The Importance of English in International Business

The major factor involved in the importance of English in international business is the acceptance of English as the international language of the business community for the purpose of uniformity in communication. Accepting English eliminates the need to explore an alternative language. If not English, then what language works better for the international business community?

English as an International Language

Perspective of English as Global Communication

If English as a global language "means that English has the widest distribution on the most continents, it is true. If it means that English is the language most utilized for international communication between and among language communities, it is true. But if it implies that English is the language of all the peoples of the globe, it is manifestly false" (Harris, 2001, 685). What may be good for the functionality of business may not be accepted as being good for the non-business community. With any new project or venture, research and development of the product or service should be done so that words used to communicate with the new market are not received with offense. Be sensitive and respectful concerning the decisions made in regard to the ways communication is used and worded.

Perspective of English as Learned Communication

"It is crucial that students are equipped with-and be aware of-both the linguistic and strategic repertoire that they can draw from in situations where they use English to communicate with those who do not share their first language and culture. In addition to the development of strategic competence, students also need to be reminded that communication is a two-way road. That is, making one's own message clear and trying to understand others is not the sole responsibility of non-native speakers or speakers of 'less standard' English varieties (however that is defined). Everyone is responsible for overall successful communication, whether it is international or not" (Matsuda and Friedrich, 2011, 340). Be mindful that words can have different meanings in different parts of the same country. Therefore, having words that have different meaning in different parts of the world is a reasonable possibility. There can also be different versions of English in different locations. Business English could also be different from the native English of an English-speaking country. Do not assume; technology has been made available to know for sure what is involved in any given business project or transaction.

English in International Business Communication

"In thinking about the impact of English on international business, there will be two effects: the intra-language effect and the inter-language effect. The intra-language effect would relate to the impact that English has in stimulating international business activity between English-speaking countries" (Hejazi and Ma, 2011, 153). If the native English of each of the two countries is slightly different, it still could have the feel of dealing with a non-English speaking country if time is not spent coming to an agreement defining business English. Business professionals new to a market will benefit by finding out how things work and use the same language the other market stakeholders are using.

"The inter-language, commonly referred to as "lingua franca", effect refers to the impact English would have on stimulating FDI activities between countries which have different official languages. The inter-language effect would have two dimensions: the first involves the use of English by a non-English-speaking country when carrying out international business with English-speaking countries; the second involves the situation in which English is used as a vehicle language between two non-English-speaking countries that use different official languages" (Hejazi and Ma, 2011, 153). Even though cooperation in using English in both cases may result in positive benefits for the countries involved, sensitivity in communication should be exercised to avoid miscommunication that may offend members of the markets involved. Good judgment with word choice is very important.

Conclusion

The importance of English in international business will depend on the purpose of the communication for which English is involved. Since the importance of English will vary depending on whether its use helps to complete business transactions, the deciding factor will depend of the opinion of the users concerning that fact. The success of communication in business will involve other factors. The more English works in communication for international business, the more it will be used. It will then be used because it is used by the people for whom businesses want to communicate.

References

Harris, C.D. (2001, October). English as International Language in Geography: Development and Limitation. The Geographical Review, 91, 4, 675-689.

Hejazi, W. and Ma, J. (2011). Gravity, the English language and international business. The Multinational Business Review, 19, 2, 152-167.

Matsuda, A. and Friedrich, P. (2011). English as an international language: a curriculum blueprint. World Englishes, 30, 3, 332-344.

Luchrista Cobb from Achieve Results LLC. Visit at http://luchristacobb.webs.com to see examples of published writing under the Resources tab by clicking the available links.

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Become Self Dependent With Home Business

Most of the people are opting for home business as it requires minimum investment and totally no risk. They gain confidence and such a business provides immense satisfaction to them. They are making full use of their talent and time and turning it into valuable profit. You are free to make your own decision as you are the boss. Take full control of your future by owning your own chain of fully automated rental vending machines. You can work even from your home or if you have a retail location, these vending machines are a fabulous way to increase your business.

Many people are tilting towards vending machine business because of immediate cash flow. It starts as soon as the equipment is placed. Due to lack of cash flow in the beginning, mostly the businesses fail. But in the case of vending machine, your cash flow starts immediately after the machine has been installed. The most important benefit of this home business is that it is all cash business with no debts or accounts receivable involved. You are totally free to do what you like with your time and your business will be working for you 24 hrs a day without any break.

Such business requires no motivation, training or supervision and they cater to everyone whether he is rich, poor, male or female. The purpose of any business and investment is to make money. This profession of vending machine gives you the highest possible in return on investment. The profit margin in selling snacks, gumballs, candy and drinks is incredible. This home business involves no set hours, no boss, no complicated paper works, no royalty, no rent, no franchise fees, no employees, no advertising cost and no limit to income. Your tax advantage too is great.

For individuals who work a full time job, bulk vending may be a more practical choice since restaurants and retail stores are open during evening and on weekends too. These candy and gumballs have a long self-life so the operators are able to manage many machines without much cost involved. The machines are also very inexpensive compared to soft drinks and snack machine. So it is advisable to start your own part time home business and you couldn't have picked a more perfect business. Just wait and watch when cash flow will begin instantly and you will become a renowned name in your society!

You may choose vending machines business if you are looking for home based job. So, let's start and enjoy your profession. All the very best!

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Adding Business Etiquette Details in Your Company Announcements

Your Company Announcements Should Include Details to Assist With Business Etiquette

Generally acceptable business etiquette is not only expected and necessary, but it is also required of everyone at corporate, business, and company events. However, having written that, very few people feel confident or experienced adequately in the art of exercising good manners, particularly in a company event environment. Then, that being written, it's naturally that the vast majority of people learn about company meeting etiquette and proper conduct at business events 'on the job'.

For these reason, few people are totally comfortable as they are unsure whether they are exercising acceptable and proper business etiquette to their corporate hosts, fellow employees, and all the other guests. Always be mindful that the reason for good etiquette at company functions is to create an atmosphere that assist those in attendance in feeling comfortable and at ease. Read about some of the helpful suggestions and details to some of the more significant and basic elements for exercising good corporate etiquette.

Best Etiquette for Extending a Handshake at the Event

With a few exceptions, it is always appropriate and expected to shake hands when arriving and leaving the event with those around you or in your arrival and departing path. And, although this is a very simply and easy rule to remember, it is amazing how many violate it. You should greet everyone with a sincere and firm handshake, direct eye contact, and a friendly smile. As you are entering the event, and even if your eyes catch a group of individuals, you should always greet and shake the hand of your host before anyone else. However, don't go overboard with this, as it might be impractical to pass up a large group, since it could be considered rude to do so.

Of course, there are situations when a handshake greeting isn't practical or possible, such as when you have both hands full with food or some other items. In situations like these, simply nod at the person and use some sort of other body gesture to convey your greeting.

The Most Appropriate Way to Introduce People in a Company Event

At business events like these, most people, at some point during the party, will find themselves introducing different individuals to each other. This is particularly important when they are the one who is expected to know all the parties being introduced. However, getting the proper order of introductions and following good etiquette might be challenging to some. Try following these simply rules:

* Always introduce the lower ranking person to the to higher ranking individuals

* Be sure and include each person's title, such as Judge, Dr., etc.

* Include each person's name prefix such as Mr., Ms., Mrs.

Acceptable Conversation Topics for General Discussions

It is always important to exercise strong listening and conversation skills, especially in group situations, which means no interrupting. This includes maintaining good and open body language and showing proper interest in what others are saying. You can enhance your listening appearance by standing and sitting up straight, don't cross your arms, and, above all, maintain good eye contact with the person doing the talking.

Whenever possible, you should join in and contribute to conversations by being able to speak intelligently and informative on a variety of topics. You will, of course, want to avoid correcting what others say, even if you know it to be untrue. Be sure to include everyone within the group in the discussion and not just a few who appear to be doing most of the talking. If you or they are at a loss for words or topics, you can encourage them to talk about themselves, and always be graceful when offering and / or accepting compliments. And, above all, you should avoid the use of slang and foul language in these type conversations.

Find the most unique and personalized business announcement cards and free company announcement wording idea samples at InvitationsByU.com written by Sarah Porter.

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Business School Rankings Are Not To Be Accepted At Face Value

Business school rankings are scores calculated using different formulas, based on various factors of varying importance. The most influential rankings are the ones published in the Financial Times, Business Week, US News and World Report, the Economist, the Wall Street Journal, and Forbes. Since they are all using different methods to calculate business school rankings, the rankings are different in each publication. Most, but not all, release their ranking methodology.

Since ranking on these lists is the matter of prestige for business schools, it has not been unheard of for a school to provide misleading data to the researchers. There are rumors floating around about rankings being rigged in order to include a certain school, or push it higher up the list.

It can be said that the business school rankings are biased by their nature, because the criteria they use for ranking a school is chosen at the publisher's discretion. The criteria may include the following: how much the graduates earn on average, employment rates, peer assessment scores (by other business school deans), recruiter assessment scores (by recruiters hiring the graduates), the ratio of students to faculty, access to professors, student satisfaction, student participation, candidate acceptance rates, undergraduate GMAT and GRE scores, diversity, research output.

Since each publication employs its own standards, there are no two rankings that are the same (or even alike!). Besides, what is really being ranked here are business schools - and not the MBA programs themselves. Therefore, you should not rely on the rankings only to choose where you should get your MBA degree.

The Business Week ranking, launched in 1988, was the first major MBA ranking. It asks graduating seniors to complete a survey on different aspects of their studying at a certain school. The results are then merged with the results from the previous two years to form a ranking. Before the Business Week survey, the programs were ranked based on the opinions of business school deans and faculty.

The most important factor for Forbes is the return on investment for the student, so it looks at the cost of the MBA program and its graduates' average salaries. The Financial Times takes into account several factors when calculating its rankings: career progress, diversity, research output etc. The most important factor is, however, graduates' salary adjusted to the cost of living. While the Financial Times indeed takes into account the widest number of factors, keep in mind that the data uses estimates based off rather small sample sizes.

Studying abroad is an experience like no other! Here is the list of the top MBA Colleges in the USA, and the top MBA Colleges in Australia.

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The Five Levels of Professional Dress Every Business Leader Should Know

Last year, I got the opportunity to work with a managing partner of one of the country's largest, most prestigious law firms. Both of us were receiving a business award and met for the first time at a group photo shoot for all of the women being recognized. Prior to the shoot, I conducted a Google search on a few of my fellow honorees. She happened to be at the top of my list and I was really humbled to meet her and even more excited to discover that she was both dow- to-earth and had a great sense of humor. As we began to talk, I discovered that she worked with an image consultant in the past and was interested in working with me. After elation wore off, we scheduled our first meeting.

I talked to her about the importance of image in her work and she shared a story with me. Early in her law career, she received a coveted internship spot at a law firm. She was confident that she had the educational background for the role and dressed professionally based on the firm's conservative environment; until casual Friday was announced. A day to where relaxed clothing to work? Fantastic. That is until she showed up to work in jeans and a sweat shirt while her female counterparts wore casual pants or skirts with sweater sets. And, the guys were khakis and collared shirts. She was embarrassed and never wore jeans to work again. She also learned a valuable lesson about the need to align your level of dress with your organization's culture.

Thankfully this image mishap occurred early in her career. But I see many executives with great potential for leadership that don't understand the importance of image on their personal brands. They consistently make image mistakes that prevent them from reaching their professional goals.

Whether, you are an executive, leader or mid-level executive, it's important to understand the levels of professional attire and dress accordingly. Here are some guidelines to help you understand the different levels of professional dress and make sure that your image doesn't undermine your message.

1. Traditional business attire. Traditional business attire is for the most premier level of dressing. Traditional dress calls for classic suiting, shirt, tie and dress shoes for men; and for women coordinated business suits in either pants or skirts with a blouse and basic pump. This attire is also identified by more traditional neutrals like black, beige and brown.
2. Top shelf casual. Top drawer casual includes a sports jacket or coat in a neutral shade and coordinating pants, khakis or dark wash jeans. The pairings are always impeccably fitted and professionally laundered.
3. Basic business casual. Basic requires the same attention to detail as top drawer casual - well-tailored and crisply pressed. The cornerstone of this look is a dressy blouse or tailored shirt. Make sure to preserve this look for times when you are not working with clients or influencing others.
4. Informal casual. Informal casual's emphasis is on comfort and is a great choice for business travel to a meeting or conference. The elements of informal casual includes selections such as capri pants, bolder prints and brighter colors.
5. Elegant evening chic. Elegant evening chic includes blazers, pants and shirts in more refined fabrics, such as silks or fine wool sweaters, and greater detailing. This is a great choice for cocktails with clients or colleagues.

Managing your image and presence are a critical part of your business success. Don't be passed over for a promotion or business opportunity because of an image faux pas. Use these tips to consistently convey a professional polished image.

About Style Strategist Inc.

Style Strategist, Inc. provides image and communications consulting, providing coaching and training in the areas of executive presence, image, presentation and communications development skills for individuals and corporations. You may use this article in its entirety with a writing and link to Style Strategist Inc. is included. For more information contact Tonya Seavers Evans, Style Strategist Inc., http://www.stylestrategist.com
We invite you to receive a FREE Special Report - "Harnessing the Power of Image for Business Success" at http://www.stylestrategist.com. This article may be reproduced in its entirety with the bio included.

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7 Tips for Plugging the Profit Leaks in Your Small Business

Quick Books provides small business owners with the data you and your accountant need for tax purposes. This is a necessary part of business ownership. But do you also use the information to help you make better business decisions, uncover opportunities and plug the profit leaks that cost money each year? You should.

7 Tips to Get More From Quick Books

1. Stay Up-To-Date. Keeping records current does not require posting transactions daily. For many small businesses, weekly or semi-monthly is fine! Whether you do it yourself or delegate (outsource) it to others, keep your records up-to-date. Timely record keeping is often more accurate - and leads to better decisions, fewer customer complaints, faster payments, better inventory management and happy vendors who will go the extra mile!
2. Reconcile bank accounts. In managing cash flow, some owners rely on their online bank statements or balances. This can be problematic because it doesn't include pending payments. But even with technology today, errors can still occur. You can uncover problems quickly with a monthly reconciliation.
3. Manage credit cards and LOC's. Because it's easy to download credit card transactions right into Quick Books, some use this method. If you do, make sure transactions are properly posted (to expenses or customer jobs) and amounts are accurate when doing your monthly reconciliation. Don't assume.
4. Invoice customers quickly. Why wait a week or more to bill a customer? With online invoicing and smart phone credit card capabilities, you can bill from anywhere. The sooner you bill, the sooner you get paid!
5. Use time tracking. While we associate time tracking with companies that bill by the hour, any service business can use this tool to help evaluate labor costs associated with customer jobs. From lawn care and cleaning services to plumbers and HVAC services, knowing this information can be helpful when setting prices. More important, it can help you improve efficiency that impacts profit.
6. Measure job or customer profitability. Stop wondering if you made money on a project or customer. Quick Books allows you to capture both income and related expenses, including labor and materials, at the project or customer level. Would knowing this information help you price more effectively or focus on certain projects or customers? The answer for most business owners is yes!
7. Use Reminders. You can 'memorize' transactions and set low-stock inventory levels to trigger reminders. This is helpful for bills that occur periodically, tax payments, important or rarely used materials that have long delivery lead times, and future invoices for recurring customers or payment plans. It saves time and money!

In addition, Quick Books has a lot of different reports to help you analyze the data, manage your business and find the hidden opportunities for improvement. Many reports include a prior period or year comparison that is helpful for looking at trends! The P&L or Income Statement is used by most owners. But what about the Balance Sheet? It provides a snapshot (balances) of your assets and liabilities, including bank accounts, credit cards, LOC, accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll liabilities, inventory and more.

Depending on your business or what you uncover on your P&L and Balance Sheet, you may want to dig deeper - and Quick Books makes that easy too. Some of my business clients find these helpful: A/R or aging reports, sales summaries by customer or representative, inventory report and job / customer profitability reports.

Joan Nowak is a results-oriented business coach, consultant and speaker who helps small business owners bridge the gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it! For additional information, visit http://www.hybridbizadvisors.com/about-us/. While you are there, subscribe to her monthly eNewsletter for new profit-building articles and exclusive business tools and offers,

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Reputation Management Can Negatively Affect Your Business

The online world can be excruciatingly painful when it comes to businesses and the competition. It is not easy to point the blame at anyone, but a seemingly simple account of having a mug shot taken for a DUI offence, can have a very damaging g effect on a business owner.

Many business owners have become the victim of extortion attempts by providers, who offered to remove compromising images for a small fee of a few hundred dollars. The problem is after complying with the requests; the images will often reappear, followed by similar requests. Many observers believe that these tactics may, in fact be used by some of the Reputation Management firms. There are some unverified claims that the Reputation Management firms may have undisclosed agreements with review sites where damaging information is published.

While certainly not all of the reputation monitoring firms may be involved with this practice, it may be noteworthy. There are ways that online reputation can be managed effectively, and a few pointers are offered. It is ironic that a Reputation Management company can be involved in scurrilous racketeering, but by a following a few important points, can save or avoid extensive damage.

It can be counterproductive to respond to customer complaints in public, as the issues get prolonged, and the longer issues remain in public, chances for improved rankings is increased. A more entries are added, the popularity is increased and position will increase organically.

One of the more effective methods that can be used for Reputation management is to enlist the help of customers and advocates. Encourage them to respond to the negative comments about your business that may be posted on the popular review sites. They do not need to respond on the review site, as this swill extend the issue, but they can publish positive comment on other social networks, or on their own Facebook page, or on your company site. The idea is to have a much wider social footprint that will eventually over shadow the negativity of the review site.

The cost may be immaterial when it comes to online monitoring, especially if it involves the survival of your business. There are companies that will perform the necessary on-line monitoring and management of your profile, while others offer a free tutorial. Other companies will offer to erase all mention of your company from the web.

If there is one task, that should assume priority over the others, it would be to ensure that your profile is fully optimized. Create as much positive content as possible, in order to force the negative comments downwards.

It is important to search your name or that of business periodically to see what others may be saying. It is easy to set a Google alert, so that new content is sent to your mailbox.

It is strongly recommended that you purchase your own domain name and variations as some form of protection. The content should remain exclusive, with a short bio, your resume, and a few interesting article or blog posts.

It is important to include reputation management Orange County as part of online monitoring process. Keeping an eye on both positive and negative mentions will help your survival. You can get more information from reputation monitoring Orange County.

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