Title: BUSINESS LIMITATION AS A CONSEQUENCE OF UNBROKEN LANGUAGE BARRIER

Authors:
Onyenwe Isidore Anayochukwu

Abstract: Abstract This paper investigates business limitation as a consequence of unbroken language barrier with a view to exploring strategies for overcoming such barriers. Although considerable scholarly attention has been given to business limitations arising from inadequate capital, poor advertising, lack of technology, and ineffective management strategies within the fields of Management, Economics, and Business Studies, limited attention has been paid to the role of language in business. A mixed methods approach was adopted for the study, involving 50 purposively selected business men and women across five designated markets in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), namely Wuse Market, Area 1 Shopping Complex, Area 3 Shopping Complex, Area 10 Shopping Complex, and Gwagwalada Market. Quantitative data were collected using a 10-item instrument titled Business Limitation as a Consequence of Unbroken Language Barrier Questionnaire (BLCULBQ), while qualitative data were obtained through Focus Group Discussions and a 10-item in-depth interview schedule. The face and content validity of the BLCULBQ were established by experts in Linguistics and Measurement and Evaluation from the University of Abuja. The reliability of the instrument was determined through a pilot test involving 20 business entrepreneurs who were not part of the study, yielding a Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of 0.81, which indicates good internal consistency. Quantitative data were analysed using frequency counts and percentages, while qualitative data were transcribed, coded, and subjected to thematic analysis. Findings revealed that language barriers significantly inhibit rates of turnover, profit margins, business growth, and expansion, thereby underscoring the critical role of language in business management. The study concludes that unbroken language barriers constitute a major limiting factor in business performance. It further contributes to existing knowledge by establishing the indispensability of language in achieving business goals and recommends the promotion of language learning, development of communication skills, and adoption of multilingual practices as effective strategies for overcoming language barriers in business. Keywords: Consequence, indispensability, business limitation, profit-margins, management strategies and language barrier.

Publication Date: 2026-06-04