Louise Mullany

Stephanie Schnurr

This edited collection investigates the linguistics of globalisation, geopolitics and gender in workplace cultures in a range of different contemporary international settings. The chapters examine how issues of globalisation, gender and geopolitics affect professionals in different workplace contexts, including domestic workers; IT professionals; teachers, university staff; engineers; entrepreneurs; CEOs of different corporates including locally based businesses as well as multinationals; farmers; co-operative leaders; NGO leaders; bloggers; healthcare assistants and caregivers. Taking different sociolinguistic approaches to exploring language and the geopolitics of gender at work in Dubai, Kuwait, Kenya, Uganda, Morocco, Nigeria, Malaysia, Turkey, Belgium, Switzerland, New Zealand, Uganda, the UK and the USA, each chapter focuses on a range of salient geopolitical issues which often have global applicability, but which may also be subject to more localised socio-cultural variation. The chapters critically discuss issues of gendered language, perceptions and representations of workplace cultures, discrimination, the role of gendered stereotyping and deeply ingrained socio-cultural myths about gender and the importance of examining the intersections of identity – all of which continue to persist as barriers to equality and inclusion in workplaces worldwide. Despite the variation and diversity in professions and geopolitical contexts captured across the chapters, remarkably similar issues of gender discrimination and persisting inequalities are identified and critically discussed, thus pointing to the global nature of these issues.

Globalisation, Geopolitics, and Gender in Professional Communication

Dorien Van De Mieroop

This collection provides a kaleidoscopic view of a range of identity struggles in the workplace context. It features twenty-two case studies that present an eclectic mix of workplaces in different socio-cultural contexts. They include, among others, household workers in Peru and Hong Kong, female professionals in India and the UK, social workers in Botswana and on Canadian reserves, tourist guides in Europe and construction workers in New Zealand. The volume addresses important questions on professional competence, group membership, (sometimes competing) expectations, and identity boundaries. The chapters establish that identity struggles are a reflection of issues of knowledge, competing norms and attempts for social change.

Evidence from workplaces around the world

Identity Struggles

Jonathan Clifton

Fascination with leadership and its relation to world events seems to be ever growing, and leadership narratives are a key element through which leader identities are constructed. Contemporary research into leadership tends to recycle the same old myths of the heroic white male leader. By looking at stories told by leaders in Australasia, Asia, North America, the Middle East, and Africa, this book explores different aspects of leadership narratives. The Language of Leadership Narratives brings linguistics and leadership research together, showcasing different analytical and methodological approaches and enabling a more critical approach. Each chapter focuses on a specific area of leadership research, from dark leadership to gendered leadership. This book introduces the advantages of analysing leadership narratives as social practice and discusses some of the main themes in contemporary leadership research. This volume is key reading for scholars and students of linguistics, communication studies, and business studies, and for those working in business and intercultural communication in the workplace.

A Social Practice Perspective

The Language of Leadership Narratives

Routledge Introductions to Applied Linguistics is a series of introductory level textbooks covering the core topics in Applied Linguistics, primarily designed for those beginning postgraduate studies, or taking an introductory MA course as well as advanced undergraduates. Titles in the series are also ideal for language professionals returning to academic study. The books take an innovative 'practice-to-theory' approach, with a 'back-to-front' structure. This leads the reader from real-world problems and issues, through a discussion of intervention and how to engage with these concerns, before finally relating these practical issues to theoretical foundations. Additional features include tasks with commentaries, a glossary of key terms, and an annotated further reading section. Exploring Professional Communication provides an accessible overview of the vast field of communication in professional contexts from an applied linguistics perspective. It explores the nature of professional communication by discussing various fundamental topics relevant for an understanding of this area. The book is divided into eight chapters, each dealing with a specific area of professional communication, such as genres of professional communication, identities in the workplace, and key issues of gender, leadership and culture. Although the book's main approach to professional communication is an applied linguistics one, it also draws on insights from a range of other disciplines. Throughout, Stephanie Schnurr takes an interactive approach that is reflected in the numerous examples of authentic discourse data, from a variety of written and spoken contexts. Exploring Professional Communication is critical reading for postgraduate and upper undergraduate students of applied linguistics and communication studies.

Language in Action

Exploring Professional Communication

Routledge Introductions to Applied Linguistics is a series of introductory level textbooks covering the core topics in Applied Linguistics, primarily designed for those beginning postgraduate studies, or taking an introductory MA course as well as advanced undergraduates. Titles in the series are also ideal for language professionals returning to academic study. The books take an innovative ‘practice-to-theory’ approach, with a 'back-to-front' structure. This leads the reader from real-world problems and issues, through a discussion of intervention and how to engage with these concerns, before finally relating these practical issues to theoretical foundations. Additional features include tasks with commentaries, a glossary of key terms, and an annotated further reading section. Exploring Professional Communication provides an accessible overview of the vast field of communication in professional contexts from an applied linguistics perspective. It explores the nature of professional communication by discussing various fundamental topics relevant for an understanding of this area. The book is divided into eight chapters, each dealing with a specific area of professional communication, such as genres of professional communication, identities in the workplace, and key issues of gender, leadership and culture. Although the book’s main approach to professional communication is an applied linguistics one, it also draws on insights from a range of other disciplines. Throughout, Stephanie Schnurr takes an interactive approach that is reflected in the numerous examples of authentic discourse data, from a variety of written and spoken contexts. Exploring Professional Communication is critical reading for postgraduate and upper undergraduate students of applied linguistics and communication studies.

Olga Zayts

This book provides an overview of the complex role that culture plays in workplace contexts. In eight chapters, the authors cover the core aspects of culture at work from making decisions and negotiating power to gender and identity. Drawing on insights from a range of studies, they propose a new integrated framework for researching culture at work from a sociolinguistic perspective, and they apply it to the significant corpus of authentic workplace data they have collected from numerous settings in the UK, Hong Kong and New Zealand. This is key reading for researchers and recommended for advanced students of workplace and intercultural communication, sociolinguistics and discourse studies.

Stephanie Schnurr

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