Convergence and collaboration: co-creating meaning within culturally diverse workforces

Purpose This paper aims to present a conceptual account of how organizational members collectively contribute to establishing workable communication models in contexts of linguistic and cultural diversity. Design/methodology/approach The study draws on existing theory and empirical studies related to cultural diversity and workplace communication to analyze how meaning is continually co-negotiated. Findings The pressure to interact efficiently with team members with different language and cultural backgrounds leads to the foregrounding of certain strategies and organizational dynamics that facilitate viable communication. Research limitations/implications The ways in which language and cultural diversity can be transcended through the use of appropriate communication strategies, resulting in organizational unity and consistency, should be a central concern in the scholarly research agenda on organizations. Originality/value Workforces worldwide, including virtual workforces, are increasingly required to work in culturally diverse teams and in a dominant language not shared as a first language by all employees; the preliminary study of one highly diverse workforce reveals issues that are generalizable to other geographical contexts.