Discontinuity of required oral and literacy skills across job roles in achieving high work performance: An fsQCA approach
研究了跨国企业外籍子公司中本地员工的英语能力如何影响工作绩效，发现不同职位对英语读写和口语技能的需求存在不连续性，且情境化语言能力对缓解语言障碍至关重要。
This study explores how the English proficiency of local employees in foreign subsidiaries of multinational enterprises mitigates language barriers and improves their work performance. A research framework is developed by introducing the multidimensionality of foreign language proficiency and employing insights from applied linguistics, the brain-drain model, and media synchronicity theory. By using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis for data analysis, this study finds that the relative importance of English literacy skill to oral skill in achieving high work performance varies across positions in foreign subsidiaries. Discontinuity of required linguistic skills between managerial and nonmanagerial positions implies that incremental development of a skill set required for lower positions does not assure successful capability development toward upper positions. This study also finds that competence that supports appropriate usage of English in a specific context plays an important role in mitigating language barriers and achieving high work performance.