The effect of English job titles on the Dutch population: An experiment on the evaluation of language choice in job titles with a segmentation of the Dutch population on region and age.

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2019-01-29
Language
en
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The purpose of this study was to explore the language choice in job titles on the Dutch population, specifically the English and Dutch language in job titles on two categories of the Dutch population; age and region. Previous research has suggested differences in attitude and intention to apply within different segments of the Netherlands. In two between-subject designs, 700 native Dutch citizens evaluated five equivalent Dutch and English job titles with regard to the attitude towards the job titles and the intention to apply. Additionally, four variables were evaluated as possible predictors of the attitude towards the job titles and the intention to apply. Results demonstrated that region did not show differences, but language and age did. The participants assessed the Dutch job titles as more positive in the attitude towards the job titles and in the intention to apply. Moreover, 50+ showed to evaluate the Dutch job titles as more positive in the attitude towards the job titles and the intention to apply than the other age groups. Both 50+ and 34-49 were more negative towards the English job titles in the intention to apply than the other age groups. A higher general attitude towards English predicted a positive attitude towards the Dutch and English job titles, and a positive intention to apply to the English job titles. The daily use of English predicted a higher attitude towards the English job titles, but a lower intention to apply to the Dutch job titles. Self-assessed and actual English language proficiency were not predicting any variance, except when the self-assessed English language proficiency increased, the attitude towards English increased as well. It can therefore be concluded that within-country-region does not seem to influence language choice attitude and the intention to apply, but there does seem to be a relationship of these factors with age.
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