Cultural Influences in a multicultural academic workplace

This study investigates if there are any cultural influences on language teaching staff in a multicultural British university language centre operating overseas. Language teaching staff who work at British universities in the UK usually involve only two cultures (British and their mother tongue culture). If non-native nationals are involved in two cultures, it is expected that they would conform to the host country’s culture. Language teaching staff in this study involve at least three cultures, that is, British, their mother tongue culture and the host country’s culture. In the case of the involvement of the three cultures, where do the majority of non-native nationals conform to in a multicultural workplace in the host country? Is it the institution’s country’s culture where they are based in their educational operation or the host country’s culture? This study looks at individual value orientation in decision-making and problem-solving. Discourse analysis of e-mails between 20/10/2013 and 20/01/2014 was used to focus on two main language staff (French and Japanese). The results showed that teaching staff in the multicultural workplace seemed to alter and replace their own value orientations on a mix and match basis, which may affect their preferred culture. It is also suggested that cultural acquisition could occur regardless of the establishment of one’s cultural preference.