Conceptualizing organizational discourse as situated symbolic action

Bibliographic Data

ID9891182
AuthorsLoizos Heracleous (0000-0003-1628-205X, Templeton College, University of Oxford,, corresponding author), Robert J Marshak (0000-0003-3732-735X, American University/NTL Institute Masters of Organization Development Program in Washington, DC, corresponding author)
Year2004
Volume57
Issue10
Pages1285-1312
Publication date2004-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHuman Relations (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0018-7267 • E-ISSN: 1741-282X
PublisherSAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/0018726704048356
OpenAlexW2156795611
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited59

This article presents a conceptualization of organizational discourse as situated symbolic action, drawing from the fields of speech act theory, rhetoric, ethnography of communication and social constructionism. This conceptualization is illustrated through analysis of an episode of negotiated order accessed through an organization development intervention; a meeting of senior managers of Systech, a major IT organization, to decide on a new business model. This perspective helps to respond to some of the key challenges facing the organizational discourse field in terms of developing more clearly specified conceptualizations of discourse suited to the organizational level of analysis, achieving a more holistic and discourse-sensitive understanding of empirical contexts by organizational researchers, and illustrating that organizational discourse analysis is not simply an intellectual luxury but can have pragmatic, relevant implications

Action (physics · Communicative action · Conceptualization · Discourse analysis · Epistemology · Field (mathematics · Knowledge management · Linguistics · Organization development · Organizational studies · Rhetoric · Situated · Social constructionism · Social science · Sociology · Computer Science · Discourse Analysis in Language Studies · Information Systems Theories and Implementation · Management and Organizational Studies

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