Communication practices and policies in workplace mobility

This chapter provides an overview of workplace communication practices and policies in multilingual and multinational workplaces. It discusses issues around language use, language policy, and language ideology in the workplace, as well as gatekeeping. The chapter argues for going beyond a static binary of blue/white collar, because of access issues, anonymity, and practical concerns, “white-collar” environments have attracted and are still attracting increasing attention by scholars. It draws on different datasets to illustrate that different participants experience difference realities. The chapter argues that communication policies are invariably related to issues of power and gatekeeping. It discusses that employees are assessed on language competence, which often becomes a “broad brush” account of performance. The chapter explores the concept of “fitting in” to link up power, identity theory, and language policy. It concludes with identifying areas open to further research.