7.2.2025
Doctoral thesis on how Finland-based international small firms cope with language diversity
M.Sc. (Econ. & Bus. Adm.), MBA Sazzad Talukder’s doctoral thesis in International Business will be put forth for public defence at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Business and Economics, and Law at Åbo Akademi University.
The thesis is entitled Strategies for coping with language diversity in international small firms: A longitudinal study.
The public defence of the doctoral thesis takes place on 14 February 2025 at 1PM in Stora auditoriet, ASA, Vänrikinkatu 3, Turku. You can also follow the defence online. Professor Martyna Śliwa, University of Bath School of Management, United Kingdom, will serve as opponent and Professor Wilhelm Barner-Rasmussen, Åbo Akademi University, as custos.
Summary
This five-year longitudinal study explores 22 Finland-based international small firms across industries, including biotech, food, and software, to understand how decision-makers cope with language diversity over time. The findings highlight that firms effectively navigate language diversity by recognizing external stakeholders’ linguistic preferences and addressing factors like language-based status, social acceptance, affinity, and identity. Key strategies include choosing appropriate firm-level languages, developing language performance standards for employees, and leveraging language backgrounds to manage business-to-business (B2B) relationships. These strategies foster trust, promote resource sharing, and support firm survival.
The research underscores significant trade-offs in language strategy choices. An English-only approach simplifies communication but risks disregarding diverse stakeholder preferences. Conversely, a multilingual strategy builds trust and collaboration but requires substantial investments in training and resources. Developing and implementing language performance standards helps align firms with diverse language demands, improving employee competencies and fostering trust, even in firms lacking formal structures. Decision-makers utilize their language skills to assess costs, benefits, and trust in relationships, while adaptability is critical for managing diversity effectively.
This study makes a valuable contribution to the literature on language use in International Business (IB), language-sensitive Human Resource Management (HRM), language-based sensemaking in B2B contexts, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and social exchange theory (SET). By offering insights into how language diversity is managed with limited resources, the study equips decision-makers with the knowledge to make more informed, strategic, and critical choices. These insights can be instrumental in helping firms navigate the complexities of external language diversity, ultimately improving organizational efficiency and effectiveness in international operations.
Sazzad Talukder was born in 1981 in Cumilla, Bangladesh. He can be reached by phone +358 45 259 9992 or email sazzad.talukder@abo.fi.
The doctoral thesis can be read online through the Doria publication archive.
Click here for a press photo of the doctoral student.
Instructions for following the doctoral defence remotely:
To follow the defence, you need the Zoom software or the Google Chrome browser. You do not need to create a Zoom account to follow the defence. If you install the application, you participate by clicking on the meeting link, after which you should allow the link to open in the Zoom app.