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International language management and diversity climate in multicultural organizations

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  • Lauring, Jakob
  • Selmer, Jan

Abstract

Increasing globalization has made the use and management of language a vital element of engaging in international business activities. Despite this fact, empirical surveys with many respondents examining language management are extremely rare. Another equally important issue related to internationalization is how to develop and support an environment that is tolerant of the diversity which exists in multicultural organizations. Based on questionnaire responses from 489 members of academic multicultural departments, we examined the relation between the management of a common language and a positive diversity climate. Results showed that consistency in English management communication had strong positive relationships with all of the four investigated diversity climate variables; openness to linguistic, visible, value, and informational diversity. English communication consistency had a positive association with openness to value and informational diversity. Since there is no similar study on international language management with so many respondents, the findings may be of considerable theoretical and practical importance. Implications of these findings are discussed in detail.

Suggested Citation

  • Lauring, Jakob & Selmer, Jan, 2012. "International language management and diversity climate in multicultural organizations," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 21(2), pages 156-166.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:iburev:v:21:y:2012:i:2:p:156-166
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ibusrev.2011.01.003
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    Cited by:

    1. Amy Church-Morel & Anne Bartel-Radic, 2016. "Skills, Identity, and Power: The Multifaceted Concept of Language Diversity [Competencias, identidad y poder: las múltiples facetas del concepto de diversidad lingüística]," Post-Print halshs-01996048, HAL.
    2. Klitmøller, Anders & Lauring, Jakob, 2013. "When global virtual teams share knowledge: Media richness, cultural difference and language commonality," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 48(3), pages 398-406.
    3. Helene Tenzer & Siri Terjesen & Anne-Wil Harzing, 2017. "Language in International Business: A Review and Agenda for Future Research," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 57(6), pages 815-854, December.
    4. Klitmøller, Anders & Lauring, Jakob, 2016. "When distance is good: A construal level perspective on perceptions of inclusive international language use," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 276-285.
    5. Lauring, Jakob & Klitmøller, Anders, 2015. "Corporate language-based communication avoidance in MNCs: A multi-sited ethnography approach," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 46-55.
    6. Al Ariss, Akram & Guo, Grace Chun, 2016. "Job allocations as cultural sorting in a culturally diverse organizational context," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(2), pages 579-588.
    7. Ma, Danni, 2023. "How does the negotiation between “me” and “we” in professional identity influence interpersonal horizontal knowledge sharing in multinational enterprises: A conceptual model," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 32(4).
    8. Zhu, Hong & Xia, Jun & Makino, Shige, 2015. "How do high-technology firms create value in international M&A? Integration, autonomy and cross-border contingencies," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(4), pages 718-728.
    9. Fabian Jintae Froese & Kwanghyun Kim & Aileen Eng, 2016. "Language, Cultural Intelligence, and Inpatriate Turnover Intentions: Leveraging Values in Multinational Corporations through Inpatriates," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 56(2), pages 283-301, April.
    10. Silke Roth, 2019. "Linguistic Capital and Inequality in Aid Relations," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 24(1), pages 38-54, March.
    11. Lauring, Jakob & Selmer, Jan, 2013. "Diversity attitudes and group knowledge processing in multicultural organizations," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 124-136.
    12. Hazal KORAY ALAY & Esin CAN, 2020. "The Evolution of Diversity Climate Research: A Review and Synthesis," Istanbul Business Research, Istanbul University Business School, vol. 49(1), pages 36-59, May.

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