infonet-economy

Critical diversity studies have pointed out the need for more empirical studies on the dynamics of power and diversity in organizations. Exploring how the diverse workforce itself experiences diversity is required. This paper makes a contribution to meeting the research agenda by empirically examining the negotiation processes around privilege in linguistically diverse organizations. Based on a Foucauldian understanding of power, it investigates how organizational members experience the role of language skills for the establishment, reinforcement and change of internal power relations. In a case study of a multinational company based in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, six modes of how language competence relates to the creation of privilege, but also of access are identified. The findings show that a person's language skills have important consequences for his/her position in interpersonal relations within the organization. At the same time, organizational members find numerous ways to creatively counterbalance privileging effects resulting from different levels of language competence.