Business students' understanding of linguistic and cultural issues relevant to the global workplace

Abstract

This study sought to explore business students’ understanding of linguistic and cultural issues relevant to the global workplace and whether students feel their courses equip them with the skills needed to interact effectively in multinational teams. The article reports the findings of a case study that was implemented at Curtin University of Technology in Western Australia with a class of undergraduate business students undertaking a third year unit in ‘International Management’. The data were collected through a questionnaire designed for this purpose. The findings suggest that while students are quite knowledgeable about linguistic and cultural issues relevant to the global workplace, they are also aware that they may not have the intercultural communication skills needed to operate confidently and successfully in multinational teams and global workplaces.