The Role Of English In Global Business Communication And Corporate Culture
Abstract
English has evolved from a national language to the dominant medium of international business, shaping not only day-to-day communication but also the deeper structures of corporate culture. This article investigates the role of English as a lingua franca in multinational corporations and its impact on organizational practices, identity, and performance. Drawing on an integrative review of research in international business, applied linguistics, and organizational studies, it synthesizes findings about the rise of English as a corporate language, the emergence of Business English as a Lingua Franca (BELF), and the strategic management of language in firms. The paper analyzes how English enables global coordination, accelerates knowledge transfer, and supports brand coherence, while also introducing asymmetries of power, identity tensions, and risks of exclusion for non-native speakers. It argues that language choices are not only communicative decisions but also cultural interventions that shape artifacts, espoused values, and basic underlying assumptions within organizations. Case-based evidence suggests that deliberate “language strategies” can align corporate culture with globalization goals by balancing English mandates with multilingual realities, investing in global communicative competence, and designing inclusive practices around meetings, documentation, and leadership communication. The article concludes by proposing a culture-sensitive, sector-aware approach to language management that treats English as an enabling infrastructure rather than a universal solution and highlights research-informed levers—training, translation ecosystems, and leadership modeling—to mitigate inequities while realizing performance gains.