 Moderator: Chong Oh Gregory Huszczo, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Session D-­‐3 Julia Bush, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
2:40-­‐3:00 PM “The Influence of Personality Type and Culture on Ways to Communicate Plans for
Change Efforts”
Peter Cardon, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
Session E-­‐3 “A Cross-National Study of Impression Management Strategies on LinkedIn: Differences
3:05-­‐3:25 PM across 16 Societies”
James Barker, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CANADA
Session F-­‐3 “Bringing Communication as ‘Constitutive of Organization’ into the Classroom”
3:30-­‐3:50 PM Note: Co-authors not present at the conference appear in the abstract section of the papers to which they contributed.
7th Tricontinental Conference on
Global Advances in Business Communication
ENTERTAINMENT VENUE
AND
SILENT AUCTION ANNOUNCEMENT
4:00- 5:30 PM Location: Auditorium (2nd Floor)
Harmony 4 Fun Barbershop Women's Quartet
http://region17online.org/harmony_4_fun
We are pleased to invite you to listen to the dulcet tones of “Harmony 4 Fun,” a fun,
peppy local group barbershop women’s quartet. You may want to sing along, even if you
do not know the music! Barbershop vocal harmony, (from the 1930s), is a style of a
cappella, characterized by four-part chords for every melody note. According to the
Barbershop Harmony Society (BHS), "Barbershop music features songs with understandable lyrics and easily
singable melodies, whose tones clearly define a tonal center and imply major and minor chords..."
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbershop_music )
Silent Auction Winner Announcements
You’ve bid all day on the Silent Auction items. Between performances, we will let you know if you’re the
winner!
Richard Maurer Square Dance
Next in the lineup, is our local square dance caller, Richard Maurer, who will explain, demonstrate
and “call” some dances. The square dance is an American institution. It began in New England when
the European and other settlers brought with them their various national dances, but which were the
popular dances of the day in the countries of their origin - the schottische, the quadrille, the jigs and
reels and the minuet, to name a few. After a week of toil in building new homes, the settlers would
gather in the community center on Saturday evening and enjoy dancing their old-world favorites. As
the communities grew, so did their dances. As the repertoire increased, it became increasingly difficult
for the average person to remember the various movements. Thus the idea of a “caller” was born. This
is a participation event and we hope you will enjoy giving it a whirl.
http://www.dosado.com/articles/hist-maca.html
Note: Co-authors not present at the conference appear in the abstract section of the papers to which they contributed.
7th Tricontinental Conference on
Global Advances in Business Communication
Friday, May 29, 2015
Location: EMU Student Center
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BREAKFAST
8:00 AM to 9:00 AM
Location: Room 300
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PROVOST’S WELCOME AND PLENARY SESSION
9:00- 10:30 AM
Location: Auditorium (2nd Floor)
Provost’s Welcome
Kim Schatzel, Provost, Eastern Michigan University
Plenary Session Panel Discussion
“Demystifying How To Integrate Global Communications:
A Panel Discussion”
PANELISTS
Larry Eiler, CEO Eiler Communication
Mark Lee, President, LEE Group
Anna Schmitt-Reichert, Global Director of Communications, NSF International
About Larry Eiler: Businessman, entrepreneur, teacher, author and
speaker. Co-founder of 28-year-old marketing and PR firm, Eiler
Communications whose clients are Google, ABN AMRO Mortgage, EMU
College of Business, ProQuest, Nielsen Marketing, Unisys, SPARK, Small
Business Association of Michigan. Adjunct professor of marketing at EMU and
lecturer at Michigan Ross School of Business, Wayne State, Bowling Green,
Lawrence Tech. Author of books on cancer and economic development. Host
of “Re:NEW Michigan” radio show and forums. Director of numerous nonprofit groups that help people and term-limited director of 23,000-member Small Business Association of
Michigan and lead its 2010 campaign “Propelling a New Economic Direction for Michigan.”
Note: Co-authors not present at the conference appear in the abstract section of the papers to which they contributed.
7th Tricontinental Conference on
Global Advances in Business Communication
About Mark Lee: Mark S. Lee is President and CEO, The LEE Group, MI LLC, an
independent integrated marketing consulting firm focused on providing marketing,
branding, and communication solutions to clients.
He is the former Vice President of Brand Development and Marketing Communications
at Florida Blue, Florida’s Blue Cross Blue Shield plan, where he was responsible for
leading the company’s brand initiatives, marketing communications and the development
and implementation of promotional programs focused on supporting strategic priorities.
Prior, Mr. Lee held senior-marketing leadership roles with nationally known companies
across the country including, PepsiCo, The Auto Club Group (AAA).
Additionally, he writes the “Small Talk with Mark S. Lee” blog for Crain's Detroit Business--a leading weekly
business publication in the Midwest. The column focuses on entrepreneurs and provides tips to small business
owners who are thinking about starting and/or growing their business.
About Anna Schmitt-Reichert: Anna Schmitt-Reichert is an integrated marketing
communications professional with more than 25 years of experience working with
agencies and internal marketing and communication teams in the non-profit, academic
and for-profit sectors. At NSF International, a not-for-profit organization that works to
ensure food, water and product safety, Schmitt-Reichert serves as an expert resource
helping consumers to Live Safer®.
In her role as Global Director of Communications at NSF International, SchmittReichert is responsible for media relations, internal communications, consumer affairs, website, digital and
social media. Her experience includes both the marketing and communications disciplines. As a primary
spokesperson she works to educate consumers about food, consumer product and dietary supplement safety,
water quality, and sustainability. She has been featured and quoted in both television and print publications for
various national, regional and local news sources, recently on WJLA TV and WTTG-TV in Washington, DC
discussing dietary supplements, WJBK (Fox) and WDIV (NBC) -TV in Detroit, Michigan teaching about food
safety, and the consumer safety publication Food Poisoning Bulletin.
Working with NSF scientists, Schmitt-Reichert helped to create and communicate NSF’s 2011 and 2013 Germ
Studies, which focused on educating consumers about food safety in the home. She also played a leading role in
NSF’s Safer Grilling consumer outreach campaign, highlighting the importance of preventing cross
contamination and ensuring grilled foods reach a safe cooking temperature.
Note: Co-authors not present at the conference appear in the abstract section of the papers to which they contributed.
7th Tricontinental Conference on
Global Advances in Business Communication
COFFEE BREAK
10:30 AM to 10:45 AM
Location: Room 300
___________________________________________________________
MORNING SESSIONS – FRIDAY, MAY 29
Track: GLOBAL E-­‐SEMANTICS 10:45-­‐11:55 AM ROOM 302 SESSIONS G-­‐1, H-­‐1, I-­‐1 Moderator: Joe Scazzero Pius Onobhayedo, Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, NIGERIA
Session G-­‐1 10:45-­‐11:05 AM Ogechi Kasie-Nwachukwu, Pan-Atlantic University and Access Bank, Lagos, NIGERIA
“New Media and Challenges of Information Management and Control: A Study among
Commercial Banks' Information Managers in Nigeria”
Session H-1
Rod Carveth, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
11:10-11:30 AM
“Crisis Communication and the Sony Cyber-attack”
Chong Oh, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Session I-­‐1 11:35-­‐11:55 AM “Social Media Information Diffusion and Economic Outcomes: Twitter and Box Office
Revenue”
Track: CROSS-­‐CULTURAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 10:45-­‐11:55 AM ROOM 304 SESSIONS G-­‐2, H-­‐2, I-­‐2 Moderator: Lois Mahoney Joe Grimm, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
Session G-­‐2 10:45-­‐11:05 AM Dawn Pysarchik, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
“Students’ Bias Busters Guides Increase Global Cultural Competence” Ayseli Usluata, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, TURKEY
Session H-­‐2 11:10-­‐11:30 AM “Unfolding the Self and Perceiving Stereotyping Paradoxes: Interaction in the “Virtual
Classroom”
Melvin Washington, Howard University, Washington DC
Session I-­‐2 11:35-­‐11:55 AM Ephraim Okoro, Howard University, Washington DC
“Evaluating Interpersonal Communication Effectiveness in a Multicultural Class: An
Analysis of Chinese, Nigerian, and African-Americans Students Interactions” Track: CROSS-­‐CULTURAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 10:45-­‐11:55 AM ROOM 320 SESSIONS G-­‐3, H-­‐3, I-­‐3 Moderator: Susan Yarrington-­‐Young Valery Chistov, Tec de Monterrey, Campus San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, MEXICO
Session G-­‐3 10:45-­‐11:05 AM Roger Conaway, Tec de Monterrey, Campus San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, MEXICO
“Cross-Cultural Adjustment and Job Satisfaction of Self-Initiated and Organizational
Expatriates in Central Mexico”
Barry Thatcher, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA
Session H-­‐3 11:10-­‐11:30 AM “Intercultural Rhetoric and Human capability on the U.S.-Mexico Border” Brian Nienhaus, Elon University, Elon, North Carolina, USA
Session I-­‐3 11:35-­‐11:55 AM Roger Conaway, ITESM-San Luís Potosí, MEXICO
Using Business Communication as a Linking Course between Mexican and U.S.
Universities
Note: Co-authors not present at the conference appear in the abstract section of the papers to which they contributed.
7th Tricontinental Conference on
Global Advances in Business Communication
CONFERENCE LUNCHEON
12:00 PM to 1:30 PM
Location: Room 300
BEST PAPER AWARD ANNOUNCEMENT
___________________________________________________________
AFTERNOON SESSIONS – FRIDAY, MAY 29
Track: CROSS-­‐CULTURAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 2:40-­‐3:50 PM ROOM 302 SESSIONS J-­‐1, K-­‐1 Moderator: Alahassane Diallo Eugene Ohu, Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, Nigeria
Session J-­‐1 “Cultural Intelligence Sounding the Death Knell for Stereotypes in Business
1:35-­‐1:55 PM Communication”
Christine Day, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Session K-­‐1 “Evaluating Respect and Courtesy in Virtual and Cross-Cultural Face-to-Face Meetings”
2:00-­‐2:20 PM Track: LANGUAGES AND BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 2:40-­‐3:50 PM ROOM 304 SESSIONS J-­‐2, K-­‐2 Moderator: Asrat Tessema Charles Bwenge, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
Session J-­‐2 Linguistic Culture as a Resource for Business Communication: The Case of Cellular Phone
1:35-­‐1:55 PM Service Ads in Tanzania
Judith Ainsworth, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
Session K-­‐2 “Collaborative Activities: Do They Promote Discipline-Specific Language and Content
2:00-­‐2:20 PM Acquisition?” Track: GLOBAL INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATION 2:40-­‐3:50 PM ROOM 320 SESSIONS J-­‐3, K-­‐3 Moderator: Bob Kiss Matt Sauber, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Session J-­‐3 David Marold, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
1:35-­‐1:55 PM Small Business Use of Online Marketing Communication: Prospects and Challenges
Peter Cardon, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California USA
Session K-­‐3 Ephraim Okoro, Howard University, Washington, DC USA
2:00-­‐2:20 PM Visual Representation on Professional Social Networking Sites: A Comparison Between
Nigerian and American Business Professionals
Note: Co-authors not present at the conference appear in the abstract section of the papers to which they contributed.
7th Tricontinental Conference on
Global Advances in Business Communication
___________________________________________________________
COFFEE BREAK
2:25 PM to 2:40 PM
Location: Room 300
___________________________________________________________
Track: IB COMMUNICATION ETHICS & LAW 2:40-­‐3:50 PM ROOM 302 SESSIONS L-­‐1, M-­‐1, N-­‐1 Moderator: William Lagore W. Dees Stallings, Park University, Parkville, Missouri, USA
Session L-­‐1 “The Plain Writing Act of 2010 and the Paradox of Technical Communications: Perspectives of a
2:40-­‐3:00 PM Communications Sea Change by Government, Corporations and Universities”
Session M-­‐1 3:05-­‐3:25 PM Session N-­‐1 3:30-­‐3:50 PM Jane Smith, LiSimba Consulting Services, Minnestrista, Minnesota, USA
“Daily Business In Our Global Workplace” Lois Mahoney, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
“A Comparison of the Association between Corporate Social Responsibility and CSR
Strategic Alliances: U.S. Versus Canada”
Track: CROSS-­‐CULTURAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 2:40-­‐3:50 PM ROOM 304 SESSIONS L-­‐2, M-­‐2, N-­‐2 Moderator: Zafar Khan Ramesh Garg, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Session L-­‐2 “Cross-Cultural Business Communication Matrix: India Versus The United States”
2:40-­‐3:00 PM Phil Lewis, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Session M-­‐2 “Why Outsourcing Accounting Services to India is Dangerous: The Case of National
3:05-­‐3:25 PM Culture”
Session N-2
Shoma Mukherji, Delhi School of Business, INDIA
3:30-3:50 PM
“Overcoming Cross‐Cultural Constraints for Effective Communication in the Multicultural
Workplace”
Track: CROSS-­‐CULTURAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 2:40-­‐3:50 PM ROOM 320 SESSIONS L-­‐3, M-­‐3, N-­‐3 Moderator: David Victor Haru Yamada, L’Echo Magazine, London, UNITED KINGDOM
Session L-­‐3 “Yappari or As I Thought: Listener Talk in Japanese Communication”
2:40-­‐3:00 PM Misa Fujio, Toyo University, Tokyo, Japan
Session M-­‐3 “Seniority or Professional Knowledge? Turn-Taking Style in a Japanese Business Meeting”
3:05-­‐3:25 PM Session N-­‐3 3:30-­‐3:50 PM Linda MacDonald, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CANADA
“Understanding International and Domestic Student Expectations of Peers, Faculty, and
University: Implications for Professional Communication Pedagogy”
DINNER ON YOUR OWN
Note: Co-authors not present at the conference appear in the abstract section of the papers to which they contributed.
7th Tricontinental Conference on
Global Advances in Business Communication
MORNING SESSIONS – SATURDAY, MAY 30
Location: EMU Student Center
BREAKFAST
8:00 AM to 9:00 AM
Location: Room 300
Track: LANGUAGES AND BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 9:00-­‐10:10 AM ROOM 302 SESSIONS P-­‐1, Q-­‐1, R-­‐1 Moderator: David Victor Marjan Marchand, Hogeschool Gent, Ghent, BELGIUM
Session P-­‐1 Languages for Business? A Research into the Applicability in Flemish SMEs of Language
9:00-­‐9:20 AM Measures Formulated on the European Level
Marc Rathmann, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
Session Q-­‐1 “The Influence of Language and Culture on German and American Corporate Websites as
9:25-­‐9:45 AM a Topic in Business Language Courses”
Lars Erickson, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
Session R-­‐1 “Using French in a Business Setting: Case Studies of French Use Abroad”
9:50-­‐10:10 AM Track: GLOBAL E-­‐SEMANTICS 9:00-­‐10:10 AM ROOM 304 SESSIONS P-­‐2, Q-­‐2, R-­‐2 Moderator: Matt Sauber Chong Oh, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Session P-­‐2 “Examining Persuasive Appeals in YouTube Video Characteristics”
9:00-­‐9:20 AM Hadina Habil, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, MALAYSIA
Session Q-­‐2 Zaharah Abd. Jalal, MDEA Consultants (M) Sdn. Bhd., MALAYSIA
9:25-­‐9:45 AM “Communicating at the Workplace: Bridging the Gap Between Novice and the Real World” Russ Merz, Eastern Michigan University
Session R-­‐2 “Cultural Values and Digital Brand Engagement: A Transnational Exploratory Analysis”
9:50-­‐10:10 AM ___________________________________________________________
COFFEE BREAK
10:15 AM to 10:30 AM
Location: Room 300
___________________________________________________________
Note: Co-authors not present at the conference appear in the abstract section of the papers to which they contributed.
7th Tricontinental Conference on
Global Advances in Business Communication
Track: CROSS-­‐CULTURAL BUSINESS COMMUNICATION 10:45-­‐11:45 AM ROOM 302 SESSIONS S-­‐1, T-­‐1, U-­‐1 Moderator: Alahassane Diallo Renata Kolodziej-Smith, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
Session S-­‐1 10:35-­‐10:55 AM “Organizational Behavior in Intercultural Work Teams Research”
Megan Endres, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Session T-­‐1 11:00-­‐11:20 AM Alankrita Pandey, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Sandra Defebaugh, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
“The Omission of Diversity and Cultural Issues in Business Students’ Definitions of
Professionalism”
Orlando Kelm, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, USA
Session U-­‐1 11:20-­‐11:45 AM “Using English As A Lingua Franca Or The Local Language: Practical Implications”
Track: GLOBAL E-­‐SEMANTICS 10:45-­‐11:45 AM ROOM 304 SESSIONS S-­‐2, T-­‐2, U-­‐3 Moderator: Matt Sauber Billy Whisnant, Eastern Michigan University, College of Technology, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Session S-­‐2 10:35-­‐10:55 AM Brandy Kramer, Eastern Michigan University, College of Technology, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Odai Khasawneh, Eastern Michigan University, College of Technology, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
“Project Manager Influence of Information System Development Team Performance
through Leadership and Management Communication Styles: A Study of Freelance Worker
Perceptions”
Chong On, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Session T-­‐2 11:00-­‐11:20 AM “From Walking Dead to Franklin & Bash: Understanding Consumer Engagement in Social
Media of Television Shows”
Abdul Halim Abdul Raof, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, MALAYSIA
Session U-­‐2 11:20-­‐11:45 AM Noor Abidah Mohd Omar, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, MALAYSIA
“Oral Communicative Ability of Undergraduates: Exploring Industry Expectations”
See details on
next page
CONFERENCE AREA TOUR
12:30 PM to 5:00 PM
PICK-UP: Marriott Eagle Crest Lobby
Tour Cost: $50/person
Includes guided tour
of city, transportation
and group rate
admission to both
museums.
Note: Co-authors not present at the conference appear in the abstract section of the papers to which they contributed.
Tour Cost:
$50/person
(+ $9.00 for lunch)
POST-CONFERENCE TOUR
Tour includes guided
tour of city,
transportation and
admission to both
museums.
Lunch at the Tower Inn
The Tower Inn (owned by EMU alumnus Roice Savvides) is a family-owned restaurant and bar. This
Ypsilanti staple offers Mediterranean and Greek food, gourmet pizza, and more in a casual
atmosphere. (Lunch offered at a reduced rate of $9.00 per person including tax and tip).
Ypsilanti Water Tower and Demetrius Ypsilanti Monument
Arguably Ypsilanti’s most famous landmark, the Water Tower was completed in 1890. Built in the
height of Victorian era sexual repressiveness, William Coats’ 147-foot (44.8 m) masterwork is regularly
listed as the “world’s most phallic building” (most recently in 2014’s Destination Strange). In front of
the Water Tower is a monument to Ypsilanti’s namesake, Demetrius Ypsilanti. A bust of the father of
Greek independence stands between a US and Greek flag.
EMU College of Business Atrium (Hall of Flags)
EMU’s College of Business is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. The EMU COB has its
own building in downtown Ypsilanti, separate from the main campus. One of the highlights of
the EMU COB is the Hall of Flags in its atrium. All of the flags are carry plaques with the name
of the nation and the donor sponsoring the flag.
Yankee Air Museum
At the Yankee Air Museum, we will hear the stories of “Rosie the Riveter” at the first aircraft
manufacturing complex to use Henry Ford’s automotive mass production technique, a leading
technological innovation of the time. The museum shares the facts, glamor, and almost
forgotten legacy of southeastern Michigan’s aviation history. Set on the site of the Willow
Run facilities designed by famed architect Albert Kahn, it contains an original U.S. Army
Air Forces’ hangar, antique planes, as well as exhibits of how the community came together
to focus on global peace. The museum communicates the outcomes and diverse messages
of what happens when global upheaval sparks technological and cultural revolutions.
Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum
The Ypsilanti Automotive Heritage Museum (informally called the
“Hudson Museum”) is a unique automotive museum that is home to
cars from the local Willow Run Plant and cars from Hudson Motors.
The collection includes the original Fabulous Hudson Hornet and a Tucker automobile movie
prop from the movie Tucker: The Man and His Dream. The prop is a feature of a Preston Tucker
display. Preston Tucker was from Ypsilanti and did his engineering work a couple of blocks from the museum. The
YAHM includes 30 vintage automobiles with a historical connection to Ypsilanti--including a 1953 never assembled
Kaiser body.
End at Depot Town
The tour ends at Ypsilanti’s Depot Town. This historic district dates to the opening of railroad service in
the 1830’s. The area has served as a stop on the Underground Railroad, as a Civil War military barracks
and as a bustling center of Ypsilanti historic restaurants and shops. Among the most notable of these is
the Sidetrack Bar & Grill, which has housed a restaurant in the same building since 1850. The area also
features a caboose from the 1920’s, a signal tower, a landmark clock, the Farmers Market Building, a
Civil War Mural (on the 1861 former barracks) and a scenic walkway over the Huron River.
7th Tricontinental Conference on
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ABSTRACTS OF PRESENTERS
Session A-1 Room 302
May 28, 10:45-11:05 AM
Multicultural Business Communication: A Case for Rethinking the Business School Curriculum
Mahmud Rahman, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Banikanta Mishra, Xavier University, Bhubaneshwar, INDIA
“Business writing” may have a connotation of encouraging “sticking to the fact” approach. It almost suggests
a preference for a generic style of communication that is impervious to cultural biases. With increasing
globalization, however, the business world has to deal with stakeholders that are multicultural. To
communicate within such a diverse group in a “politically correct” way that is not deemed offensive to
anyone, yet inclusive of all, may not come naturally. It needs to be developed and learned. A conscious
initiative to revamp the modus operandi of business communication is critical. To that end, all business
schools, be with local or global focus, and irrespective of their country of domicile, may have to rethink their
business curriculums.
Within the business curriculum, some courses, e.g., business communication, or consumer behaviors may
be more culturally influenced. While others are from functional disciplines e.g., finance or accounting, that
are often dubbed as “hard-nosed” or “practical” courses. A benign assumption is made that these functional
courses focuses only on skill sets that are mostly objective or generic in nature, such as critical thinking,
problem solving and decision making. Hence, they are somewhat immune from cultural biases. That
encourages a “silo” mentality, segregating these courses from becoming candidates for revisions to address
a global audience.
Business school prepares graduates with specializations in various functional areas. An implicit
understanding is that, those who are engaged primarily in the functional areas, multicultural perspectives for
them are of lesser relevance. However, as these graduates rise through the ranks in the corporate world,
they increasingly migrate out of their own specializations (e.g., Finance) and more into leadership roles
(e.g., corporate strategy). Their ability to communicate, and to embrace interdisciplinary and multicultural
approach thus becomes increasingly important.
The students of today, are the business leaders of tomorrow in an increasingly globalized world. One may,
therefore, argue that business curriculums of today should teach multicultural communication skills to all
students regardless of their functional areas of specialization. Our paper intends to research the variant
(intra, inter, multi) ways in which business schools have sought to adopt the multicultural influences in
business communication as part of their curriculum.
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Session A-2 Room 304
May 28, 10:45-11:05 AM
Students’ Perception of Entrepreneurship Education: Insights From Two Cultures
Kim Janssens, UC Leuven-Limburg, Leuven, BELGIUM
Hadina Habil, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, MALAYSIA
This study proposes to look at the perception of students about entrepreneurship education from two
cultures, Malaysia and Belgium. In Malaysia, institutions of higher learning are giving more emphasis on
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Global Advances in Business Communication
entrepreneurship education in line with the National Higher Education Strategic Plan 2007–2020, to
transform higher education in an effort to yield human capital with a first class mentality, entrepreneurship
education, and entrepreneurial skills ((Norasmah Othman, et. al., 2012). This is necessary to successfully
transfer the suitable valuable knowledge and skills required to produce Malaysian workforce of world-class
human capital (Rahmah and Nor, 2007). At the same time, in Europe, the European Union Skills Panorama
Analytical Highlight (2012) lists key skills of entrepreneurship which includes planning, organization,
analysis, communication, negotiation, working individually and in teams, risk assessment, capacity to
identify opportunities for personal and professional/business activities. According to Jones and English
(2004), Entrepreneurial education is the process of providing individuals with the ability to recognize
commercial opportunities and the insight, self-­‐‑esteem, knowledge and skills to act on them. Thus, it is
interesting to investigate students’ perception of entrepreneurship education, either from their experience
undergoing the program or from their reading and understanding of the term. This study will use
questionnaire survey to find out how students perceive entrepreneurship education, the skills required for
entrepreneurial attempt and the ways those skills could be acquired and nurtured. The survey will be
distributed to students of one university in Malaysia and one in Belgium. The findings will act as an insight
into the perception of students to see if the different geographical location influences the result of the
survey.
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Session A-3 Room 330
May 28, 10:45-11:05 AM
Diaspora Strategies for Enhancing Communication with the Country’s Expatriates
Elif Persinger, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan USA
Dr. Emin Civi, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, CANADA
Diaspora strategies are deliberate policy initiatives by governments to develop or strengthen relationships
with their citizens abroad. The traditional purpose of diaspora strategies is to become more influential in the
political arena through lobbying. An additional benefit, which in turn supports this purpose, can be
increasing the global presence and economic strength of the diaspora’s business community. In order to do
so, the home country government would need to design a strategy for an efficient and effective two-way
communication between itself and the country’s expatriates. Through such communication, the home
country government can better understand the challenges its citizens face in the global business arena and
take the necessary steps to help integrate the diaspora’s business community to the global economy
further. In this study, our focus will be on the Turkish diaspora in the U.S. and the Turkish government’s
efforts for improved connectivity and communication with this diaspora’s business community. Suggestions
for strategic policy initiatives and institutional innovations to achieve this objective will be provided based on
examination of best practices of other countries’ (e.g. Canada, New Zealand, etc.) diaspora strategies.
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Session B-1 Room 302
May 28, 11:10-11:30 AM
The Virtual Divide As One Of Cross-Culture’s Divides And Communication Repercussions
Andrew Targowski, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA
The purpose of this investigation is to define the central contents and issues of the Virtual Divide of
real civilization in the cross-culture settings. The methodology is based on an interdisciplinary bigpicture view of the Virtual Divide in the context of other civilizational divides such as: digital,
7th Tricontinental Conference on
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information, and knowledge. Among the findings are: the Digital and Virtual Divides of civilization’s
cross-culture settings lead to the dichotomy of Society into developed and undeveloped citizens. It
may lead to a strong civic unrest or even societal revolution. Practical implications: The gap
created by the Virtual Divide in cross-cultural settings should be minimized by better development
of common good-oriented policies in cross-cultural settings. Social implication: The quest for the
common good by virtual activists may limit or even replace representative democracy by direct
democracy and its ability for chaos creation. Originality: This investigation, by providing the
interdisciplinary and civilizational approach at the big-picture level defined several crucial
repercussions of the Virtual Divide of real civilization’s cross-cultural settings, which is evolving in
our times and can be either a dangerous solution or a boon for human well-being in the democratic
environment.
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Session B-2 Room 304
May 28, 11:10-11:30 AM
Lessons from Rakuten’s “Englishnization” for Improved Language Management of
Japanese Companies
Momotaro Takamori, Doshisha University, Kyoto, JAPAN
As business becomes increasingly global, some Japanese companies are adopting English as their official
corporate language. This presentation will focus on questions to consider when developing a given
company’s in-house language policy from an International Language Management (ILM) perspective, using
the well-known case of e-commerce giant Rakuten to frame the discussion.
The aim is to pinpoint lessons to be learned from the company’s implementation of English as its single
official language. Through detailed case study of how Rakuten proceeded with their language
implementation, the presentation will clarify problems the company faced. It will also aim to explain what
other companies taking similar approaches should consider when modeling Rakuten.
Making English an official corporate language is not just about changing the language; it is deeply
connected with a company’s global management strategy. A company needs a concrete plan and effective
execution to make the process work. Valuable lessons could be learned from companies such as Rakuten,
which have experienced this major organizational change firsthand.
In 2010, Rakuten CEO Hiroshi Mikitani announced his plan to make English the company’s official
language. Mikitani coined the term “Englishnization” to describe his project, which had three purposes: (1)
Promoting globalization of the company, (2) fostering efficient information sharing system within, and (3)
hiring global human resources.
In order to achieve those objectives, the project aimed to change major aspects of in-house communication,
including rewriting documents to and conducting meetings and other communications in English. The
employees were required to take English tests such as TOEIC, and reach a target score that was set by the
company (all employees were required to score 650 or above out of 990 points). In 2012, Rakuten
announced the completion of its Englishnization initiative. With the majority of employees having reached
the required test scores and the increased number of non-Japanese human resources having joined the
company ranks, some argue that the project was a success. In his book titled “Takaga Eigo (It’s Just
English)” which describes a detailed account of Englishnization, Mikitani writes that he would like to share
their know-how with companies that might be interested.
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Myriad aspects must be considered before concluding that Englishnization has been a success. Rather
than debating that, this presentation will focus on extracting lessons from Rakuten’s English mandate,
including pitfalls to avoid in order to provide companies considering similar approaches with a better
understanding of what Englishnization really is. Of course, extracting such lessons requires a conclusive
framework that can help analyze and explain the process of language implementation in a given
organization. This presentation will use the International Language Management (ILM) framework. ILM has
seven basic steps: (1) Creating an ILM team (2) Deciding on an ILM outline (a To-Do list with a deadline)
(3) Analyzing the company’s language environment and understanding its language needs (4) Analyzing
the company’s language capabilities (5) Program planning (6) Implementing and monitoring the program,
and (7) Evaluating the program.
The ILM framework analysis of Rakuten’s Englishnization will be followed by lessons drawn from each
phase. Lastly, the presentation will summarize what factors companies should consider when mandating
English as their official language.
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Session B-3 Room 330
May 28, 11:10-11:30 AM
National Identity in Kyrgyzstan: Regionalism, Ethnicity and Language
Ainura Aitibaeva, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, MALAYSIA
The question of identity was the core issue for all post-Soviet republics after the disintegration in 1991. For
the people of Central Asia the questions of who we are, what we are in present, and who we were in the
past, were the expressions and call for national distinctness, uniqueness and preservation of national and
cultural legacy. Language, culture, ethnicity, making up the identity played and still plays an enormous role
for the formation and preservation of Kyrgyz identity and other ethnic minorities, living in Kyrgyzstan. The
ideology of multiculturalism, peaceful and prosperous coexistence of all nations in multi-national Kyrgyzstan
is the main issue in the national ideology of the country.
The Kyrgyz national identity is represented by its history, culture, regionalism, tribalism, ideology, language
and ethnicity.
Since ethnic identity, a form of social identity, is based on self-identification; and language, the basic and
the most important factor of ethnic identity, as in the formation process of ethno-linguistic unity of one ethnic
group, the mother tongue, native language plays all the bigger role in the process of ethnic consolidation
and as a marker of ethnic identity. This paper presents an overview of the development of national identity
of Kyrgyz Republic based on internal regionalism, divisions based on ethnicity and national language policy.
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Session C-1 Room 302
May 28, 11:25-11:45 AM
One Country and Multiple Cultures in a Corporate Environment
Bruno Andreoni, MB Consulting, São Paulo, BRAZIL
Ana Lucía Magalhães, State of São Paulo Technological College, São Paulo, BRAZIL
Interculturality does not only apply to situations involving people of different continents or nationals of
different countries. Regional cultures, especially in large countries, can make themselves visible in a
workplace context. Brazil, the world’s seventh economy according to the World Bank, is not only a country
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but also half a continent and, as such, bears a number of cultures that belong to particular areas within the
nation. The observation of a team consisting of 30 professionals from all over Brazil demonstrated that
regional cultures do show up in the daily interactions between those professionals but that such diversity
does not harm communications within the team. This is due to a core of common values, both instrumental
and desired, which are shared by all members of the team, which is subject to intense pressure to deliver
quality work. Rhetoric comes out as an important investigation tool of such context, since discourses are
elaborated in order for the listeners to construct meanings. It is possible to identify in discourse both
intentions of the speaker and characteristic traits of the speaker’s culture.
The case study involved the commissioning team for the design and construction of offshore platforms for
petroleum production. Commissioning is a set of activities to assure performance according to design,
meaning, in the instance, that the oil-producing platform is divided into systems and subsystems, each
being subject to intensive testing, in order to assure smooth, trouble-free startup. It is a high-pressure job,
which cannot be carried out without efficient teamwork. The team involved Brazilian professionals with
different origins, like from the heavily industrialized Southeast, from agricultural states of the Northeast and
from the Europeanized South. The case study research questions were: 1) Do regional cultures show up
during job performance? 2) If such difference exists, does it affect communication? The values devised
were classified as desired or instrumental according to the classification established by Milton Rokeach in
1973. Employees were asked to ascribe to each colleague three qualities from a list, in no particular order.
Individual values were therefore not self-ascribed, but, in an indirect way, assigned by the group to each
individual. The group manager and a vice-president were interviewed about team communication and
performance. The study also included rhetorical analysis of excerpts from conversations by team members
from different regions of origin. The regional cultures did show up in a number of ways, but it became clear
that such fact does not hamper communication. Rhetorical analysis provides the key point: in the particular
case studied, the team ethos prevails over the ethoses of individual cultures.
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Session C-2 Room 304
May 28, 11:25-11:45 AM
Issues Based on ESP Perspective of Volunteer Student Interpreters at International Trade Shows
Toshiyuki Sakabe, Hokkaido University of Science, Sapporo, JAPAN
Hisashi Naito, Hokkai-Gakuen University, Sapporo, JAPAN
In Japan it is estimated that there are 1.7 million people who have competent skills when it comes to
negotiating in English. In order to deal with the ever-increasing internationalization of Japan and the current
problem of an aging population combined with a declining birth rate, the need for a further 2.4 million people
to have this skill becomes paramount. Small and medium sized local companies in Japan realize the
limitations of making a domestic income, and are therefore trying to find a way entering overseas markets.
A problem for this trend is that their budget is limited, and they cannot offer the high salaries needed to
attract prospective employees who have the talent to take their businesses abroad. Ideally, a solution to this
problem would be for Japanese universities to fulfill their role of preparing students with the proper English
skills to market the products of these small businesses off shore. As one way to develop human resources
with the appropriate English ability and negotiation skills at the university level, we sent a total of 10
students to international trade shows in Singapore, Hong Kong and San Francisco in the 2014 fiscal year.
These students acted as volunteer interpreters at the shows, and linguistic issues from the perspective of
ESP were researched. It is meaningful for students to experience the business world while still being at
school. They are able to see first-hand, in real work place situations how business people work abroad.
7th Tricontinental Conference on
Global Advances in Business Communication
After graduation, when they become newly hired employees, they will already have had some on-the-job
training experience. Before each show, they visited companies, which they would work for, and studied
about the companies and their products. Then mock business meetings were conducted. We, the
researchers, acted as prospective buyers, and the students as interpreters tried to explain and promote the
products to us. The process was repeated several times for students to get used to dealing with foreign
customers before actually going to the trade shows. At the same time, they were assigned to study typical
business transactions and terminology. Questionnaires were conducted after all the trade shows finished
and feedback was obtained for quantitative data, and also reasons and opinions for qualitative data.
Typical questions were: “Did you prepare enough in advance? Describe the reasons why you think so.”
Examples of some other qualitative feedback questions were: “Explain about the atmosphere of the venue
and the people.” “Did you understand visitors’ English?”, “Could you make yourself understood with your
English?”, “Which is the most important, the attitude of learning, physical strength or English skills?” The
students recognized the importance of their physical strength, acquisition of local language in consideration
of B to C, Business to Consumer. Interpretation is a physical labor in a sense. Students, who participated
in the first show in Singapore, felt nervous, stressed and exhausted. Some of them were not feeling well
after a couple of days. At the second show in Hong Kong, it may be the nature or culture of Chinese, but
people rushed to the booths where students worked at and proceeded to just reach for samples without
saying anything. This was a very unexpected and trying situation for the students. Also students
understood that English spoken by non-native people tended to be simple and have short in sentences, but
also have strong accents. It is well known that in Singapore there are many people with a variety of
nationalities living together; Chinese, Malays, Indians, Indonesians, and such like. They all speak English
with a strong accent and unique dialect, called Singlish. Some of the students had already taken part in an
internship before the show in Singapore, which enabled them to get used to standard Singlish more quickly
when compared with other students who did not have any prior internship experience. However even
students with internship experience had a hard time understanding strong Singlish accent by Indonesians
and Malays. It is important to come in touch with and become accustomed to many different styles of
English spoken by various ethnicities to perform well and be effective in this time of situation. On the other
hand, native English speakers tended to speak faster with longer sentences. The students were required to
comprehend various types of English spoken by different nationalities at international business conventions
and therefore, they encountered many difficulties under these conditions. However, it was found that their
English listening skill improved day-by-day and show-to-show, and they felt that experience was the best
teacher. As one of their jobs was to translate details about the products to prospective clients, they placed
importance on interpretability of products rather than ability of translation. Students who participated in all
three shows gained confidence as translators. They found they were successful as translators if they could
improve their listening skill and prepare well in advance. As future issues, it is necessary to figure out what
priorities should be given to improve preparations, and development of a comprehensive and an
appropriate training menu. In the 2014 fiscal year, students were sent to food related fairs. However once
we establish an advanced training program, we will be able to apply the program to many other kinds of
fairs and business meetings. This will be the framework of effective and practical ESP education.
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Session C-3 Room 320
May 28, 11:25-11:45 AM
The Construction of an Asian American Identity in Global Business Contexts
Natasha Shrikant, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
Introduction: This study examines how ethnic identity might be constructed as relevant to business
practices in a globalized context. More specifically, this study conducts a discourse analysis of everyday
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business communication practices among members of an Asian-American Chamber of Commerce (AACC)
to examine how members’ business communication constructs the “Asian-American” ethnic identity as
relevant to business practices.
The AACC is located in a large, metropolitan Texan city (pseudonym-ed, “Big City”). Members of the
Asian-American Chamber of Commerce are immigrants from 22 different countries including countries from
South Asia (e.g. India, Pakistan), Southeast Asia (e.g. Philippines, Thailand), and East Asia (e.g. China,
Korea). Thus, analyzing member communication practices will illustrate how members might incorporate
their local identity as an ethnic minority group living in Big City, Texas, their multiple global identities, tied to
their diverse nations of origin, and their understandings about norms for conducting business (both locally
and internationally) when negotiating the position of the “Asian-American” identity as it relates to doing
business in a globalized context. Attendees of this presentation will gain a greater understanding of the
concrete yet complicated ways that ethnic identity is addressed by organizational members in their
everyday business communication practices.
Theoretical Approach: This study adopts Carbaugh’s (1996) definition of an organization as an “expressive
system of symbols, symbolic forms, and meanings that, when used, constitutes a common sense of the
working self and work-life,” (p. 63). Thus, everyday business practices in the AACC are analyzed as
constituting a shared understanding about what it means to be an “Asian-American”-identified business.
Identities, generally, are conceptualized as “the emergent product” (Bucholtz & Hall, 2005, p. 588) of
communication practices. Therefore, the Asian-American identity is not a fixed, stable identity with a fixed,
stable, meaning. Rather the meaning of an Asian-American identity and how this identity might relate to
business is constantly being negotiated through everyday business practices. The way AACC members
negotiate an ‘Asian-American’ identity as it pertains to business is a product of members’ agency in
deciding how they might want to identify and of larger structures that guide the way an ‘Asian-American’
identity is addressed through business communication practices. Examples of structures guiding identity
construction include organizational norms about good business practice along with cultural norms about
how ethnic identity should be addressed.
Research Questions: This study addresses the following research questions:
1) How do AACC members negotiate an Asian American identity through everyday business
communication practices?
2) What role do organizational and cultural norms play in the construction of these identities?
3) What does this study tell us about the relationship between business communication and ethnicity in a
globalized context?
Methodology: Data Gathering: The data from this study is drawn from eight months of participantobservation conducted with the AACC. I spent several days per week from Jan-Aug 2014 audio and video
recording various meetings and events at the AACC. Spending an extended time in the field aids the
validity of claims made about a group’s communication practices because over time, the patterns of
interaction and ways of being in a particular community become visible and repetitive (Duranti, 1997). The
audio-recorded data presented in this study, therefore, have been chosen because they illustrate shared
norms that participants orient to when negotiating an Asian-American identity.
Data Analysis: This study uses discourse analysis to examine how members negotiate an Asian-American
identity as relevant to their business practices. This discourse analysis focuses on indexicality, or the way
that talk might symbolically connect to multiple meanings (Bucholtz & Hall, 2005), to illustrate how AACC
communication practices negotiate an Asian-American identity and how everyday AACC business
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communication practices might connect to larger meanings about business practices and ethnic identity.
Mini-Analysis:
The following small audio-recorded excerpt of data is taken from the AACC president’s speech at the AACC
Annual Meeting and illustrates how Alf, the AACC president, constructs the AACC’s ‘Asian’ business
identity as being simultaneously local and international. The purpose of an Annual Meeting is for the AACC
staff and board members to discuss what the chamber does, and what it has been doing successfully over
the past year. Audience members include businesses that are members of the AACC. Thus, Annual
Meetings serve to illustrate to AACC members the benefits of their membership and reasons that
businesses should renew their membership. Thus, Alf’s communication practices during the Annual
Meeting do not serve to represent only his singular opinion but rather to construct and maintain a shared
understanding of ties between the Asian-American identity and business practices:
Example 1
Alf: We continue to support initiatives and projects in the Asian trade district. It’s part of our community
development work…we also support initiatives on international work by hosting delegations. We had
several delegations last year from Vietnam, from China, from Russia, from Mexico, and of course, from
Korea. Alf draws upon local definitions of ‘Asian-American’. He uses the pronoun ‘we’, representing the
AACC and links ‘we’ to supporting “initiatives and projects” in the “Asian trade district”. Asian trade districts
are one way in which Asian immigrants in the US have positioned themselves as local business people.
Although the “Asian” ethnic identity encompasses immigrants from multiple nationalities and cultures, when
immigrants from countries in Asia participate in “Asian trade districts”, they contribute to establishing a
homogenous “Asian” ethnic identity in the United States. Thus, Alf’s mention of “Asian Trade Districts”
symbolically points to shared knowledge about the social positioning of some Asian businesses in the
United States. The mention of the Asian Trade district also illustrates how AACC business practices
construct the Asian-American ethnic identity as being explicitly linked to business and business practices
(as opposed to linguistic or cultural differences). Alf continues using the pronoun “our” to illustrate the
connection of the AACC to the Asian trade district and then framing this relationship in local terms,
“community development work”. “Community development work” is a term with a positive connotation that
is often referenced in the business community to describe business practices of ‘good’ organizations who
care about their local communities. This phrase, therefore, positions the AACC not just as an Asian
organization that works with Asian businesses but also more generally as an organization that cares about
its local community.
After establishing local connections, Alf then draws upon norms about international business practices to
construct Asian as not just being a local identity but one with international ties as well. Alf uses business
language to discuss “international work” and then gives an example of this work “hosting delegations”.
Then Alf lists examples that illustrate the ‘international’ quality of these delegations. Business leaders
arrived from “Vietnam”, “China”, “Russia”, “Mexico”, and “Korea”. This list illustrates that the AACC
maintains international ties with countries in Asia (Vietnam, China, Korea) and with countries not culturally
associated with Asia (Russia – although geographically a part of the Asian subcontinent is often constructed
as more closely tied to European norms – and Mexico). Alf is constructing the AACC as successful on an
international level because it is able to maintain ties with multiple countries. Furthermore, the AACC does
not just maintain ties with other Asian countries but also with non-Asian countries. Therefore, the AACC is
constructed as a successful international business.
Preliminary Insights: The above analysis illustrates how the ‘Asian-American’ identity associated with the
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AACC is constructed 1) as a homogenous, locally-based, ethnic identity and 2) as a diverse, global set of
identities tied to multiple nations. Furthermore, both of these identities are constructed within an
organizational context in which norms for “good business practices” shape the way that Alf constructs an
‘Asian American’ identity. Alf references AACC support of the local “Asian trade district” and characterizes
it as “our community development work”. This not only constructs a local Asian identity but also illustrates
how an Asian chamber engages with Asian businesses in the local community. Alf also discusses
‘international delegations’ and in doing so constructs the Asian identity as being tied to international
business. Thus, Alf draws on the multiple possible meanings of being ‘Asian’ in a globalized context and
uses these meanings to construct an ‘Asian American’ identity that supports the AACC organizational goal
to portray themselves as a successful chamber of commerce.
Ethnic identity, therefore, seems to be strategically constructed in a way that supports organizational goals.
Other excerpts presented in this paper will explore differing facets of “Asian American” identity discussed in
multiple communication events to further shed light on the relationship between ethnic identity, businesses,
and business communication practices.
References:
Bucholtz, M. & Hall, K. (2005). Identity and interaction: A sociocultural linguistic approach. Discourse
Studies, 7(4-5), 585-614.
Carbaugh, D. (1996). Situating selves: The communication of social identities in American scenes. SUNY
Press.
Duranti, A. (1997). Linguistic anthropology. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.
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Session D-1 Room 302
May 28, 3:05-3:25 PM
Promoting Business Ethics Globally: An Examination of Two Recent Approaches to Business
Ethics Education
Daniel Palmer, Kent State University, Trumbull, Ohio, USA
Recent decades have witnessed an increasing awareness of the importance of promoting ethical standards
and behavior within business. In a global context, various organizations have developed strategies,
including codes, certifications and standards, for inculcating ethical conduct internationally. In conjunction
with these efforts, many people have recognized the need for more consistent and effective business ethics
education as well. Indeed, the variability of business ethics education at business schools (both
domestically and internationally) has suggested to many the need for a stronger common basis for teaching
business ethics. This paper examines two such attempts to develop a common basis for business ethics
education: the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) and the Giving Voice to Values
(GVV) curriculum.
In the case of both PRME and GVV, the paper examines the history and background of the program as well
as its fundamental structure and approach to business ethics education. In doing so, the paper pays
particular attention to the underlying assumptions of these programs, their primary aims and methodology,
and their prospects for integrating business ethics into the curriculum of business schools (particularly at the
MBA level). It is argued that these programs share common aims but have very different assumptions and
methods for addressing business ethics. In a global context, the paper investigates the potential of these
efforts to develop better intercultural approaches to business ethics and to serve as a basis for
communicating ethics concerns cross culturally. The paper argues that the most important consideration in
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evaluating these, or other ethics initiatives, is to consider their potential to respond to global business ethics
concerns.
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Session D-2 Room 304
May 28, 2:40-3:00 PM
Engaging the Museum Visitor: Communicative Tensions in the Multimodal Presentation of ‘Dark’
History and Heritage on Museum Websites
Katja Pelsmaekers, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, BELGIUM
Craig Rollo, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, BELGIUM
Tom Van Hout, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, BELGIUM
Cultural heritage museums have become key elements in mass urban tourism everywhere and as such
important contributors to the urban economy (van Aalst & Boogaarts 2002). Far from being buildings that
are only devoted to education, museums have become public spaces that offer interactive and personalized
user experiences, which revolve around multimodal narratives of memory, place and community. While the
technological (e.g. Andermann & Arnold-de Simine 2012, Ardissono et al. 2012) and memorial (Walby &
Piché 2011) aspects of heritage musealization are well documented, the communicative aspect is not.
Using a qualitative approach combining discourse analysis and multimodal analysis (Kress & Van Leeuwen
2006, Baldry & Thibault 2006, Gibbons 2012) this presentation examines how cultural heritage museums in
Belgium and elsewhere present and redefine ‘dark’ histories of migration and deportation in an attempt to
engage visitors before, during and after the museum visit. Specifically, drawing on a multimodal corpus of
promotional materials such as webpages and press releases, we analyze how struggle, displacement and
suffering are presented and redefined in order to attract visitors to exhibitions and events about migration
and/or deportation.
Our preliminary findings reveal communicative tensions between authenticity and alienation on the one
hand and aesthetisation and trivialization on the other. These tensions illustrate a balancing act between
unsettling memories and pleasurable visitor experiences that museums navigate as they mediate
uncomfortable cultural heritage under conditions of mass consumption and competition in globalized
markets.
References:
Andermann, J., & Arnold-de Simine, S. (2012). Introduction: Memory, Community and the New Museum.
Theory, Culture & Society, 29(1), 3-13.
Ardissono, L., Kuflik, T., & Petrelli, D. (2012). Personalization in cultural heritage: the road travelled and the
one ahead. User Modeling and User-Adapted Interaction, 22(1-2), 73-99.
Baldry & Thibault (2006). Multimodal transcription and text analysis. A multimedia toolkit and coursebook.
London, Equinox.
Gibbons, A. (2012). Multimodality, Cognition, and Experimental Literature. London, Routledge.
Kress, G. & T. van Leeuwen (2006). Reading Images. A Grammar of Visual Design. London, Routledge.
Walby, K., & Piché, J. (2011). The polysemy of punishment memorialization: Dark tourism and Ontario's
penal history museums. Punishment & Society, 13(4), 451-472.
Van Aalst Irina & I Boogaarts (2002). From Museum to Mass Entertainment. The evolution of the role of
museums in cities. European Urban and Regional
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Session D-3 Room 330
May 28, 2:40-3:00 PM
The Influence of Personality Type and Culture on Ways to Communicate Plans for Change Efforts
Gregory Huszczo, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Julia Bush, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Perhaps the number one issue facing all organizations in the 21st Century is how to deal with the need for
change. The world is changing at a rate faster than ever before. There are more competitors, employees
with higher education levels, rapid changes in technology, and many other factors contributing to this fact of
business life. In order to succeed in a global economy, organizations must understand the variety of
reactions its employees are likely to exhibit as the plans for change efforts are communicated. Does one's
personality type influence whether a given employee would prefer hearing the "big picture" or the "details"
of the change effort? Would certain personality types prefer to receive information in writing prior to a
discussion of the change effort? Would European vs. American employees differ in their reactions to
change efforts? Research by Oreg (2006), and Kirby, Kendall, and Barger (2007) provide frameworks for
understanding the possible influences of personality and culture in times of change. This study empirically
tests these notions on a sample of 340 U.S. Business students and approximately 150 European Business
students (40 surveys have already been returned and another 100 or more are expected). All subjects
completed the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and confirmed "true-fit" type through a lengthy feedback
workshop conducted by a certified practitioner. The subjects also completed the 56-item "Reactions to
Change" questionnaire (Huszczo, 2014). Evidence of the reliability and validity of the scales within the
questionnaire has already been compiled. T-tests will be used to test hypotheses regarding the four
personality dimensions measured by the MBTI and a t-test will also be used to determine whether there are
significantly different reactions expressed by the American vs. the European Business student samples.
Finally, multiple regression equations will be generated and the groundbreaking technique of LeBreton, et
al. (2007) will be used to identify the relative importance of the personality and culture differences in
predicting reactions to change. The implications for strategies to communicate information about
organizational change efforts will be discussed.
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Session E-1 Room 302
May 28, 3:05-3:25 PM
Does the Size of the Victimized Organization’s Loss Impact the Level of Acceptance Associated with
a Consumer’s Ethically Questionable Behavior (EQB) in South Korea?
Sam Fullerton, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, USA
Jungki Lee, Korea University at Sejong, Sejong, SOUTH KOREA
A national sample of 239 adults drawn from the general South Korean population provided insight regarding
their perceptions of the appropriateness of 12 questionable actions undertaken by consumers in the
marketplace. The scenarios investigated included illegal actions such as fraudulently inflating one’s losses
when filing an insurance claim and legal, but questionable, actions such as purchasing an item that is
obviously mispriced. While actions such as the latter may not be illegal, the question of ethics will still be
raised by many impartial observers. The 12 scenarios exhibited a wide range of mean responses on the
six-point scale thus supporting the commonly-stated premise that consumer ethics is situational in nature.
Furthermore, the results document a relationship between the extent to which an action is deemed to be
unacceptable and the size of the loss incurred by the victimized organization. Thus, the research supports
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the premise that the degree of harm is a variable that mediates one’s perception of the perceived
inappropriateness of a consumer’s ethically questionable behavior (EQB) in the marketplace.
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Session E-2 Room 304
May 28, 3:05-3:25 PM
Writing in e-helpdesk to Promote Use of English Among Novice Communicators
Noor Abidah, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, MALAYSIA
Fatimah Puteh, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, MALAYSIA
Awis Rumaisya Azizan, Language Academy, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, MALAYSIA
Na'immah Hamdan, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, MALAYSIA
Abd. Rahman, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, MALAYSIA
Ummul Khair Ahmad, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, MALAYSIA
Communicating in the English language can be a challenging task for anyone whose first language is not
English. This can be compounded if they also fear being ridiculed by their own peers when they make
mistakes. In order to promote the use of this language among young learners, and to minimize the anxiety
of using the language in face to face communication, a group of low proficiency primary and secondary
school students from one district were selected to participate in an English Language Enrichment
Programme (ELEP) jointly organized by a language faculty at a public higher learning institution and a
district education department. The program is also supported by one private organization as part of its
corporate social responsibility project.
Generally, the program is designed to engage, motivate and empower learners in their English language
learning and acquisition. It is hoped that participation in ELEP can promote students’ confidence and form
positive attitudes towards the English language. ELEP comprises several activities conducted both at the
respective schools and on university campus. One of the activities involves students using an e-helpdesk.
They are encouraged to post any questions, problems or issues related to learning the English language. In
addition to building confidence among the students in using the language in a non-threatening environment
(not face-to-face interaction) this activity is also aimed at exposing the students to the use of the computer
and online communication. The e-helpdesk is monitored by a group of English language instructors at the
university. Since the students involved may be unfamiliar to the use of e-helpdesk, they were given handson training session in which they were guided on how to log in, write and submit their postings. The
students were also informed that they would receive feedback or responses from the instructors within three
working days. It is hoped that by encouraging the students to post problems that they may have in an ehelpdesk will help build their confidence and responses/feedback given could complement their language
learning experience in their English language lessons in school.
This paper thus describes some of the postings obtained from the students over the course of four months.
The postings revealed that many of the students have problems related to meaning of words, grammar, lack
of confidence in their speaking skills and pronouncing words. Other postings were more on technical
problems such as logging in the e-helpdesk, writing in the section assigned and submitting their postings.
An interesting set of the postings were those where the students were ‘communicating’ with the instructors
on general matters not related to learning the language. This latter set of postings seem to suggest that
some students had found it ‘less threatening’ to communicate in this environment and that they were not
afraid to make mistakes even though they are aware of their low proficiency in the language. These
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postings are used to inform the teachers participating in ELEP of the challenges that their students have in
learning the language. The postings are also reviewed by the language instructors at the university to make
adjustments to the other activities in ELEP, such as inclusion of more activities for vocabulary and speaking
opportunities.
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Session E-3 Room 330
May 28, 3:05-3:25 PM
A Cross-National Study of Impression Management Strategies on LinkedIn: Differences Across 16
Societies
Peter Cardon, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
Jolanta Aritz, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
With professional social networking sites such as LinkedIn, business professionals have the opportunity to
broadcast their professional skills and interests more broadly. In fact, professionals may now literally
connect with professionals across the globe.
This study examines how members of various cultures represent themselves professionally on LinkedIn.
We compiled a corpus of text from LinkedIn profiles of 3,200 (200 per country) finance professionals in the
following countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea,
Mexico, Russia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Our analysis addresses the following issues:
• Variations in rhetorical and textual strategies across cultures
• Contrasts in visual depictions (such as bio pictures) across cultures
• Comparisons of self-representation and impression management strategies across cultures
As part of our analysis, we evaluate the degree to which cultural dimensions (i.e., collectivism v.
individualism, power distance), contexting (high versus low context), emic factors (i.e., Confucianism), and
globalization of business cultures explain or do not explain variations in self-representation and impression
management across cultures.
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Session F-1 Room 302
May 28, 3:30-3:50 PM
Constructing Ethical Response via Rhetoric and Role-Play
Colleen Reynolds, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia, USA
Conducting business in an ethical way requires commitment and thoughtfulness from business leaders,
who cannot precisely predict the consequences of their decisions, but must make the best decisions that
they can with the information that is available to them. While such decision-making is stressful in one’s
home environment, global advances in business intensify this challenge by locating it in new and unfamiliar
contexts, where the correct ethical response to a dilemma may differ from one nation to another. For these
leaders, the stakes for their use of good judgment are high and the decisions they make require careful
attention. When all of the relevant information is obtained and the answer still isn’t clear, leaders must still
make a move.
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Business leaders must have strategies for producing clear, analytical thinking in order to make ethical
decisions in the complex international context. My paper will reflect on the outcome of a facilitated event
that I call a “happening” that makes use of (1) a theoretical model, (2) improvisational role-play, and (3)
guided reflection to facilitate a unique decision-making process for business leaders. The purpose of the
happening, which targets a small-group of key decision makers, is to stimulate and guide a leadership team
through a process of analysis, imagination and critical thinking that will produce a decision that is as wellinformed and carefully-reasoned as possible. This process is a useful strategy for making decisions that
could be used to inform a company’s international business ethics. For example, a company could use this
strategy to decide how to proceed in a situation where the ethical norm in their home country violates an
ethical norm in the home country of a customer or vice versa.
The happening consists of three major parts. (1) First, the facilitator will assist the leaders in using Kenneth
Burke’s dramatism theory to analyze a communication situation from various perspectives, identifying the
varied motives, possibilities, and limitations of the dilemma. (2) Then, instruction in improvisational role play
and rhetorical listening will prepare participants to play out various scenarios and outcomes that could occur
as the result of their response to the dilemma. The performance of these scenarios are designed to elicit the
foresight of possible outcomes, to stimulate creative solutions, to decrease resistance to new ideas, and to
develop empathy for the real people who are affected by the dilemma being explored. (3) Finally, in order to
capture the unique responses to the role-play that each individual experiences and to avoid the limitations
of self-monitoring that group brainstorming can evoke, participants use writing to individually reflect and
analyze the activity before gathering this information into the group as data to inform a decision. Through
these three steps, the leaders are guided through a process of mind expansion, creative idea generation,
critical reflection, and empathy development. As a result, a more ethical solution is likely to be determined.
Augusto Boal (1985) promoted the use of theatrical activities for the purpose of discovering insight and
engaging human beings in dialogue. While such techniques are rarely applied to a business context, the
applied use of rhetoric and role-play has been successfully used in technical writing courses as a way of
providing “an opportunity to break out of habitual ways of seeing and to observe and engage with the
rhetorical choices” (Batorsky & Renick-Butera, 2004). My paper will illustrate the way that business leaders
within an organization can use these communication exercises as a tool for the group decision-making
process. The happening provides leaders with: methods of making their motives and thinking visible to one
another (as well as to themselves), methods of predicting consequences, and methods of stimulating
creative solutions—all of which contribute to the close critical analysis of tough ethical dilemmas, including
those related to international business.
References
Batorsky, B. & Renick-Butera, L. (2004). In T. Bridgeford, K.S. Kitalong, & D. Selfe
(Eds.), Innovative approaches to teaching technical communication. (148-167). Logan, UT: Utah State
University Press.
Boal, A. (1985). Theatre of the oppressed. New York, NY: Theatre Communications Group.
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Session F-2 Room 304
May 29, 3:30-3:50 PM
A Genre Analysis of Informative Emails Written by ESL Practitioners
Mahani Stapa, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, MALAYSIA
With the advancement of technology, e-mail has become one of the means of fast and effective
communication in most organizations. Therefore, it is imperative that ESL learners be exposed to the
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features of effective e-mails so as to prepare them for future employment; specifically to assist them in
writing effective informative e-mails at the workplace. This is to ensure that the e-mails written would serve
its communicative purpose, which is to inform. As such, 50 informative e-mails written by ESL practitioners
were analyzed following Swale’s (1990), Bhatia’s (1993) and Santos’ (2002) views and suggestions on
conducting genre analysis studies. The findings indicate that these ESL practitioners share almost similar
common features present in effective informative e-mails. As such, these findings can thus be incorporated
into the teaching materials designed specifically for preparing ESL learners for their future employment,
specifically on writing informative e-mails for effective communication at the workplace.
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Session F-3 Room 330
May 28, 3:30-3:50 PM
Bringing “Communication as Constitutive of Organization” into the Classroom
James Barker, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CANADA
Communication as Constitutive of Organization (CCO) is gaining increasing interest among both
Organizational and Management scholars. The term originated with in the Organizational Communication
field, and scholars associated with CCO are now publishing empirical and theoretical papers in both top tier
Communication and Management journals. The strong growth of CCO literature holds implications for how
we both practice and teach business communication in today’s globalized classroom.
I will overview the emergence of CCO as a theoretical trend within the Communication and Management
fields and identify the key tenants of the theory. For example, my explication will address how CCO
connects with the current impulse toward complexity theory and the affordances CCO holds for enhancing
our ability o make sense of cross-cultural situations. I will then discuss the implications of CCO for
teaching and practicing business communication focusing especially on the implications CCO holds for
globalized settings, cross-cultural settings, and virtual learning and practice settings.
To illustrate the implications and to provide an example of integrating CCO into the classroom, I will draw on
my own experiences and practice in integrating CCO thinking into my own classes. I will conclude by
articulation several opportunities the trend toward CCO holds for business communication teaching and
practice.
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Session G-1 Room 302
May 29, 10:45-11:05 PM
New Media and Challenges of Information Management and Control: A Study among Commercial
Banks' Information Managers in Nigeria
Pius Onobhayedo, Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, NIGERIA
Ogechi Kasie-Nwachukwu, Pan-Atlantic University and Access Bank, Lagos, NIGERIA
Founded on digital technology, new media forms empower users to easily broadcast or narrowcast at low
cost and without intermediary gatekeepers. Arguably, such empowerment may be frowned at by banks'
information managers as their industry seem particularly vulnerable in the face of imprudent public
dissemination of internal information. For example, negative information that goes viral on social media has
the potential to cause grave damage to a bank's reputation and could even lead to a run on the bank.
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Despite the aforementioned new media empowerment and risk dilemma, the academic literature is
surprisingly silent about the challenges facing sensitive industries like banks in the control of information in
the new media age. We therefore carried out a study among information managers in selected commercial
banks in Nigeria to find out their attitude towards the empowerment and risk dilemma posed by new media
and how the latter affects their work as organization's information controllers or gatekeepers.
Out of the 22 commercial banks that operate in Nigeria, 13 commercial banks were selected using lottery
method. Survey and in-depth interviews were carried out among the banks' information managers. In
addition, survey questionnaires were distributed among three other subgroups of stakeholders – bank
customers, bank employees and journalists.
Twelve of the thirteen information managers studied indicated that they use social media to disseminate
organizational information. However, all agree that social media is the media form that poses the greatest
challenge in terms of controlling the dissemination of information about their organization. Furthermore, in
comparison to customers and employees, journalists were perceived by the information managers as the
stakeholders that most undermine the ethics of communication. This position seems corroborated by the
finding that majority (76%) of the journalists surveyed affirmed that they've used their news platform or
social media to complain about the banks and 37% say that they've done so frequently. However, contrary
to the perception by the information mangers, the journalists (82%) claim that they do so ethically. This
disparity suggests the need to harmonize ethical standards between journalists and the banks' information
managers. Even though only 36% of customers say that they have used social media to criticize their
banks, 23% say that they never put ethics into consideration. This lack of ethical consideration in itself could
pose risk for information managers, suggesting the need to educate or sensitize the customers.
Results suggest that employees are the least problematic compared to journalists and customers. This may
not be unconnected with the proactive measures put in place as indicated by the information managers.
These include affirmation of the code of ethics, information scanning/authorization, staff awareness and
sensitization, stakeholder engagement, prevention of negative flow of information and speculation, shielding
of sensitive information, management approval before publication of any organizational information,
procedure/policy framework in place for employee communication. All the information managers were also
of the opinion that appropriate sanctions should be in place for defaulting employees.
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Session G-2 Room 304
May 29, 10:45-11:05 AM
Students’ Bias Busters Guides Increase Global Cultural Competence
Joe Grimm, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
Dawn Pysarchik, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
This paper will describe how cross-cultural field interviews with people reflecting the diversity of the study
group surfaced the questions they frequently hear or wish others knew the answers to. The questions and
then the answers to those 100 questions are vetted by a diverse group of subject-matter allies. These
interviews are conducted by Michigan State University and are then published as “Bias Buster” guides in a
series designed to increase cultural competence.
This paper describes the most popular pair of guides. They are “100 Questions and Answers About East
Asian Cultures” and “100 Questions and Answers About Americans.” These were twinned to help rising
numbers of international guests and their U.S. hosts get to understand each other better. The guides, which
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number 60-80 pages, answer a variety of cross-cultural questions, clearing away some of the everyday,
entry-level questions that people do not want to ask because they are afraid of offending others or
embarrassing themselves.
The East Asian cultures collaboration was run as a special project for students in International Advertising
who went through an application process to be on the project. It included student research pairs matching
people from the United States with people from China, Japan, Korea and Hong Kong. Students said they
learned a lot from each other as they were researching the guide. The guide about Americans was built on
face-to-face interviews with people from about three dozen countries on six continents.
The paper describes how the guides use journalistic practices to combat bias and stereotypes and how they
reflect four core values of respect, accuracy, authenticity and accessibility. We will describe how the
interviews are structured, how subjects are chosen and how we edit. We will explain the critical role of
subject-matter experts in vetting the guides and the technology that lets us publish so quickly and flexibly.
More recent guides in the series include audio and video inserts. The guides are designed to be sold
commercially because we believe that good journalism has value, to test our success against the
marketplace and to fund future guides.
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Session G-3 Room 320
May 29, 10:45-11:05 AM
Cross-Cultural Adjustment and Job Satisfaction of Self-Initiated and Organizational Expatriates in
Central Mexico
Valery Chistov, Tec de Monterrey, Campus San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, MEXICO
Roger Conaway, Tec de Monterrey, Campus San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí, MEXICO
The purpose of this study is to build an “average” profile of Organizational Expatriates (OE) and SelfInitiated Expatriates (SIE) in Central Mexico, study the differences in cross-cultural adjustment, and
examine job satisfaction of these two groups. The results will contribute to expatriate research by identifying
the main reasons for the differences in profiles and comparing the differences with results from a study on
Finish expatriates by Suutari and Brewster (2000), expats from Western Europe by Doherty (2011) and
Tokyo by Froese and Peltokorpi (2013).
The study takes place in San Luis Potosi, situated in the Central part of Mexico. The city experienced a
rapid growth during last decade due to development of an Industrial Zone and establishment of factories
from Europe, United States, Japan, Korea and China. Apart from thousands of jobs created, newcomers
brought advanced technologies, and experience as experts in the fields. These experts would come under
management contracts for short and long-term periods to help set up production, train Mexican employees,
and take the lead in management of these organizations. However, San Luis Potosi started to become an
international city long before the development of the Industrial Zone. It experienced several waves of
immigration from Lebanon and China. In addition, it attracted foreigners from Russia, Europe and the
United States that were not searching for a permanent residence of Mexico, but came guided by personal
reasons, love for culture, or in search of new experiences. Inkson et al. (1997) defines these people as SelfInitiated Expatriates (SIE) and characterizes them as adventurers that, as opposed to Organizational
Expatriates (OE), are searching for an international experience on their own, due to their curious nature or
in search for better business opportunities.
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The problem of managing expatriates persists as one of the main concerns for human resource managers
in business organizations (Froese and Peltokorpi, 2013), and Mexico is not an exception. Although the
country is considered to be “foreigners friendly”, expatriates still face cross-cultural differences and go
through all stages of culture shock. As a result, when companies hire a foreigner, with all the benefits of
knowledge and experience, they get the latent risk of the employee not adapting to the cultural and leaving
the company, As a result, recruitment and training costs become a significant factor in the company’s
economic bottom line. Froese and Peltokorpi (2013) indicate that until recently, the researchers focused
their attention on the problems that face Organizational Expatriates (OE), but Jokinen, Brewster and Suutari
(2008); and Doherty, Dickmann and Mills (2011) showed in their works that the share of Self-initiated
expatriates (SIE) could actually be around 50-70%, a significant number that draws interest from the
academic community.
What we actually observed in the example of expatriate community in San Luis Potosi is that many times
OEs work side by side with SIEs, but their cross-cultural adjustment and job satisfaction is different, as well
as their outcomes. In the long run, these differences may convert into potential risks and problems for
businesses.
References
Doherty, N., Dickmann, M., and Mills, T. (2011). Exploring the Motives of Company-Packed and SelfInitiated Expatriates. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 22, 3, 595–611.
Froese, F.J., and Peltokorpi, V. (2013). Organizational expatriates and self-initiated expatriates: differences
in cross-cultural adjustment and job satisfaction.
The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 24, 10, 1953-1967.
Inkson, K., Arthur, M.B., Pringle, J., and Barry, S. (1997). Expatriate Assignment Versus Overseas
Experience: International Human Resource Development. Journal of World Business, 2, 351–368.
Jokinen, T., Brewster, C., and Suutari, V. (2008). Career Capital During International Work Experiences:
Contrasting Self-Initiated Expatriate Experiences and Assigned Expatriation. International Journal
of Human Resource Management, 19, 6, 979–998.
Suutari, V., and Brewster, C. (2000). Making Their Own Way: International Experience Through SelfInitiated Foreign Assignments. Journal of World Business, 35, 417–436.
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Session H-1 Room 302
May 29, 11:10-11:30 AM
Crisis Communication and the Sony Cyber-attack
Rod Carveth, Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
On November 25, 2014, Sony Corporation’s Internet network was by a group calling themselves Guardians
of Peace. The group stole tens of thousands of internal documents and emails.
The Guardians of Peace threatened to make documents public if the studio released “The Interview,” a film
comedy starring Seth Rogen and James Franco about a fictional assassination attempt on North Korea's
leader Kim Jong-Un.
Sony originally decided to cancel the film's release after the hackers made good on that threat, and
revealed hundreds of embarrassing documents and emails. Eventually, Sony did release “The Interview,”
but only after considerable reputational damage had been done to the firm.
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This paper examines how Sony handled the PR crisis surrounding the hack of its documents. Of particular
importance is the issue of what companies can do in terms of crisis PR when threaten with cyber-attacks
from entities representing other countries.
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Session H-2 Room 304
May 29, 11:10-11:30 AM
Unfolding the Self and Perceiving Stereotyping Paradoxes: Interaction in the “Virtual Classroom”
Ayseli Usluata, Yeditepe University, Istanbul, TURKEY
Considering the future of the young generations who will all be living in a globally interdependent world,
universities today are faced with the need to provide an education that will meet the challenges of the
globalizing world. The paper will discuss as a case study the effectiveness of a classroom expanded
through video conferencing and question whether critical thinking develops through such an innovative
educational opportunity. With the growing impact of globalization on human society, global communication
which refers to the study of transborder transfer of information, data, opinions and values by groups and
institutions (F.E. Frederick, 1993 in Jandt p.38) gains more importance. In his book on globalization Martin
J. Gannon (2001) offers an approach to education that encourages students to get involved in global
interactions and to engage in the exploration of cultural diversities. A Project called “Global Classroom”
and defined as an international partnership of schools was officially established in 1996 as national program
in the US and then was transformed into an international network enriching students' lives around the
world. The aim was to support and expand teaching and learning for global citizenship.
(http://www.unausa.org/global-classrooms-model-un#sthash.GZHlBVAI.dpuf ). Dr. Charles A. Braithwaite
received government fund to start a ”Global Classroom Project” at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Assuming that preparing our students for this global society and life style and breaking the stereotypes is
our responsibility, we at Yeditepe University decided to become part of the “Global Classroom Project.”
Through the program students unfolding themselves would be able to represent their culture and perceiving
paradoxical changes due to globalization would eliminate their inaccurate stereotypes and prejudices
towards the people of a different culture.
Since the Fall semester of 2005 as a participant of this Project, each week students of Yeditepe University
who are enrolled in PRP 302 (Global Communication) and students in Nebraska enrolled in COMM 211
(Intercultural Communication) have been meeting in the “virtual” classroom. Using internet video
technology interaction starts, and students unfold themselves with “Who Am I” power points; the second
presentation is about the characteristics of our own and the counterparts’ culture; and in the last evaluation
power points cultural similarities and differences that are discovered are reported. At this point, students
start questioning whether cultural stereotypes are valid because they have broadened their perspectives,
eliminated or decreased inaccurate stereotypes and prejudices and have been aware of the paradox of
change (Bird, Osland, 2006 in Gannon, 2007). Education in the global world is supposed to encourage
awareness of the paradoxes and commitment to the solutions of global problems which means undertaking
a social mission or responsibility and developing critical thinking and cultural sensitivity.
References:
Gannon, Martin J. (2001). Understanding Global Cultures: Metaphorical
Through 23 Nations. London: Sage Publications
Gannon, Martin J. (2008). Paradoxes of Culture and Globalization. London: Sage
Gudykunst, William B. (Editor) (2005) Theorizing About Intercultural Communication.
London: Sage.
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Usluata, A. (ed.) (2008.) Communication: Spanning Cultures, Change and Challenges.
Istanbul: Yeditepe Univ.
Usluata, A. & Rosenbaum, J.(eds.) (2004) Shaping the Future of Communication Research in
Europe. Istanbul: Yeditepe. University
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Session H-3 Room 320
May 29, 11:10-11:30 AM Intercultural Rhetoric and Human capability on the U.S.-Mexico Border
Barry Thatcher, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA
New Mexico State University is located on the U.S.-side of the geo-political border between Mexico and the
United States, a dynamic region of multilingual and multicultural capabilities. Thus, it is an ideal setting to
explore key issues and applications of U.S.-Mexico border and intercultural professional communication,
the topic of this presentation.
On the U.S. side of the border, some residents speak only English or Spanish, some are fully bilingual,
some work with both languages but are dominant in one, and a good number are Generation 1.5 (U.S.-born
but from Mexican parents) who usually prefer to speak in Spanish but learned to write in English. The
Mexican side is more homogenized linguistically and culturally because a vast majority of immigration flows
from Southern Mexico to the U.S.-Mexican border region, and from Mexico to the U.S.—but not from the
U.S. to Mexico. Thus, the Mexican side is almost completely Spanish with very predominant Mexican
cultural traditions and some differing levels of English (Alegria, 2009). However, the Mexican side is much
more dynamic economically and more internationally-based because it is home to 90% of Mexico’s
multinational manufacturing organizations known as maquiladoras.
In addition to this multilingual and multicultural context, the border region represents exceptions and
anomalies in human and economic development indicators as compared to the home country (Healthy
Border 2012). The U.S. side of the border consistently ranks last in the United States in indicators such as
education, literacy, health, environment, and social equality. However, the Mexican side of the border
usually ranks higher than most other areas in Mexico in these same indices.
Thus, analyzing the rhetoric around the U.S.-Mexico border can shed light on many influences, relations,
and functions of intercultural rhetoric, including language (Spanish-English), education (and teaching of
communication), legal systems, economy, predominant cultural values, and communication patterns.
However, despite the border region being ripe for intercultural rhetorical analysis, much work needs to be
carried out to develop viable theories and research methodologies.
First, we need to move beyond local approaches (Brandt & Clinton, 2002; Thatcher, 2010), especially the
U.S.-based Mestizo approaches (Anzaldúa, 1987; Baca, 2007) that ignore the Mexican side of the border.
Second, we need an approach to rhetoric and development that does not presuppose U.S. cultural and
rhetorical values such as individualism, universalism, specific orientation, and U.S. institutions and
processes (Thatcher, 2012). These ethnocentric approaches to the border creates huge problems of
inequities and misunderstandings. And third, we need to assess the complex and hugely dynamic interplay
of rhetorical and human border crossings and reinforcing (Vila, 2003). For example, despite what some
academics maintain, the border is not simply a third space where cultural, linguistic, and human
development variables freely and randomly mix according to one’s local identity or subjectivity; rather, the
border displays a complex and often asymmetrical mixing, acculturating, rejecting, embracing,
romanticizing, hiding, parading, and disparaging of specific rhetorical patterns.
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This presentation explores the development of U.S.-Mexico border theory and methodology of professional
communication, combining intercultural rhetoric (Connor, 2011; Thatcher, 2012) and the Human Capability
Approach. As developed by human rights scholars, NGOs, and other stakeholders, the human capability
approach (Sen, 1999; 2009; hd-ca.org) does not rely on a specific cultural orientation or definition but
instead assesses culture and development from a comparative framework based on functionings, capability,
and agency. Functionings are the valuable activities and states that make up people’s wellbeing—such as
a healthy body, being safe, being calm, having a warm friendship, an educated mind, a good job.
Capabilities are the “alternative combinations of functionings that are feasible for [a person] to achieve. Put
differently, they are ‘the substantive freedoms he or she enjoys to lead the kind of life he or she has reason
to value’” (hd-ca.org “Briefing Note” p.2). Since functionings differ across cultures, the capability to perform
these functions differs too, but the application of capability does not; people are variously capable of
performing a variety of functionings in local contexts. Third, agency “refers to a person’s ability to pursue
and realize goals that he or she values and has reason to value” (hd-ca.org “Briefing Note” p.3). Thus, this
approach assumes that all people possess some kinds and applications of agency, but the capability of the
agents varies across cultures. These three concepts are contingent universal frames–what all cultures
share–but they must be then grounded in local contexts. In addition to assessing intercultural contexts in
culturally-sensitive ways, the capability approach highlights the roles of literacy and rhetoric in development,
a very apt frame for intercultural and border rhetoric.
Grounded in this frame of intercultural rhetoric, human development, and second language studies, this
presentation builds a framework of six rhetorical functionings along the border: native English writers, native
Spanish writers, bilinguals, Spanish-dominant, English-dominant, and Generation 1.5 students (oral
Spanish and written English). Border residents are not always capable of functioning in a variety of specific
writing contexts such as university courses or the global workplace. The presentation concludes by
exploring ways to develop more capability in border writers based on their agency and functionings that can
be dynamically combined in various contexts and workplace situations.
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Session I-1 Room 302
May 29, 11:25-11:45 AM
Social Media Information Diffusion and Economic Outcomes: Twitter and Box Office Revenue
Chong Oh, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Microblogging (e.g. Twitter) has a pertinent presence in the Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC)
area and is a popular research medium. Scholars have examined many interesting research questions but
the relationship between diffusion of information in the social media context with economic outcomes is one
that is largely unexplored. This study demonstrates how social media information diffusion affects economic
outcomes. Specifically, we examine characteristics of Twitter information diffusion surrounding movies and
their relationships to each movie’s first weekend gross revenue. To measure how movies diffuse through
social media network structures, we collect retweets about movies and extract three metrics of Twitter
diffusion: speed, scale and range. Speed is the average retweet time (in seconds) of a tweet message
where a lower value denotes a faster speed. Scale refers to the volume of retweets for a tweet message
while range differentiates between the retweet reaching the first layer of followers and deeper layers (e.g.
followers’ followers). A total 8,945,355 tweets from Twitter for 116 movies from January to June 2014 are
collected. Through OLS regression models of retweeting behaviors we identify diffusion characteristics that
are highly correlated with first weekend movie gross revenue. We found that tweet messages from movies
of higher speed and deeper reach relate positively to higher revenue. In essence movies with a higher
spread of word-of-mouth (WOM) and a deeper reach into many layers beyond each movie’s initial group of
7th Tricontinental Conference on
Global Advances in Business Communication
followers are those more likely to gain a larger audience which translates to a higher box office success.
This study has two important contributions. First it provides intuitions to practitioners in improving their
social media marketing strategies. Second it presents inferences to researchers in understanding the
different characteristics of information diffusion in relation to performance outcomes of brands and entities.
Intuitively antecedents of these diffusion characteristics may be explored to determine design of tweet
message with potentially high diffusion rate. This study has implications to various disciplines namely
marketing, information science and communication.
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Session I-2 Room 304
May 29, 11:35-11:55 AM
Evaluating Interpersonal Communication Effectiveness in a Multicultural Class: An Analysis of
Chinese, Nigerian, and African-Americans Students Interactions
Melvin Washington, Howard University, Washington DC
Ephraim Okoro, Howard University, Washington DC
Today’s classrooms are changing and undergoing rapid shifts in structure, focus, and composition. The
nature of learning is also changing to be more participative, interactive, and team-oriented, which requires
constant interactions and engagement among students from different parts of world in a learning
environment. The diverse, multicultural, or global composition of students in many universities, especially
at Howard University, present classroom management challenges as well as difficulties in cultivating
interpersonal relationships.
A number of studies (Lustig & Koester, 2006; Davidman & Davidman, 1997) strongly indicate that the
twenty-first century classrooms, which have become a multicultural marketplace, need strategic teaching
and management skills to create and sustain effective learning environment, knowledge acquisition, and
sensitivity to cultural differences. These studies suggest that students from some cultures appear
disadvantaged when learning in a multicultural setting. Therefore, as the number of students from different
cultures and nationalities are learning and working together in many United States’ colleges and
universities, it has becomes increasingly significant to reexamine teaching techniques that will promote
team/group efforts and collaborations among diverse students. Research indicates a need for the creation
of a learning environment that will foster effective interpersonal exchange among learners, and hat will also
establish opportunities for cross-cultural skills acquisition and competence for working together. Further, it is
suggested that development of class assignments, activities, and projects include adequate participation in
team-learning and collaboration in order to instill an appreciation and respect for cultural differences and
values. Against this background, this paper seeks to identify appropriate strategies for collaborative
learning and inter-cultural communication among Chinese, Nigerian, and African-American students at
Howard University. Recommendations will be provided.
References:
Lustig, M. W. & Koester, J. (2006). Intercultural competence: Interpersonal communication across
cultures. Boston: Pearson Publishing
Davidman, L. & Davidman (1997). Teaching with a multicultural Perspective: A practical guide. New York:
Longman Publishing
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Session I-3 Room 320
May 29, 11:35-11:55 AM
Using Business Communication as a Linking Course between Mexican and U.S. Universities
Brian Nienhaus, Elon University, Elon, North Carolina, USA
Roger Conaway, ITESM-San Luís Potosí, MEXICO
In this paper we present our findings from our research on business communication instruction at the 37
campuses of two private Mexican university systems, the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de
Monterrey, Mexico, and the Universidad Tecnológica de México. Our question is how and to what extent
business communication is currently offered in their business degree programs. Content categories
developed by Wardrope and Bayless (1999), and Russ (2009) were used to guide our initial reading of
online degree-program catalogues and syllabi. Newer content categories, particularly in technology and
teamwork, were added with help from the findings by Sharp and Brumberger (2013).
As a contribution in response to Du-Babcock's (2006) challenge that business communication be taught in
ways that acknowledge the more global and often multidisciplinary reality of business itself, we plan to use
the findings from this paper to explore the possibility of constructing a course in business communication
that will be offered to students in their native language in their home country, and then again in the target
language when the same students study abroad. Our aim is to design a similar course, in terms of topics
and professional tasks, for the linked classes. We also see the possibility of having students from both
universities taking the same course online.
Since Du-Babcock offered her challenge, English has become more central in business discourse in Europe
and in Latin America. For example, from Europe, primarily, we find the emergence of business English as a
more pragmatic form of the language suited to second-language speakers, and also increased focus on the
testing of business English language skills vs. testing of general English skills, reflected in increased use of
the Business Language Testing Service (BULATS) instead of the TOEFL. During our initial research on the
Tec curriculum, the University announced its decision to use the BULATS exclusively to test faculty and
student English language proficiency.
As mentioned, we would like to create the same business communication class for the U.S. and Mexico, but
if we find we cannot, we suspect the reasons for that failure may be interesting. In learning the topics and
task that survive comfortably across these two national cultures, we may contribute to an understanding of
how the business communication course may evolve as globalization endures. As we encounter ideas or
practices that seem not to translate well, we and our students will gain more concrete awareness of the
kinds of intercultural skills they will need for managing conflict and building trust in that particular binational
setting (Rapanta, Nickerson and Goby, 2014). If similar exchanges are developed in other bi-national
exchanges, with business communication as the linking course, we may learn more about intercultural
challenges that are both concrete (in professional dyadic interaction) and general in geographic scope.
It is also our hope that our classroom-based efforts will complement the research findings of LouhialaSalminen and Charles (2006) and Louhiala-Salminen and Kankaanrata (2012) for trends in language use in
multinational organizations. These researchers have found that while English has been adopted as the
lingua franca of many organizations, it is a particular version of English, which they call Business English
lingua franca (BELF), which is used most productively in multicultural settings.
BELF is shaped by non-native English speakers who, perhaps because English is a second language for
them, develop and use more pragmatic forms of the language in their internal professional communications.
Of particular interest for us was their finding that the presence of native English speakers in non-native
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BELF work teams and settings could engender higher levels of confusion and mistrust, as native speakers
were often unaware of instances when they were employing their native language in ways that might have
been too subtle for their second-language colleagues to understand. We find this interesting in part because
in our own academic careers, we have taught business communication primarily in English. We cannot
‘step outside’ our status as native English speakers and it is therefore difficult to see how we could come to
understand the virtues of BELF as fully as the second-language professionals interviewed by LouhialaSalminen and her colleagues. Still, in developing business communication as a linking course, and as we
share the problem of BELF with students who are about to experience professional communication in a
binational setting themselves, we may learn ways to mitigate the disadvantages of operating in one’s native
language when that same language is used in a multicultural professional environment.
References
Du-Babcock, B. (2006). Teaching business communication: Past, present, future. Journal of Business
Communication, 43(3), 253-264.
Louhiala-Salminen, L. & and Kankaanranta, A. (2012). Language as an Issue in International Internal
Communication: English or a Local Language? If English, What English? Public Relations Review
38:262-269.
Louhiala-Salminen, L. & Charles, M. (2006). English as the lingua franca of international business
communication: Whose English? What English? Intercultural and international business
communication, 27-54.
Rapanta, C., Nickerson, C. & Goby, P. B. (2014). “Going Mobile” in Business Communication at an Arabian
Gulf University. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly 77(4), 357-375.
Sharp, M. R & Brumberger, E.R. (2013). Business Communication Curricula Today: Revisiting the Top 50
Undergraduate Business Schools. Business Communication Quarterly 76(1), 5-27.
Wardrope, W.W. & Bayless, M.L. (1999). Content of the Business Communication Course: An Analysis of
Coverage, Business Communication Quarterly, 62(4), 33-40.
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Session J-1 Room 302
May 29, 1:35-1:55 PM
Cultural Intelligence Sounding the Death Knell for Stereotypes in Business Communication
Eugene Ohu, Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, Nigeria
Increased globalization is creating culturally diverse teams. Managers are increasingly challenged to lead
multicultural teams towards common organizational goals. It has therefore become imperative that team
members be helped to quickly attain a shared understanding of messages. Much research has focused on
generating awareness of different cultures and how this knowledge can be used to improve business
communication.
Even with this awareness that different cultures exist, stereotypes (of race, gender, national culture) still
influence how team members interpret the actions of their colleagues. Studies in social psychology have
focused on how these stereotypes influence perceptions about individuals or groups of people. Message
encoding and decoding (verbal, non-verbal, intentional and unintentional) may thus unconsciously become
victims of stereotypes. It is often the case that these stereotypical frames do not provide a complete picture
of the observations and so can lead to communication failures.
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This study leverages on Hofstede’s cultural dimensions to provide a framework for business communication
that should help increase the cultural intelligence of managers and team members. They will thus get a
better idea of how much of their observations and interpretations are victims of stereotypes, and which are
due to the national cultural traits of their interlocutors. This improved understanding should lead to a
greater accommodation of differences, and thus an increase in shared meaning in communication efforts.
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Session J-2 Room 304
May 29, 1:35-1:55 PM
Linguistic Culture as a Resource for Business Communication: The Case of Cellular Phone Service
Ads in Tanzania
Charles Bwenge, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
This study explores the intersection pertaining to a society’s language policy, linguistic culture, and resultant
communicative practices with particular focus on business communication. Defined as languages spoken in
a given speech community, how they are used and what members of the community think about them and
related actual uses, linguistic culture is a phenomenon that need not be ignored in business communication,
especially in advertising products or services offered. This is not a new line of argument as there is a wide
range of literature on the subject but its dynamic nature coupled with globalizing world calls for continuing
exploration.
Any country’s policy leads to the emergence of certain behaviors or practices that eventually constitute a
component of its culture. Language policy in any given society is no exceptional. It always leads to a
linguistics culture specific to the society in question which consequently would constitute a linguistic/cultural
resource including a resource for business communication among other fields. In this regard, Tanzania
provides an insightful case for exploring such an intersection. Viewed as a predominantly endoglossic
society due to a remarkable Swahilization of the public space project undertaken by the state (i.e., Kiswahili
promoted at the expense of English and other local languages) in the 1970s, Tanzania of the 1990s to this
day would began to experience a diversion towards reviving the importance of English language among its
members of the society (though not necessarily at the expense of Kiswahili) as it widely opened up doors
for free market economy and foreign investments. This linguistic cultural dynamic coincided with the advent
of mobile phone usage in the country, and, consequently, both evolutions pertaining to linguistic culture and
cellular phone service advertisement have drawn into each other – to some extent- vividly revealing the
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intersection proposed in this study: how business communication can effectively utilize a linguistic culture
and, similarly, how a linguistic culture can be enhanced by business communication.
In this paper, therefore, key concepts and their relationships including language policy, linguistic culture,
linguistic resource, and business communication are elaborated. Followed by a brief history of Tanzanian
language policies and linguistic cultural dynamics. Then, a brief background to the advent and subsequent
popular usage of cellular phones in Tanzania is presented and, finally, a representative data collected in
most recent times regarding mobile phone service ads in Tanzania is presented, analyzed and discussed in
view of observed linguistic culture.
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Session J-3 Room 320
May 29, 1:35-1:55 PM
Small Business Use of Online Marketing Communication: Prospects and Challenges
Matt Sauber, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
David Marold, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Introduction: Limited with budgetary constraints and organizational resources, small businesses are
gradually warming up to the possibilities of the Internet and online marketing communication. With low
barriers to entry, small firms can now afford a slew of digital marketing activities and programs to boost their
effectiveness and customer insight. They clearly understand the presence of their customers online and the
mandate to reach them. Due to their size, small businesses can also afford to be nimble to reach out and
establish direct relationships with their customers using direct and interactive marketing communication.
Study Objectives: The purpose of the present study is twofold: (1) to investigate the online marketing
communication objectives, strategies, and tactical activities currently used by small firms and (2) to provide
diagnostics to improve strategic and operational effectiveness of online marketing communication in such
firms. Specifically, the study intends to determine:
• Objectives pursued in investing in online marketing communication
• Online components utilized in overall firm’s marketing communication
• Proportion of budget allocated to various online marketing communication
• Degree of innovation in utilizing interactive marketing tools
• Level of exploiting internal resources toward online marketing communication
• Prioritization of technology to create marketing communication efficiencies
Methodology : To better understand the needs of local businesses in using online marketing communication
tools and to provide requisite counseling and training in this area, the Michigan Small Business &
Technology Development Center (MI-SBTDC) authorized the investigators to conduct an online survey of
businesses in Southeast Michigan. Using the MI-SBTDC’s database, the authors conducted an online
survey of 1200 businesses. Eighty-five questionnaires (a 7% response rate) were completed and returned
by individuals who were in charge of marketing in their organizations. Figure 1 displays the demographics
of surveyed businesses.
Preliminary findings
• Fifteen percent of surveyed businesses do not use online marketing communication in day-to-day
business practice. The primary reasons proffered are the lack of expertise, understaffing (almost
one-third are sole proprietorships and another third have four or less employees), and the lack of
budget (46% allocate less than 10% of their budget to online marketing activities).
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•
•
•
•
Over 90% of respondents agree that customer acquisition, engagement, loyalty, and overall sales
are the most important objectives of online marketing communication in their business.
Company website and email are the most widely used marketing communication tools by small
businesses.
Social media is gaining rapid growth among small businesses. Facebook and LinkedIn are more
popular as leading social media, followed by Twitter. (These studies concur with the finding that the
use of social media is fast growing among small businesses in the U.S.)
Not surprisingly, respondents reported less use of search engine marketing (natural search) and
search engine optimization (paid search), compared to social media, as part of their online
marketing activities.
Potential Contribution: The recent economic downturn has pushed small businesses, some unwittingly, to
turn to online marketing communication for growing their business and reaching out to customers. The
current study highlights the opportunities and challenges before small business marketers who strive to
maximize productivity using direct and interactive marketing communication.
References
Fisher, Steven, “Small Business Use of Social Media up 200% since 2009 says, Small Biz Report,” Small
Business Success Index, Center for Excellence in Service, The University of Maryland,
http://www.networksolutions.com/smallbusiness/2010/05/small-business-use-of-social-media-up200-since-2009-says-small-biz-report/?channelid=P99C425S627N0B142A1D38E0000V100
Lacho, Kenneth J; Marinello, Craig. The Entrepreneurial Executive 15 (2010): 127-133.
“Social Marketing’s Benefits Rival Email for Small Business,” eMarketer, June 6, 2011,
http://www.emarketer.com/Articles/Print.aspx?R=1008425
“SMBs Turn to Social Before Search,” eMarketer, March 28, 2011,
http://www.emarketer.com/Articles/Print.aspx?R=1008302
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Session K-1 Room 302
May 29, 2:00-2:20 PM
Evaluating Respect and Courtesy in Virtual and Cross-Cultural Face-to-Face Meetings
Christine Day, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Jean Bush-Bacelis, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Elizabeth Hagensen, Bemidji State University, Bemidji, Minnesota, USA
In today’s organizations, global employees must interact with people who are very different, both in skills
and expectations. Economic conditions have caused virtual contact to replace travel, resulting in the
extensive use of online meetings and other virtual technology. Formerly acceptable methods for
communicating respect have been altered. In fact, technology may purge or distort participants’ non-verbal
behavior, leaving more ambiguity. As a result, new sets of practices are evolving and they need to be
researched. Communication richness and effectiveness are reduced as the levels of closeness lessen.
Nonverbal signals of respect can be obvious or subtle (Varner & Beamer, 2011). The challenges of crossculture communication abound, especially using technology. Current trends show that the ability to
communicate respect is a top skill sought by employers.
The present exploratory study investigated the extent to which participants in face-to-face or virtual team
environments adapt their style of communication of respect and courtesy. This study investigated and
evaluated data on the variables that would influence these aspects of civility. This presentation will review
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the results of data from over 100 participations. It will also cover key adaptations for international and
virtual meetings.
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Session K-2 Room 304
May 29, 2:00-2:20 PM
Collaborative Activities: Do They Promote Discipline-Specific Language and Content Acquisition?
Judith Ainsworth, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA
These days, in addition to professional knowledge, employers expect the expert employee to possess
social, communication and cooperation skills, flexibility to work in different contexts and the capacity to
manage information and others (Henderson, 2005; Macdonald, 1996; Marschan-Piekkari, Welch, & Welch,
1999). Collaborative learning and task-based language teaching respond to these needs because they are
effective pedagogies that foster higher-order analysis, communication skills and the creation of new
knowledge in interaction (Ellis, 2003; Lantolf, 2000). According to sociocultural theory (Vygotsky, 1978),
meaning is constructed through social processes to which individuals contribute by means of language
(Charles, 2007).
Collaborative activities are used extensively in language courses for field specific purposes to respond to
the need for graduates to possess social, communication and cooperation skills in addition to professional
knowledge. However, much of the research on collaborative learning has been carried out in classroom
studies (Foster & Snyder Ohta, 2005) that are more easily monitored for effective collaboration than
assignments completed outside of class. Therefore, this study explores how student-led group activities that
take place outside of class impact task organization, socialization, trust building, communication protocols
and language use that result in constructing discipline-specific knowledge.
Ten groups of 3-4 students worked independently on a project culminating in an oral presentation. Data
was collected in the form of peer and self-evaluations, and survey responses to questions about group
functioning and teamwork. Characteristics of task accomplishment, contribution to teamwork and
participation in discussions were used for data analysis.
Although team members used a variety of co-regulatory and self-regulatory activities to mediate their
language use and acquisition of discipline-specific knowledge, the study found that a successful final
product does not necessarily mean the group functioned as a team and that each member contributed
equally, even when team members were largely pleased with their performance. The process tends to favor
division of tasks, few face-to-face meetings, and little sharing of knowledge or research for task resolution.
The results have implications for the effectiveness of collaborative activities for specific-purpose language
acquisition and discipline-specific content acquisition. Team skills training, project design and assessment
procedures are highlighted for group cohesion and member accountability.
References
Charles, M. (2007). Language matters in global communication [Article based on ORA lecture, October
2006]. Journal of Business Communication, 44(3), 260-282.\
Ellis, R. (2003). Task-based Language Learning and Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Foster, P., & Snyder Ohta, A. (2005). Negotiation for meaning and peer assistance in second language
classrooms. Applied Linguistics, 26(3), 402-430.
Henderson, J. K. (2005). Language diversity in international management teams. International Studies of
Management and Organisation, 35(1), 66-82.
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Lantolf, J. (2000). Sociocultural Theory and Second Language Learning. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Macdonald, S. (1996). Informal information flow and strategy in the international firm. International Journal
of Technology Management, Special Issue on Informal Information Flow, 11(1/2), 219-232.
Marschan-Piekkari, R., Welch, D., & Welch, L. (1999). In the shadow: the impact of language on structure,
power and communication in the multinational. International Business Review, 8(4), 421-440.
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
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Session K-3 Room 320
May 29, 2:00-2:20 PM
Visual Representation on Professional Social Networking Sites: A Comparison Between Nigerian
and American Business Professionals
Peter Cardon, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California USA
Ephraim Okoro, Howard University, Washington, DC USA
The intercultural communication field has long included a focus on variations in nonverbal communication.
With the increased use of professional social networking platforms such as LinkedIn, professionals can use
visual data to represent themselves on professional social networking websites. This emerging form of
nonverbal and non-textual communication has received little attention in the cross-cultural literature.
We examined the LinkedIn profiles of approximately 300 Nigerian business professionals and 300 American
business professionals. In particular, we focused on profile pictures and examined the following:
professionalism of photo; facial expressions, including smiles; background of the photo; and colors and
styles of clothing. We present our findings with comparisons across cultures and gender. We also suggest
how our analysis fits into existing streams of research about cross-cultural nonverbal communication.
___________________________________________________________________
Session L-1 Room 302
May 29, 2:40-3:00 PM
The Plain Writing Act of 2010 and the Paradox of Technical Communications: Perspectives of a
Communications Sea Change by Government, Corporations and Universities
W. Dees Stallings, Park University, Parkville, Missouri, USA
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Session L-2 Room 304
May 29, 2:40-3:00 PM
Cross-Cultural Business Communication Matrix: India Versus The United States
Ramesh Garg, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Introduction: India has elected a new Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, who is keen on promoting
business ventures between India and the United States. With the recent visit of President Obama to India,
it became more evident that both countries are on their way to developing business partnership in several
areas. Both countries have common foundation based on democracy and free enterprise system. For
businesses to run smoothly, it is imperative that the communication channels be clearly understood by all
the parties. The purpose of this paper is to develop a broad communication matrix that would encompass
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various aspects of doing business in India and vice versa. U.S. multinationals have found India to be a
promising country with a growing middle class that is eager to improve its living standard. Any successful
business negotiation requires a thorough understanding of the cross-cultural communication. India also has
been a big market for getting the outsourcing work done by many U.S. companies. Both countries can
mutually benefit by having a clear understanding of the communication channels. A large segment of
Indian population is young and college educated. Still, they need training to understand and appreciate
western style of communication. The matrix will provide a platform to understand cross-cultural differences
and similarities between the two countries.
Implications and Significance of the Study: The study would have far reaching implications in developing
bilateral trade and commerce between the two countries. English is commonly used as a second language
in India. However, the use of English as a language is one thing and being able to “communicate” in English
is another thing. India derives its heritage in English from the Great Britain that colonized India for almost
two centuries. And that heritage has undergone significant changes over the period of time since India
became independent in 1947. Still, India has gone a long way if it wants to compete in the global
environment. It has to learn the art of communication as practiced in the United States, which is
undisputedly the leader of the free world economy. This Study will highlight some of these areas where
both the countries can learn from each other to be able to negotiate bilateral deals having a common
understanding of what is being negotiated.
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Session L-3 Room 320
May 29, 2:40-3:00 PM
Yappari or As I Thought: Listener Talk in Japanese Communication
Haru Yamada, L’Echo Magazine, London, UNITED KINGDOM
Listener Talk, typical of Japanese communication, places the listener at the center of interaction. Listener
Talk (LT) differs from many western styles of communication where the onus of the explicit form of
communication Victor (1992) calls the Direct Plan, is on the speaker. Drawing on research illustrated in
greater detail in my book, Different Games, Different Rules (1997) and on co-authored work in-progress,
LESCANT Japanese Business Communication (2016), in this paper, I discuss three Listener Talk strategies
in communication: 1) the use of mutual silence to shift to new topics, 2) listener interpretation and
reinterpretation of a speaker’s phrase, and 3) Japanese ways of saying, “No” without actually using the
word. A key strategy of Listener Talk is a Japanese speaker’s and listener’s mutual use of silence to change
topics. Another LT strategy is a listener’s (re)interpretation of a speaker’s phrase, akin to what is commonly
referred to in medical counseling as “good bedside manners.” A listener’s rephrasing of a speaker’s talk
allows for contextualization and softening of talk that could otherwise be interpreted as harsh. Finally, the
Japanese are often caricatured as overly polite—a people who never say, “No,” and therefore, inscrutable. I
argue that these stereotypes result from westerners interpreting Japanese communicative strategies of
Listener Talk from the perspective of the Direct Plan, and offer suggestions for improving Japanese-western
cross-cultural interactions.
7th Tricontinental Conference on
Global Advances in Business Communication
Session M-1 Room 302
May 29, 3:05-3:25 PM Daily Business In Our Global Workplace
Jane Smith, LiSimba Consulting Services, Minnestrista, Minnesota, USA
Working regularly in our global workplace with individuals moving with their families from one global work
place to another, from one national culture to another, all along of course carrying within each individual
his/her own national culture, I apply effectively the Best Practices for Managing Cross Cultural Concerns in
Global Contracting (hereinafter Best Practices). I presented a paper on these Best Practices at the First
Tricontinental Conference in June, 2009, here in Ypsilanti. Effectively applying these Best Practices as I
work with each individual and his/her family means that I must effectively engage each client in the process
of understanding his/her own national culture that is the integral part of how he/she approaches each
project at each global work site. With client engagement in self-knowledge of his/her national culture and
aspects of how that national culture can drive decisions on each global work site, the client can then
effectively engage him/herself in the application of the Best Practices. The many forms of cross-cultural
communication are empowered through each client's ability to apply the Best Practices especially when
working to build cross-cultural trust and cross-cultural dispute resolution . This paper and presentation will
present this information using anonymous actual work experiences demonstrating the effective use on a
daily basis of Best Practices with individuals moving regularly from one global work site to another.
___________________________________________________________________
Session M-2 Room 304
May 29, 3:05-3:25 PM
Why Outsourcing Accounting Services to India is Dangerous: The Case of National Culture
Phil Lewis, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Accounting standards require accountants to use Verbal Probability Expressions (VPEs) such as likely,
probable, and reasonably possible. This is true for both U. S. accountants as well as those countries that
practice under International Accounting Standards. Faced with constant cost pressures, Big 4 accounting
firms are increasingly outsourcing/offshoring accounting work to India. They are attracted to India's large
supply of well trained, English speaking, yet inexpensive accountants. More and more this work is focusing
on tasks that require judgment such as making verbal probability estimates rather than routine tasks. Thus,
Indian nationals are interpreting data from U.S. sources through their own lenses with direct effects on the
financial statements produced. As outsourcing of financial judgment to India is relatively new, no
one has examined whether built in cultural predilections result in different interpretations between Indian
and U.S. accountants. Is "reasonably possible", or any other VPE, interpreted differently by U.S. and Indian
accountants? This study finds strong evidence that a conservative Indian social culture leads to
conservative numeric interpretation of "in context" VPEs, and therefore, significant differences between how
U.S. and Indian accountants interpret VPEs.
7th Tricontinental Conference on
Global Advances in Business Communication
Session M-3 Room 320
May 29, 3:05-3:25 PM
Seniority or Professional Knowledge? Turn-Taking Style in a Japanese Business Meeting
Misa Fujio, Toyo University, Tokyo, Japan
In order to investigate cross-cultural differences in business, it is insightful to zoom in a specific culture first
and then zoom out to grasp a big picture (Bargiela-Chippini, 2009). This study analyzed a Japanese
meeting – a focus group meeting consisting of 9 Japanese business people – that discussed how to
evaluate the effectiveness of business presentations in English and what kind of problems Japanese
business people usually face in intercultural business communication conducted in English.
The focus group data were analyzed from two aspects: turn-taking patterns and politeness strategies used
for agreeing and disagreeing with the previous speaker. The former was quantitatively measured by the
floor-holding time, the number of words spoken and the order of taking turns. The results revealed that two
seniors dominated the focus group meeting and the others were overwhelmed by their lengthy talks. The
latter was qualitatively analyzed, focusing on the turn-initial discourse when a participant tried to agree or
disagree with the previous speaker. The discourse analysis indicated that some participants used various
downgrading strategies in disagreeing with the seniors and made their disagreement more tactful and
harmonious. With regard to discourse analysis, the author took an approach that tries to combine the
existing two approaches, little d discourse and big D Discourse (Aritz& Walker, 2012). Therefore, although
the analysis was data-driven, the author tried to investigate cultural and sociocultural factors underlying the
linguistic actions observed in the data. In addition, in order to make the analysis more objective and precise,
post-interviews were conducted with some of the participants: a female participant, a junior male participant,
and two middle-aged male participants.
The above results were basically consistent with the previous reports on Japanese business meetings that
highlighted hierarchy and harmony (Tanaka & Bargiela-Chippini, 2011). The former, hierarchy, was mainly
reflected in the dominant turn-taking by the seniors in this data, and the latter, harmony, was observed in
the way of disagreement, which was indirect “harmonious disagreement” (Fujio & Tanaka, 2012). However,
the post-interviews disclosed several other reasons why the other participants remained rather modest in
the focus group, for example, their relatively shorter experience in professional business and their English
proficiency.
In this presentation, therefore, the author will discuss various possible reasons for the seniors’ dominance
(not only typical Japanese features such as seniority but universal factors such as the effect of professional
knowledge) and various politeness strategies used by the other participants to make their disagreement
mild, indirect, and harmonious. Then she will discuss how these strategies could be utilized in intercultural
business meetings.
References
Aritz, J. & Walker, R. (Eds.), Discourse Perspectives on Organizational Communication. Maryland, MD:
Fairleigh Dickinson University Press.
Fujio, M. & Tanaka, H. (2012). “Harmonious disagreement” in Japanese business discourse. In J. Aritz, &
R. Walker (Eds.), Discourse Perspectives on Organizational Communication. (pp.81-99). Maryland,
MD: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press.
Bargiela-Chiappini. F. (2009). Asian Business Discourse(s). Presentation in plenary session at DICOEN V.
Milan University.
Tanaka, H. & Bargiela-Chippini, F. (2011). Asian Business Discourses. In J. P. Gee, & M. Handford (Eds.),
The Routledge Handbook of Discourse Analysis. Abingdon; Routledge.
7th Tricontinental Conference on
Global Advances in Business Communication
Session N-1 Room 302
May 29, 3:30-3:50PM
A Comparison of the Association between Corporate Social Responsibility and CSR Strategic
Alliances: U.S. Versus Canada
Lois Mahoney, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
We investigated Canadian and U.S. firms’ motivations for engaging in Corporate Social Responsibility
(CSR) strategic alliances. We utilized Sustainalytics Global Platform (SGP), a new database that provides
CSR scores for firms in 47 countries. Overall, we found a positive association exists between CSR
strategic alliances and the number of years that firms have issued standalone CSR reports (CSR report
years). Moreover, we found that CSR scores mediated this association in the U.S., as firms with high CSR
scores typically engage in more CSR strategic alliances, consistent with signaling theory. In Canada, we
did not find this mediating effect. Our analysis suggests that signaling theory is useful for understanding the
motivations of U.S. firms but not Canadian firms. Additionally, we provide empirical evidence that supports
qualitative descriptions of differences in the national institutional CSR context between Canada and the
U.S.: Canadian firms have higher CSR scores and are more inclined to issue voluntary CSR stand-alone
reports than their U.S. counterparts. The paper closes with implications for practice and theory.
___________________________________________________________________
Session N-2 Room 304
May 29, 3:30-3:50 PM
Overcoming Cross‐Cultural Constraints for Effective Communication in the Multicultural Workplace
Shoma Mukherji, Delhi School of Business, INDIA
Multinationals, till the later part of the twentieth century were mostly headquartered in developing countries.
Expatriate managers usually came from North America or Europe. The past twenty years however have
witnessed several Asian businesses establishing global footprints, with India, China, Korea and Japan
being at the forefront. Easier access to Internet resources and affordable modes of mobility, have made us
all citizens of a world where boundaries are of no significance and intercultural contact is necessary and
unavoidable. Though the globalization phenomenon may indicate that a convergence is occurring in
products bought and entertainment accessed, cultural adaptation remains an issue needing focus and
contemplation. To remain competitive in the global multicultural environment, Asian companies have to
rethink their style of operation and become more nimble and flexible. They need to induct managers with
global mindset and ability to manage resources across the world. Along with business savvy the managers
of the twenty first century also need the ability to collaborate with diverse teams.
Mangers at the helm of global businesses need to be aware of not only the customs, courtesies, and
business protocols of business associates from other countries, they also need to understand the
management philosophies and mindsets of the people (Fisher, 1998; Harris, Moran, & Moran, 2004).
Companies having personnel with ability to communicate cross-culturally have a competitive advantage
because they can devote more time and resources to conducting business and less time on internal and
external communication issues (Hilton, 2004).
The opening up of the Indian economy in the 1990s provided the impetus for several Indian companies to
set up operations away from the national borders. Information Technology companies like Infosys, TCS and
Wipro were the pioneers. The business house of Tata made nearly forty acquisitions between 2000 and
2012. Asian Paints set up 15 overseas manufacturing facilities. Pharmaceutical companies like Dr. Reddy’s
7th Tricontinental Conference on
Global Advances in Business Communication
Laboratories and Sun Pharmaceuticals, public sector companies like ONGC, the Aditya Birla group have all
ventured overseas and are multinationals in the new millennium.
Although in the globalized world, culturally diverse work environment is the norm rather than an exception,
companies struggle with national, regional and local differences among their employees, shareholders and
customers (Early, Ang and Tan, 2006, 2012). The question arises whether Indian companies have global
managers who are able to deal with multicultural teams and understand the nuances of global business. A
global manager (Thomas and Inkson, 2004) needs to understand aspects of other cultures to create a
team, establish appropriate communication channels to avoid misunderstanding and increase
organizational effectiveness. Culture has an important bearing on the way people communicate (Gudykunst
& Ting-Toomey, 1988). Understanding communication nuances enables a global manager in providing
appropriate leadership to their multicultural teams.
When communicating across cultures, those with cognitive flexibility are able to observe the situation,
understand perception of others and then make necessary adjustments to make the communication
successful. Communicating across cultures also involves a behavioral flexibility to construct a message in
the other person’s frame of reference. It also involves meta-cognitive skills in the ability to see one’s own
behavior and communications in terms of the other’s culture (i.e., the ability to observe one’s own words
and behavior from the viewpoint of another culture). It determines the time and timing of interpersonal
events, the places where it is appropriate to discuss particular topics, the physical distance separating one
speaker from another.
Though Indian scholars have studied leadership and developed Indian models on leadership (Sinha, 1984;
Chakravarty, 1995; Jain & Mukherji, 2009), there is a dearth of studies on communication challenges faced
by Indian managers working in the multicultural environment.
This study attempts to address this knowledge gap by adopting a mixed approach. At first we interviewed a
panel of seven industry leaders based in California, USA having first-hand knowledge of the IT and ITeS
industry. They themselves had experienced intercultural communication challenges, were interacting with
managers in the IT industry on a day to day basis and had intimate knowledge of the IT industry both in
India and other countries in the world. A series of open-ended questions were posed to these industry
experts to understand the cross-cultural constraints faced by managers working in multicultural
environments with culturally diverse teams. The data thus collected was analyzed to understand the
dimensions essential for effective communication. The responses also provided insights about overcoming
the constraints arising out of cross-cultural differences. The Information Technology sector was chosen in
the first phase of our study as employees in these industries often work on projects with culturally diverse
teams and also work on overseas assignments.
On the basis of findings from the interviews, structured interviews were held with managers in India working
in multicultural environment with culturally diverse teams. The data thus obtained helped to validate our
findings.
The findings of the study add to extant literature and provide useful information to design intercultural
training programs for companies seeking to enhance their operations in the multicultural environments. The
findings can be used to enhance teamwork and promote better interpersonal relationships for
organizational effectiveness.
7th Tricontinental Conference on
Global Advances in Business Communication
Session N-3 Room 320
May 29, 3:30-3:50 PM
Understanding International and Domestic Student Expectations of Peers, Faculty, and University:
Implications for Professional Communication Pedagogy
Linda MacDonald, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, CANADA
Increasing populations of international students are entering Canadian universities. Instructors of
professional communication must rapidly adapt to a changing student population. At one Maritime Canadian
university, numbers of international students increased by 300% between 2009 and 2013. These numbers
necessitate a review of our pedagogical approach to ensure alignment with current needs of students.
Holmes (2004) identified understanding the similarities and differences between ethnic Chinese studying in
Western universities and domestic students as essential in promoting intercultural communication. Holmes
writes, “An understanding of Chinese students’ expectations prior to, on, and beyond arrival would enable
better learning support and improved guidelines for intercultural communication” (p. 305). Holmes also adds
that little is known about domestic students’ experience in a culturally diverse classroom.
In anecdotal accounts from one Maritime Canada university, instructors expressed the view that
international students should adapt to the academic expectations and conventions of the university. This
view is founded, according to these accounts, on the belief that students have come to a Canadian
university to receive a Canadian education. According to this view, adapting pedagogical approach or
course content for international students is unnecessary since the students’ goal is to learn the same
material in the same way as domestic students. This assimilationist approach appears in other universities
as well, as confirmed by Ward (2001). She cites Smith’s (1998) study of instructors of international students
in the United States that found that instructors tended to adopt an assimilationist approach. These
instructors maintained the importance of a uniform (and culturally situated) standard by which to measure
understanding and achievement. Ward’s (2001) literature review reveals that “for the most part educators
(particularly those at the tertiary level) make few, if any, changes in either the process or content of
classroom activities” (“Impact in the Classroom: Section Summary”, para.1).
Rather than assume what students seek from their Canadian university experience, we have conducted a
study that directly asked what their expectations are. We know little about the expectations incoming
international students have of the university, their Canadian peers, and their instructors. We also know little
about the reciprocal expectations held by domestic students and faculty of these incoming students. By
surveying both domestic and international students, we sought to understand their expectations and
determine if international student expectations differ from those of their domestic peers and from those of
faculty. Understanding student expectations will contribute substantially to our ability to adapt pedagogy, to
manage the gap between expectation and satisfaction, to develop appropriate intervention strategies, and
to improve retention.
We conducted surveys of students in the Bachelor of Commerce program at a Maritime Canada university.
Surveys were conducted in the first class of students’ first term in university, and the same cohort was
surveyed in the first weeks of their second and third terms. We also surveyed faculty members in the
business school about their expectations of the students in the program.
The results of the first student survey indicate that expectations of all the students surveyed seemed to
match regardless of whether they were domestic or international. The second and third surveys indicate
that students lowered their expectations after having spent one semester in the program. Results from the
faculty survey indicate that faculty believe they are indeed meeting student expectations and that students
7th Tricontinental Conference on
Global Advances in Business Communication
are woefully underprepared for university life and academic demands. These results highlight the widening
gap between professors and students in assessment of learning experience, levels of participation, and
benefits of working with peers.
The study revealed that the experiences and expectations of this generation of students from China, the
greatest foreign contributor of new students to business schools in the Maritimes, differ in experience and
expectations from previous generations of Chinese students. This generation has been exposed to Western
educational styles, creating a generation of Eastern learners increasingly similar to their Western
counterparts (Kingston, 2008). The results indicate that domestic and international students have similar
expectations and that the gap in expectations is greater between all students and the teaching staff than
between international and domestic students.
This study debunks commonly held beliefs about both international and domestic students. Generations Y
and Z have grown up in a globalized environment. As a result of this globalized view, the commonalities
among students as a generation significantly outweigh the differences. Rather than adjust our pedagogical
practice to suit our perceptions of the needs of international students, we must adjust practice to suit the
needs of a globalized generation. The similarities within this generation of students indicate that
internationalization, the integration of perspectives, has occurred in this cohort. The gap, then, is not
between international and domestic students or between international students and faculty, but between
generations who have grown up with international perspectives and those who came of age before
globalization. Professional communication courses are uniquely situated to confront the issues that a
globalized world presents and to model the communicative practices required in a new era.
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Session P-1 Room 302
May 30, 9:00-9:20 AM
Languages for Business? A Research into the Applicability in Flemish SMEs of Language Measures
Formulated on the European Level
Marjan Marchand, Hogeschool Gent, Ghent, BELGIUM
Sarah Aumand, University College Gent, Ghent, BELGIUM
A significant amount of commercial transactions by SMEs is lost due to a lack of language skills – this was
proven in the 2006 ELAN project (Effects on the European Economy of Shortages of Foreign Language
Skills in Enterprise), launched by the European Commission. In a sample of 1,964 companies, 11% of
respondents declared to have missed a contract as a result of lacking language skills. The real figure is
probably even higher, as the research identified only those situations in which companies were aware of
(potentially) lost opportunities due to language barriers. It is estimated that 945,000 European SMEs fail to
engage in commercial transactions because of a lack of language skills. As a result, the average loss over a
three-year period is €325,000 per company. The ELAN report concludes:
Given that SMEs account for more than fifty per cent of employment within the European Union, it would
thus appear that, if a greater number of SMEs were to become successful exporters, and if those currently
exporting were to expand their markets, there would be a significant impact on the European economy and
also that there could be considerable additional benefits in terms of greater innovation and marketawareness, which in turn could impact on productivity within national economies.
In 2011, the ELAN report was succeeded by the PIMLICO report (Promoting, Implementing and Mapping
Language and Intercultural Communication strategies), which was published as a result of the European
7th Tricontinental Conference on
Global Advances in Business Communication
Commission’s effort to promote greater use of foreign languages by SMEs. The report describes best
practices of 40 European SMEs, all selected on the basis of the strong growth of their sales thanks to an
aptly formulated and well-used language strategy consisting of several language measures. In this context,
a language strategy is defined as the planned implementation of a series of techniques in order to foster
effective communication with both foreign customers and suppliers. These techniques, referred to as
language measures, include carrying out a linguistic audit, recruiting native speakers, designing a specific
recruiting policy and following language trainings. These language measures focus on the organisational
level on the one hand and on the level of the employees on the other hand. Nearly half of the 40 companies
indicated that their turnover had increased by more than 25% by adopting a language strategy. Another
third of these companies estimated this ascent to be 16 to 25%. Once again, this research proved the
positive effect of a sound language strategy on the turnover of small and medium-sized enterprises.
After the PIMLICO report, various European initiatives were launched, such as the CELAN project and the
Languages mean Business website. They endeavoured to be a guide for companies when adopting the
language measures formulated in the PIMLICO report. Although highly valuable, these European initiatives
have never completely filtered through national, regional and operational levels – where they are of great
importance. As a result, these initiatives seem to have missed their aim. In addition, one could ask the
question whether these measures can be extrapolated to specific national or regional contexts – such as
that of Flanders, Belgium’s Dutch-speaking area. Recruiting a native speaker for every business language,
for example, does not seem feasible for the average Flemish small or medium-sized enterprise.
Nevertheless, it is desirable to enable Flemish SMEs to devise a well-defined language strategy, which
would allow them to obtain more foreign assignments, and thus to increase their market share. The
language measures formulated on a European level should be concretised and adapted to the specific
context of Flemish SMEs. Further research into the applicability of the European language measures thus
seems required. In this research, the needs of the actual target group should always be the point of
departure, since the parties concerned, busily engaged entrepreneurs, would otherwise not be inclined to
put the proposed measures into practice.
This research project is a first step in the aforementioned direction - its aim being to establish a good
understanding of the needs and the expectations of Flemish SMEs with regard to language strategies. In
the context of this project, a survey with a group of Flemish SMEs is currently underway. What are their
needs and expectations in the sphere of foreign languages? Where do they experience problems and
recognise opportunities? Which of the European language measures seem attainable and concretely
applicable? To further refine the results of this survey, a series of interviews will be conducted with a focus
group of enterprises. The cooperation of UNIZO (Organisation for the Self-Employed and SMEs), the
largest Flemish organization for self-employed entrepreneurs, has proven to be important in both these
processes.
In our presentation, we will introduce the provisional results of this ongoing research project, and explore its
possible implications for future research. SMEs should be enabled to perform a language audit of their
organisation, thus detecting the strengths and weaknesses in their language strategy. They should then be
able to remedy these observations in an easy, direct way. To reach these aims, a toolbox should be
designed, consisting of a language audit tool on the one hand, and a remedy tool on the other. This toolbox
should be employable on the level of the organisation as well as on the level of the individual employee.
The language measures identified in the present research project could form the basis for the development
of both these tools. As a result, the ultimate objective of our research is to develop a practical, efficient
toolbox, which will enable Flemish small and medium-sized enterprises to implement a sound language
7th Tricontinental Conference on
Global Advances in Business Communication
strategy and – in this way – to increase their competitiveness. Because languages mean business, that
much is clear.
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Session P-2 Room 304
May 30, 9:00-9:20 AM
Examining Persuasive Appeals in YouTube Video Characteristics
Chong Oh, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
The potential for global marketing via YouTube grows each day, yet there is still much that is unknown
about this nascent channel of social media. YouTube reports that over 100 hours of video content are
uploaded every minute and over 1 billion unique users visit the site every month (YouTube, 2015). This
study explores the automobile industry use of YouTube in promoting successful content to their consumer
market. Specifically, we apply the Aristotelian appeals persuasion theory (Ethos, Pathos, and Logos) in the
OLS regression models to understand the relationship between characteristics of auto firms’ YouTube
videos with corresponding user ratings. A sample size of 1,250 videos belonging to twenty-five automobile
brands is downloaded from VidStats.com. We find that videos with Ethos and Pathos appeals have
significant positive correlations with user ratings while those with Logos do not. Intuitively videos that appeal
to emotion (pathos) and character (ethos) are determined by YouTube viewers to be rated higher than
those videos that appeal to reasons (logos). The implications of this study are far reaching. In addition to
providing the intuition that managers seek in improving design of video characteristics in reaching a wider
audience it also extends the research inquiry on persuasion theory and its applications to the context of
social media. A compare and contrast with global automobile branding effort via YouTube is also discussed.
Specifically exploratory research on differences of successful YouTube video characteristics in different
countries is examined.
References
YouTube. (2015). YouTube Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/yt/press/statistics.html
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Session Q-2 Room 302
May 30, 9:25-9:45 AM
The Influence of Language and Culture on German and American Corporate Websites as a Topic in
Business Language Courses
Marc Rathmann, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
This paper will discuss the influence of culture and language on the corporate websites of German and
American companies and propose ways in which this topic can be covered in advanced college business
German courses. Advertising and marketing in general have long been common topics in business
language courses on the college level, but they usually focus on advertisements in magazines and
commercials on TV, but not on company homepages. The paper will describe how the presenter introduced
the topic in his own classes and give examples of assignments that students are asked to complete. After
being introduced to the basic marketing strategies used in international marketing such as standardization
and localization, students analyze the American and German websites of a Germany- or US-based
corporation and investigate questions such as the following:
•
What role do country-specific corporate websites play in international marketing?
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Global Advances in Business Communication
•
•
•
•
Are there website elements that can be considered typically German or typically American?
Which hints can be discovered in regards to standardization, localization or other global marketing
strategies?
In what way does the German or American culture or the English or German language influence the
style and content of the website?
How do the American and German websites of selected companies differ, and in what way are they
similar or the same?
___________________________________________________________________
Session Q-2 Room 304
May 30 9:25-9:45 AM
Communicating at the Workplace: Bridging the Gap Between Novice and the Real World
Hadina Habil, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, MALAYSIA
Zaharah Abd. Jalal, MDEA Consultants (M) Sdn. Bhd., MALAYSIA
The purpose of the paper is to identify the requirement of a communication training program of an
organization. It is a case study that examines different groups of employees’ communication training in an
agribusiness company in Malaysia. This training is tailored to the following categories of participants:
apprentice, novice and in-service.
This paper specifically looks into the apprentice group’s communication skills requirement of the
organization during a six-month apprenticeship. The main skills identified are interpersonal, small group and
presentation skills. The communication and presentation course was run for 40 hours over five days. For
interpersonal skills, participants were given task to simulate a negotiation to end a strike caused by foreign
labors of the estate. To familiarize them with formal meeting, participants were tasked to deliberate issues
of corporate expectations of graduates working in multinational organizations. For the oral presentation
skills, participants were asked to present a mini proposal of a final project for the six-month apprenticeship.
It was discovered that the six-month apprenticeship is necessary in order to bridge the gap that will
transform them into a full pledge corporate employees.
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Session R-1 Room 302
May 30, 9:50-10-10 AM
Using French in a Business Setting: Case Studies of French Use Abroad
Lars Erickson, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
The research presents six case studies of American students in an international engineering program in
which they study abroad for a semester and then engage in a six-month internship abroad with a company.
This program is a five-year program in which students earn two degrees, a BS in an engineering field and a
BA in a language. Students in the program spend the fourth year of the five-year program abroad. The
students in this study all studied French and were exchange students and interns in France.
The study examines how second-language (L2) contact varies as students move from the study portion of
their sojourn to the business-oriented internship portion. The goal is to determine the similarities and
differences in how L2 contact varies between the academic and the professional context. The research
relies primarily on qualitative data complemented by some quantitative data. Prior to departure for their year
in France, the six students filled out a student questionnaire and language learning survey. The language
learning survey provides quantitative data used to measure the student’s instrumental and integrative
7th Tricontinental Conference on
Global Advances in Business Communication
motivations. The instrumental motive is when students learn the language in order to help them achieve
another goal, e.g. improve their prospects on the job market. The integrative motive is when students learn
the language in order to improve their ability to use the language. While abroad, students filled out a
language contact profile, in which students self-report the amount of time spent weekly interacting with the
French language over the two distinct parts of their stay, the semester of study and the internship. They
also commented on any overall trends in their language interaction during each phase of their year abroad.
During the internship portion of their stay, students were required to write 10 biweekly reports, reflecting on
both the professional and cultural aspects of their experience interning as an engineering student in a
French company. Upon their return, the students were interviewed about their year-long experience.
Through thematic analysis of the qualitative data, one sees that, in general, the students reported a much
greater intensity of their French use during the internship and a concomitant improvement in their language
skills. The students’ comments indicate that the business setting of the internship gave more of a purpose
to their language use. The reports from the students indicate that the work environment forced them to
communicate and that this was communication “that mattered.” That is to say, if they did not communicate
effectively, problems could arise. Their comments show that overall L2 productive output, speaking and
writing, increased. In addition, many reported a greater increase in the total quantity of L2 language
interaction while interning. Moreover, the increase in L2 production during the internship was greatest for
students with instrumental motivations. The study suggests that instrumentally motivated students may
benefit from a context of applied L2 learning and use, which a professional internship abroad offers them.
The results of this study suggest that business settings provide rich environments for the development of L2
skills.
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Session R-2 Room 304
May 30, 9:50-10:10 AM
Cultural Values and Digital Brand Engagement: A Transnational Exploratory Analysis
Russ Merz, Eastern Michigan University
Background: This study empirically examines the relationships between cultural values and a battery of
brand measures across 32 countries. Cultural value typologies have been widely used in research studies
about consumer behavior (De Mooij and Hofstede 2002, 2011; Frost et al 2010; Luna and Gupta 2001),
ecommerce readiness and diffusion (Berthon et al 2008, Gong 2009), international marketing (Soares et al
2007), information technology (Gaspay et al 2008; Barnett and Sung 2006), and macro economic conditions
(Basabe and Ros 2005).
There have also been a number of notable studies investigating cross-cultural differences in the content of
websites (Singh et al 2005), interactive use of corporate websites (Cho and Cheon 2005), online shopping
(Park and Jun 2003; Goodrich and De Mooij 2011), user-interface design (Marcus and Gould 2000),
Internet use (Hermeking 2006; Gong et al 2007) and website navigation (Luna et al 2002).
How cultural values and concepts are related to brand perceptions and behaviors, has received some
research attention. For instance, topics such as brand positioning (Alden et al 1999), branding strategies
(Murphy and Scharl 2007), advertising and brand management (De Mooij 2003; De Mooij and Hofstede
2010; Moeller and Eisend 2010), have been addressed.
However, despite the academic research attention, recent practitioner press articles report a lack of cultural
savvy by major brands (WARC 2014) as it relates to brand preferences, brand related consumer behaviors
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and other brand engagement activities. Given the knowledge gaps it is surprising that no research has
addressed the relationship between consumer brand engagement and cultural values. This study makes an
initial effort in that direction.
Research Objectives and Questions: The research objective of this study is to examine how Hofstede’s five
cultural values are related to proxy measures of digital brand engagement. Three specific research
questions are addressed—How are cultural values related to (1) self directed exposure to digital brand
information sources, (2) summary brand attitudes, and (3) the use of digital brand touch points, across
countries?
The importance of understanding consumer brand engagement (CBE) is evident by the volume of recent
theorizing about the topic (Sprott et al 2009, Brodie et al 2011; Hollebeek 2011a, 2011b) and scale
development (Hollebeek 2014). In addition a number of empirical studies have investigated such topics as
brand engagement shopping and materialism (Goldsmith et al 2011), and on-line brand community
engagement (Brodie et al 2013, Wirtz et al 2013, Baldus et al 2014).
Methodology: This study uses two sources of secondary data to address the research questions. First,
brand engagement measures from the Global Web Index (GWI 2014) provide the data for 32 countries. The
data is collected by GWI in quarterly waves of 40,000 respondents per quarter. Respondents complete an
online questionnaire that uses stratified sampling techniques to ensure that they are representative of the
Internet population aged 16 to 64 in each country (with correct proportions in terms of gender, age and
educational attainment).
Three separate brand engagement measurement batteries from GWI (brand research channels with 20
items, brand attitudes with 7 items and brand engagement touch-points with 20 items) are used in this
study. These three sets of measures correspond to the three dimensions of consumer brand engagement
(CBE) of cognitive processing, affection, and activation theorized by Hollebeek et al (2014).
Second, cultural value indices for each of the 32 countries contained in the GWI data were obtained from
The Geert Hofstede Center website (The Hofstede Center 2014). This study used the five country level
cultural value dimensions of power distance (PDI), individualism versus collectivism (IDV), masculinity
versus femininity (MAS), uncertainty avoidance (UAI) and long-term orientation (LTO). As mentioned
earlier, the Hofstede cultural dimensions have been widely used for cross-cultural studies (De Mooij and
Hofstede 2002, 2011).
The analysis of the combined data utilized standard descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and clustering
techniques to explore the nature of the relationships between cultural values and the proxy brand
engagement measures raised in the research questions. It should be noted that the use of countries as
“units of analysis” for cultural value analysis is not without precedence. Many of the studies referenced
earlier were conducted using countries as data points ranging in size from 29 countries (Gong et al 2007) to
47 countries (Barnett and Sung 2006).
Findings: The key findings of this study are the following. First, the cultural values of power distance (PDI)
and individual versus collectivism (IDV) show consistently strong correlations with all three levels of brand
engagement. The cultural values of uncertainty avoidance (UAI) and long-term orientation (LTO) are weakly
related, and the masculinity versus femininity (MAS) dimension has virtually no correlation with any brand
engagement measure. However, subsequent sub-group analysis showed that UAI and MAS became more
prominent for some subgroups of countries.
Second, two-way variable cluster analysis revealed distinct patterns of associations across countries for all
of the brand engagement measures as well as the cultural value dimensions. The results revealed some
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strong similarities across sub-groups of countries.
Implications: The results of this initial investigation of cultural values and brand engagement reveal distinctly
different patterns in how consumers in 32 countries engage with brands. In addition, the strength of the
association of cultural values with the three brand engagement levels appears to be dependent on the
countries involved. The implications of these preliminary findings are that brand engagement strategies
should be tailored to specific groups of countries and that the communication messaging should reflect
certain combinations of cultural values. The emergent strategy picture is the need for both less
standardization and greater sensitivity to cross-cultural similarities.
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Session S-1 Room 302
May 30 10:35-10:55 AM
Organizational Behavior in Intercultural Work Teams Research
Renata Kolodziej-Smith, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
The primary focus of this research is a critique and reconceptualization of Oetzel’s effective intercultural
workgroup communication theory (1995, 2005), and to address the question: how diversity as measured by
group protective organizational behavior and relational models impact group communication and
consequently group task and relational outcomes? The major premise of Oetzel’s (1995, 2005) theory is
that cultural aspects, particularly individualistic and collectivistic (I/C) characteristics of group members
influence the communication processes within a workgroup and consequently impact the outcomes of the
groups, e.g. decision-making quality and satisfaction. However, I think that Oetzel’s theory is missing
important factors of relational models (Fiske, 2004) and GLOBE’s (Global Leadership and Organizational
Behavior Effectiveness; House, Hanges, Jovidan, Dorfman, & Gupta, 2004, 2007) group protective
organizational behavior.
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Session S-2 Room 304
May 30, 10:35-10:55 AM
Project Manager Influence of Information System Development Team Performance through
Leadership and Management Communication Styles: A Study of Freelance Worker Perceptions
Billy Whisnant, Eastern Michigan University, College of Technology, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Brandy Kramer, Eastern Michigan University, College of Technology, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Odai Khasawneh, Eastern Michigan University, College of Technology, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
The use of freelance workers in information systems development (ISD) teams can create staffing solutions
for organizations with short-term staffing requirements. This research responds to the problem of ISD team
performance through the scope of the influence of management behaviors on freelance worker
performance. This problem was investigated through the scope of both empowering and autonomous
leadership strategies of the SuperLeader and the tight supervision associated with micromanagement. The
SuperLeading project manager is one who uses social cues and models behavior which encourage workers
to self-manage and self-motivate. The population that was surveyed were workers who identified
themselves as “Information System Developers” on a high-traffic freelance worker website. 153 freelance
workers responded. Research was performed through a quantitative corollary cross-sectional approach.
Findings indicate that leadership behaviors which encourage self-leading behaviors in workers will have a
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high level of positive influence on communication and performance; however, when managers
micromanage the freelance worker, the performance of project teams will fall.
The current research identifies that even when workers have several distal elements between them and
their manager, even if the project manager is someone with whom they have a short-term relationship, the
project manager will have a substantial influence on the freelance worker, either in how they empower or
upset the motivation to work. Team communication should be encouraged because it will mediate the
influence that management has on project team performance. This research suggests that while freelance
workers may not have a long-term buy-in with the firms that they contract work with, their workers will still
depend on the project manager to set a tone that supports and encourages. If their work is being
micromanaged, then the communication of the group and team performance will drop. Team
communication will support the nature of how the project manager achieves success or lack thereof. This is
observed in the ability of team communication to mediate. The results of this work should be viewed as
being limited to the study of freelance workers who are hired from freelancing websites on the Internet.
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Session T-1 Room 302
May 30, 11:00-11:20 AM
The Omission of Diversity and Cultural Issues in Business Students’ Definitions of Professionalism
Megan Endres, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Alankrita Pandey, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Sandra Defebaugh, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
John Waltman, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Purpose: Although many Colleges of Business promote the ‘professionalism’ of their graduates, the concept
has not been clearly defined in the academic literature (Noordegraaf, 2007). The classic definitions of
professionalism are rooted in the classic identification of ‘professionals’ as those whose work relied on
mental versus physical labor (Krause, 1996). These professions traditionally formed organizations that
established standards, training, and codes of conduct, leading to perceptions of what a ‘professional’ will
know and how he or she will behave. Brint (1994) broadened the concept of professionalism to include
expertise and knowledge. Furthermore, Brock, Powell, and Hinings (1999) noted that the concept of a
‘professional’ business had led to the idea of professionalism as value that represents collegiality,
collaborative decision-making, and autonomy.
In a large public university with a high level of diversity in race, age, gender, and national origin, it may be
assumed that students will develop an appreciation of the importance working with others as a business
professional. In fact, research studies support that exposure to a diverse group leads to higher levels of
cultural knowledge, ability to work with others, and social skills (Kim, Heo, Lee, Suh, & Kim, 2015). This
exposure to diverse others should then lead to cultural sensitivity, a construct stemming from “cultural
knowledge and cultural or ethnic understanding” (Kim et al., 2015, p. 499). Despite the students’ exposure
to diversity in their classes and group work, they may not view cultural sensitivity as a key business skill or
as part of a business professional’s identity.
Methodology: We sought to take a first step toward understanding the role of cultural sensitivity in business
students’ definition of professionalism. Therefore, we asked 93 College of Business students to provide ten
items to complete the phrases: (1) “A professional person is…” and (2) “An unprofessional person is…” We
gathered course grades, attendance, demographics, and family member educational history in order to
determine sources of differences in perception.
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Results: Results indicate that no students mentioned the value of cultural sensitivity and ethnic
understanding in their definitions of a business professional. In fact, few students mentioned or alluded to
any type of understanding of others’ needs and goals, effective listening skills, or teamwork skills. We offer
a synthesis of the responses as they relate to demographics, and potential explanations. In sum, we
propose that students may have developed cultural sensitivity in their college classes, but may not realize
its importance to their careers as business professionals.
Implications: It is widely accepted that business education should develop skills for working in diverse
groups and increase levels of cultural/ethnic understanding. However, business education today may be
lacking the link of cultural sensitivity to positive outcomes in business. This understanding may be
developed through strategic case analyses that illustrate the positive impact of diversity and cultural
sensitivity to outcomes. In addition, business speakers or mentors may talk about the importance of cultural
sensitivity in their career successes. Future studies should measure other constructs that may aid in
understanding our results, such as self-efficacy to work with diverse others.
References
Brint, S. (1994). In an age of experts: The changing role of professionals in politics and public life.
Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
Brock, D., Powell, M., & Hinings, C. R. (Eds.). (1999). Restructuring the professional organization. London:
Routledge.
Kim, J., Heo, J., Lee, I. H., Suh, W., & Kim, H. (2015). The contribution of organized activity to cultural
sensitivity and personal and social development: A structural equation model. Social Indicators
Research, 120(2), 499-513.
Noordegraaf, M. (2007). From 'pure' to 'hybrid' professionalism. present-day professionalism in ambiguous
public domains. Administration & Society, 39(6), 761-785.
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Session T-2 Room 304
May 30, 11:10-11:30 AM
From Walking Dead to Franklin & Bash: Understanding Consumer Engagement in Social Media of
Television Shows
Chong On, Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, Michigan, USA
Consumer engagement research in the context of social media is nascent and relatively unexplored. This
study demonstrates the use of social media in relation to consumer engagement with television viewers. We
collect social media metrics for a number of television shows and their ratings over a period of five weeks. A
sample size of 165 weekly observations was downloaded from Twitter and Facebook pertaining to forty-one
television programs between 12 Oct 2014 and 15 Nov 2014. Specifically, we examine official Twitter and
Facebook profiles and also extract number of tweets, followers, followings, likes, talk-about, as well as key
words relating to each television show. Using OLS regression techniques we analyzed the relationship
between consumer engagement of each television show with its performance ratings for two demographic
groups (18-49 age and ALL age) and determined the pertinent role of social media in gathering interest and,
subsequently, boosting ratings. We found that social media characteristics of the 18-49 age group are
relevant while the ALL group is not. We identified three contributions from this study. First is to contribute
nascent knowledge in understanding the role of social media in consumer engagement research. Second is
to provide intuitions for television networks on the role of social media in garnering viewership, especially as
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it relates to consumer engagement. Third is to propose a prototype system for businesses to identify
television shows that have higher social media buzz thus ensuring higher advertising visibility.
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Session U-1 Room 302
May 30, 11:25-11:45 AM
Using English As A Lingua Franca Or The Local Language: Practical Implications
Orlando Kelm, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, USA
In 2012 The Modern Language Journal published a focus issue to assess the evolution in the past 20 years
on language teaching for professional purposes. The focus issue highlighted the importance of the
development of speakers of other languages who can conduct business all over the world. One of the major
challenges that we find is the misunderstanding of the interplay between the use of English in professional
situations as a Lingua Franca and the need for foreign language proficiency among those who are native
speakers of English. There are two major questions. First, when and how is English really used
international settings professionally? Second, in what context do native speakers of English benefit from
speaking a different local language? The answer to these two questions is pivotal if we aim to develop
relevant and practical teaching of foreign languages for professional purposes.
The first objective of this paper is to present evidence, stories, examples, and research that address these
two questions. The second objective is to recommend pedagogical implications for those who aim to learn
or teach foreign languages for professional purposes.
In a recent article on the use of English as a Lingua Franca, Kelm (2014) identified seven areas where
proficiency in a language for a special purpose (LSP) is necessary in professional settings:
1. LSP aids in communication with those who are not proficient in English.
2. LSP proficiency allows for performance of tasks that require actual proficiency in the local foreign
language.
3. Proficiency in LSP allows for higher levels of rapport and relationships with local contacts.
4. Those proficient in LSP are more sympathetic to the language and cultural issues that accompany
international professional activities.
5. LSP proficiency gives us the ability to be part of the non-business side of business.
6. Those who are proficient in a LSP become aware that there is always a “local price” and a “foreigner
price.”
7. Those who are proficient in LSP know that all things are cultural.
The present essay aims to suggest pedagogical implications that follow up on these seven areas where
LSP proficiency is needed.
References
Kelm, Orlando R. “The Use of English as a Lingua Franca: Where Does Foreign
Language Education
Fit” Cuadernos de ALDEEU 28 (2014): 39-56.
Focus Issue: “Languages for Specific Purposes in the United States in a Global Context: Update on Grosse
and Voght -1991”, The Modern Language Journal 96 (2012): 1-202.
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Session U-2 Room 304
May 30, 11:35-11:55 AM
Oral Communicative Ability of Undergraduates: Exploring Industry Expectations
Abdul Halim Abdul Raof, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, MALAYSIA
Anie Attan, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, MALAYSIA
Masdinah Alauyah Md Yusof, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, MALAYSIA
Noor Abidah Mohd Omar, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, MALAYSIA
Masputeriah Hamzah, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Johor Bahru, MALAYSIA
In our attempt to address the issue of industry expectations of the speaking ability of graduates, a study
involving graduating students and workplace professionals was carried out. This paper reports on a pilot
test of a group oral interaction task administered to a group of four graduating students. The interaction of
the group was video-recorded and was then assessed by professionals from various specializations based
on their respective criteria of assessment. A semi-structured interview session followed next. The
professionals’ responses, comments and suggestions were noted. The results were analyzed to establish
the different categories of criteria being applied by the professionals in their assessment of the new
graduates’ performances. Findings show that thinking ability, interactive ability and professional image,
which go beyond language skills, were other equally important criteria of assessment, besides language
accuracy. From the analysis, a construct of oral communication ability for an exit test was determined,
followed by the development of a six-band oral rating scale.
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We Gratefully Thank The Following
GABC CONFERENCE PLANNING COMMITTEE
A huge “thank you” goes out to the 2015 GABC Conference Planning Committee
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Jean Bush-Bacelis
Werner Barteck
Christine Day
Harry Derderian
Michelle Henry
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Phil Lewis
Chong Oh
Susan Schanne
Asrat Tessema
David Victor (Chair)
And a special thank you to EMU Provost Kim Schatzel, COB Dean Michael Tidwell and COB Associate
Dean LaVerne Higgins for their continuing support.
OUR STUDENT VOLUNTEERS
We have fantastic students at EMU, as evidenced by our student volunteers (under the direction of Prof. Harry
Derderian). We are grateful for the help of the following students working the registration table and behind the
scenes to ensure that all has gone smoothly:
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Werner Bartek (Student Coordinator)
Karissa Bosquez
Andressa Dasilva
Brock Foster (who also led our campus tour)
Estefania Jurado
Maitreyee Kulkarni
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Amanda Khaled
Alicia Marvinetz
Brittany Motyka
Ryan Parker
Stephanie Yergaue
ASSOCIATION FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION
The GABC holds an associate status with the Association for Business Communication. We gratefully
acknowledge their allowing us to reach their membership and use their abstract submission server.
The Association for Business Communication is a great organization. To learn more about them, please visit
their website at:
http://www.businesscommunication.org
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WEB COORDINATORS
The coordination of the abstracts through the Association for Business Communication Server was the work of
the ABC Web Editor Alfredo Deambrosi of Bob Jones University.
The hours of work involved in processing registrations, setting up and maintaining our website, and overseeing
all email lists was the work of EMU COB Technology Specialist Michael Pickerell.
CONFERENCE PROGRAM AND POSTERS
Thanks go to Werner Bartek for the design of the poster and cover, with input from Michelle Henry and
David Victor. Thanks go to Michelle Henry for producing the conference posters. David Victor designed
and assembled the program booklet.
NAME TAGS
The name tags for the conference were made through the volunteer efforts of EMU Management Department
Secretary Carrol Muglia.
PROPOSAL REFEREES
All proposals for the GABC Conference are reviewed in a double-blind referee process.
To that end, we wish to recognize Conference Chair David Victor for coordinating all of the reviews and
revisions.
We wish to thank the referees for this year’s conference:
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Claire Babanoury, Wharton Lauder Institute, University of Pennsylvania
Jean Bush-Bacelis, Eastern Michigan University
Peter Cardon, University of Southern California
Roger Conaway, Tec de Monterrey, San Luis Potosí Campus
Christine Day, Eastern Michigan University
Hadina Habil, Technological University of Malaysia
Orlando Kelm, University of Texas at Austin
Phil Lewis, Eastern Michigan University
Katja Pelsmaekers, University of Antwerp
Elif Persinger, Eastern Michigan University
Craig Rollo, University of Antwerp
Barry Thatcher, New Mexico State University
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PARTNER SCHOOL COORDINATORS
The GABC Conference is a join conference of Eastern Michigan University (EMU), the University of
Antwerp (UA), Technological University of Malaysia (UTM), Tec de Monterrey, and San Luis Potosí
Campus (ITESM-SLP). We wish to thank the many supportive people at these schools with particular
thanks to this year’s GABC coordinators:
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Roger Conaway (ITESM-SLP)
Hadina Habil (UTM)
Katja Pelsmaekers (UA)
Craig Rollo (UA)
David Victor (EMU)
SILENT AUCTION COORDINATORS
This year for the first time, we offered a Silent Auction. The concept, donation coordination, organization and
implementation of the Silent Auction all were in the competent hands of two outstanding EMU Faculty:
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Christine Day
Susan Schanne
And a special thank you to faculty, staff, guests and various departments from around the university who
donated and solicited items for the auction.
ENTERTAINMENT COORDINATOR
A big note of thanks goes to Jean Bush-Bacelis. She coordinated all of the arrangements for the soft jazz
music at the Wednesday evening reception, and the Thursday afternoon quartet and square dance
entertainment.
WELCOME GIFT DONORS
We are most grateful to the following donors who provided the welcome gifts for participants:
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Amy Barnhart and the EMU Orientation/Transitions Office
Ted Coutilish and the EMU University Marketing Office
Michelle Henry and the EMU Graduate Advising Office
Cengage Publishers
Wall Street Journal
Pearson Publishers
Ypsilanti Convention and Visitors Bureau