“English as corporate language” in the multilingual reality of multinational companies

Abstract

This conceptual paper advances the notion of “English as corporate language” in the multilingual reality of multinational companies (MNC) with novel insights from the English as lingua franca (ELF) paradigm of sociolinguistics. Inspired by Goffman, Erving. 1959.The presentation of self in everyday life. New York: Doubleday. dramaturgical metaphor of social life, we develop the notion of English as corporate language by making a distinction between the frontstage official language used in corporate communication and backstage working language used in interactions among MNC employees. We argue that the former approaches the notion of English as a native language and the latter represents ELF in the business domain (BELF); they are different in terms of understanding language competence, multilingualism and role of language in building legitimacy. Our conclusions imply first, that the frontstage English may not always be accessible to the backstage BELF users, due to which employees may feel disadvantaged or disempowered. Second, the use of formal language testing in recruitment and performance appraisal may transform into a gate-keeping mechanism that leads to power inequalities. In our recommendations, we call for an emancipatory language policy accepting different standards of English for different positions and adopting ideas of the Plain Language initiative to better reach all MNC employees.

Let’s Talk about Language: A Review of Language‐Sensitive Research in International Management

“…International management researchers could in particular make use of the concept of BELF – English as Business Lingua Franca – to study the different configurations of English in the MNC. An interesting question is, for example, whether there indeed are at least two different ‘Englishes’ – the ‘official’ corporate language resembling English as native language and the ‘everyday’ BELF (Kankaanranta et al, ). Furthermore, it is not clear to what extent both types of corporate language are shaped by the values and ideologies of the MNC or by the wider societal context in which the firm is embedded.…”

Norwegian Business Professionals´ Need for and Use of English as a Business Lingua Franca (BELF) in Multinational Corporations

“…Based on the findings here, BELF as a complex communication resource is an important component of corporate language, but so are the local 'company speak' and sometimes a more formal, NS-based English. Kankaanranta et al (2018b) claim that 'English as corporate language' can indeed encompass both NS-like linguistic proficiency and the more fluid BELF resource, however, they indicated that for most employees the latter would suffice. While this might be true to a certain extent, extensive English use was in the present study seen to permeate all levels of the MNCs, and advanced skills in the corporate language still appeared to have some gatekeeping function (Piekkari et al 2014).…”

“…The article thus reports on the individual experiences of nine Norwegian business professionals working in six different MNCs, which limits any claims respecting generalizability. However, BELF use is always emergent and varies across contexts (Kankaanranta et al 2018b), and there- fore theory development in this field will be in constant flux. Further, Eisenhardt/Graebner (2007) claim that multiple case studies are excellent for further development of emergent theories, as knowledge can be found inductively, and patterns may appear across cases.…”

“…Early attempts at codifying (B)ELF as a stable 'variety' of English have been abandoned, since the actual discourse was found to be so varied as to resist codification, and recent research states that (B)ELF discourse is particularly fluid and flexible, changes continually depending on the situation, and is locally enacted and negotiated (e.g. Kassis Henderson/Louhiala-Salminen 2011, Kankaanranta et al 2015, Kankaanranta et al 2018b). According to Komori-Glatz the current phase of ELF research focuses on the specifics of interaction in particular contexts, and she defines BELF as "a flexible, variable and hybrid resource that is highly context-bound and which both 6constitutes and is constituted by the community using it" (2018: 56).…”

“…According to Komori-Glatz the current phase of ELF research focuses on the specifics of interaction in particular contexts, and she defines BELF as "a flexible, variable and hybrid resource that is highly context-bound and which both 6constitutes and is constituted by the community using it" (2018: 56). Thus BELF does not exist a priori, as a 'version' of English, but emerges through use, as a social practice where people use a number of communicative resources, English linguistic proficiency being only one of them, as they adapt to different people and contexts (Kankaanranta et al 2018b). Hence, 'English use' will be conceptualized in this study as a social practice that involves several communication strategies and resources.…”