Mapping Best Multilingual Business Practices in the EU

5.1.BestpracticessortedaccordingtouseBestmultilingualbusinesspracticeshavebeensortedaccordingtouseasfollows:o StaffandStrategicIssueso TranslationandMultilingualLanguageResourceso ICTandMultilingualCommunication5.1.1.StaffandStrategicIssuesThemostfrequentmultilingualbusinesspracticeslinkedtostaffandstrategicissuesinthecompanyconcernthefollowing:InternationalmobilityofmanagersMultilingualstaffrecruitingTranslationofdocumentsOutsourcingofinterpretationandtranslationSuchpracticesimplyspecificchoicesforthecompany:o Strategicchoices1 Recruit local managers or promote expatriates’ mobility. This implies validating theturnover objectives expected from export sales, depending on the cost of multilingualmanagement,languagelearningandtraininginthecompany’sculture.Thischoicedependson the SWOT analysis of the company and its organisation. Companies can also strike abalance by mixing local recruitment with expatriate management for the efficientestablishment of new offices in foreign countries. This support for export sales can bemanagedbyateamordepartmentspecificallyresponsibleforexpatriatesandinternationalmobility.2Integrateamultilingualstrategyintotheglobalstrategyofthecompany(‘Thinkglobal,actlocal’)inordertobackuptheexportsalesdepartment,makebestuseoffeedbackfromlocalmarketsandtargetareturnoninvestmentconfirmedbythemultilingualapproach.3 English is the preferred language for written documents. Other languages are used inbusinessmeetings.4 Multilingual information in the company is managed with a selection of corporacontainingthecompany’svocabularyinthelanguagesconcerned.26