Challenges and Opportunities Related to the Use of Language in Employment
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Language is one of the most important aspects of management as it enhances communication in the working environment as illustrated by the article Language Diversity in America: Challenges and opportunities for management. Language is an essential part of an individuals learning, identity, well-being, earning, and living. In management especially in situations where there is a diversity of employees, it becomes challenging to identify the best language for communication. It becomes even more challenging when some of the employees cannot speak the agreed language. However, there are some opportunities for the use of language in management. This paper summarizes the article Language Diversity in America: Challenges and opportunities for management while giving a critical analysis of it.
The United States of America is one of the countries that have high rates of people from different origins. For instance, according to the 2010 census, the nation total population was 307,007,000, and approximately 12.5% were individuals who had foreign origins. So, in the US workstations, there are high rates of employee diversity. Their communication must be managed as part of the management so that they can work and relate peacefully while in the working environment.
The article highlights the various frictions that arise in America since English only rule exists in many of the organizations. Americans challenge the unreasonable expectation that English that is only spoken is the only acceptable and proper language in a working environment. Misunderstandings arise between workers due to deficiencies in language that undermine manager capability of commanding the subordinates, distrust among the workforce and weakness team cohesiveness. These misunderstandings mostly result in conflict, hardship, and undue distress.
Though most of the above challenges are as a result of language diversity, diversity on the other side has its advantages to the management. Diversity enables the managers to retain the most knowledgeable and talented employees from any segment of the United States. It also forms a strong, diverse customer base through when an employer relates well with various clients. Higher levels of diversity awareness of the applicants and more so the employees while respecting their culture benefits the organization to achieve a harmonious and tolerant work environment that affirms efficiency, effectiveness, and productivity.
The article takes into consideration the various language workplace policies that exist in the US. One of those policies is the Equal Employment Opportunity Community (EEOC) granted by the US Congress in 1980 indicates that English-only policies must apply all times at any working environment including the meals and breaks. Language Discrimination Case Law in Title VII of the Civil Rights has also been mentioned in the article. The policy addresses employees rights and desires to speak in their native language while they are on the job though it has been challenged in federal courts to create a discriminatory work environment. However, the legality of the English-only rule has been upheld by the federal courts to be in place if the employer how it is nondiscriminatory, legitimate, and the reason for using it.
Other aspects of language that are addressed by the article are The Business Necessity Requirement, English Fluency, National Origin Harassment Discrimination and the recommendations. Language in the aspect of business requirement, employers have the prorogation how they will conduct their employees including their communications. Employers should not disqualify candidates for their inability to speak fluent English unless the job requires so. The National Origin Harassment Discrimination restricts the employees harassment by their origin.
As illustrated in the article, management of language in an organization is crucial, and this tells well the reason why we have many workplace policies some generated by the government and others by the organization. Communication is important in the workplace and must be controlled to accommodate the diverse population of employees. Employers should be skilled to mitigate the risks that may arise from employment decisions that can discriminate employees by their language. Managers have the responsibility a well written, precise, objective, work-related criteria for promotions and job positions to all the candidates and performing a fair evaluation.
Employers have to be very careful so that they dont find themselves ethical and legal language between different organizational team demands, specifically rights of people who can only communicate in English in the workplace and those who do not communicate in English. For the case of business managers, they must be well conversant with the employment language case law, regulations, laws, and policies so that they dont get themselves into the United States language rights.
The article has best concentrated on the challenges and opportunities related to the use of language in employment as its title claims. It has well identified both the challenges and benefits of having a diverse population in the working environment. The article ideas have been supported by facts including statistical facts and case laws. It forms a basis that can be used by other academicians specifically the researchers to further the study. It's only noted weakness is that it has not provided further readings in case a scholar wants to learn more about the topic.
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