Mapping Best Multilingual Business Practices in the EU

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3.2.AnalysisofexistingstudiesandsurveysMostoftheexistingstudiesaimatidentifyingthemultilingualneedsofcompanies.Theyfocusonidentifyingtheneedsofcompaniesinthefollowingfields:- mobilityofstaffspeakingforeignlanguages;- improvingtheprofitratefromlanguages;- useoflanguagesinthebusinessarea(employees’skills,background,profession);- useoflanguageskillsandtheireffectsoncommercialresults;- useofforeignlanguagesinpanEuropeancorporations;- solutionstothelackoflanguageskillsincompanies;- thelinkbetweenmultilingualismandcreativity;- assistingcompaniesandlocalinstitutionswiththeirlanguagestrategies;- implementingmachinetranslationincompanies;- evaluatingthecurrentstateofexecutives’multilingualskills. Human resources and communication/marketing are business drivers formultilingualism.Thefollowingbusinessdriversforgoodpracticesinmultilingualismwerealsoidentified:- Humanresources:o measures to improve employees’ language skills: stimulating the use oflanguages, taking steps to complete formal teaching of languages(international internships, exchanges), offering language training and/orimprovingtraining;o optimisinghiringofmultilingualstaffbyincludingalanguagetestintherecruitmentprocess(multilingualismconsideredanassetinajobseeker);o keepingafileonstaff’slanguageskills;o encouragingvisitsand/orstaysinforeigncountries;o specialvoucherstopayforlanguagetraining(inBelgiumandFranceforexample).- Communicationandmarketing:o boostingglobalcommunication:multilingualwebsites,creationanduseoflanguagetechnologytools,developmentoftranslationtools;o localisedwebsitesforforeignmarketsandcultures;o hiringand/orcontactingforeignpartners;o preparingglossariestoprovideabetter,morecustomised,service;o workingwithexternalpartnersonspecificmultilingualactivitiesinsideoroutsidethecompany.SocialandeconomicimpactonEuropeancompaniesThe social and economic impact is mainly reflected in transaction losses (impairedinformation, sales, marketing impact…); loss of contracts and income (according to one10
study this affects 11% of companies (from €50000 to €500000); and extra costs fortranslationorlanguagetraining(onaverage€80000).Companies find it difficult to find multilingual candidates. Older monolingual employeeshavetolearnforeignlanguagesbythemselves.Therearevariousproblemsassociatedwithlanguagetrainingandoralexpressioncanbedifficult.Inthebusinessarea,problemslinkedtomultilingualismcommonlyconcern:- contacts with foreign trading partners. Some employees cannot carry out aconversation in a foreign language and some suspect that they have offended acustomer,madewrongdeliveriesorlostcontractsduetopoorlanguageskills)- cultural differences (differences in business procedures, ethical values or ways ofnegotiating).Companiesconsiderthatculturalbarriersareadisadvantageandfaceagrowingdemandformultilingual communication and cultural openness in order to promote contractopportunities with foreign countries, as well as better information sharing. Multilingualcandidates are more likely to be taken on because human resources departments realisethatthankstotheirmultilingualismthesepeoplearebetteratlearninglanguages,solvingcomplexproblemsandobjectivethinking.Theyarealsothoughttobemorecreative.When companies lack qualified staff, outsourcing is often used as a strategy. There areopportunities for outsourcing translation services (specialised translation tasks, enhancingtranslation capacity and sharing translation memories…) the ultimate goal beingto matchlinguisticneeds.Itisanapproachtobearinmindwhenassessingtranslationneedsinthecompany, and the costs involved, based on several factors such as the content to betranslated,thefinaluser,andthetimerequiredforthetranslation. Outsourcingcanbeamoreprofitableandeffectivesolution,especiallywhenacompanyhasnumerousvacanciesforadministrativeexecutives,salesrepresentativesandtopleveltechnicians.Evenifextracostsmaybeincurredinthemanagementofmultilingualisminthecompany,someofthestudies pinpointed the potential loss of contracts for those companies unable to improvetheiremployees’languageskillsthroughtranslationassistanceandlanguagetraining.11
Page 1 and 2: Studies on translationand multiling
Page 3 and 4: CONTENTS SUMMARY ..................
Page 5 and 6: SUMMARYThe digital age and globalis
Page 7 and 8: INTRODUCTIONThis is the final repor
Page 9 and 10: 2.IMPACTOFMULTILINGUALISMONEUROPEAN
Page 11: The17relevantstudiesarepresentedint
Page 15 and 16: 4.CASESTUDIESMultilingualisminthebu
Page 17 and 18: 2.1. Use of languageresources andmu
Page 19 and 20: 1.5. Multilingualdocument managemen
Page 22 and 23: 4.4.CASESTUDY#4—SME/PanEuropeanco
Page 24 and 25: 4.5.CASESTUDY#5—SME(Germany)BASIC
Page 26 and 27: 4.6.SUMMARYOFTHECASESTUDIESBest mul
Page 28 and 29: 5.1.Bestpracticessortedaccordingtou
Page 30 and 31: o Strategicchoices1 Define a profes
Page 32 and 33: 2 Organise multilingual multimedia
Page 34 and 35: 10bestmultilingualbusinesspractices
Page 36 and 37: ICTandMultilingualCommunicationEmai
Page 38 and 39: Languageresources&multilingualtermi
Page 40 and 41: 6.ANALYSISANDRECOMMENDATIONSTheanal
Page 42 and 43: Multilingualbusinesspracticesvaryfr
Page 44 and 45: The Council Resolution on a Europea
Page 46 and 47: 7Encouragelanguagelearninginthecomp
Page 48 and 49: MediaConsultingGroup/Peacefulfish.S
Page 50 and 51: Bibliographyrelatedtomultilingualis
Page 52 and 53: 7.2.Structuredfileofthemainstudiesa
Page 54 and 55: Referenceofthestudy/surveyAuthor(s)
Page 56: 7.3.InterviewguideforMBPcasestudies
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Mapping Best Multilingual Business Practices in the EU

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