ARCTIC - Assessing and Reviewing Cultural Transaction in International Companies
Large scale surveys in the UK have shown that a lack of language skills and perceived cultural barriers are associated with lost opportunities for businesses. Business School reports note that “the consequences of British relative under-investment in languages amount to the equivalent of between a three and a seven percent tax on British exports” (e.g. Foreman-Peck 2007 :4). This has a marked impact on economic growth: it has been estimated that as much as 21 billion pounds annually are lost annually because small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK are unable to engage fully in foreign markets (Foreman-Peck 2007).
ARCTIC, a project supported by the Universities of Surrey, the University of the West of England, Bristol, the University of Wales (Newport), the University College London, the Bristol, Surrey and South Wales Chambers of Commerce aims to explore: the language and intercultural barriers UK SMEs feel they face when trading abroad (or with international partners) and when attempting to enter new export markets. ARCTIC will also record the SMEs perceived needs for training in languages and intercultural skills.
The ARCTIC team, through the three collaborating Chambers of Commerce, will work with SMEs, principally in the geographical areas of Surrey, Bristol and South Wales. The results will feed into the development of the Export Communications Review (ECR) and the training programme for language consultants working with UK export SMEs. Moreover, we aim to raise the public’s awareness of the personal, economic and societal value of intercultural awareness and language learning.
ARCTIC will be tweeting its progress and findings (from March on!) and will organise a networking event for all the participant companies and Chambers of Commerce.
If you are interested in ARCTIC we would be keen to hear from you.
Please contact:
Surrey: Dr Doris Dippold (d.dippold@surrey.ac.uk)
Bristol: Dr Jo Angouri (Jo.Angouri@uwe.ac.uk)
South Wales: Professor Stephen Hagen (Stephen.Hagen@newport.ac.uk)
UCL: Dr. Marco Aponte Moreno (m.aponte-moreno@ucl.ac.uk)
