Are we really speaking English? A study of language implications within one of the Volvo Group-organizations

Abstract

The purpose was to capture and examine if employees within one of the Volvo Group organizations perceived language implications, and if so, how the language implications were interpreted and also how important these were to overcome from the point of view of the employees’ ability to perform their work. Further purpose was to explore which risks and consequences they saw, both for themselves and the organization as a whole. The chosen methods were in-depth interviews and observations because the in-depth interviews gave the respondents’ points of view and the observations described their behaviour. The purpose with combining these two methods was to find out if the respondents behaved the way they described. The respondents meant it’s natural for a global organization to have a common corporate language implemented, and choosing English. Positive consequences were that it provided them with the base for how and what to communicate with their colleagues and stakeholders. Further provided the common corporate language the structure in which they should perform and deliver their work. Negative consequences were for example loss of information, communication, mistrust, and double-work. The conclusion was the more experience the employee had of working in the common corporate language, the more exposed to the common corporate language. The result was the person started to atomize the communication- and understanding in the common corporate language leading him/her to handle the obstacles related to language implications unconsciously.