Professor Carol Reade Wins Prestigious Carolyn Dexter Award
Students at SJSU can take immense pride in the knowledge that they are learning from and being mentored by award-winning faculty. In a groundbreaking study that sheds light on the evolving dynamics of today’s diverse workplaces, International Management Professor Carol Reade and her international team of co-authors, Mai Al-Naemi, assistant professor at Qatar University, and Hyun-Jung Lee, associate professor at the London School of Economics, have been honored with the Carolyn B Dexter Award for Best International Paper. Their paper, “The Unexpected Upside of High Language Diversity,” examines how language diversity affects social integration, knowledge sharing and performance in companies.
This award, presented by the Academy of Management (AOM), was revealed during the organization’s annual gathering in Chicago this August.
“Our paper really sheds light on the potential future of workplaces with a growing language diversity, emphasizing the significance of developing corporate language support systems,” says Reade.
The paper reveals that using a shared vocabulary, or lingua franca, fosters the creation of social networks across different language groups. As a result, it promotes enhanced social integration and knowledge sharing among members of the organization.
Reade incorporates these research findings into both her undergraduate and graduate international management courses in the School of Global Innovation and Leadership, making the research highly relevant for students studying the complexities of international business.
“At the heart of international management is communicating across cultures,” says Reade.
Reade’s co-authored paper was also recognized at AOM with the CEIBS (China Europe International Business School) Best Paper in Organizational Behavior / Human Resource Management / Organization Theory Award in the International Management Division. ”We are deeply honored at this double recognition at AOM,” says Reade.
“Congratulations to Professor Carol Reade and her co-authors on this well-deserved recognition! We are proud to have her as a member of our faculty,” says Priya Kannan, dean of the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business.
The work of Reade and her co-authors on language diversity in the workplace is highly relevant to students preparing to enter a globalized job market. It highlights the importance of cultural and linguistic fluency — skills that all Spartans can aspire to develop during their time at SJSU.
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