MOM 2006 journal for pdf.pmd - University of Michigan-Flint

had the luxury of doing business ‘at home’, whereas in the present world they no longer had that
luxury. She asked interviewees if they agreed with this. One computer firm executive responded
that he would now rather have the language skills first, and learn accounting later.
Although the need within the companies for employees with language and culture skills was
obvious, surprisingly, companies were meeting this need in a very random manner. Some
thought, for instance, that one year of language at the university level should be sufficient, or a
crash course at a company such as Berlitz. Professor Schoonover observed that whereas nobody
would expect it would be possible to develop sufficient skills in other fields in two semesters,
that is what they expected of foreign languages. She concluded that the general lack of foreign
language capabilities that she encountered lead to a general lack of confidence within the global
market on the part of the American companies that she surveyed.
Ten years later, Geoffrey Voght and Ray Schaub at Eastern Michigan University pointed out
that “leaders in many professions now realize that fluency in foreign language and cultural
sensitivity are essential in their fields if the United States is to participate effectively in this
global community” (CAL Digest, September, 1992, page 1). They proclaimed the need for the
inclusion of foreign language and culture study in the educational system of the USA, but noted
that “most college students do not develop the expertise to understand even one foreign language
and culture” (page 2). They found the United States to have been less well-equipped than other
countries, such as Japan and Western European nations, to take an effective role in the
international community in the past because of the lack of attention given to incorporating global
perspectives and language and culture study in American educational curricula. They found that
the realization of this need had already led to reforms in higher education and public schools
throughout the USA. Professors Voght and Schaub were optimistic about this trend for the
future.
Our project was thus along the same line of thought as these other two. We were testing our
perception that although there is as great a need as ever for language and cultural competency in
the global community, Americans still are not competitive with their international business
partners in this domain. We agree with Governor Jennifer Granholm who observed in 2004 that
“in order to keep Michigan competitive in a global economy, we must continue to focus on the
importance diversity plays in growing our economy…Promoting diversity makes good business
sense and will help position Michigan as an economic power house in the 21 st century” (Oakland
Press, September 22, 2004).
Our interviewees included business people from various educational backgrounds and holding
a variety of positions, including, for example, executive assistants, director of purchasing, senior
workplace development specialist, business managers, engineers, human resource development
specialist, director of marketing and communications. The companies (names withheld) dealt
with international fluid transfer systems, electronic protection and fastening equipment,
automotive supplier for heavy duty trucks, automotive pain supplier, a ‘big three’ company, crosscultural
communication training service, and a Japanese car company. The educational
backgrounds of the interviewees included undergraduate degrees in finance, marketing,
engineering, and human resource management. One interviewee had an MA in marketing, and
one had an MA in French language and literature. The foreign language background of the
Meeting of Minds 2006 55