Quand les pairs décident : expérimentation de la décision collective grâce à un jeu sérieux

This article presents the findings of an exploratory qualitative study examining dyads composed of employees and their customers in service organizations, who face situations involving multilingual communication. The study aims to contribute to significant debates connecting business, work, and society by exploring a new paradigm characterized by organizational phenomena of plurilingualism within a specific geographical region, where languages are structurally similar and maintain power dynamics among them. This research is situated within the framework of this new paradigm, focusing on organizational phenomena of plurilingualism in the same region, with closely related languages. It seeks to explore the Creole-speaking environment of Réunion Island (a French overseas department in the Indian Ocean), marked by the coexistence of two primary languages: Creole, a regional language, and French, which holds a prestigious status. A thematic analysis of 201 participant observations reveals that language productions are highly heterogeneous, leading to comprehension challenges for individuals who speak only Creole and those who are partially bilingual in Creole. To bridge these communication gaps, which hinder organizational objectives, employees develop strategies by adjusting their speech or using non-verbal communication. These findings extend research on multilingualism in organizations, which has predominantly focused on multinational companies in various countries. At the managerial level, based on the results, it is recommended to develop training programs that enable employees to identify profiles, particularly exclusive Creole speakers and partial bilingual Creole speakers, allowing them to adapt their approach and communication to foster a cooperative climate essential for productive exchanges.