IRMA-International.org: Creator of Knowledge
Information Resources Management Association
Advancing the Concepts & Practices of Information Resources Management in Modern Organizations

Communicating in Multicultural Firms: Boundary Creation, Fragmentation and the Social Use of ICT

Communicating in Multicultural Firms: Boundary Creation, Fragmentation and the Social Use of ICT
View Sample PDF
Author(s): Jakob Lauring (Aarhus University, Denmark)and Anders Klitmøller (Aarhus University, Denmark)
Copyright: 2010
Pages: 19
Source title: Organizational Communication and Sustainable Development: ICTs for Mobility
Source Author(s)/Editor(s): Anette Hallin (Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden)and Tina Karrbom-Gustavsson (Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden)
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-60566-822-2.ch008

Purchase

View Communicating in Multicultural Firms: Boundary Creation, Fragmentation and the Social Use of ICT on the publisher's website for pricing and purchasing information.

Abstract

Based on a qualitative study of 14 knowledge intensive companies, this chapter suggests that multicultural and multilingual firms are faced with certain challenges in the attempt to fruitfully utilize the diverse background of their workforce. Firstly, through informal settings, the employees to create social boundaries within the firm use native languages strategically. Secondly, even though the introduction of English as cooperate language might solve some communication issues, it tends to render the communication less nuanced, thereby reducing the use of human resources within the firm. Thirdly, ICT does not necessarily solve communication problems within a given company. It can even be used as a social ‘tool’ to uphold social boundaries or social fragmentation. It is suggested that in order to address these challenges, the management should seek to reward not only individual employees, but also expand the notion of performance to include the collectivity of the workplace.

Related Content

Mukul Bhatnagar, Nitin Pathak. © 2024. 16 pages.
Mitushi Singh, Mukul Bhatnagar. © 2024. 32 pages.
Vikas Sharma, Sanjay Taneja, Kshitiz Jangir, Kirti Khanna. © 2024. 15 pages.
Preet Kanwal. © 2024. 17 pages.
Kapil Sharma, Yogesh Kumar, Rajiv Khosla, Sanjay Taneja. © 2024. 16 pages.
Sanjeev Kumar, Mohammad Badruddoza Talukder, Firoj Kabir, Fahmida Kaiser. © 2024. 15 pages.
K. K. Kishore Mishra, Swati Priya, Syed Sajid Hussain, Swati Gupta. © 2024. 17 pages.
Body Bottom