Language in international business: a review and agenda for future research

A fast growing number of studies demonstrates that language diversity influences almost all management decisions in modern multinational corporations. Whereas no doubt remains about the practical importance of language, the empirical investigation and theoretical conceptualization of its complex and multifaceted effects still presents a substantial challenge. To summarize and evaluate the current state of the literature in a coherent picture informing future research, we systematically review 264 articles on language in international business. We scrutinize the geographic distributions of data, evaluate the field’s achievements to date in terms of theories and methodologies, and summarize core findings by individual, group, firm, and country levels of analysis. For each of these dimensions, we then put forward a future research agenda. We encourage scholars to transcend disciplinary boundaries and to draw on, integrate, and test a variety of theories from disciplines such as psychology, linguistics, and neuroscience to gain a more profound understanding of language in international business. We advocate more multi-level studies and cross-national research collaborations and suggest greater attention to potential new data sources and means of analysis

International Business as disciplinary tautology: an ontological perspective

The identity, legitimacy, and sustainability of international business (IB) as a research field are at stake. IB is being overtaken by the evolution of industries and technology, and critical voices challenge its distinctiveness and value. We identify IB’s ambiguous conceptual space, articulate the roots of the problem, and suggest a perspective for re-legitimizing the discipline. Specifically, we contend that redrawing legitimate knowledge boundaries for IB requires an ontological shift. In this respect, we promote a focus on the processual constitution of international entities across time and a reconceptualization of IB as the amalgamation of local and international forces. The perspective we advocate aims to counterbalance the disciplinary tautology suffered by current IB conceptualizations and to open up the discussion on boundary identification in the field

Dietary sources of lignans and isoflavones modulate responses to estradiol in estrogen reporter mice

Dietary phytoestrogens, such as the lignan metabolite enterolactone (ENL) and the isoflavone genistein (GEN), are suggested to modulate the risk of estrogen-dependent disease (e.g., breast cancer) through regulation of estrogen signaling. However, the effects of complex food items containing lignans or isoflavones on estrogen receptor (ER) transactivation have not been assessed so far. In this study, the modulation of ER-mediated signaling by dietary sources of lignans (cereals and flaxseed) and isoflavones (soy) was studied in vivo. Adult ovariectomized 3 x ERE-luciferase (luc) reporter mice received isocaloric diets supplemented with flaxseed, rye, wheat, or soy for 40 h or two weeks, and an additional group of mice was challenged with 17beta-estradiol (E(2)) following the two-week dietary intervention. In non-E(2)-treated mice, soy diet induced luc expression in liver, mammary gland, and pituitary gland while the other diets had no effects. Interestingly, all diets modulated the E(2)-induced luc expression. In particular rye diet efficiently reduced E(2)-induced luc expression as well as uterine growth, the hallmark of estrogen action in vivo. It is concluded that dietary sources of lignans and isoflavones can modulate estrogen signaling in vivo. The results suggest intriguing possibilities for the modulation of the risk of estrogen-dependent diseases by dietary means.