Does
cultural and linguistic diversity have an impact on creativity and innovation
performance of teams (in business contexts)?
Research
question and its challenges in terms of implementation
The implementation of the research question first involves
a conceptual phase, where we read,
think and rethink, make theories and revise ideas individually or in a group.
We could do a brainstorming, a mindmap, a draft table, a progressive
simplification, a research plan, etc. At this
stage we could analyze previous
empirical research on the topic. We should
gather and organise the relevant literature (scientific articles, studies, and
books) for our answer. Another crucial step would be giving the relevant
literature a closer look in order to check what has been done before on the
selected topic, how (what sort of methods were used) and what findings emerged
from each study. Secondly, a
preparatory phase would follow, by selecting
a research design and specifying the centres of interest and making questions, e.g.:
Is cultural and linguistic diversity a factor of creativity and innovation in
professional contexts? Which is the diversity´s role in innovation? Thirdly, we
would state the research themes and goals and the aims of the study. In our
case, the purpose is to explore most common types of impact on creativity and
innovation performance of teams. This would ultimately reduce the chances of
prejudice and wrong judgments in cultural and linguistic diverse teams. The
ultimate challenge is to choose the right methodology.
Status quo of research today in the
field of multiculturalism/multilingualism´s impact on creativity/innovation
performance of teams
It seems
that culture and language as factors of innovation in
international (business) settings has drawn a modest
attention from scholars so far. We share the view that “l´interdisciplinarité est indispensable pour une analyse
–critique- des pratiques dans un monde professionnel de plus en plus compétitif,
inégalitaire et discriminatoire où la reconnaissance des identités, des compétences
et des efforts fournis passe à la trappe dans les courses aux profits e au
pouvoir individuels” (Stalder, 2014). To
consider collaborative team performance implies thinking about management (role
of a leader, attributes of an efficient team or causes of failure, main
communication challenges, vision and ambitions) Besides, other elements to judge
are: goals and strategies, material and human resources, budget, work plan,
efficiency, communication, participation, languages spoken, working climate and
ambiance, quality control, group leader, etc. This viewpoint is promising and
encouraging for teams: “Misunderstandings resulting from language barriers and
socio-cultural differences are everyday occurrences and dominate apparently
factual discussions. Cultural diversity can, however, also open up
opportunities” (Gassmann, 2001).
Theoretical
concept and the specific definition to rely on
“Within creative processes transfer of knowledge is
ensured if employees make project-related moves between research, development,
and production” (Gassmann, 2001). Considering this, we need to define
theoretical key concepts related to communication, multiculturalism,
multilingualism, innovation and creativity in order to grasp the wide panorama
of cultural and linguistic diversity. According to Chen and Starosta, “intercultural
communication competence can be conceived of as the ability to negotiate cultural
meanings and to execute appropriately effective communication behaviours that
recognize the interactants’ multiple identities in a specific environment” (Chen
& Starosta, 1996) For a concept of culture, we prefer to stick to a classic
but still prevailing one: “Culture, or civilization, taken in its broad,
ethnographic sense, is that complex whole which includes knowledge, belief,
art, morals, law, custom, and any other capabilities and habits acquired by man
as a member of society” (Burnett Tylor, 1871). As creativity comes first than
innovation, we will include the definitions in that order. Creativity is an “imaginative
activity fashioned so as to produce outcomes that are both original and of
value” (NACCCE 1999: 30, in Marsh & al. 2009, Compendium). Innovation “is
not just an economic mechanism or a technical process. It is above all a social
phenomenon. Through it, individuals and societies express their creativity,
needs and desires. By its purpose, its effects or its methods, innovation is
thus intimately involved in the social conditions in which it is produced.” (European
Commission, 1995: 11, in Polt & al., 2014) When viewing communication, we
do it under the semiotic perspective “Orchestra model” (Palo Alto), which
defines it as a complex process in which individuals are constantly immerged.
Methodology
for giving empirical evidence
It is possible to practice interviews, observe actors in the field,
search archives and libraries, etc. We would use a mixed-methods approach, i.e: an empirical, qualitative
and interdisciplinary position within social sciences (Sociology, Anthropology
of communication, psychology and linguistics). This would be combined with
methods of explanation and
understanding, besides externalisation of internal concepts and theories.
Focus
and settings
Identity itself is made up of different belongings
(personal character, family, social roots, practices, etc). Like culture,
identity is always changing. Our focus is on culture, language, meetings,
representation, communication and interaction, language practice and strategy,
context, policies, etc. Settings where we situate the answer consist mainly of companies,
organizations for Higher education (Universities, etc) and Institutions and
bodies.
Conclusion
The answer to the research question is: yes, cultural
and linguistic diversity have an impact on creativity and innovation
performance of teams. But so far, it has not been scientifically proved. “One
of the contributions of the DYLAN project consists of providing a detailed
description of the steps which characterise the evaluation of language
policies.” (Grin and Gazzola, 2010) Besides, the study by Marsh and Hill
explains that the scientific findings reveal that here is no definitive single
causal link between multilingualism and creativity. Corina Moscovich
References
Chen,
G.M., & Starosta, W. J. (1996). Intercultural communication competence: a synthesis. Communication
Yearbook, 19, 353-383.
Gassmann, Oliver (2001). Multicultural teams: Increasing creativity and
Innovation by diversity, in Creativity and innovation management. Volume 10,
Number 2.
Grin F. and Gazzola M. (2010) “Assessing efficiency
and fairness in language policy and planning”, Applied Linguistics: Global and
Local, British Association for Applied Linguistics Annual Conference,
University of Aberdeen, UK, 9-11 September 2010.
Marsh avid&al.2009.Study on the Contribution of
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Towards an Evidence base. Brussels:
European Commission.
Stalder, P. (20149. Regard éloigné, regard rapproché :
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et anthropologie. Observations de terrain, modèles d'analyse et expériences
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Taylor, Edward (1871) Primitive culture: researches
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