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Papers by Brigitte Planken

Research paper thumbnail of Birds of different feathers? The relationship between multicultural personality dimensions and foreign language mastery in business professionals working in a Dutch agricultural multinational

International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 2011

The relationship between personality dimensions, measured with the Multicultural Personality Ques... more The relationship between personality dimensions, measured with the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire (MPQ), and foreign language mastery were studied in a Dutch-based multinational company in the agricultural sector. In a survey, differences were studied between internal and external stakeholders to determine whether MPQ dimensions and language mastery allow us to discriminate between them. The internal stakeholders were divided into international and non-international employees; external stakeholders were the business contacts of the international employees (clients and business partners based or working abroad). The international employees were found to be more open-minded and flexible than the non-international employees, and the former group was found to be more emotionally stable than the group of business contacts. On average, the international employees reported speaking one foreign language more than both other groups. Also, the number of foreign languages correlated with the multicultural personality dimensions open-mindedness and emotional stability. It is concluded that emotional stability, openmindedness, and the number of spoken foreign languages are to some extent predictive of differences between the various stakeholders distinguished in this sample. 541 ultimately, to safeguard their economic bottom line. In today's increasingly multicultural and multilingual business world, it is essential that companies and employees cultivate "high professional expertise and understanding of cultural diversity" . posit that, in order to communicate effectively with another culture, individuals should be open to that other culture, possess a sufficient degree of sensitivity to note cultural differences and be willing to adapt theircommunication -behavior flexibly, and in such a way as to show respect and accommodate to the 'other culture' counterpart (see also . Adapting in this sense may well include using a counterpart's mother tongue or a lingua franca. Based on a review of existing models of intercultural communication, concludes that the common denominator of effective intercultural communication would seem to be that while knowledge and skills are regarded as necessary elements, they are not sufficient and "must be combined with openness and flexibility in one's thinking and interpretations, and with the motivation to communicate effectively and build a successful relationship" (2000, p. 376).

Research paper thumbnail of Belf Competence as Business Knowledge of Internationally Operating Business Professionals

Business Communication Quarterly, 2010

Business English as a lingua franca (BELF) has come to dominate as the shared code used to “get w... more Business English as a lingua franca (BELF) has come to dominate as the shared code used to “get work done” in international business. In this article, the authors explore internationally operating business professionals’ perceptions of BELF communication and its “success” at work, based on selected data from an online survey (N = 987) and in-depth interviews (N = 27) conducted

Research paper thumbnail of Managing rapport in lingua franca sales negotiations: A comparison of professional and aspiring negotiators

English for Specific Purposes, 2005

This article presents selective findings from a study that investigated how facework is used to a... more This article presents selective findings from a study that investigated how facework is used to achieve interpersonal goals in intercultural sales negotiations. The article reports on linguis-

Research paper thumbnail of International Advertising in Western Europe: Should Differences in Uncertainty Avoidance be Considered when Advertising in Belgium, France, The Netherlands and Spain

Journal of Business Communication, 2003

Research paper thumbnail of Face and identity management in negotiation

Research paper thumbnail of Reasons given by Dutch makers of job ads for placing all-English, partly English or all-Dutch job advertisements in Dutch newpapers: An interview-based study

Laboratory Phonology, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Raising students' awareness of the implications of multi-modaility for content design and usability: The website project

Business Communication Quarterly, 2006

Research paper thumbnail of The effect of English job titles in job advertisements on Dutch respondents

World Englishes, 2007

ABSTRACT: This paper reports on a study that tested the effect on Dutch respondents of using Eng... more ABSTRACT: This paper reports on a study that tested the effect on Dutch respondents of using English in job titles. One half of the respondents evaluated five English job titles, and the other half evaluated the equivalent Dutch job titles. The results of the experiment support claims about the effect of English in job titles in the Netherlands and other non-English-speaking countries which had not previously been tested experimentally. In those cases where there were statistically significant differences, English job titles were evaluated worse than their Dutch counterparts, while jobs with English titles were assessed more positively, were thought to have higher salaries, and were on the whole considered to be more international. Contrary to what is suggested in the literature, where there were significant differences, jobs with English titles were not considered more gender-neutral, but in fact were perceived to be more male-oriented than their Dutch equivalents. Although no statistically significant differences were found between the associations evoked by equivalent English and Dutch job titles, our findings support the hypothesis, formulated with respect to English in advertising in non-English-speaking countries, that English words do not just have referential meaning but also carry symbolic value.

Research paper thumbnail of Content elements in product recall notices in the UK — guidelines and practice

According to (2003: 10), organizations are in crisis whenever they are faced with an acute proble... more According to (2003: 10), organizations are in crisis whenever they are faced with an acute problem that threatens to disrupt the day-to-day business process or, in the worst case scenario, an acute problem that endangers the organization’s continued existence. When a company discovers that it has marketed a defective product, for example, this can be said to constitute a crisis, particularly if the product in question poses a danger or health risk to one of the company’s main target groups, the consumers. In order to contain the crisis and minimize the risk to consumers, a company can put into action a corrective action strategy (or product recall) aimed at withdrawing affected products and informing consumers of the corrective action being undertaken. Product recalls not only allow an organization to resolve the problem at hand, but also to minimize (further) financial damage and damage to its image and reputation (Intertek 2004: 11). Thus, a product recall can be regarded as essentially a form of crisis communication (Groenendijk/ Boulogne 1994).

Research paper thumbnail of Promoting Intercultural Communicative Competence through Foreign Language Courses

Business Communication Quarterly, 2004

LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE is important in intercultural business communication (IBC) studies. B... more LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE is important in intercultural business communication (IBC) studies. But equally important is developing intercultural communicative competence, that is, a recognition of the cultural factors influencing behavior in business encounters around the globe . This article suggests how tertiary-level foreign language (FL) courses can be contextualized to promote intercultural learning geared to "achieving an awareness of cultural diversity and an understanding of different modes of living and behaviour" (Krück, 1992, p. 299). It describes the learning projects and tasks incorporated into the first-year IBC program at Nijmegen University in the Netherlands, where an integrative approach to course programming was introduced in 2001-2002.

Research paper thumbnail of Business Discourse

Research paper thumbnail of Reading Stories and Signs on the Internet: Analyzing CSR Discourse on the BP Website

KNAW Narcis. Back to search results. Publication Reading stories and signs on the Internet: analy... more KNAW Narcis. Back to search results. Publication Reading stories and signs on the Internet: analyzing Corporate Social... (2007). Pagina-navigatie: Main. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Corporate social responsibility communication in the Indian context

Journal of Indian Business Research, 2010

Research paper thumbnail of English for specific business purposes: Written business English and the increasing influence of multimodality

Journal of Semantics, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of AGE AND ULTIMATE ATTAINMENT IN THE PRONUNCIATION OF A FOREIGNLANGUAGE

Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 1997

Research paper thumbnail of The effects of the use of English in Polish product advertisements: Implications for English for business purposes

English for Specific Purposes, 2010

English has come to be widely used for the specific purpose of advertising to reach international... more English has come to be widely used for the specific purpose of advertising to reach international target groups in various countries. However, few studies to date have investigated the use -and effects of -English in advertising in Eastern European countries. This study investigated the effect of English in advertisements from Polish glossy magazines on their audience, young educated Polish women. Respondents evaluated different versions of six product advertisements: either the original ads in English or the same ads translated into Polish. Perceptions of the product/brand image and attitudes towards the ad, as well as purchasing intentions and degrees of comprehension, were measured in a written questionnaire. Respondents presented with the English ads did not evaluate the product/brand image or the ad significantly differently than respondents who saw the Polish ads. Similarly, the use of English (versus Polish) did not bring about a significant difference in purchasing intentions, and led to only few statistically significant differences in comprehension. It can be concluded that claims in the literature about the positive effects of using English in product advertising were not borne out, and that the use of English led to few comprehension problems for the intended (non-native) target group. The findings are relevant for teaching English for Business Purposes to present and future business communication specialists and marketing practitioners, and, in general, can promote students' awareness of how English is used for business in the world around them.

Research paper thumbnail of Searching for differences, finding analogies and building bridges in intercultural dialogues. Do Dutch and Mexican professionals differ in their attitude towards professional communication

Research paper thumbnail of LA CONCIENCIA INTERCULTURAL Y LA ADQUISICIÓN DE SEGUNDAS LENGUAS ¿PREDICE EL DOMINIO DE SEGUNDAS LENGUAS EL DESARROLLO DE LA "CONCIENCIA INTERCULTURAL

intercultural y la adquisición de segundas lenguas ¿Predice el dominio de segundas lenguas el des... more intercultural y la adquisición de segundas lenguas ¿Predice el dominio de segundas lenguas el desarrollo de la "conciencia intercultural"? El español, lengua del mestizaje y la interculturalidad Andreu van Hooft / Hubert Korzilius / Brigitte Planken La conciencia intercultural y la adquisición de segundas lenguas ¿Predice el dominio de segundas lenguas el desarrollo de la "conciencia intercultural"? El español, lengua del mestizaje y la interculturalidad Andreu van Hooft / Hubert Korzilius / Brigitte Planken La conciencia intercultural y la adquisición de segundas lenguas ¿Predice el dominio de segundas lenguas el desarrollo de la "conciencia intercultural"? El español, lengua del mestizaje y la interculturalidad Andreu van Hooft / Hubert Korzilius / Brigitte Planken La conciencia intercultural y la adquisición de segundas lenguas ¿Predice el dominio de segundas lenguas el desarrollo de la "conciencia intercultural"? El español, lengua del mestizaje y la interculturalidad Andreu van Hooft / Hubert Korzilius / Brigitte Planken La conciencia intercultural y la adquisición de segundas lenguas ¿Predice el dominio de segundas lenguas el desarrollo de la "conciencia intercultural"? El español, lengua del mestizaje y la interculturalidad Andreu van Hooft / Hubert Korzilius / Brigitte Planken La conciencia intercultural y la adquisición de segundas lenguas ¿Predice el dominio de segundas lenguas el desarrollo de la "conciencia intercultural"?

Research paper thumbnail of Birds of different feathers? The relationship between multicultural personality dimensions and foreign language mastery in business professionals working in a Dutch agricultural multinational

International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 2011

The relationship between personality dimensions, measured with the Multicultural Personality Ques... more The relationship between personality dimensions, measured with the Multicultural Personality Questionnaire (MPQ), and foreign language mastery were studied in a Dutch-based multinational company in the agricultural sector. In a survey, differences were studied between internal and external stakeholders to determine whether MPQ dimensions and language mastery allow us to discriminate between them. The internal stakeholders were divided into international and non-international employees; external stakeholders were the business contacts of the international employees (clients and business partners based or working abroad). The international employees were found to be more open-minded and flexible than the non-international employees, and the former group was found to be more emotionally stable than the group of business contacts. On average, the international employees reported speaking one foreign language more than both other groups. Also, the number of foreign languages correlated with the multicultural personality dimensions open-mindedness and emotional stability. It is concluded that emotional stability, openmindedness, and the number of spoken foreign languages are to some extent predictive of differences between the various stakeholders distinguished in this sample. 541 ultimately, to safeguard their economic bottom line. In today's increasingly multicultural and multilingual business world, it is essential that companies and employees cultivate "high professional expertise and understanding of cultural diversity" . posit that, in order to communicate effectively with another culture, individuals should be open to that other culture, possess a sufficient degree of sensitivity to note cultural differences and be willing to adapt theircommunication -behavior flexibly, and in such a way as to show respect and accommodate to the 'other culture' counterpart (see also . Adapting in this sense may well include using a counterpart's mother tongue or a lingua franca. Based on a review of existing models of intercultural communication, concludes that the common denominator of effective intercultural communication would seem to be that while knowledge and skills are regarded as necessary elements, they are not sufficient and "must be combined with openness and flexibility in one's thinking and interpretations, and with the motivation to communicate effectively and build a successful relationship" (2000, p. 376).

Research paper thumbnail of Belf Competence as Business Knowledge of Internationally Operating Business Professionals

Business Communication Quarterly, 2010

Business English as a lingua franca (BELF) has come to dominate as the shared code used to “get w... more Business English as a lingua franca (BELF) has come to dominate as the shared code used to “get work done” in international business. In this article, the authors explore internationally operating business professionals’ perceptions of BELF communication and its “success” at work, based on selected data from an online survey (N = 987) and in-depth interviews (N = 27) conducted

Research paper thumbnail of Managing rapport in lingua franca sales negotiations: A comparison of professional and aspiring negotiators

English for Specific Purposes, 2005

This article presents selective findings from a study that investigated how facework is used to a... more This article presents selective findings from a study that investigated how facework is used to achieve interpersonal goals in intercultural sales negotiations. The article reports on linguis-

Research paper thumbnail of International Advertising in Western Europe: Should Differences in Uncertainty Avoidance be Considered when Advertising in Belgium, France, The Netherlands and Spain

Journal of Business Communication, 2003

Research paper thumbnail of Face and identity management in negotiation

Research paper thumbnail of Reasons given by Dutch makers of job ads for placing all-English, partly English or all-Dutch job advertisements in Dutch newpapers: An interview-based study

Laboratory Phonology, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Raising students' awareness of the implications of multi-modaility for content design and usability: The website project

Business Communication Quarterly, 2006

Research paper thumbnail of The effect of English job titles in job advertisements on Dutch respondents

World Englishes, 2007

ABSTRACT: This paper reports on a study that tested the effect on Dutch respondents of using Eng... more ABSTRACT: This paper reports on a study that tested the effect on Dutch respondents of using English in job titles. One half of the respondents evaluated five English job titles, and the other half evaluated the equivalent Dutch job titles. The results of the experiment support claims about the effect of English in job titles in the Netherlands and other non-English-speaking countries which had not previously been tested experimentally. In those cases where there were statistically significant differences, English job titles were evaluated worse than their Dutch counterparts, while jobs with English titles were assessed more positively, were thought to have higher salaries, and were on the whole considered to be more international. Contrary to what is suggested in the literature, where there were significant differences, jobs with English titles were not considered more gender-neutral, but in fact were perceived to be more male-oriented than their Dutch equivalents. Although no statistically significant differences were found between the associations evoked by equivalent English and Dutch job titles, our findings support the hypothesis, formulated with respect to English in advertising in non-English-speaking countries, that English words do not just have referential meaning but also carry symbolic value.

Research paper thumbnail of Content elements in product recall notices in the UK — guidelines and practice

According to (2003: 10), organizations are in crisis whenever they are faced with an acute proble... more According to (2003: 10), organizations are in crisis whenever they are faced with an acute problem that threatens to disrupt the day-to-day business process or, in the worst case scenario, an acute problem that endangers the organization’s continued existence. When a company discovers that it has marketed a defective product, for example, this can be said to constitute a crisis, particularly if the product in question poses a danger or health risk to one of the company’s main target groups, the consumers. In order to contain the crisis and minimize the risk to consumers, a company can put into action a corrective action strategy (or product recall) aimed at withdrawing affected products and informing consumers of the corrective action being undertaken. Product recalls not only allow an organization to resolve the problem at hand, but also to minimize (further) financial damage and damage to its image and reputation (Intertek 2004: 11). Thus, a product recall can be regarded as essentially a form of crisis communication (Groenendijk/ Boulogne 1994).

Research paper thumbnail of Promoting Intercultural Communicative Competence through Foreign Language Courses

Business Communication Quarterly, 2004

LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE is important in intercultural business communication (IBC) studies. B... more LEARNING A FOREIGN LANGUAGE is important in intercultural business communication (IBC) studies. But equally important is developing intercultural communicative competence, that is, a recognition of the cultural factors influencing behavior in business encounters around the globe . This article suggests how tertiary-level foreign language (FL) courses can be contextualized to promote intercultural learning geared to "achieving an awareness of cultural diversity and an understanding of different modes of living and behaviour" (Krück, 1992, p. 299). It describes the learning projects and tasks incorporated into the first-year IBC program at Nijmegen University in the Netherlands, where an integrative approach to course programming was introduced in 2001-2002.

Research paper thumbnail of Business Discourse

Research paper thumbnail of Reading Stories and Signs on the Internet: Analyzing CSR Discourse on the BP Website

KNAW Narcis. Back to search results. Publication Reading stories and signs on the Internet: analy... more KNAW Narcis. Back to search results. Publication Reading stories and signs on the Internet: analyzing Corporate Social... (2007). Pagina-navigatie: Main. ...

Research paper thumbnail of Corporate social responsibility communication in the Indian context

Journal of Indian Business Research, 2010

Research paper thumbnail of English for specific business purposes: Written business English and the increasing influence of multimodality

Journal of Semantics, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of AGE AND ULTIMATE ATTAINMENT IN THE PRONUNCIATION OF A FOREIGNLANGUAGE

Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 1997

Research paper thumbnail of The effects of the use of English in Polish product advertisements: Implications for English for business purposes

English for Specific Purposes, 2010

English has come to be widely used for the specific purpose of advertising to reach international... more English has come to be widely used for the specific purpose of advertising to reach international target groups in various countries. However, few studies to date have investigated the use -and effects of -English in advertising in Eastern European countries. This study investigated the effect of English in advertisements from Polish glossy magazines on their audience, young educated Polish women. Respondents evaluated different versions of six product advertisements: either the original ads in English or the same ads translated into Polish. Perceptions of the product/brand image and attitudes towards the ad, as well as purchasing intentions and degrees of comprehension, were measured in a written questionnaire. Respondents presented with the English ads did not evaluate the product/brand image or the ad significantly differently than respondents who saw the Polish ads. Similarly, the use of English (versus Polish) did not bring about a significant difference in purchasing intentions, and led to only few statistically significant differences in comprehension. It can be concluded that claims in the literature about the positive effects of using English in product advertising were not borne out, and that the use of English led to few comprehension problems for the intended (non-native) target group. The findings are relevant for teaching English for Business Purposes to present and future business communication specialists and marketing practitioners, and, in general, can promote students' awareness of how English is used for business in the world around them.

Research paper thumbnail of Searching for differences, finding analogies and building bridges in intercultural dialogues. Do Dutch and Mexican professionals differ in their attitude towards professional communication

Research paper thumbnail of LA CONCIENCIA INTERCULTURAL Y LA ADQUISICIÓN DE SEGUNDAS LENGUAS ¿PREDICE EL DOMINIO DE SEGUNDAS LENGUAS EL DESARROLLO DE LA "CONCIENCIA INTERCULTURAL

intercultural y la adquisición de segundas lenguas ¿Predice el dominio de segundas lenguas el des... more intercultural y la adquisición de segundas lenguas ¿Predice el dominio de segundas lenguas el desarrollo de la "conciencia intercultural"? El español, lengua del mestizaje y la interculturalidad Andreu van Hooft / Hubert Korzilius / Brigitte Planken La conciencia intercultural y la adquisición de segundas lenguas ¿Predice el dominio de segundas lenguas el desarrollo de la "conciencia intercultural"? El español, lengua del mestizaje y la interculturalidad Andreu van Hooft / Hubert Korzilius / Brigitte Planken La conciencia intercultural y la adquisición de segundas lenguas ¿Predice el dominio de segundas lenguas el desarrollo de la "conciencia intercultural"? El español, lengua del mestizaje y la interculturalidad Andreu van Hooft / Hubert Korzilius / Brigitte Planken La conciencia intercultural y la adquisición de segundas lenguas ¿Predice el dominio de segundas lenguas el desarrollo de la "conciencia intercultural"? El español, lengua del mestizaje y la interculturalidad Andreu van Hooft / Hubert Korzilius / Brigitte Planken La conciencia intercultural y la adquisición de segundas lenguas ¿Predice el dominio de segundas lenguas el desarrollo de la "conciencia intercultural"? El español, lengua del mestizaje y la interculturalidad Andreu van Hooft / Hubert Korzilius / Brigitte Planken La conciencia intercultural y la adquisición de segundas lenguas ¿Predice el dominio de segundas lenguas el desarrollo de la "conciencia intercultural"?