Communicating to a diverse workforce

Abstract

Purpose -This paper aims to determine whether language proficiency, race and education levels influence employees' perceptions of symbolic corporate identity elements of Lonmin Platinum, a mining company operating in the development context of South Africa. Design/methodology/approach -The nature of the endorsed symbolic corporate identity was determined by means of personal observations and semi-structured interviews with managers. To determine employees' perceptions a quantitative questionnaire survey was conducted with a stratified quota sample of 508 company employees. Questionnaires were divided between the five business units of the company, each with its own corporate identity. Facilitators (speaking a variety of languages) were used to assist semi-literate and illiterate employees. The data were analysed by means of basic descriptive statistics such as frequency tables and contingency tabulations. Findings -It seemed that race and educational level did not influence employees' perceptions of symbolic corporate identity elements. However, employees proficient in English, faired better when required to identify logos and company structures. This implies that when communication has a more informational character, Lonmin Platinum should consider communicating in different languages, suited to different educational levels.Research limitations/implications -The findings of this research could not necessary be generalised or be applicable to the whole mining sector. Originality/value -This research is the first of its kind within the complex mining and minerals context of South Africa and provides a framework from where future research can be conducted and explored, which would provide a knowledge base for the management and communication of an endorsed symbolic corporate identity to a third world context with diverse workforces.

Structural analysis of the strategic orientation to environmental protection in SMEs

“…In general, the disclosure of SR information, and therefore also environmental information, is part of the branding of corporate identity, an aspect of its behaviour that distinguishes one firm from another and strategically differentiates it from the competition (Marwick and Fill, 1997; Gray and Balmer, 1998; Olutayo Otubanjo and Melewar, 2007; Holtzhausen and Fourie, 2008; Bewley and Li, 2000; Patenaude, 2011; Mobus, 2012). In this sense, environmental responsibilities are factors that govern the formation of opinions about a firm's reputation (Capriotti and Moreno, 2007).…”

Organizational Citizenship Behaviour, Hospital Corporate Image and Performance

“…Positive corporate image makes an organization attractive to the public (both customers and employees) (Vuokko, 2002). Holtzhausen and fourie (2008) highlight that organizations benefit from being perceived positively by employees and customers. A solid corporate image can be attractive to its constituencies and they have certain perceptions about an organization before they even begin to interact (Argenti, 1998).…”

Effective use of Language by Managers in Diverse Workforce

“…The official language policy explores how top-down management and bottom-up perspectives correlate (Kingsley, 2013) Language proficiency, race, and educational levels have an impact on how the employee identifies himself with the organization. Holtzhausen and Fourie (2008), in a study conducted in a mining company in South Africa, found that although race and educational level did not create much difference in forming a corporate identity; the employee's English proficiency made a marked difference. This implies that managers should be aware of what language they choose when communication leads to information dissemination.…”