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Japanese business people face a unique situation in figuring out if and how to incorporate the use of e‐mail in their business practices. While e‐mail has many advantages as a tool or corporate communication, Japanese people seem not to fully enjoy such advantages because of their language habits. E‐mail was born and developed in the US, and when we look into the reason, we can see why it collides with Japanese business customs and the language habits of Japanese. In e‐mail no immediate response from the receiver is expected, as it is in speech. In order to write effective e‐mail, one should put oneself in the shoes of the recipient.

In this day of internationalization and electronic information, communication competency is truly required for global managers. Japanese global managers, however, are often criticized as lacking the power of expression. It is said that they are very poor at communicating with their foreign counterparts because they are not good at English. Is it really so? The discussion will be focused on the author’s research on Japanese managers’ use of English as a means of business communication with local businesses in Singapore. The research was to see if the cause of their communication blunders is related to English or to fundamental differences in communication patterns. The results support the author’s claim that their problem is not because of a lack of English grammar but is due to the lack of communication competency irrelevant to grammar. Japanese global managers should understand that English alone cannot be a panacea for communication blunders.

This conceptual paper aims to present a research paradigm for international business communication research, with special reference to the problems of Japanese corporations.

To develop a paradigm, international business communication first is defined, and the obstacles Japanese corporations face in international business are described, as are the methods used to deal with obstacles and foster better global management and intercultural communication. The key issue of developing training programs is emphasized. To systematize international business communication research with reference to Japanese companies, a research agenda is offered involving study of: correct usage of English, the meanings of international business terms, and the relationship of English as an international business language to its various users. The guiding theories in this research will come from semiology.

English will be the agent of globalization, and Japanese companies must accept this reality and deal with it. So far, they have not yet developed a satisfactory way of doing so. However, appropriate methodologies are available, as presented in the paper.

Japanese companies have lagged behind European and US companies in coping with the communication problems fostered by globalization. This paper sets out a methodology for developing the research needed to yield practical steps to solve the problem.

The paper offers a model of ways to systematize international business communication research so that Japanese companies can develop ways of coping with the communication problems of globalization.

An advisory group to the Prime Minister proposed early this year that Japan should consider making English its official second language. This proposal has proven highly controversial, igniting a national debate. While the philosophical debate rages, many in the business community say they face an urgent need to use English to cope with increasing economic globalization. Both the proposal and the claim presuppose that Japanese cannot communicate well simply because they cannot use English well. However, we should understand that linguistic capability and communicative competency are two different things. To improve their communicative competency in business situations, Japanese businesspeople should first be aware of the unique characteristics of their own language habits which are deeply rooted in their ethics. If properly coordinated with English, a widely used international business language, a human‐oriented Japanese communication style may find its way into the global business communication of the twenty‐first century.