Importance of Business
Communications in Globalization
1. Building Partnerships through Globalization in Business Today
Individuals tend to look at the world from a viewpoint that incorporates their own particular
background. So, a business owner is likely to develop and market a product based on the
customers in their own country, at least initially. Globalization lets that business sell that same
product internationally by working with other companies, but the business must communicate
the benefits of the product from the perspective of partners and customers abroad.
Effective business communication helps business partners identify common goals and
characteristics so that interactions take place in an environment of respect and understanding.
2. Doing Business in Different Countries
Business communication is also an important component of globalization because of the
multiple platforms available to convey and receive messages effectively. In-person business
communication can help build effective relationships because of personal contact, body
language and proximity. Written communication allows international business partners more
time to compose thoughts and accurately express intentions or concerns. Audio and video
conferencing facilitate live business interaction at low cost. Teams also can collaborate by
sharing documents and ideas online and by viewing each other's computers remotely so that
they can work together.
3. Overcoming Trade Challenges
International business communications globalization can help companies break down trade
barriers. Knowing trade policies and conditions between countries allows companies to
negotiate mutually beneficial terms, such as by adjusting pricing to reflect any shipping fees or
freight costs.
4. International Business Communications and Growth
Globalization relies on large consumer bases to purchase products and services. Business
communication can include global marketing efforts that transmit a company’s products,
mission and brand image to a wide audience. Without marketing-related business
communications, companies may struggle to identify and reach customer bases to boost
demand as production capabilities escalate.
Broad marketing campaigns can be strategically altered to take cultural variations and
preferences into account throughout the global economy. For example, product names can be
changed so that meaning isn’t altered. Knowing a product’s name translates into something
undesirable, like “breaks often”, can help a company avoid a marketing disaster.
5. Communicating with Customers Online
Businesses also can communicate with customers directly through social media. Determining
what is popular in a particular country or region communicating with consumers and watching
what they share online can help businesses develop, market and sell their products and services
efficiently. Companies can communicate with whole markets at a time or engage with
consumers individually.
6. Learning Market Nuances
Business communications also is important in globalization because companies increasingly use
a multicultural workforce. This can work to great advantage when companies hire regionally
experienced employees to represent their business in unfamiliar environments. Multicultural
workers can tap into a global area’s culture, subtle preferences and buying habits and convey
these to their employer via communication channels, including focus groups and survey reports.
Large companies can also rely on cohesive policies to effectively communicate their business’
culture, expectations and strategies to workers of different backgrounds. For example, the same
company policy can be translated into different languages to accommodate the literacy abilities
of workers whose first language is not English.
The Effects of Globalization on Global
Communication
1. Increased Business Opportunities
Many companies today hire employees that are located in other countries. Using
communication vehicles such as video calling make it simple to converse with
colleagues across the globe, almost making it feel as if they are in the same room.
Technology also makes it easier to connect with suppliers and customers all over the
world, and to streamline those relationship through improves ordering, shipment
tracking and so on. With this kind of communication technology, many businesses are
able to take advantage of opportunities in different countries or cities, improving the
economic outlook on a global level.
Thanks to global communications, information itself can be transferred as a valuable
business asset from one country to another. This has the effect of making everyone's
operations more modern and efficient, regardless where they are located.
2. Fewer Cultural Barriers
Many people perceive culture to be the root of communication challenges. When
people from two different cultures try to exchange information, the way they speak,
their body language or their mannerisms can be interpreted differently by the other
person. The way people approach problems and how they participate in communities
is all influenced by culture.
Globalization has made it possible, for example, for someone in Japan to understand
how someone in the U.S. goes about their day. With television and movies, cultural
barriers are becoming less prevalent. Being able to communicate effectively and
frequently with colleagues or friends across the planet helps people understand each
other’s cultures a little better.
3. Creation of a Global Village
You’ve likely heard of the phrase "global village," coined by theorist Marshall
McLuhan. Affected both by globalization and global communication, the global village
is created when distance and isolation no longer matter because people are
connected by technology. Wide-spread telephone and internet access have been life-
changing for many people across the world, especially those in developing countries.
Many are now enrolling in universities across the world without having to leave their
desk chair. Virtual assistant jobs are becoming commonplace, where employees from
developing countries work with companies in North America or Europe, providing
administrative support and other business services that can easily be conducted over
the phone or via the internet.
Globalization and global communication have made it easier to see people on the
other side of the world as a neighbor, instead of a stranger from a faraway land. There
is so much knowledge about other countries and cultures available online, that it’s no
longer a complete mystery.
