How Corporate Language Policies Shape Immigrant Employees' Identity Negotiation at Work
Keywords:
corporate language policy, immigrant employees, identity negotiation, linguistic identity, workplace inclusionAbstract
This study examines how corporate language policies shape immigrant employees' identity negotiation at work through a quantitative investigation of 100 immigrant employees in organizations with varying language policies (English-only, bilingual-friendly, multilingual-inclusive). Grounded in Linguistic Identity Theory (Norton, 2000) + Acculturation Framework (Berry, 1997), the research investigates the psycholinguistic mechanisms underlying this phenomenon. English-only policies increased identity suppression by 42% and reduced authentic self-expression by 38% among immigrant employees. Bilingual-friendly policies (allowing heritage language in informal contexts) improved belonging by 34% without reducing English proficiency. Multilingual-inclusive policies produced highest organizational identification (M=4.08) and lowest identity conflict (M=2.12). Heritage language use in workplace social contexts predicted stronger organizational commitment (r=0.48). Regression: policy inclusivity (Beta=0.38), identity threat level (Beta=-0.28), social integration support (Beta=0.26) explained 46% of variance in immigrant employee organizational identification. The findings provide theoretical and practical contributions to the intersection of psychology, linguistics, and organizational science.
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