HR file: Effects of accents

Managing a multicultural and international workplace requires the ability to work across cultural and linguistic differences. These differences can have unperceived effects that affect both organisational outcomes and individual careers.

Recent research suggests the way we speak has an impact on workplace dynamics, including the positive regard that workers and managers give each other, and that it forms the basis for a positive organisational environment. Specifically, speaking with a non-native accent can generate often subtle forms of discrimination that are picked up upon by speakers, affecting their work practices and creating a negative feedback cycle. While some accents may legitimately impede clear communication or reflect proficiency difficulties, others can have negative effects even when they are unrelated to the employees’ capacity to carry out their work. This is because accents can constitute a largely overlooked form of workplace ‘stigma’.