Workers are constantly 'double-clicking' topics, 'pinging' colleagues and 'aligning on learnings'. This word salad is maddening – yet many have embraced it. Satirical TikTok persona Corporate Erin, created by actress Lisa Beasley, pokes fun at nonsense jargon, but experts say this language is now a key way of establishing oneself in corporate culture.
Industry-specific shorthand has always existed, from lorry drivers' '10-4' to doctors' 'Rx'. Today's corporate jargon, however, has military roots. Leon Prieto, professor at Clayton State University, explains that post-World War Two, military veterans brought their lexicon into the business world, infusing corporate culture with precision and seriousness. Terms like 'strategy' and 'logistics' became ubiquitous.
It soon spread to the UK, says Cary Cooper of Alliance Manchester Business School. But language veered from military precision to opaque nonsense. Cooper cites 'ICE' meaning 'Involuntary Career Event' – a euphemism for job loss. Such terms can exclude workers, especially young employees, and create insecurity.
Despite pushback, corporate jargon is nearly inescapable. Zachariah Brown, from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, notes that people love to hate it but mimic it from prestigious companies like McKinsey. The jargon persists, driven by a desire to signal status and fit in.
