From language classrooms to outdoor markets, the workplace is fundamental to socialisation. It is not only a site of employment where money is made and institutional roles are enacted through various forms of discourse; it is also a location where people engage in social actions and practices. The workplace is an interesting research site because of advances in communication technology, cheaper and greater options for travel, and global migration and immigration. Work now requires people to travel over great geographical distances, communicate with cultural ‘others’ located in different time zones, relocate to different regions or countries, and conduct business in online settings. The workplace is thus changing and evolving, creating new and emerging communicative contexts. This volume provides a greater understanding of workplace cultures, particularly the ways in which working in highly interconnected and multicultural societies shape language and intercultural communication. The chapters focus on critical approaches to theory and practice, in particular how practice is used to shape theory. They also question the validity and universality of existing models. Some of the predominant models in intercultural communication have been criticised for being Eurocentric or Anglocentric, and this volume proposes alternative frameworks for analysing intercultural communication in the workplace. This book was originally published as a special issue of Language and Intercultural Communication.

This textbook addresses key issues and challenges in contemporary multicultural and multilingual workplaces through the lens of leadership, communication and trust. It draws together contributions from fields including cultural studies, psychology, sociolinguistics, translation and interpreting studies, and business management, making a valuable contribution to the area of language and culture in the workplace. The volume is divided into 5 thematic sections: Intercultural Communication; Cross-cultural Leadership; Economy; Language; and Diversity. It offers a critical analysis on themes that tend to be overlooked in intercultural business and management scholarship, such as multilingualism in the workplace, translation and interpreting in cross-cultural work practices, dignity in the workplace, performing gender in the workplace, and D/deaf people in the workplace. It also revisits themes such as cross-cultural leadership, interculturality and the embedded economy, and managing uncertainty in the context of the contemporary globalized workplace. It then brings everything together in a Cross-Cultural Scenarios chapter at the end, with recommendations for every scenario. Overall, the textbook constitutes an essential resource for honours undergraduate and postgraduate students in these and related fields, as well as academics and practitioners with an interest in globalised workplaces.

Presents guidelines, critical incidents, and concrete examples so people in international business ventures, or those working domestically in a culturally diverse workplace, can be understanding, effective, and also enjoy the activity.

“I wrote this book because I believe that there is a serious gap in what has been written and communicated about cross-cultural management and what people actually struggle with on the ground.”—From the Introduction What does it mean to be a global worker and a true “citizen of the world” today? It goes beyond merely acknowledging cultural differences. In reality, it means you are able to adapt your behavior to conform to new cultural contexts without losing your authentic self in the process. Not only is this difficult, it’s a frightening prospect for most people and something completely outside their comfort zone. But managing and communicating with people from other cultures is an essential skill today. Most of us collaborate with teams across borders and cultures on a regular basis, whether we spend our time in the office or out on the road. What’s needed now is a critical new skill, something author Andy Molinsky calls global dexterity. In this book Molinsky offers the tools needed to simultaneously adapt behavior to new cultural contexts while staying authentic and grounded in your own natural style. Based on more than a decade of research, teaching, and consulting with managers and executives around the world, this book reveals an approach to adapting while feeling comfortable—an essential skill that enables you to switch behaviors and overcome the emotional and psychological challenges of doing so. From identifying and overcoming challenges to integrating what you learn into your everyday environment, Molinsky provides a guidebook—and mentoring—to raise your confidence and your profile. Practical, engaging, and refreshing, Global Dexterity will help you reach across cultures—and succeed in today’s global business environment.

Comprises 28 papers grouped under six themes: Construction of diversity paradigms; Origins of diversity and its influence in the workplace; Policy issues; Organizational structure and communication; Organizational development efforts as change processes; and Emerging issues in the workplace.

Modern-day business leaders need to manage diverse global organisations and teams that work in international contexts. This text will assist organisations of all types to manage diversity and promote inclusion in their national and international operations and markets.