Wenn Englisch Firmensprache ist, können Angestellte leichter in anderen Ländern arbeiten. Es könnte aber auch das Unternehmen spalten.
As a corporate language, English is a logical choice for international companies. I’m Dutch, and we are used to speaking multiple languages, so it was easy for me to move to an international environment and speak English. You have to be careful not to exclude people who are more hesitant about speaking English, but, at my last company, ITT Inc., having English as a common language created opportunities. Italian employees could work in the US, or people from China could move to Italy, for example.
Today, many people work remotely. Someone in Japan is more likely to apply for a job in Italy, for example, because they are able to speak a common language. If your corporate language is English, you’re attracting a wider talent pool.
Intercultural understanding is important. You have to consider the cultures of the countries in which you operate. Once, the American CEO of ITT Inc. visited Italy. We assumed everyone could speak English well enough to understand her, but there was silence after she spoke. It turned out that people didn’t want to make mistakes and felt uncomfortable. I learned that we should always have interpreters, make sure people are prepared with questions and know the content of the speech in advance — this will also make visitors feel more comfortable.
In the Netherlands, we’re taught from an early age to ask questions. But in China, people might not stand up to ask the CEO a question, as it may be considered disrespectful to authority. It’s more than a language issue; there are cultural barriers, too. I think intercultural management classes are perhaps even more important than language classes. Spoken language is one thing, but you must respect other cultures. The most important thing is being able to communicate with each other.
When you work internationally, you need a common language. English is simply the easiest one to use as a common language. Having said that, some people are language people, others have different strengths. Everybody has equal importance to the company, but not everybody has equal English capabilities. In my book, How to Work in Denmark, I write that in offices where English is the official corporate language, the result is often a house divided. It’s divided between people who feel comfortable speaking English and those who are less comfortable. These people might not speak up in meetings, even if they know the product inside out.
I think that people at the top need to show some sensitivity to this and an understanding of their colleagues’ English capabilities. In corporate communication, you can’t simply send an email out in English and expect it to be read and understood. Research by Dorte Lønsmann, an associate professor at the University of Copenhagen, suggests that when emails arrive in English, they’re often not read.
She also found that making English the official company language leads to an immediate power shift. People who speak English well become more empowered, while those who struggle with English become less confident. It can certainly put up barriers between leadership and employees.
Personally, I believe it is simply good manners to learn the local language if you’re going to be in a location for longer than two years. Denmark provides free Danish language lessons for newcomers. In addition, several Danish municipalities have programmes in which international newcomers, often professionals in their 30s and 40s, are matched with older Danes in nursing homes for Danish language practice. It’s a wonderful programme.