‘Englishnization’ of Global Corporations: Strategy is Needed

One of my previous articles touched on the topic of language challenges faced by an internationally mobile workforce and multinational corporations in today’s globalized world. And even though several different solutions for overcoming language barriers are proposed, introducing a single working language is probably the most widely used strategy. Moreover, such unifying business language usually tends to be English.

In line with this trend of ‘Englishnization’ in global companies, Tsedal Neeley (2012) argues in a recent Harvard Business Review article that ‘ready or not, English is now the global language of business’. Already the de facto language in the business world, English seems to be the natural and logical choice for single-language policies, and the increasing adoption of such policies is naturally dictated by the continuously globalizing business environment. Neeley posits that companies move toward English regardless of where they are based. A good example here is the case of Japanese firm Rakuten.

 

The case of ‘Englishnization’ at Rakuten

In March 2010, making several headlines in the media, Rakuten CEO Hiroshi Mikitani announced that they would become an English-only organization. As reported in The Wall Street Journal at the time, the English-only policy was seen as crucial to the company’s goal of becoming a global enterprise. The new policy was supposed to be implemented by 2012: all communication, both verbal and email, was switched to English, and the Japanese language cafeteria menus and elevator directories were replaced with English overnight. Such an aggressive strategy seems to be bearing fruit, and Mikitani managed to create a diverse and powerful organization, as Neeley, who studied the case, says. However, she notes that adopting a global language policy is difficult and messy. People may get frustrated, disengaged and, as a result, decrease their performance along the way of such radical changes. Reflecting on the topic, a recent article by CNN mentions that Rakuten’s two-year strategy of single-language implementation resulted in frustration with the policy among about 70% of the workers. That is why implementing a language mandate needs to be planned carefully and follow a specific strategy.

 

Tips for implementing a single corporate language

Having thoroughly studied corporate language strategies, Neeley (2012) suggests four main implementation tips:

1. Involve all employeesIt is important to involve employees in the change by explaining the rationale behind the decision, assuring the support the organization will provide, and emphasizing the benefits of the change not only from the employer but also the employee perspective. Specifically, managers should support single-language implementation as a means of reaching specific corporate goals, as opposed to learning it to meet proficiency standards.
2. Managers should ensure compliance with the new policyNaturally every change in an organization will be effective only when supported by all managerial levels. The radical change of language policy is not an exception and therefore should be promoted and enforced by managers. Relevant change management training can benefit the process, by teaching managers on how to address sensitive issues and challenges inherent in the change.
3. Native speakers must adapt to the environmentImplementing a single corporate language also requires changes from native speakers. Although they clearly have an advantage, native speakers must learn how to adjust their mode of speaking and vocabulary to encourage nonnative speakers during the transition. For example, native speakers could use a slower speaking pace, simpler words, and refrain from dominating conversations in their language.
4. Nonnative speakers must complyFinally, for the success of such a language policy change, the single language needs to be consistently used also in organizational meetings and communication between nonnative speakers.

Further reading:

Tsedal, N. (2012). Global Business Speaks English: Why You Need a Language Strategy Now. Harvard Business Review 90 (5),  116–124.