The language of career success: The effects of English language competence on local employees' career outcomes in foreign subsidiaries

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Peltokorpi, Vesa
• 署名单位: Hiroshima University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS STUDIES
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0047-2506
• DOI: 10.1057/s41267-022-00544-4
• 发表日期: 2023
• 页码: 258-284
• 关键词: language competence; job promotion; wage increase; career satisfaction; career encouragement; local employee; foreign subsidiary

摘要

Multinational corporations often are multilingual entities, yet surprisingly little is known about how foreign-language competencies in their foreign subsidiaries are related to local employees' career success outcomes. This paper uses human capital and upward mobility theories to link local employees' English language competencies through career encouragement and internal social capital development behavior to job promotions, wage increases, and career satisfaction in two independent studies conducted in foreign subsidiaries in Japan. Study 1's findings are derived from 499 local employees at three points in time over 12 months in 376 foreign subsidiaries. These findings suggest that career encouragement mediates the positive relationships between English language competence and job promotions, wage increases, and career satisfaction. Study 2's findings are from a sample derived from 448 local employees in 265 foreign subsidiaries with a similar time-lagged research design. These findings provide further support for the direct relationship of English language competencies to job promotions, wage increases, and career satisfaction, and that social capital development mediates the positive relationships between English language competencies and job promotions and career satisfaction. This paper contributes to the literature on international business by highlighting the importance of English language competencies to local employees' career success outcomes in foreign subsidiaries operating in non-English-speaking countries.