9 June 2023 3:05 pm
How Smart Cities are Transforming Urban Living

How Smart Cities are Transforming Urban Living

May 2, 2023

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Throughout the world, cities are increasingly looking to digitize services or become more technology-forward. In so doing, the Intersection of AI and IoT is an obligatory passage resulting in the author wondering How Smart Cities are Transforming Urban Living? 

A Smart City is an urban area that utilizes advanced technologies, data analytics, and interconnected systems to optimize urban processes, infrastructure, and services. By integrating data collection and communication technologies with the Internet of Things (IoT), a Smart City can improve its citizens’ efficiency, sustainability, and overall quality of life while reducing environmental impact and promoting economic growth.

The image above is of IStock.

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The Intersection of AI and IoT: How Smart Cities are Transforming Urban Living

Assad Abbas

 

Last updated: 
KEY TAKEAWAYS

The combination of AI and IoT technologies is revolutionizing the way we live and work in smart cities, making them more efficient, sustainable, and livable. Real-time data analysis from multiple devices is simplifying decision-making and administrative tasks, optimizing resource utilization, and improving public safety. The smart city concept uses technology to improve the quality of life, including transportation, solid waste management, pollution reduction, sustainable communities, irrigation, public safety, traffic management, and healthcare, among others. Cities like Singapore, Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Dubai are leveraging the benefits of AI and IoT technologies to transform urban living.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies are being used together to leverage each other’s advantages. The interconnection of various data-generating devices, such as sensors, computers, vehicles, smartphones, buildings, and software through the Internet, has revolutionized how we live today.

The interplay of AI and IoT technologies has completely transformed the way we interpret and analyze the massive amount of data that is continuously generated by IoT devices with the help of AI techniques.

As a result, decision-making, optimizing industrial processes, making predictions, and identifying anomalies in industrial settings becomes easier than ever. Similarly, AI and IoT technologies are being used together in smart city applications to improve urban infrastructure and the quality of life.

Understanding smart cities

The idea of smart cities is described below, and various constituent components and examples of smart cities are also provided.

Defining smart cities

Before delving into how AI and IoT are transforming smart cities, it is important to understand what a smart city is and how it functions. The concept of smart cities emerged after the term “pervasive computing” started gaining popularity in the first decade of this century. Pervasive computing simply refers to “computing everywhere”. Therefore, pervasive computing and smart cities are closely related in several ways.

We can define smart cities as urban areas that utilize technology strategically and efficiently to perform day-to-day operations and improve their inhabitants’ quality of life. This includes incorporating technology in every aspect of life to offer better civic services, such as transportation, solid waste management and collection, pollution-free and sustainable communities, irrigation, healthcare, public safety and policing, traffic management, and many others. In a nutshell, “a smart city is an interconnected and technology-enabled sustainable environment designed to improve the standard of living of its residents.”

Components of smart cities

Smart cities comprise a variety of components, each of which is crucial for their functioning. The components include:

  • IoT devices: these include various data-collecting devices, such as sensors, traffic, air quality, energy usage monitoring devices, and so on.
  • Data analytics component: the component is responsible for processing and analyzing the data collected through the IoT devices
  • Communication Networks: are used for data transmission among IoT devices, data analytics systems, and other infrastructure components.
  • Metropolitan infrastructure and public services: are essential for the functioning of smart cities. Infrastructure includes buildings, roads, and other public areas, which can be transformed through data analytics and IoT. On the other hand, public services can be transportation, healthcare, education, and public safety, which may be improved through AI and data analytics.

Examples of smart cities

Recently, many cities worldwide have started implementing smart technologies to uplift the living standard of their citizens. Some of the cities include Singapore, Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Dubai. Singapore’s smart city initiative utilizes IoT data and performs analytics to improve mobility and healthcare services, support businesses, and optimize traffic flows and energy usage. Likewise, Amsterdam, in addition to the ones discussed above, emphasizes sustainable solutions to mobility by providing smart traffic systems and electric charging stations.

Barcelona is not behind the others and also relies on IoT devices and data analytics methods. In particular, smart lighting systems based on motion sensors, green spaces, energy-efficient buildings, smart bike sharing, and waste reduction are among the few initiatives that make Barcelona a smart city. Similarly, automated buses and the urban metro system, smart grids, smart and energy-efficient buildings, smart healthcare, and policing have made Dubai emerge as one of the rapidly developing smart cities. The initiatives, such as Dubai Blockchain Strategy, the Dubai Future Accelerators program, and the Smart Dubai Platform, are pivotal in making Dubai one of the top living choices.

How AI and IoT are transforming urban living?

The intersection of AI and IoT technologies is transforming living and work in smart cities, and their impacts are becoming significant daily. By combining these two technologies, a new era of innovation, efficiency, and sustainability is emerging, which once could have only been dreamt of by humans. Real-time analysis of continuously generated data by multiple devices simultaneously has made decision-making and administrative tasks easier without much human involvement. For example, traffic signals equipped with IoT sensors can monitor traffic flow which can further be analyzed using AI algorithms and consequently can help traffic lights adapt to the traffic situation at a particular intersection in the city.

Likewise, another exciting usage scenario is in the solid waste collection and management domain, where the smart waste bins equipped with IoT ultrasonic sensors can notify about the levels of waste in the bins. AI techniques can schedule pickups, reducing unnecessary trips of waste collection vehicles and the environmental impact. Similarly, in smart buildings equipped with IoT devices, such as sensors, HVAC, lighting, etc., the data analytics techniques, with the help of the current sensor readings and historical data, may direct the control modules to optimize energy usage or predict any failures of the equipment. Moreover, the HVAC systems in smart buildings can be automatically adjusted based on occupancy and outside environmental conditions.

There are numerous advantages to using the two diverse spheres of technology together. Primarily, they result in increased efficiency, optimal resource utilization, reduced human involvement, savings of time and finances, etc. Moreover, sustainability is also vital in smart cities and can be improved through several environment-friendly initiatives. With the help of the sensors installed city-wide, the data about air quality and water usage is collected and analyzed by AI techniques. The data is subsequently used to issue alerts to the authorities of the areas where attention is required, for example, where high pollution levels are in the air or where water is being wasted.

AI and IoT technologies also help improve public safety through real-time monitoring. AI-powered security cameras are used to detect suspicious behavior through continuous surveillance. Similarly, monitoring the infrastructure for possible safety hazards through sensing devices enables timely alerts and quicker responses from the concerned authorities. In addition, greater civic engagement is promoted by providing citizens access to real-time data through various platforms and enabling them to provide decision-making feedback, leading to more impartial outcomes.

Challenges and Limitations of AI and IoT in Smart Cities

Though there are several benefits of integrating AI and IoT technologies in smart cities provides. However, numerous challenges and limitations must be addressed.

  • Device heterogeneity 

A lack of standardization across heterogeneous IoT devices and their communication protocols often results in compatibility issues, thus demanding the standardization of IoT protocols and interfaces for effective device integration and efficient data communication.

  • Data deluge 

The large volumes of data generated by IoT devices demand powerful computing resources and storage capabilities, hence elevating the need for data centers and cloud computing infrastructure.

  • Data security and privacy

Data security is crucial in smart cities due to the risk of cyber-attacks and data breaches, necessitating robust security measures. Moreover, continuous surveillance could also lead to privacy issues.

  • Ethical concerns

Addressing ethical concerns, such as bias introduced by the computational algorithms, may lead to discriminatory outcomes (for example, unfair treatment of certain groups), which is undesirable for equity and diversity in societies.

  • Job displacement and economic inequality 

Integrating AI and IoT in smart cities could lead to job displacement, especially for those who have little technical skills in sectors such as transport manufacturing, or logistics. This may further increase inequality of income and lead to a large number of workers not being adequately supported. Strategies to mitigate negative impacts should be developed in view of the possible impact on workers.

  • Massive investments 

Finally, significant investments are needed to realize smart city initiatives which can be challenging to manage initially.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the intersection of AI and IoT has paved the way for developing smarter and more sustainable cities. From optimizing energy consumption and transportation to enhancing public safety and citizen engagement, these technologies are revolutionizing how we live and interact in urban environments. While some challenges and limitations need to be addressed, the potential benefits of AI and IoT in smart cities are immense and should be exploited for better communities.

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What does ESG really mean for cities?

Apr 28, 2023

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What does ESG really mean for cities?

Can cities that prioritise ESG considerations create more sustainable and resilient communities that are better equipped to address challenges like climate change, social inequality and economic instability?

By Silvia Pellegrino

According to the World Economic Forum, cities not only house 60% of the world’s population but are responsible for over 70% of total emissions, meaning that they are at the heart of the green transition.

Green transition: ESG frameworks for cities need to go beyond visual indicators into tangible urban policy. (Photo by Owlie Productions/Shutterstock)

ESG approaches can guide cities towards a more efficient social and environmental strategy as well as help to reach the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals since they make finding solutions to socio-environmental challenges easier.

But what does ESG mean for cities in a practical sense? And how can its principles be applied?

What is ESG?

ESG stands for environmental, social and governance framework. It refers to a set of standards that revolve around a company or city’s impact on the environment and its transparency around it.

An ESG strategy can be the key to proving that steps are being taken to become more environmentally and socially friendly. This type of framework can provide greater stability for overcoming and addressing today’s socio-environmental challenges.

This is particularly important because, as the latest UN Emissions Gap Report revealed, delays and policy failures mean that members are not on track to meet the Paris Agreement emissions reduction objectives to prevent global temperatures from exceeding 1.5°C.

What does an ESG approach mean for a city?

When a city includes an ESG-based approach, its government will focus on five primary factors:

  • Regulations: increased ESG regulation strengthens and speeds up the implementation of companies’ ESG strategies.
  • Strategic planning: city governments formulate strategic and overarching master plans for the city, following national objectives and directives.
  • Funding and financing: the efficient allocation of financial resources is a key step in an ESG-based approach since it promotes sustainable economic growth and addresses important urban issues.
  • Service provision: regional, local and city governments often set the rules for service providers in sectors responsible for emissions.
  • Monitoring: city governments have the power to monitor local service delivery, and to make sure that regulatory compliance is present.

Which cities are adopting ESG strategies?

Several cities around the world are already adopting ESG approaches, with the main objective being to reach a more sustainable and efficient society.

Here are a few examples of cities that have adopted ESG-friendly approaches.

Dubai

One of the main focal points for Dubai is service provision to help the city achieve net-zero targets in a timely manner.

Indeed, the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) announced the EV Green Charger initiative. This entails new charging solutions around the Emirate to not only augment the number of electric vehicles (EVs) in the city but also to procure EVs for the authorities.

By the end of 2022, the number of green chargers reached 350, with over 620 charging points across Dubai. In addition, the number of EVs went up to 15,100, while there now are around 13,500 hybrid vehicles. So far, 91% of this project has been completed, which is on track with the Dubai Carbon Abatement Strategy.

Oslo

As the European Green Capital in 2019, Oslo is also the most sustainable city on Arcadis’s Sustainable Cities Index 2022.

The Norwegian capital aims to reduce emissions by 95% by 2030, in comparison with 1990 levels. Today, it produces the cleanest and most renewable energy in Europe partly thanks to its investment in hydroelectricity.

When it comes to infrastructure, Oslo also had the first zero-emissions construction site in the world, which only used electric machinery. In addition, electric cars are entitled to cheaper parking in the city and there are various low-emissions zones that can only be accessed for free with hybrid or electric vehicles.

New York

The Big Apple’s regulations to reduce building-related emissions are part of the Climate Mobilisation Act, which has the objective of reducing emissions by 40% by 2030.

These new regulations, called Local Law 97, mostly cover large buildings like skyscrapers and their energy efficiency.

This law focuses on making New York City reach net zero by 2050. Buildings are responsible for about two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions in the Big Apple, and this is one of the most ambitious plans for reducing emissions in the whole nation.

Under this plan, the majority of buildings over 25,000 square feet will have to undergo energy efficiency renovations and reduce their emissions by 2024, with tighter objectives in 2030. As a consequence, the emissions produced by the city’s largest buildings should be reduced by 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050.

[Read more: Look to cities, but past their mayors, for new climate solutions]

 

 

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High Tech Innovations Are Key To A Greener Economy

Apr 25, 2023

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In a Forbes Business Development Council article, it is held that High Tech Innovations Are Key To A Greener Economy.  Syed Alam, Forbes Councils Member offers us 5 Ways To Ensure A More Sustainable Future.  

Environmentally Responsible and Resource-efficient in the MENA region, was and still is concerned for anything green that were second to that fundamentally frantic development of buildings and all related infrastructure to nevertheless greater and greater awareness of their various environmental impact. 

The image above is Getty

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High Tech Innovations Are Key To A Greener Economy: 5 Ways To Ensure A More Sustainable Future

Syed Alam, Forbes Councils Member

Forbes Business Development Council

 

Syed is Accenture’s High Tech global lead, helping clients reinvent their business, optimize supply chain and create new revenue models.

The high-tech industry is central to moving the sustainability agenda forward and enabling a greener planet through the design of more sustainable products using the rise of smart sensors as a way to better manage energy consumption.

At my company Accenture, we have already seen great progress in a wide variety of products, from smart thermostats and solar-powered smart watches to electric vehicles and more power-efficient CPUs in data centers. These products are not only more sustainable and good for the environment, but they are also good for business and future growth.

A recent study from United Nations Global Compact and Accenture shows strategies and business models with sustainability at their core are not only a climate imperative but also the foundation for better security, growth and resilience. This is supported by another recent study’s indication that the supply chain is key to fighting climate change, as supply chains generate up to 60% of global emissions.

While many companies have mastered Scope 1 emissions, most companies lack visibility into the upstream supplier base, called “Scope 3” emissions. For high-tech companies, 86% of upstream Scope 3 emissions sit outside their Tier 1 suppliers.

High-tech companies are deploying strategies to help the industry meet environmental sustainability goals. The Semiconductor Climate Consortium is one excellent example of semiconductor companies coming together to collaborate and align on common approaches and technology innovations to continuously reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

In this article, I will outline five strategies high-tech leaders can adopt to ensure a more sustainable future both within their own organizations and across the supply chain.

1. Recycling Products

E-waste, driven in part by consumers upgrading to the latest smartphones and data centers swapping out servers to keep up with the demands of AI, is both damaging to the planet and costing high-tech companies money. According to the United Nations, global e-waste volumes grew 17% between 2014 and 2019, with over 53 million tons of e-waste in 2019.

High-tech companies are in a unique position to help reduce e-waste by designing products for reuse, resale, repair, refurbishment and remanufacturing, which Accenture and the United Nations study shows can boost operating profit by 16%.

Many technology giants already have successful recycling programs in place that encourage partner participation. In 2022, Accenture partner Cisco launched the Environmental Sustainability Specialization (ESS), a program to educate customers, promote product takeback and assist in the move to circular business models.

As many companies have proven, this can constitute a great opportunity to save money and create new revenue streams while reducing carbon footprints by avoiding single-use inputs and designing for refurbishment and longevity.

2. Selecting Cleaner Raw Materials

As the demand for more sustainable materials rises, more companies are starting to use cleaner minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel and cobalt. Fortunately, materials suppliers have stepped up efforts to deliver eco-friendly solutions to enable companies to make this transition.

Accenture partner Solvay, a supplier of alternative materials, has been developing new solutions to reduce waste materials generated by semiconductor manufacturing. Its products are helping customers recycle polyvinylidene fluoride, a byproduct of chipmaking.

3. Adopting Greener Manufacturing Processes

Many manufacturing companies are making strides in reducing electricity consumption, recycling water and adopting greener manufacturing practices.

Accenture partner Lam Research invested in LED lighting processes and improvements to HVAC equipment such as air compressors. Likewise, companies such as Winbond are using a new low-temperature soldering (LTS) process to reduce the temperatures needed for the assembly of components. These lower temperatures can lead to faster manufacturing throughput while also lowering temperatures to reduce carbon emissions.

Leaders continue to adopt solutions capable of streamlining production processes, using digital tools and deploying more efficient supply chains to save energy and optimize logistics to reduce truck rolls, which can help lower carbon footprints.

Accenture partner Hitachi’s Lumada Manufacturing Insights is a perfect example, as it is helping manufacturers develop data-driven operations, increase supply chain visibility and enable smart factory solutions to improve productivity and lower asset downtime.

4. Designing More Power-Efficient Products

At this year’s CES, we saw many energy-efficient products come to life as companies introduced products focused on managing home energy usage, including battery packs, solar panels and EV chargers. Accenture partner Schneider Electric released the “Home” energy platform to monitor energy usage, manage backup power during an outage and connect to utility programs for savings on electricity bills.

The industry migration to the cloud has also helped significantly reduce global power consumption. Because the cloud supports many products at a time, it can more efficiently distribute resources among users. Companies like Accenture partner Google have made inroads in making their cloud services power efficient, with claims new data centers are twice as energy efficient as a typical enterprise data center—delivering five times as much computing power for the same amount of electrical power as five years ago.

5. Embedding Sustainability Into Supplier Selection And Management

As companies source new suppliers and optimize existing ones, they should embed sustainability in every step of the supply chain management process. This includes analyzing the supplier base to determine the biggest source of emissions and having data-driven conversations with suppliers to reduce emissions.

Digital tools such as digital twins can be used to map physical material flows to uncover sub-tier suppliers and risks. By proactively working with suppliers on an ongoing basis, high-tech companies can identify bottlenecks within the supply chain and help mitigate disruptive events while improving their own decarbonization performance.

Social Innovations Without Waste

While the industry has made great strides toward global sustainability, there is still much work to be done. With the value of global sustainability assets rising above $220 billion, it is increasingly evident that investing in sustainability is not just morally responsible but financially savvy.

Organizations must reduce massive surges in energy consumption, water usage and CO2 emissions and develop sustainable products and services to help customers in their own sustainability transformations. The transition to sustainability presents a tremendous revenue-generating opportunity for companies that act quickly to develop—and adopt—greener technologies.

 

Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website.

Syed Alam is Accenture’s high tech global lead, helping clients reinvent their business, optimize supply chain and

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Waiting for quantum computers to arrive

Apr 17, 2023

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A man takes a photo of a model of the IBM Q System One quantum computer during the 2020 CES in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. January 7, 2020. REUTERS/Steve Marcus/File Photo

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Waiting for quantum computers to arrive, software engineers get creative

By 

Robert Parrish, Head of Quantum Chemistry, and Matt Johnson, CEO of Quantum Chemistry, review computations on large metalloproteins, as Quantum software startup QC Ware launches a quantum-inspired software platform called Promethium to speed up the simulation of large molecules on conventional computers, in Palo Alto, California, U.S., March 29, 2023. QC Ware/Handout via REUTERS

 

OAKLAND, Calif., April 17 (Reuters) – Quantum computers promise to be millions of times faster than today’s fastest supercomputers, potentially revolutionizing everything from medical research to the way people solve problems of climate change. The wait for these machines, though, has been long, despite the billions poured into them.

But the uncertainty and the dismal stock performance of publicly-listed quantum computer companies including Rigetti Computing Inc (RGTI.O) have not scared investors away. Some are turning to startups who are pivoting to using powerful chips to run quantum-inspired software on regular computers as they bide their time.

Lacking quantum computers that customers can use today to get an advantage over classical computers, these startups are developing a new breed of software inspired by algorithms used in quantum physics, a branch of science that studies the fundamental building blocks of nature.

Once too big for conventional computers, these algorithms are finally being put to work thanks to today’s powerful artificial intelligence chips, industry executives told Reuters.

QC Ware, a software startup that has raised more than $33 million and initially focused only on software that could run on quantum computers, said it needed to change tack and find a solution for clients today until the future quantum machines arrive.

So QC Ware CEO Matt Johnson said it turned to Nvidia Corp’s (NVDA.O) graphic processing units (GPU) to “figure out how can we get them something that is a big step change in performance … and build a bridge to quantum processing in the future.”

GPUs are microchips that were made to process video for gaming and became so powerful that they do the bulk of AI computing today. They are now being used in quantum development, as well.

This week, QC Ware is unveiling a quantum-inspired software platform called Promethium that will simulate chemical molecules – to see how they interact with things like protein – on a traditional computer using GPUs.

The software can cut simulation time from hours to minutes for molecules of 100 atoms, and months to hours for molecules of up to 2000 atoms, compared with existing software solutions, said QC Ware’s head of quantum chemistry Robert Parrish.

$1 BILLION RAISED

Big-name investors and funds are backing the future, such as Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) former chairman Eric Schmidt, asset manager T. Rowe Price (TROW.O), Samsung Ventures, and the venture arm of U.S. intelligence agencies In-Q-Tel.

The startups receiving the largesse say they are able to generate revenue as customers are lining up to be ready for when quantum computing’s “iPhone” moment arrives. That, in turn, is luring investors.

In the past 18 months, quantum software startups including SandBoxAQ – an Alphabet spinoff – raised about $1 billion, according to data firm PitchBook. To be sure, development of this technology is nascent and these startups must work hard to convince some prospective clients.

SandBoxAQ CEO Jack Hidary said it was only 24 months ago that AI chips became powerful enough to simulate hundreds of thousands of chemical interactions simultaneously.

It developed a quantum-inspired algorithm for biopharma simulation on Google’s AI chip called a Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) that generates revenue today. SandBoxAQ told Reuters in February it raised $500 million.

Jason Turner, who founded Entanglement Inc in 2017 to be a “quantum only lab,” became impatient with the slow pace of quantum hardware development.

“It’s been ten years away for what, 40 years now, right?” he said. He finally relented, turning to Silicon Valley AI chip startup Groq to help him run a cybersecurity quantum-inspired algorithm.

Ultimately, the software inspired by quantum physics won’t perform well on quantum computers without some changes, said William Hurley, boss of Austin-based quantum software startup Strangeworks.

Still, he said companies that start using them will have engineers “learning about quantum and the phenomenon and the process, which will better prepare them to use quantum computers at the point that they do so.” That moment could arrive suddenly, he said.

Strangeworks, which also operates a cloud with over 60 quantum computers on it, raised $24 million last month from investors including IBM (IBM.N).

Reporting by Jane Lanahee Lee in Oakland, California; Editing by Peter Henderson, Sayantani Ghosh and Nick Zieminski
– Reuters

English – here’s why it’s the lingua franca of firms around the world

Apr 5, 2023

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Amongst all languages, English – here’s why it’s the lingua franca of firms around the world.  Explanations.

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Italian government wants to stop businesses using English – here’s why it’s the lingua franca of firms around the world

The image above is of EF English Live

Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

Natalie Victoria Wilmot, University of Bradford

The Italian government has proposed new legislation to crack down on the use of foreign languages in government, business and public life. The draft bill is particularly aimed at the use of English, which it says “demeans and mortifies” the Italian language. The proposed legislation would require employment contracts and internal regulations of overseas businesses operating in Italy to be in Italian.

Obeying such a policy would be difficult for many firms. France introduced a similar law in 1994, which has long been seen as unenforceable. Despite being in legislation for nearly 30 years, almost all multinational companies operating in France are thought to be in breach of the law.

English is indisputably the dominant language of international business and trade. Globally, more than half of all multinational companies use English in their international operations. Companies as far apart as Japan’s Rakuten, France’s Sodexo, Finland’s Nordea and Mexico’s Cemex have designated English as a “common corporate language”. This is a language chosen by the organisation to be the main vehicle for internal communications.

It’s estimated that approximately 1.5 billion people globally speak English, so its dominance in international business is not going away.

How did it come to be this way? One clue can be found in Oxfam’s recently published inclusive language guide. The charity has attracted attention for describing English as “the language of a colonising nation”. The guide notes that “the dominance of English is one of the key issues that must be addressed in order to decolonise our ways of working”.

It is impossible to deny that the reason that English has its current status is because of historical expressions of power. The colonial expansion of the British empire between the late 16th and early 20th century led to English being spoken widely across the globe. This was often at the expense of local languages which are now endangered or wiped out as a result of the imposition of English.

The cultural and economic dominance of the US since the second world war has led to the further proliferation of English. This is particularly true among younger generations who learn English in order to consume popular culture. Additionally, global interest in business school education has meant that generations of managers have been taught the latest in business ideas and concepts. Often, these originate from the US – and are in English.

Companies who use English as their corporate language often portray it as a common sense and neutral solution to linguistic diversity in business. In reality, it is anything but.

The concept of Business English as a Lingua Franca (BELF) suggests the English used in organisations can be separated from native speakers and the grammatical rules that they impose on it. It emerged in the early 2000s, as management researchers began to investigate how organisations manage language diversity in their international operations. They discovered that although English was frequently used, it was not the same English that is spoken by native speakers.

Companies all over the world use English as their main language.
Pathdoc/Shutterstock

The former CEO of Volvo, a Swedish company, once remarked that the language of his company was “bad English”. BELF encourages us to think that there is no such thing. If communication takes place successfully, and the message that you wish to transmit is understood, then you have used BELF correctly, regardless of any idiosyncrasies in grammar or spelling.

My own research has shown that although BELF can be used effectively in international environments, when native speakers of English are involved in the communication, they claim authority over how the language should be used. This can exclude those whose use of English does not meet expectations.

Why English?

Clearly, organisations need to have some form of shared language to be able to effectively communicate to manage their operations. However, research suggests that there are particular benefits associated with using English, rather than something else, as a common corporate language.

For example, studies have shown that employees find it enriching to use English at work. Due to its grammatical structure, which doesn’t distinguish between formal and informal “you” as in many other languages, employees feel that using English can reduce hierarchies and create more egalitarian workplaces.

English undoubtedly has great practical utility – but rather than understanding it as something neutral, it is important to understand the mechanisms of power and subjugation through which English arrived at its current status. Without reflection, it can easily be used as a tool to exclude, and continues to reproduce colonial mindsets about status and hierarchies. Its ongoing use, however practical, continues that domination.

Natalie Victoria Wilmot, Associate Professor in International Business, University of Bradford

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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