(2 min read)
For those in active pursuit of foreign language acquisition (or its maintenance), it’s clear that the benefits– enhanced neuroplasticity & cognitive function—are tantamount. How, then, do the effects of multilingualism shape business outcomes in a more practical sense? This article will review its impacts on multiple aspects of business—from innovation to strategy planning, from relationship building to market access.
Divergent Thinking
Divergent thinking is the first positive aspect of multilingualism on business outcomes, in which employees exhibit a greater aptitude for innovative solutions and strategies than their monolingual counterparts. This is due to a concept called “continuous coactivation” which occurs in the brain. While speaking or listening to a known language, all languages the person knows are processed at once, rather than the brain switching between the specific regions that house those separate languages. This simultaneous processing of multiple languages leads to the formation of dense, neural networks, allowing for greater connections to be made between seemingly separate ideas.
Decision-making & Economic Impact
Not only does creative thinking flourish, but foreign language utilization can lead to greater problem-solving abilities and rational decision-making. Researchers at the University of Chicago discovered that thinking in a non-native language to make an economic decision resulted in a reduction of emotion-based biases. Cognitive distance from the native language is especially impactful for a business that relies on unbiased and critical evaluations.
Improves Cultural Competency
In any business—international or otherwise—strong client relations are of the utmost importance. It is a no-brainer, then, that speaking in the client’s native tongue plays a huge role in relating with them at a deeper level—understanding emotion, navigating cultural nuance, removing the feeling of “otherness”, building trust and rapport, etc. But what are some of the mechanisms that allow this to occur?
Language Alters Perception
Consider a compass, with lines pointing in all four directions. Which direction denotes the future? The past? A native English-speaker would certainly say the “Eastern” (or right-pointing arrow), is the future. For Mandarin speakers, this would be the “southern” (or downward-facing arrow), for whom concepts like “next week” translate literally to “down week”.
Language Influences Culture
Not only are perception + communication effected, but cultural attitudes + outcomes are as well. An interesting study reviewed if present-day actions for future outcomes were shaped by being a native speaker of a “futured” or “futureless” language. For speakers of Scandinavian languages, German, Japanese, Chinese, and Dutch, ie. (languages without a linguistic barrier between the present and future tenses), respondents were more likely to engage in future-focused activities (retirement saving, chronic disease prevention, etc.) than speakers of “futured” languages – Romance languages, English, and Greek.
Of course, nothing in life exists in the absolute. Thoughts can impact language, and language is one of many influencers of culture. Nonetheless, the ability to understand the full dimension of the client & allow them to understand you in a mutual language is invaluable.
This is a daily experience for EMW. In the case of one client, the client speaks German with one EMW associate and Russian with the other. This has resulted in a close and trust-worthy partnership between the groups.
Market Access
An obvious boon of multilingual staff is the efficient navigation of global markets. Staff can communicate directly with local distributors or end-users, understand market needs, and navigate cultural nuances, allowing the proverbial distance of the foreign market to be closed.
Conclusion
The benefits to having a multilingual staff are enormous for international market developers who face no shortage of problems to be solved by divergent thinking and strategic decision-making, or whose endeavors can only be made easier by a strong sense of cultural competency or the ability to capitalize on it.
The multilingual staff at EMW – along with its many global partners- have over 25 years of experience succeeding at Business Across Borders. Contact us to explore your next international opportunity.
