Babel and Gender: The Relationship between Identity, Clusters and Status

Abstract

This study explores the role of identity attributes that influence an individual’s association with language-based clusters within multinational enterprises (MNEs). Current research on language in international business has shown that language is a core element of one’s social identity and employees in MNEs can form homophily-based clusters with those who share their native language, and such clusters can significantly influence communication and knowledge sharing within MNEs. However, research assumes that clusters are static and does not take into consideration the role of attributes other than language that could influence individual association with these clusters and the resultant dynamics. We conducted a qualitative comparative case study of two MNE headquarters in India and found evidence of language-based meta- clusters in both organizations and discerned that employees’ linguistic identities often intersect with identities related to gender, regional dialects and education. Our data revealed cleavages in language-based meta-cultures based on dialect-based status differences as well as disassociation from clusters by female employees which seems to be driven by gender-based stereotypes and associated in- and out-group biases. Based on these findings, we develop a process model to explain the dynamic processes by which these identity attributes change the composition of language-based clusters over time. These changes have important consequences for communications and group dynamics within organizations, particularly as they relate to power, status and affect. Keywords: Gender; language; language-based clusters; regional dialects; social identity; status; stereotypes.