In profile 2.B, even though it is a group of companies that by definition have a high level of contact with the public (staff attending to the public, switchboard operators, salespersons, sales representatives, outside sales), the rates of use Catalan are only slightly above those of profile 1. Only in meetings (67.9%) and working documentation (59.8%) do we find a use of Catalan notably above that of previous profiles. Obviously, the use of Catalan in communication with the environment (61.6%) shows no significant difference between the profiles. The use of English is very modest (2.5% on an aggregate level) and this language is never used in working meetings. Profiles 1 and 2.B, therefore, show very similar linguistic behaviour. The most significant is the progressive transfer of workers from production service towards in-person service and in the context of the tertiarisation of the economic activity, but, as we can see, without this significantly affecting the linguistic behaviour.

The most notable changes occur when comparing profiles 3.A and 3.B. with the previous ones. These profiles, relative to symbolic analysts or companies more intensive in human capital, are the ones which, according to the theoretic framework, are increasing most in the context of informationalism. Note that in these profiles English is significantly introduced as the training language (4.9% and 5.1%, respectively) and for signs (2.6% and 5.1%). Especially outstanding is the section of new communicative environments where the use of English by these two profiles is 6.1% and 8.3%. On the other hand, this increase in the use of English is not in detriment to the use of Catalan. In these two profiles the use of Catalan is especially high in job performance, both in working documents (54.5% and 58.1%), and working meetings (71% and 73.4%). Spanish reaches the lowest rates in these two indicators and is used in about 25% of working meetings.

When we consider new information and communication technologies and place them relation with the linguistic intensity of the workplace, we see a relationship that is unfavourable to Catalan, neutral for Spanish and very positive for English. The use of English advances from 4.5% (profile 1) to 8.3% (Profile 3.B) in the new communicative environments brought about by new technologies. The more qualified the work to be done the more difficult it is to perform it normally in Catalan. This general tendency becomes especially visible in computer software, an area where the use of Catalan wanes noticeably in favour of Spanish and English.

Table4. Distribution of the linguistic behaviour according to linguistic intensity. New communicative environments

Source: Developed from the data of the survey on linguistic practices in small and medium companies in Catalonia.

Finally, in this section it is important to note that companies of profile 3 (both A and B) are those that find more advantages and inconveniences in the use of Catalan, a fact that is no impediment for Catalan to be the most used language. The centrality of the language for these companies means that the use of different languages has a more reasoned component in function of competitive variables and not a simple unthinking adaptation to the environment.

Table 5. Do you think that the use of Catalan in your organisation
had advantages/ inconveniences?

4.2. Origin of the capital

The table below shows that the highest use of Catalan takes place in companies whose proprietors are Catalans (57.7%). In this case Spanish (36.8%) has a relatively low use, and the use of English (2%) is also very low . Even in new communicative environments, the use of English does not exceed 4%. The fact that the capital of the company is mainly from the rest of Spain produces a notable increase in the use of Spanish, in detriment, mainly, of Catalan. In this category the use of the Spanish drops to 40.1%. The increase of Spanish is notable: from 36.8% to 53%. The variation in English is of little significance, with an increase of 1.3%.