Language Use in the Plantation Industry: Insights from a Multinational Company in Malaysia

Abstract

Purpose -This study aimed to investigate the extent to which employees use English and other languages in the various communication channels in an agricultural organisation.Design/methodology/approach -Data were collected from a multinational agriculture company using the quantitative approach via questionnaire distribution. A qualitative approach based on interviews was employed to support the quantitative findings.Finding -The results illustrated that flexibility exists where both employers and employees typically use either Bahasa Malaysia or English as the language that works best for a given situation and in the organisation's best interest.Originality/value -The study offers greater clarity on language use and choice in agricultural companies in multilingual countries, such as Malaysia, which depends heavily on migrant workers.