TOOLS OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS: A POSTCOLONIAL APPROACH
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Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to identify the communicative tools used in the postcolonial world for intercultural communication and to outline the potential for their practical implementation. The objectives of the present investigation are as follows: firstly, to highlight the tools used in international communication within business discourse; secondly, to identify the ways in which these tools can be tailored for postcolonial communication practices; thirdly, to provide positive and negative examples of their use and to offer recommendations for their better implementation; and fourthly, to establish how business communication practices, such as branding and advertising, can benefit the revival of the national idea and cultural heritage while unifying the nation ideologically. The object of the study is intercultural communication in the postcolonial space, and the subject is the peculiarities of communication tools. The novelty of the research lies in the fact that, despite the existence of many works dedicated to various aspects of intercultural communication, there are no works that establish and classify the exact tools that can be used to promote the national identity of the former colonies in the intercultural business communication. The aforementioned tools encompass branding, marketing, PR and publicity. Furthermore, the article undertakes an examination of the manner in which these instruments can be employed not solely within the context of business communicative discourse but also as a means of constructing and reinforcing a national concept and cultural unity. The methodology of the research relied on the following methods: firstly, the method of continuous sampling, which was employed to select language communicative contexts for analysis; secondly, the method of semantic and pragmatic analysis, which was used to identify the meaning of language units used in intercultural communication and their impact on the recipient; and thirdly, the method of interpretative analysis of text from the advertising discourse, which was used to find the hidden meanings and implications in marketing messages. The study established that branding, when employed as a tool in the context of intercultural postcolonial communication, can be either regressive or progressive. While the former seeks to disguise the colonial influence on business, the progressive branding strategy seeks to promote national and cultural identity by using nationally themed brand names, deleting colonial semantics in naming, and emphasising uniqueness and identity through the use of cultural symbols and motifs. Postcolonial advertising should be tailored to each target market and can be used not only for business purposes but also to promote a national idea. The public relations and publicity tools encompass the endorsement of products by figures from the local culture, as well as the utilisation of an accurate decolonised language of reference. This underscores the equality and autonomy of the formerly colonised culture. The findings can be employed by business practices engaged in intercultural communication in postcolonial contexts, as well as by theorists who study the manner in which decolonised societies live and develop.
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advertising, cultural heritage, decolonisation, public relations, publicity
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