Managing linguistic diversity through ambiguity: the case of a non-formalized corporate language policy
| dc.contributor.author | Brighi, Carlo | |
| dc.contributor.supervisor | Danis, Wade | |
| dc.contributor.supervisor | Thomas, David C. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-09-28T17:55:14Z | |
| dc.date.copyright | 2023 | en_US |
| dc.date.issued | 2023-09-28 | |
| dc.degree.department | Faculty of Business | en_US |
| dc.degree.level | Doctor of Philosophy Ph.D. | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | Growing linguistic diversity has become the reality for many organizations, and how such diversity is addressed has become the focus of a stream of research within the management literature. The adoption of a corporate language policy aimed at regulating language choices is considered a common mean to facilitate communication and integration within a linguistically diverse workforce. Most notably, organizations often rely on the formal introduction of a common corporate language. Recent studies, however, have exposed the possible detrimental consequences that can follow the adoption of this policy. In this dissertation, I study an alternative approach to address linguistic diversity – a non-formalized language policy – examining its key features, theoretical assumptions and underlying mechanisms, as well as its perceived positive and negative outcomes. Relying on a single case study design and employing a variety of data collection approaches ranging from interviews to observations of in-person and virtual interactions, I show how an underlying concept – termed language ambiguity – captures the main features of and assumptions behind this type of policy. Adopting Spolsky’s conceptualization of language policies, I develop a framework that links each of the three dimensions of language ambiguity to different dimensions of the non-formalized language policy. Results of this study show also how this policy might contribute to facilitating communication and promoting diversity, while also playing a role in possible losses in knowledge transmission. Finally, based on the findings, I show how the policy can be seen as part of a set of measures aimed at promoting multilingualism within the organization. The frameworks and theoretical insights presented in this dissertation contribute to the ongoing debates in the fields of language-sensitive management research and equity, diversity, and inclusion on how an organization can better address linguistic diversity by turning it from a potential challenge into a valuable resource. | en_US |
| dc.description.scholarlevel | Graduate | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/1828/15455 | |
| dc.language | English | eng |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.rights | Available to the World Wide Web | en_US |
| dc.subject | Linguistic diversity | en_US |
| dc.subject | Non-formalized corporate language policies | en_US |
| dc.subject | Management | en_US |
| dc.subject | Sociolinguistics | en_US |
| dc.subject | Language ambiguity | en_US |
| dc.subject | Language affordances | en_US |
| dc.title | Managing linguistic diversity through ambiguity: the case of a non-formalized corporate language policy | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis | en_US |