Language hegemony revisited: insights from the francophone world

Purpose This paper aims to contribute to the debate about language hegemony in international business (IB) and management studies by inviting scholars to extend their inquiries into megalanguages other than English. Decentering from English may allow for more pluriversal research (meaning open to pluralism, resisting universalism and a binary view of the world). Discussing the case of French as another hegemonic language, the paper highlights the necessity of varying the focal language under investigation. Design/methodology/approach The paper sketches a portrait of language hegemony’s main features (domination, exclusion, alienation) and counterhegemonic strategies in business and academia. It confirms the English-centric nature of extant research. A deconstructive analysis of French as an example of another hegemonic language follows. The paper presents the Francophonie as a relevant setting to study language dynamics in IB and management studies and suggests questions worthy of exploration in future research. Findings The literature often overlooks other megalanguages and phenomena outside the English language’s sphere of influence. It displays a prevalent focus on English as well as on issues pertaining mostly to Englishization. Analyzing the hegemonic features of French, however, sheds light on power relations shaped by the specific colonial experiences and historical legacies within the Francophonie. The latter represents an additional valuable setting for examining language hegemony, as French enterprises and business schools have a highly significant presence in postcolonial settings. Exploring megalanguages other than English, can help understand the complexity of language dynamics in business and in academia. Originality/value The paper substantiates the multifaceted nature of language hegemony by broadening the discussion beyond the English/non-English divide.