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TopWhat Is Misrecognition?
The phenomenon of misrecognition, as found in society as a whole, has been defined as the assumption that individuals who possess certain linguistic traits are of higher social, political, intellectual, and ethical clout than individuals who do not possess the same linguistic traits (Matos, 2009). Misrecognition is related to the theoretical construct of transference, which can have both positive and negative effects on the relationships of individuals in the workplace, depending on the personality and behave (Ritter & Lord, 2007).
Due to transference, the societal effects found within organizations tend toward the human desire of homogeneity, even though homogeneity does not exist within societies (Huang, 2009). Homogeneity in workplaces can become a barrier to knowledge (Huang, 2009). The understanding, recognition, and defining of the phenomenon of misrecognition in multilingual workplaces is critical to breaking down these negative organizational societal effects (Huang, 2009).
The symbolic power of groups is backed by Bourdieu’s theory of symbolic power that fuels the particular interests of social relations. In 1995, Bourdieu’s theory of symbolic power led researchers to create a definition of misrecognition to recognize the phenomenon in diverse cultures where symbolic power was present (Gal & Irvine, 1995; Hancock, 2008). Within society, this definition has been used to help build legitimacy of minority groups, limiting the power struggles created by misrecognition (Smyth, 2002). Studies of the societal impact of misrecognition (Blackledge, 2005; Ghosh, 2011; Hancock, 2008; Smyth, 2002) indicate that the negative implications and chaos created when misrecognition is not controlled—such as increased crime, increased racism, and negative economic impact—could be mimicked from a business perspective in organizations where misrecognition is present (Matos, 2009).