Non-native accents and stigma: How self-fulfilling prophesies can affect career outcomes

• Published in: Human resource management review Vol. 27; no. 3; pp. 507 - 520
• Main Authors: Russo, Marcello, Islam, Gazi, Koyuncu, Burak
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Greenwich Elsevier Inc 01.09.2017; Elsevier Science Ltd
• Subjects: Career; Career advancement; Careers; Human resource management; Job satisfaction; Linguistic diversity; Linguistics; Non-native accent; Positive regard; Self-fulfilling prophecy; Stereotype threat; Stereotypes; Studies; Workplace diversity; Positive regard; Linguistic diversity; Non-native accent; Self-fulfilling prophecy; Career; Stereotype threat
• ISSN: 1053-4822; 1873-7889
• DOI: 10.1016/j.hrmr.2016.12.001

This article proposes a framework examining the impact of non-native accents on speakers' work and career outcomes, namely, career advancement and career satisfaction. Drawing on stigma theory, we present a conceptual model to assess cognitive, affective, and behavioral reactions towards non-native accents. We contend that speaking with a non-native accent is linked with (i) managers' perceptions of speakers' fluency, (ii) expectations concerning non-native speakers' performance abilities, (iii) positive regard in social interactions and (iv) supervision style towards speakers with non-native accents. Moreover, we suggest that speaking with a non-native accent may lead speakers to (i) feel excluded and devalued at work, and (ii) assume an avoidance approach at work. Together, these effects can create a self-fulfilling prophecy that negatively affects non-native speakers' work and career outcomes. We also suggest that the strength of accents' consequences depend on the presence of particular person-related (accent prestige, exposure to the non-native accent, and non-native speakers' goal orientation) and job-related factors (nature of the job and company ethnocentrism). Implications for theory and practice are discussed. •This article proposes a framework to explore the impact of non-native accents on non-native-accent speakers’ work dynamics and career.•We present cognitive, affective and behavioral reactions that managers and non-native-accent speakers display towards a non-native accent.•We also consider some personal-related and job-related factors moderating the proposed relationships.