Research Methodology

Asian Business Communication: Country Perspectives (India)

Introduction Understanding of what constitutes good business communication in India has undergone a radical change in the last ten years with the influx of several highly paying multi-national companies gaining foothold on the virgin soils of the country. There is an inordinate emphasis on communication in English, both written and oral, as employees now need to interact with peers across the globe. Cascading effect of the industry requirements are evidenced in the structuring of the courses taught in business schools. The chronological shift in vehicular language from Hindi to English is need based and directly related to the changes evidenced in the prevailing market scenario. In the early phase of post independence, English was learned primarily in classrooms making India a “multilingual scholastic English country” (Gupta, 1997). However, the nature of learning and implementation underwent a radical change in the post liberalization era. With the growth of international trade, skilled Indian professionals were in constant dialogue with clients overseas. For ease of communication in business transactions, the vehicular language changed in hue and English became the most convenient medium of communication. Catering to the requirements of the growing business economy schools began to use English as a medium of instruction. In the current scenario, there are more than 200 schools which use English as a medium of instruction. Students from such schools are, hypothetically speaking, more adept at handling larger competitive examinations where English is used as the medium for questions. Entry into business schools after completing graduation is relatively simpler for students who have background training in the English language. In the current business scenario

where the need for skilled manpower is high students have begun to opt for management education. Students desirous of seeking entry into business...