The Evolution of English as the Business Lingua Franca: Signs of Convergence in Chinese and Finnish Professional Communication

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© 2013 SAGE Publications. This is the post print version of the following article: Kankaanranta, Anne & Lu, W. 2013. The Evolution of English as the Business Lingua Franca: Signs of Convergence in Chinese and Finnish Professional Communication. Journal of Business and Technical Communication. Volume 27, Issue 3. 288-307. ISSN 1050-6519 (printed). DOI: 10.1177/1050651913479919, which has been published in final form at http://jbt.sagepub.com/content/early/2013/03/01/1050651913479919.
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School of Business | A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä

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en

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288-307

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Journal of Business and Technical Communication, Volume 27, Issue 3

Abstract

This study questions the conventional view of the indirectness of Chinese communication. Drawing on qualitative interviews with Finnish and Chinese business professionals, the authors examine the effect of cultural identity on the directness of the communication of Chinese professionals who work for internationally operating Finnish companies located in Beijing and Shanghai, China, and who use English as the shared language with their Finnish colleagues. Three components of cultural identity (i.e., vocation as an international business professional, fairly young age, and the use of English as the business lingua franca) are particularly relevant in the participants’ professional communication and stimulated its openness and directness. The study finds that the evolution of English as the business lingua franca can be detected in the signs of convergence identified in Chinese and Finnish professional communication.

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Kankaanranta, Anne & Lu, W. 2013. The Evolution of English as the Business Lingua Franca: Signs of Convergence in Chinese and Finnish Professional Communication. Journal of Business and Technical Communication. Volume 27, Issue 3. 288-307. ISSN 1050-6519 (printed). DOI: 10.1177/1050651913479919.