IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/joimai/v24y2023i4d10.1007_s12134-023-01046-4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

“Un Paso Atrás, Dos Adelante”: Reporting the Experiences of Spanish-Speaking Latin Americans Navigating and Adapting to the Canadian Workplace

Author

Listed:
  • Jully Paola Merchán Tamayo

    (University of Ottawa)

  • Jenepher Lennox Terrion

    (University of Ottawa)

Abstract

The linguistic landscape of Canadian workplaces is becoming increasingly diverse as organizations employ individuals from various countries and who speak different native languages. As language is a critical marker of identity and group membership, language-based identities are powerful in shaping workplace experiences. Understanding these experiences and how individuals adapt can offer organizations insight into how to integrate a linguistically diverse workforce. This study explored the language-related experiences of Spanish-speaking Latin Americans in the Canadian National Capital Region as they adapt to and integrate into their workplaces and the coping strategies they use. Twenty-four semi-structured interviews demonstrated that participants vacillate between feelings of self-doubt and a sense of confidence as they navigate the emotional and cognitive challenges of working in their non-native language. A detailed description of the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and interactional coping strategies that participants enacted to navigate and adapt to their workplaces is provided. Findings from this study have implications for practical strategies to facilitate the integration of non-native speakers into the Canadian workplace.

Suggested Citation

  • Jully Paola Merchán Tamayo & Jenepher Lennox Terrion, 2023. "“Un Paso Atrás, Dos Adelante”: Reporting the Experiences of Spanish-Speaking Latin Americans Navigating and Adapting to the Canadian Workplace," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 1865-1889, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joimai:v:24:y:2023:i:4:d:10.1007_s12134-023-01046-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s12134-023-01046-4
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12134-023-01046-4
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s12134-023-01046-4?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Daniel W. L. Lai & Janki Shankar & Ernest Khalema, 2017. "Unspoken Skills and Tactics: Essentials for Immigrant Professionals in Integration to Workplace Culture," Journal of International Migration and Integration, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 937-959, August.
    2. David Byrne, 2022. "A worked example of Braun and Clarke’s approach to reflexive thematic analysis," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(3), pages 1391-1412, June.
    3. Martyna Śliwa & Marjana Johansson, 2014. "How non-native English-speaking staff are evaluated in linguistically diverse organizations: A sociolinguistic perspective," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 45(9), pages 1133-1151, December.
    4. Tsedal B. Neeley, 2013. "Language Matters: Status Loss and Achieved Status Distinctions in Global Organizations," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(2), pages 476-497, April.
    5. Eero Vaara & Janne Tienari & Rebecca Piekkari & Risto Säntti, 2005. "Language and the Circuits of Power in a Merging Multinational Corporation," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 42(3), pages 595-623, May.
    6. Eero Vaara & Janne Tienari & Risto Santti & Rebacca Piekkari, 2005. "Language and the Circuits of Power in a Merging Multinational Corporation," Post-Print hal-02311809, HAL.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Nurmi, Niina & Koroma, Johanna, 2020. "The emotional benefits and performance costs of building a psychologically safe language climate in MNCs," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(4).
    2. 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.
    3. Michalski, Marina P. & Śliwa, Martyna, 2021. "‘If you use the right Arabic…’: Responses to special language standardization within the BBC Arabic Service’s linguascape," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 56(5).
    4. Barner-Rasmussen, Wilhelm & Gaibrois, Claudine & Wilmot, Natalie Victoria, 2024. "Perfection, hybridity or shutting up? A cross-country study of how language ideologies shape participation in international business," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(1).
    5. Diemo Urbig & Katrin Muehlfeld & Vivien Procher & Arjen Witteloostuijn, 2020. "Strategic Decision-Making in a Global Context: The Comprehension Effect of Foreign Language Use on Cooperation," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 60(3), pages 351-385, June.
    6. Ahmad, Farhan & Barner-Rasmussen, Wilhelm, 2019. "False foe? When and how code switching practices can support knowledge sharing in multinational corporations," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 1-1.
    7. B. Sebastian Reiche & Tsedal B. Neeley, 2019. "Head, Heart, or Hands: How Do Employees Respond to a Radical Global Language Change over Time?," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 30(6), pages 1252-1269, November.
    8. Ting Liu, 2018. "The Review of Language Studies in International Business: Suggestions and Future Directions for Japan," Discussion Papers in Economics and Business 18-30, Osaka University, Graduate School of Economics.
    9. Yamao, Sachiko & Sekiguchi, Tomoki, 2015. "Employee commitment to corporate globalization: The role of English language proficiency and human resource practices," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(1), pages 168-179.
    10. 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.
    11. Zhang, Ling Eleanor & Harzing, Anne-Wil, 2016. "From dilemmatic struggle to legitimized indifference: Expatriates’ host country language learning and its impact on the expatriate-HCE relationship," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 51(5), pages 774-786.
    12. Vesa Peltokorpi, 2023. "The “language” of career success: The effects of English language competence on local employees’ career outcomes in foreign subsidiaries," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 54(2), pages 258-284, March.
    13. Natalie Victoria Wilmot, 2024. "Language as a Source of Epistemic Injustice in Organisations," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 195(2), pages 233-247, November.
    14. Amy Church-Morel & A. Bartel-Radic, 2014. ""Not all multilingual teams are created equal " : Conceptualizing language diversity management," Post-Print halshs-01185822, HAL.
    15. Aichhorn, Nathalie & Puck, Jonas, 2017. "Bridging the language gap in multinational companies: Language strategies and the notion of company-speak," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(3), pages 386-403.
    16. 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.
    17. David P. Kroon & Joep P. Cornelissen & Eero Vaara, 2015. "Explaining Employees’ Reactions towards a Cross-Border Merger: The Role of English Language Fluency," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 55(6), pages 775-800, December.
    18. Piekkari, Rebecca & Oxelheim, Lars & Randøy, Trond, 2013. "The Role of Language in Corporate Governance: The Case of Board Internationalization," Working Paper Series 974, Research Institute of Industrial Economics.
    19. Navio-Marco, J & Solorzano-Garcia, M & Urueña, A., 2015. "Language As Key Factor Of Long-Term Value Creation In Mergers And Acquisitions In The Telecommunications Sector," 26th European Regional ITS Conference, Madrid 2015 127170, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    20. Antioco, Michael & Coussement, Kristof & Fletcher-Chen, Chavi Chi-Yun & Prange, Christiane, 2023. "What's in a word? Adopting a linguistic-style analysis of western MNCs’ global press releases," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 58(2).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:joimai:v:24:y:2023:i:4:d:10.1007_s12134-023-01046-4. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.