Meaning, Perception, and Culture in International Business Discourse: A Theoretical Perspective of Potential Conflicts

English as the lingua franca of international business discourse has many potential pitfalls because the interlocutors often assume they have shared meaning when in actual fact they do not. This paper looks at how meaning, culture, perception, and identity are interrelated and influence international business discourse. Since the denotative meanings can vary across cultures and languages, it can lead to misunderstandings which have the potential of escalating into conflicts. In order to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts, it is necessary to examine the components that can lead to misunderstandings and conflicts. Culture influences not only perception, but also communication and identity which is why two individuals exposed to the same sensory stimuli may interpret and evaluate those stimuli differently. Such misperceptions can lead to misunderstandings and even conflict. The establishment of trustful relationships and the development of intercultural communication competence can reduce the potential of misunderstandings and help de-escalate conflicts. This is made possible through the sharing cognition and applying both metacognition and social metacognition.