International Organizations in the Linguistic Context of Québec

What implications does a strong language law have for international organizations operating within its domain? This question has remained rather untouched in the academic sphere, even though language and its strategic role have widely been accepted as key elements in international operations. This study sets out to investigate the linguistic context of the province of Quebec (Canada), aiming to determine the effects of balancing between the need for a corporate language and the demands of the regulatory context. An existing framework on context is applied to the identified key elements present in Quebec to break down their nature and effects on organizations. The linguistic duality that organizations face becomes apparent: regardless of the increasing need for English as a corporate language, the law, created to protect the French language, has not been adapted to the changing global environment. Consequently, it becomes difficult for international organizations to apply a global language strategy in Quebec. The balancing act can become resource-consuming – even to the extent of acting as an entry barrier or driving business elsewhere.