This paper reports on the perceptions of business lecturers about the linguistic and conceptual problems encountered by their Chinese students. The views of 45 business lecturers at five tertiary institutions in Hong Kong were gathered by means of semi-structured interviews and group discussions. When asked about the status of their students' English on entry as well as their preparation for studies in business, the lecturers noted that the students generally had poor study habits, inadequate reading and writing skills, weak problem-solving skills, and were reticent in class. Striking differences were found in the sub-disciplines in terms of expectations, course requirements, and modes of assessment. The concerns expressed by the lecturers provided justification for business communications courses for first-year students. Differences between the various sub-disciplines also highlighted the need for discipline-specific ESP courses for second and third-year students. The study illustrates the importance of seeking input from business faculty so that the genuine needs of students can be identified and addressed in well-designed, discipline-sensitive business communications programs. This inter-university, cross-disciplinary needs analysis provides an example of how collaboration among institutions can create a more comprehensive picture of the learning situation and provide the groundwork necessary for more appropriate specialist language courses.