Language workers and the practice of language management

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how language workers' perceived organisational distances and professional constellations affect their assessment of a language initiative and thereby underline the importance of micro‐level factors to the implementation of a corporate policy.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory study based on qualitative research interviews.

Findings

Language workers' different experiences are explained with reference to respondents' organisational position, work function, and role in the language initiative. This highlights a lack of consensus between respondents from corporate communications, branding and management and those representing production and development units.

Research limitations/implications

The focus is exclusively on language workers at the principal site of a Danish multinational. New research is required to apply the findings to other sites or professional groupings.

Practical implications

The research is useful in highlighting the need to establish an alliance between the language policy makers and organisational knowledge‐brokers prior to the process of implementing a language strategy.

Originality/value

The study develops an analytical framework which combines respondents' organisational function with their position in social space. This helps to identify micro‐level influences on members' behaviour and can be extended to incorporate new themes.

Citation

Tange, H. (2009), "Language workers and the practice of language management", Corporate Communications: An International Journal, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 131-143. https://doi.org/10.1108/13563280910953825