Guro Refsum Sanden is Associate Professor at the Department of Communication and Culture at BI Norwegian Business School. Her research focuses on the role of language and communication in multinational corporations, and the relationship between national language policies and corporate law. Before entering academia, Guro held various industry positions, including management trainee in the Scandinavian insurance company Tryg. Her work has been published in outlets such as Applied Linguistics, European Journal of International Management, and Nordic Journal of Linguistics.
Since May 2022, Guro has served as Vice President and Scientific Manager of GEM&L, Research Group on Management & Language.
Publications
Sanden, Guro Refsum (2023)
Language in multilingual organizations: power, policies and politics
Lecomte, Philippe; Vigier, Mary, Gaibrois, Claudine & Beeler, Betty (red.). Understanding the Dynamics of Language and Multilingualism in Professional Contexts: Advances in Language-Sensitive Management Research
Guro Refsum, Sanden (2020)
Ten reasons why corporate language policies can create more problems than they solve.
Current Issues in Language Planning
An increasing number of multilingual organisations such as multinational corporations (MNCs) choose to address linguistic diversity through corporate language policies, for example by adopting a common corporate language. Although a common corporate language may improve efficiency of communication at the front-line level, previous research has demonstrated that there are several potentially negative consequences associated with the implementation of such policies. This conceptual paper reviews the role of language policies in multilingual organisations, and identifies ten crucial language policy challenges in international business and management.
Guro Refsum, Sanden (2020)
The second-class Norwegian: Marginalisation of Nynorsk in Norwegian business.
Current Issues in Language Planning
This paper examines the use of the two written Norwegian language standards, Nynorsk and Bokmål, by companies in Norway. By adopting a legal perspective on the language policy of Norway as stipulated by the Language Council of Norway (2005) and the Norwegian Ministry of Culture and Church (2008), the paper investigates how 492 of the largest companies in Norway measured by revenue comply with the language requirement of the Norwegian Accounting Act Article 3–4. The findings show that the use of Nynorsk is marginal, as only five companies presented their financial statements in Nynorsk for the financial year of 2015. The paper concludes that there is a gap between the objectives of the language policy and the linguistic reality in Norwegian business, and that the current language regulation fails to fully support the language policy goal of maintaining both Nynorsk and Bokmål as functional varieties of the Norwegian language.
Guro Refsum, Sanden (2020)
Limits of language: Stylistic, linguistic and modal convergence in blue-collar communication.
Globe: A Journal of Language, Culture and Communication
The present study examines how two Danish manufacturing companies communicate corporate information to blue-collar employees located in foreign production units. By drawing on interview and document data from the companies’ communication departments, this study investigates whether staff at headquarters take any particular considerations into account when they communicate with blue-collar employees. The findings – which are discussed on the basis of communication accommodation theory (CAT) (Giles & Wiemann 1987) and the concept of foreigner talk (Ferguson 1975) – reveal that communication professionals at headquarters converge towards blue-collar employees in three distinct ways: in the form of stylistic, linguistic, and modal convergence. The findings also suggest that the need for convergence arises due to three sector-specific factors, namely the economic geography of manufacturing, the physical work environment of production units, and the educational level of blue-collar employees.
Guro Refsum, Sanden (2020)
Language policy and corporate law: A case study from Norway
Nordic Journal of Linguistics
This paper investigates how 492 of the largest companies in Norway comply with the language requirement of the Norwegian Accounting Act Article 3-4. The results show that 36% of the companies presented their financial statements in Norwegian only, 45% in one or more language(s) in addition to Norwegian, while 19% had been granted dispensation and presented statements in English-only. The company’s ownership, use of English as a corporate language, and industry affiliation were the three most commonly mentioned reasons for dispensation, but the findings show significant differences between industry sectors in terms of language choice. The study contributes to corporate law research by examining the interpretation and application of the Norwegian Accounting Act by the Norwegian Directorate of Taxes; to sociolinguistics by shedding new light on the concepts of domain loss and diglossia; and to language-sensitive research in international business by analysing language use in Norwegian companies.
Guro Refsum, Sanden (2020)
Domain loss theory revisited: From multinational corporations to multicorporate nations.
International Journal of Applied Linguistics
This paper examines how multinational corporations (MNCs) act as language managers when handling linguistic diversity in the workforce, for example through corporate language policies. Cooper's status, corpus and acquisition planning framework is applied to two case companies headquartered in Scandinavia, and the findings show that the MNCs' language policy and planning (LPP) activities go beyond the boundaries of the organisations, and interfere with the LPP activities of their home countries. The paper concludes that the language planning activities of MNCs may be even more important and impactful than those of the nation-state. The term “multicorporate nations” is used to denote a shift in language management agency; a shift where the corporate level represents the new macro level and the national level the new meso level. Denne artikkelen undersøker hvordan multinasjonale selskaper fungerer som språkstyrere (“language managers”) når de håndterer språklig mangfold blant ansatte, for eksempel gjennom bedriftenes språkpolitikk. Coopers språkplanleggingsteori om status, korpus og språktilegnelse (“status, corpus, acquisition planning”) anvendes som rammeverk for å analysere to selskaper med hovedkontor i Skandinavia. Analysen viser at selskapenes språkpolitikk og språkplanlegging går utover organisasjonenes grenser, og påvirker språkplanleggingen i selskapenes hjemland. Artikkelen konkluderer med at selskapenes språkplanleggingsaktiviteter kan være mer betydningsfulle og avgjørende enn tilsvarende aktiviteter på nasjonalstatsnivå. Begrepet “multikorporate nasjoner” ("multicorporate nations") introduseres som betegnelse på et skifte i språkstyringsmyndighet; et skifte der virksomhetsnivået representerer det nye makronivået og det nasjonale nivået det nye mesonivået.
Guro Refsum, Sanden & Lønsmann, Dorte (2018)
Discretionary power on the front-line: A bottom-up perspective on corporate language management
European Journal of International Management
This paper investigates the communication practices used by front-line employees to cross language boundaries in the context of English language policies implemented by the management of three multinational corporations (MNCs) headquartered in Scandinavia. Based on an analysis of interview and document data, our findings show that employees face a number of different language boundaries in their everyday work, and that ad hoc and informal solutions in many cases are vital for successful cross-language communication. We introduce the concept of 'discretionary power' to explain how and why front-line employees diverge from the corporate language policies, and emphasise the role of individual agency in the implementation of language policy. With a focus on the communication practices of front-line employees, the paper contributes with a bottom-up, employee-centred perspective on corporate language management, emphasising the importance of paying attention to the micro level of everyday interactions in the study of language policy and practice.
Guro Refsum, Sanden & Kankaanranta, Anne (2018)
“English is an unwritten rule here”: Non-formalised language policies in multinational corporations
Corporate Communications. An International Journal
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the implications of corporate language policies that are implemented without formal decision-making processes. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative case study based on three Scandinavian multinational corporations which use English as a common corporate language without formal language policy decisions. Findings Non-formalised language policies are found to be clearly distinct from formalised language policies in terms of language policy format, language policy focus, language policy formation, language planning agency and management style. Non-formalised language policies can represent a type of informal control, but the absence of a policy document leaves employees without a common reference point which may cause confusion and inter-collegial conflict. Originality/value The study offers a nuanced perspective on the role of language policies in corporate communication by demonstrating that language policies may come in a variety of different forms, also as implicit assumptions about language use. Findings reveal benefits and drawbacks of the different language policy approaches.
Linn, Andrew; Guro Refsum, Sanden & Piekkari, Rebecca (2018)
Language standardization in sociolinguistics and international business: theory and practice across the table
Sherman, Tamah & Nekvapil, Jiří (red.). English in Business and Commerce: Interactions and Policies
This chapter addresses the issue of language standardization from two perspectives, bringing together a theoretical perspective offered by the discipline of sociolinguistics with a practical example from international business. We introduce the broad concept of standardization and embed the study of language standardization in the wider discussion of standards as a means of control across society. We analyze the language policy and practice of the Danish multinational, Grundfos, and use it as a “sociolinguistic laboratory” to “test” the theory of language standardization initially elaborated by Einar Haugen to explain the history of modern Norwegian. The table is then turned and a model from international business by Piekkari, Welch and Welch is used to illuminate recent Norwegian language planning. It is found that the Grundfos case works well with the Haugen model, and the international business model provides a valuable practical lesson for national language planners, both showing that a “comparative standardology” is a valuable undertaking. More voices “at the table” will allow both theory and practice to be further refined and for the role of standards across society to be better understood.
Guro Refsum, Sanden (2016)
Language: The sharpest tool in the business strategy toolbox.
Corporate Communications. An International Journal
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the consequences of globalisation in the area of corporate communication, and investigate how language may be managed as a strategic resource. Design/methodology/approach A review of previous studies on the effects of globalisation on corporate communication and the implications of language management initiatives in international business. Findings Efficient language management can turn language into a strategic resource. Language needs analyses, i.e. linguistic auditing/language check-ups, can be used to determine the language situation of a company. Language policies and/or strategies can be used to regulate a company’s internal modes of communication. Language management tools can be deployed to address existing and expected language needs. Continuous feedback from the front line ensures strategic learning and reduces the risk of suboptimal outcomes. Originality/value Offers a review of the relevant literature and provides a simple four-step model to make language a more important priority on the corporate agenda.
Guro Refsum, Sanden (2016)
Language management x 3: A theory, a sub-field, and a business strategy tool.
Applied Linguistics
The term ‘language management’ has become a widely used expression in the sociolinguistic literature. Originally introduced by Jernudd and Neustupný in 1987, as a novel continuation of the language planning tradition stemming from the 1960/70s, language management along these lines has developed into the Language Management Theory (LMT). A second definition of language management, diverting from LMT, can be found in the work of Spolsky, who treats language management as a theoretical component of the wider concept of language policy. Furthermore, over the past 15 years a number of scholars, particularly from the international management discipline, appear to have taken an interest in language as a variable in business and corporate management. It is also common to refer to this research field as language management. This conceptual article offers a theoretically based comparison of the three definitions of language management, before discussing five main focus points, which may be used to highlight their analytical differences.
Språkforskar: Nynorsk kan verta meir marginalisert
Khrono [Avis]
Sanden, Guro Refsum & Jakobsen, Siw Ellen (2020)
Nynorsk er ikke et språk for "big business"
Forskning.no [Internett]
Wilczewski, Michał & Sanden, Guro Refsum (2023)
Expatriate-host country national interactions: A bibliometric, thematic, and content analysis review
[Academic lecture]. GEM&L International Conference on Management and Language.
Wilczewski, Michał & Sanden, Guro Refsum (2023)
Expatriate-host country national interactions: A bibliometric, thematic, and content analysis review
[Academic lecture]. Academy of Management Annual Meeting.
Sanden, Guro Refsum (2023)
Hvordan lede flerspråklige organisasjoner?
[Popular scientific article]. BI Business Review
Økt globalisering og samarbeid på tvers av landegrenser gir nye språkbehov i næringslivet. Likevel blir flerspråklighet ofte glemt når det kommer til internasjonal business og ledelse. En bedrifts holdning til språk og språkstyring er en strategisk beslutning som er tett knyttet til overordnet strategi. Språk gjennomsyrer alle aspekter av en bedrifts forretningsaktiviteter, og er dermed en viktig del av det å lede bedrifter med flerspråklige ansatte. Språkstyring handler om å iverksette tiltak som ivaretar, og fremmer, kommunikasjon mellom ansatte.
Guro Refsum, Sanden (2022)
If not English as a lingua franca, then what?
[Academic lecture]. Language use in international organisations: Seminar in honour of Anne Kari Bjørge.
Adopting English as a common corporate language has become widespread practice also in non-native English-speaking countries, and the corporate sector is frequently mentioned as one area in which English-medium communication is most prevalent. This is also very much the case in Norway, although the official language policy of the country attributes significant importance to the principle of parallellingualism, where English and Norwegian ideally should be used side by side. With reference to this language policy, the present study examines the language used in 492 annual reports and financial statements of the largest companies in Norway measured by revenue. Annual reports produced in two or more languages were analyzed according to qualitative content analysis by classifying language choice as categories of parallellingual strategies. The results show that 36.2 % of the companies issued their annual reports in Norwegian only; 18.9% issued their annual reports in English only; while 44.9% issued their annual reports in at least one foreign language in addition to Norwegian. The combination of Norwegian and English was the most common parallellingual choice in the latter group, as 41.5 % of the companies in the study presented their annual reports in parallel language versions in Norwegian and English. The companies that issued parallellingual annual reports demonstrated two different approaches to language use in their publications, which can be referred to as, firstly, ‘separate language versions’, i.e. where the company issued two or more monolingual language versions of their annual report, and, secondly, ‘integrated language versions’, i.e. where the company issued one report with text written in both Norwegian and English in the same publication. The findings show that parallellingualism can be a viable alternative to monolingual communication, such as English as a lingua franca, which involves the risk of excluding groups with specific language requirements.