A qualitative exploration of the challenges of professionals in International Business from non-English speaking countries
Language holds a central role in sustainable international business expansion and cross-border collaboration. Yet, professionals from non-English-speaking countries often face profound linguistic and emotional challenges when working in global organizations dominated by English as the lingua franca. This qualitative study explores how language barriers, accent perceptions, and cultural humour differences affect the communication, adjustment, and emotional well-being of international business professionals. Drawing from twenty in-depth interviews and guided by a phenomenological approach, the study reveals four emergent themes: (1) attitude toward foreign language, (2) difficulties in expressing emotional reflections, (3) challenges in addressing official concerns, and (4) lack of informal social support systems. Anchored in theories of emotional conflict in multicultural teams (Von Glinow et al., 2004) and host-country language adjustment (Selmer & Lauring, 2015), the study enriches our understanding of how linguistic asymmetries shape workplace relationships and identity negotiation. The findings offer theoretical and managerial implications for promoting inclusive communication and psychological safety in multicultural organizations.
Keywords: Language, Emotional Conflict, International Business, Accent, Humour, Non-English Professionals, Phenomenology