Language management as a cyclical process: A case study on prohibiting Sorbian in the workplace

The aim of this paper is to re-examine the process model of LMT from theoretical as well as practical perspectives in order to harmonize it with other process models and widen its scope of analysis. In contrast to the ‘classic’ LMT process model, other process models on policy and management usually include a post-implementation stage. To examine the utility of this stage, a concrete case concerning the ‘prohibition’ of the use of Sorbian at an institution in eastern Germany with German and Sorbian employees is investigated. In this case study, a revised process model is applied in order to analyze the employers’ attempts to regulate language choice in the workplace. Theoretical as well as empirical considerations suggest that the LMT process model could profit from including a post-implementation stage of feedback, which gives the process a cyclical character.