The unexpected upside of high language diversity: social integration through a language advice network

Mai Al-Naemi, Hyun Jung Lee and Carol Reade

LSE Research Online Documents on Economics from London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library

Abstract: Evidence suggests that language diversity and the asymmetric fluency of corporate lingua franca among employees negatively affect social integration, knowledge sharing and performance in the workplace. We explore the boundary conditions that might mitigate such negative consequences. Our research context is a multilingual firm where English is mandated as the corporate lingua franca and employee English fluency is generally low. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach and longitudinal design across three studies, we discover an informal network, Language Advice Network (LAN), in which individuals with varying levels of English fluency seek and share language-related knowledge. Contrary to extant research findings, our analysis shows that individuals actively seek language advice from fluent speakers, forming ties between fluent and less-fluent English speakers across different language clusters in the organization. It is the low English fluency of the majority of employees and the strict English language mandate that drives connection between individuals who may otherwise segregate. We also find that language-advice giving is positively associated with the advisors’ annual performance rating, indicating that management recognition and rewards play an important role in sustaining the informal language advice network. Our findings provide fresh theoretical insight on the relationship between corporate lingua franca, social integration and knowledge sharing, and management implications for fostering social integration, particularly in contexts of high first-language diversity.

Keywords: AOM Annual Meeting Proceedings 2024; AOM Chicago 2024; best paper; international management (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J50 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024-08-01
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Published in Academy of Management Annual Meeting Proceedings, 1, August, 2024, 2024(1). ISSN: 0065-0668

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