• N. Arvinth

  Author

This study investigates digital code-switching and its effects on professional language styles on workplace messaging apps, specifically Slack, and how it shapes employee behavior at the multilingual level. It explains the meaning of code-switching and its impact on workplace interaction, and the sense of belonging and presence. For the data collection, a mixed-method approach was utilized, processing the Slack message data as the static quantitative data, accompanied by the open-ended survey and the semi-structured interview data as the dynamic qualitative data. Most of the code-switching was found to be associated with informal communication and was defined by the employees of the organization who would use a combination of English and Spanish. In a given time, a 25% increase within the time span of the study was seen in the number of code-switched messages. Statistically, employees who participated in code-switching were found to have a 15% increase in the effectiveness of the collaboration, in terms of the absence of delay in response and the active participation of the team in the communication. It helped to ease the communication and to increase the sense of belonging and presence within the team, all of which improved and sustained the communication style of the organization.

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