Bonding words and worlds: a prosperous future for language-sensitive research

Purpose This distinguished scholar essay is an invited contribution to the special issue “The future of language in international business management” in this journal, Cross-Cultural & Strategic Management. In this essay, I take a look back in reflection about the contributions of language-sensitive research to the understanding of multilingual phenomena while simultaneously providing a possible future trajectory for inquiry. Design/methodology/approach Being an essay by genre, this paper draws on canonical as well as non-canonical readings about language, communication, knowledge and translation. It binds these sources together through reflective commentary about the relationships between words and worlds and how the language-sensitive community of scholars treats and understands this relationship. Findings The essay articulates the contributions language-sensitive researchers have made to the understanding of how language and translation are part of the constitutive processes through which organizational worlds are made. In doing so, they have also shed light on unfolding organizational processes in (international) business and management contexts. Furthermore, three perspectives about the work of language-sensitive scholars are articulated. Together, they provide signposts for future language-based research. Research limitations/implications The field is invited to develop expectations, traditions and methodological approaches to respond to cross-language research projects. Practical implications The field is invited to continue to engage with the contemporary developments brought about by the use of AI, technology and the requirements of inclusive discourses. Social implications The recognition that a more reflective and engaged treatment of translation serves as an invitation, an act of hospitality across languages and cultures. This multilingual perspective will facilitate greater inclusion. Originality/value The essay aims to provoke, stimulate, motivate and remind the community of its collective talents to forge special and unique bonds between words and worlds.