Lying in Intra-Asian Business Discourse in an ELF Setting

Abstract

Previous studies have reported that the act of lying is ubiquitous. Although lies are generally regarded as a threat to the moral fabric of society, some lies are told in order to maintain or even enhance human relations. Such lies, therefore, could even be justified as an adaptive tool at times essential for the maintenance of social relationships. When speakers of English as a lingua franca (ELF) from different cultural backgrounds interact in order to build and maintain business relationships, the communication problems that develop can be accounted for in terms of differing perceptions that individuals have of what deceptive communication entails. This study aims to redefine intercultural business communication from an Asian perspective by examining naturally occurring business interaction between Japanese and Indian small business owners. The participants seek to establish a mutually beneficial relationship in order to cooperate in joint commercial activity. Special attention is paid to the lies told and detected by interlocutors. Employing the notion of business discourse, this study uses multiple analytical methods. The analysis depicts meaning jointly created as a result of strategic interaction. Because presenting truth tactfully requires of interlocutors’ high linguistic and communicative competence, ELF users use lies as an easy strategy for avoiding conflicts. This study emphasizes situated discourse and identity as critical factors affecting intercultural business communication.