The impact of socioeconomic and linguistic disparities on power skill development among business professionals

Abstract

Within the contemporary professional landscape, power skills, including communication, collaboration, and leadership, are deemed critical for career success. However, their acquisition and recognition are often mediated by structural inequalities that remain underexplored. This study investigates the barriers related to power skill development and evaluation in professional contexts, specifically through a socioeconomic and linguistic lens. Using a qualitative research design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 early to mid-career professionals from the corporate business sector, purposively selected for their diverse socioeconomic and linguistic backgrounds. Thematic analysis was employed to interpret the rich qualitative data. Findings reveal that individuals from underprivileged socioeconomic backgrounds frequently experienced restricted access to antecedent developmental opportunities like mentorship and formal training. Concurrently, linguistic factors such as accent, dialect, and language-based anxiety emerged as critical barriers, influencing communicative confidence and participatory behaviours. Furthermore, the perception and appraisal of power skills were significantly shaped by implicit biases rooted in dominant linguistic paradigms and class-specific behaviours, often marginalising individuals whose expressions deviated from unspoken professional expectations. These insights underscore that power skills are not acquired or assessed in isolation but are socially constructed within structurally conditioned frameworks. The study concludes by advocating for a critical reassessment of power skill pedagogy and assessment, urging the implementation of inclusive skill development strategies, revised evaluative frameworks, and fostering awareness around communicative equity to address these systemic barriers in professional domains.