Dear All,
We are delighted to invite you to our presenter symposium, "The Invisible Barrier: How Language Diversity Shapes Work and Career Outcomes and Team Processes," at this year's AOM Conference in Copenhagen.
As the global workforce becomes increasingly multilingual, language diversity continues to shape how individuals experience work, affecting hiring, collaboration, and advancement. This symposium brings together interdisciplinary research across HR, OB, Careers, and IM to explore how language-related differences, such as accent and fluency, influence workplace dynamics. Our goal is to advance scholarship on language diversity within DEI and foster collaboration to better support Non-Native English Speakers in organizational settings.
We warmly welcome you to join us for a thought-provoking conversation that surfaces hidden barriers, challenges assumptions, and opens new directions for inclusive research and practice.
Date: Monday, July 28, 2025
Time: 17:15 – 18:45 CEST (GMT+2/UTC+2)
Location: Bella Center, Hall B–B5-m1
Presentations:
-
Language Diversity and Transactive Memory System Foundations in Multilingual Teams
Mary E. Zellmer-Bruhn, University of Minnesota
-
Lost in Pronunciation: English Mandates and Accent-Based Bias in Global Hiring
Catherine Summers, University of Michigan
-
Speaking Your Truth: The Cost of Ethnic Accents on Hiring Decisions and Career Advancement
Romila Singh, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
-
Adopting Acronym Names and Linguistic Identities: Understanding the Experiences of Expatriates
Juana Du & Debora Linehan, Royal Roads University
-
The Hidden Intersection: Exploring Accentism and Status in the Workplace
Salome Opoku, Arizona State University & Milena Tekeste, New York University Abu Dhabi
Discussant: Ivona Hideg (University of Oxford)
Organizers: Megha Yadav (Indiana University South Bend) & Romila Singh (University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee)
We look forward to seeing you in Copenhagen for what promises to be an engaging and timely session.
------------------------------
Megha Yadav (she/her/hers)
Assistant Professor of Management
Indiana University- South Bend
United States
------------------------------