IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hal/journl/hal-03220241.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Code-switching in newly-formed multinational project teams : challenges, strategies and effects

Author

Listed:
  • Mary Vigier

    (CleRMa - Clermont Recherche Management - ESC Clermont-Ferrand - École Supérieure de Commerce (ESC) - Clermont-Ferrand - UCA [2017-2020] - Université Clermont Auvergne [2017-2020])

  • Helen Spencer-Oatey

    (University of Warwick [Coventry])

Abstract

Based on an ethnographic-like case study comprising observations and interviews with members of three newly-formed multinational project teams, our study explores the micro-processes of interactional teamwork and captures how the three teams develop strategies for managing the challenges of code-switching in their interactions. Findings from our study suggest that teams interpret the impact of code-switching challenges differently in spite of the fact that they are performing similar activities, suggesting that adopting (clearlydefined) rules for managing interactions may not be as effective as the presence of other factors within the teams. Our findings extend theory on the use of a common working language in multinational teams and go beyond this by illustrating how individual teams establish practices for handling the challenges of code-switching, and the effects of these on team interactions.

Suggested Citation

  • Mary Vigier & Helen Spencer-Oatey, 2017. "Code-switching in newly-formed multinational project teams : challenges, strategies and effects," Post-Print hal-03220241, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03220241
    DOI: 10.1177/1470595816684151
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://uca.hal.science/hal-03220241
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://uca.hal.science/hal-03220241/document
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1177/1470595816684151?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sim B. Sitkin & Nancy L. Roth, 1993. "Explaining the Limited Effectiveness of Legalistic “Remedies” for Trust/Distrust," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 4(3), pages 367-392, August.
    2. Pamela J Hinds & Tsedal B Neeley & Catherine Durnell Cramton, 2014. "Language as a lightning rod: Power contests, emotion regulation, and subgroup dynamics in global teams," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 45(5), pages 536-561, June.
    3. Lagerström, Katarina & Andersson, Maria, 2003. "Creating and sharing knowledge within a transnational team--the development of a global business system," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 38(2), pages 84-95, May.
    4. Liang, Hsiao-Yun & Shih, Hsi-An & Chiang, Yun-Haw, 2015. "Team diversity and team helping behavior: The mediating roles of team cooperation and team cohesion," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 33(1), pages 48-59.
    5. Helene Tenzer & Markus Pudelko & Anne-Wil Harzing, 2014. "The impact of language barriers on trust formation in multinational teams," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 45(5), pages 508-535, June.
    6. Jane Kassis Henderson, 2005. "Language Diversity in International Management Teams," International Studies of Management & Organization, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(1), pages 66-82, January.
    7. Smith, Kenwyn & Berg, David, 1997. "Cross-cultural groups at work," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 15(1), pages 8-15, February.
    8. Mary Yoko Brannen & Rebecca Piekkari & Susanne Tietze, 2014. "The multifaceted role of language in international business: Unpacking the forms, functions and features of a critical challenge to MNC theory and performance," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 45(5), pages 495-507, June.
    9. Günter K Stahl & Martha L Maznevski & Andreas Voigt & Karsten Jonsen, 2010. "Unraveling the effects of cultural diversity in teams: A meta-analysis of research on multicultural work groups," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 41(4), pages 690-709, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Anne Bartel-Radic & Fabienne Munch, 2023. "Cross-cultural boundary spanning activities in a global team," Post-Print halshs-04148890, HAL.
    2. Ashish Malik & Ralf Bebenroth, 2017. "Mind Your Language! : Role of Target Firm Language in Post-Merger Integration," Discussion Paper Series DP2017-15, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Amy Church-Morel & Anne Bartel-Radic, 2016. "Skills, Identity, and Power: The Multifaceted Concept of Language Diversity [Competencias, identidad y poder: las múltiples facetas del concepto de diversidad lingüística]," Post-Print halshs-01996048, HAL.
    2. Tenzer, Helene & Terjesen, Siri & Harzing, Anne-Wil, 2017. "Language in international business : A review and agenda for future research," Other publications TiSEM 8afd108a-9666-4fbb-934f-6, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    3. Wang, Qiu & Clegg, Jeremy & Gajewska-De Mattos, Hanna & Buckley, Peter, 2020. "The role of emotions in intercultural business communication: Language standardization in the context of international knowledge transfer," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(6).
    4. Tenzer, Helene & Pudelko, Markus, 2017. "The influence of language differences on power dynamics in multinational teams," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 45-61.
    5. Loderer, Anja & Muehlfeld, Katrin & Wilken, Robert & Moritz, Alexandra & Slomski, Véronique, 2024. "The language barrier as a springboard towards (team) creativity: An exploratory study of foreign language use in teams," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(2).
    6. Günter K Stahl & Martha L Maznevski, 2021. "Unraveling the effects of cultural diversity in teams: A retrospective of research on multicultural work groups and an agenda for future research," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(1), pages 4-22, February.
    7. Helene Tenzer & Siri Terjesen & Anne-Wil Harzing, 2017. "Language in International Business: A Review and Agenda for Future Research," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 57(6), pages 815-854, December.
    8. Nurmi, Niina & Koroma, Johanna, 2020. "The emotional benefits and performance costs of building a psychologically safe language climate in MNCs," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(4).
    9. Constantinos Hadjichristidis & Janet Geipel & Luca Surian, 2017. "How foreign language affects decisions: Rethinking the brain-drain model," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 48(5), pages 645-651, July.
    10. Michalski, Marina P. & Śliwa, Martyna, 2021. "‘If you use the right Arabic…’: Responses to special language standardization within the BBC Arabic Service’s linguascape," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 56(5).
    11. Haans, Richard F.J. & van Witteloostuijn, Arjen, 2024. "Does foreign language liberate or limit creativity? Three experiments on foreign language anxiety and use, and divergent and convergent thinking," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 33(4).
    12. Päivi Karhunen & Anne Kankaanranta & Tiina Räisänen, 2023. "Towards a Richer Understanding of Language and Identity in the MNC: Constructing Cosmopolitan Identities Through “English”," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 63(3), pages 507-530, June.
    13. Sui, Sui & Morgan, Horatio M. & Baum, Matthias, 2015. "Internationalization of immigrant-owned SMEs: The role of language," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(4), pages 804-814.
    14. Diemo Urbig & Katrin Muehlfeld & Vivien Procher & Arjen Witteloostuijn, 2020. "Strategic Decision-Making in a Global Context: The Comprehension Effect of Foreign Language Use on Cooperation," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 60(3), pages 351-385, June.
    15. Ahmad, Farhan & Barner-Rasmussen, Wilhelm, 2019. "False foe? When and how code switching practices can support knowledge sharing in multinational corporations," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 1-1.
    16. Liang, Hao & Marquis, C. & Renneboog, Luc & Li Sun, Sunny, 2018. "Future-time framing : The effect of language on corporate future orientation," Other publications TiSEM 1c1a2d0f-4720-46b9-829b-2, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    17. Hao Liang & Christopher Marquis & Luc Renneboog & Sunny Li Sun, 2018. "Future-Time Framing: The Effect of Language on Corporate Future Orientation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 29(6), pages 1093-1111, December.
    18. Klitmøller, Anders & Lauring, Jakob, 2016. "When distance is good: A construal level perspective on perceptions of inclusive international language use," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 276-285.
    19. Vesa Peltokorpi & Markus Pudelko, 2021. "When more is not better: A curvilinear relationship between foreign language proficiency and social categorization," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 52(1), pages 78-104, February.
    20. Glikson, Ella & Erez, Miriam, 2020. "The emergence of a communication climate in global virtual teams," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 55(6).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03220241. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: CCSD (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.