Setting the Scene: The Intercultural Dimension of the Contemporary Workplace

This introductory chapter presents the purpose of the volume, its scope and relevance in contemporary research and practice on global and intercultural workplaces. The book’s nature and purpose are critical rather than prescriptive. It does not constitute a guide offering one-size-fits-all solutions to problems; instead, it serves as a tool for critique and in-depth understanding of workplaces in the global context. It also includes themes that are overlooked in existing workplace-related scholarship, such as multilingualism, translation and interpreting, cross-cultural understandings of workplace dignity, and deaf people in the workplace. These are critically discussed under the overarching themes of leadership, communication and trust.