Research Essay on Discourse Analysis of Organizational Texts and Talk at Work

Introduction

Communication is very important when it comes to management and organizational processes. This concept can be comprehended from the insight of Mary Parker Follett, one of the first women management theorists in the early 20th century (Akbaş & Taner, 2022). This statement was made by Follet, who was famous for saying that “management is an art of getting things done through people.” This viewpoint illustrates that management is not just about communication, but it actually constitutes good communication through which management objectives are achieved. Supporting this viewpoint, research by Henry Mintzberg and Judy Wajcman further explains the importance of communication in organizational settings. The studies found that a large part of the managers’ and the employees’ time is on communication (Savitri & Naili, 2020). This will further reiterate the essential position of communication in all organizational affairs. It goes beyond being a peripheral function, and it forms an integral part of organizational life, supporting vital organizational operations.

Research Focus

This research focuses on a growing topic of organizational discourse and institutional talk – organizational storytelling. Organizational storytelling is considered to be more than just a means of disseminating information. It is a strategic tool that defines the very nature of a company’s identity and culture. The purpose of this research is to reveal the multilayered essence of storytelling in an organizational setting and examine the role that stories, whether transmitted via official channels, such as corporate communications or informally through social relationships, play in the development and perpetuation of organizational identity creation.

Analytic Approach

This study uses an expansive data collection approach, particularly capturing audio recordings of institutional talk in a midsized company. The reason for adopting this approach was to capture the realistic and dynamic manner in which communication transpires within the organization framework. Recordings collected include different types of critical conversations that are important for an organization to run effectively (Lobe, 2020). These comprise board meetings and top management meetings, where strategic decisions are taken and announced; briefing sessions, where the employees are reached and communicated; and consulting meetings, which involve the clients of the firm and its external interactions and relations with the customers. Therefore, the choice of a medium-sized company as the object of this research brings some advantages. This affords a detailed examination of how communication happens in an environment that is complex but not too big to make the analysis too broad for generalization. They provide an almost invisible but deep view into the natural conversations, tone, and spontaneous interactions that flow within a normal organization day.

The study research design is purposively constructed for a detailed illustration of organizational communication in a wider context of discourse analysis, according to Potter, Wetherell, and Fairclough. The frameworks offer perspectives on the different aspects of language in the workplace (Skinchko, 2022). In order to understand how discourse as a spoken language plays significant roles in the social interactions that are inherent to the organizations, Potter and Wetherell’s approach comes into play. Secondly, ethnography helps them find out the use of language, which extends beyond its being just for social purposes. The earlier discussion that Norman Fairclough takes is about language being a medium for relations of power in the organization. This can help the research in the area of how language both reflects and structures power relations in organizations using the CDA approach (Skichko, 2022). Fairclough’s methodology can expose the subtle ways in which language enforces hierarchical structures, affects organizational culture, and defines the identity of the organization and its members.

Data Analysis

Analysis of the recorded audio from the medium-sized organization revealed different and important topics that help understand the organizational communication landscape (Ferraris et al., 2019). Such themes are not only a reflection of the current communication practices in the organization but also give insights into what guides the organization, what is important, and how the organization runs.

Leadership Discourse

 The main idea of Leadership Discourse demonstrates a central leadership style applied by top management within an organization. Discourse in this regard is marked out by its assertive tone, focusing on crafting and communicating the organizational vision and direction. Authoritativeness is not what assertiveness in leadership discourse entails for this research. It is all about being self-assured and speaking directly in a confident and sure voice in the context of this study (Berkovich & Eyal, 2021). Assertiveness is necessary to give precise direction and stability, which is important for the concentration and orientation of the organization. This discourse is strategically oriented in the sense that it goes beyond stating the goals but also indicates the ways through which the goals can be achieved. This is about aligning the current activities of the organization with its future goals, giving employees a sense of purpose.

This theme is evident in a recorded segment from a management meeting where a senior executive says, “As we move towards unparalleled growth, we need to work together using vision.” Rather than simply express an objective, this statement activates and invigorates employees. Focusing on the ‘collective effort’ and ‘visionary approach’ of leadership, the leader outlines the relevance of teamwork and planning the future in the organization’s drive for growth (Berkovich & Eyal, 2021). It is a call to action, asking everybody in the firm to play their part. Leadership discourse of such kind helps align the different parts of the organization towards common goals. It provides direction and unites different departments and functions under one vision. Using language strategically, in this case, leads to the creation of a narrative that everyone in the organization is able to understand, identify with, and unite behind.

Employee Engagement

 One key theme from the analysis is employee engagement, showing how employees can be motivated to use a language that will make the working environment feel worthwhile and connected to their goals. The second important theme in this article focuses on the way the organization views its employees as crucial to its success and in establishing a conducive work setting. According to the study, the language of employee engagement is embracing and reassuring. The program seeks to encourage employees to participate in the organization’s mission. This is evident in dialogues that emphasize the crucial role of each staff member’s contributions, as captured in the team briefing excerpt: Such statements have more than one purpose. First, they recognize and appreciate these efforts by the employees and, as a result, improve their morale and job satisfaction. Using the ‘backbone’ as a reference for employee contributions sends a strong message of appreciation for their efforts for the success of the organization.

The theme of engagement is paramount in promoting a culture of togetherness and creativity. The language employed draws in workers as co-partners in the organization as opposed to just passive subscribers. The idea of ‘collaboration’ and ‘innovation’ implies a place where creativity, as well as teamwork, is allowed and encouraged. Employees are encouraged to think creatively and work as a team to actualize organizational objectives. Further, it generates a feeling of belongingness and significance among the employees through such engagement language (Barreiro & Treglown, 2020). Employees will be motivated to offer their best when they know their work has meaning and they are a part of the organization. The language creates a feeling that work and success in the organization are collective and, therefore, promote this sense of belonging.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

CSR is a central theme in the company’s communications, showing its ethical values and responsibility towards society. This theme signifies a growing business ethic that acknowledges the business’s participation within a wider context encompassing society and the environment in broader terms than the business’s role as a profit-making institution.❒ As outlined in the above study, CSR-oriented communication provides the platform for outlining and portraying the organization’s values and ethics. For instance, here is an extract from a CSR publication: “Our sustainability extends beyond business.” This is a strong statement: “It is about making a positive impact in every community we touch.” Such communication is not solely about an intention but a public promise to its stakeholders, local communities, and the entire society.

The story transcends mere business objectives and represents the organization’s perception of the role it plays in society. The footprint of an organization’s presence in the world has a consciousness that reflects the aim to be a positive impact force. The statement “gives you more than business” reinforces the idea that business activities must be in line with wider social values and concerns currently expected from modern corporations. Such CSR narratives help to instill pride and a sense of purpose among the internals (Fatima & Elbanna, 2023). Employee morale and loyalty can be improved by knowing that their organization values real and ethical practices. These narratives also constitute its external communication, projecting the image and ethos of a socially responsible organization. Such is especially important in a world today where customers and investors increasingly make decisions based on ethical considerations.

Evidence and Examples

One example is taken at a part of a management meeting that captures leadership discourse within the organization. It is in this light that this excerpt, “As we steer towards unprecedented growth, our collective effort and visionary approach are paramount,” becomes the strategic and future-oriented language normally associated with senior management. The organization should establish a specific objective for the future that stresses the need for togetherness in order to accomplish a unified dream. It shows leadership communication at its best, and it inspires team members to contribute their best to help the organization achieve its objectives.

In the second example, which stems from a team briefing, the company’s perspective on employee involvement can be ascertained. The expression of the organization’s acknowledgment that the employees are the main support for the company’s victories in the phrase, “Your contribution is the spine of our success. Let’s work together in order to innovate and excel” (Barreiro & Treglown This type of language creates feelings of belonging and appreciation among the personnel. The culture emphasizes teamwork and encourages innovativeness. This form of communication encourages a motivated and committed workforce. Such employees feel important and necessary for achieving success in the organization.

The last example can be traced from the CSR announcement. This shows how the organization speaks about its social and environmental responsibilities that extend beyond business by saying, “Our commitment to sustainability goes beyond business. It’s about making a positive impact in every community we touch” (Fatima & Elbanna, 2023). The narrative transcends the ordinary corporate rhetoric by depicting the organization as a conscious social organism that aims to produce substantial change. In this regard, this type of communication plays an important role in creating an external perception of the organization as a responsible citizen of the wider society and a reputable company in the eyes of its market competitors.

Discussion

Relevance of Findings

Analysis of audio records in a mid-sized organization reveals that organizational storytelling is multi-complex. As such, storytelling within the organizational context does not just involve relating the events that happened or the achievements that were made, but instead, it is a process through which different actors in the organization keep contributing to a developing narrative. In essence, the study demonstrates the active roles that the languages employed in leadership narratives, employee engagement, and corporate social responsibility stories play in formulating and sharing the characteristics of organizational identity and culture (van Hulst & Ybema, 2020). These narratives from the management or within the employees’ relationships shape the organization externally and internally. Firstly, they affect how employees see their roles and link them with the organizational agenda. Additionally, they determine how non-employees see the organization. This highlights the evolutionary nature of organizational storytelling as a process that is not only interactive but also involves collective participation.

Conclusion

This study shows that storytelling is the key to creating an organizational identity and culture. It shows us that real communication is not some minor matter but rather is one of the main arteries of an organization. From leadership discourse to employee engagement and corporate social responsibility, effective communication influences everything. This research highlights the changing face of storytelling, which is indeed an active, performative process that chisels both the internal structure and external image of an organization. With the increasing infiltration of digital technologies, achievers within organizations are faced with ever more complex and influential art forms of storytelling. Recognizing and unlocking its potential is a necessity for firms that want to face up to the complexities of today’s business world and build an internal culture as well as one outside their walls that is strong, firm, and positive.

Part B

Introduction

In Part B of this exploration, we shift to a new way of looking at organizational communication–the layers upon layers in institutional discourse. This refined view moves the focus away from the grand narratives often attached to organizational discourse to focus instead on subtleties and dynamics of interactions at a more street level, especially between clients and staff. Entailed, this is an examination and exploration of how the ways language use and forms of conversation within normal client-to-staff dialogue reflect their organization’s core values, norms, or basic principles.

Topic Refinement for New Approach

Using the institutional talk program as an alternative approach will change the focus from the overall narratives of organizational discourse to the intricacies of interaction patterns. The developed, refined view, however, focuses on the very tiny details that are embedded in the daily face-to-face talk, such as client-staff. It provides a distinct perspective on the insidious but powerful roles this communication plays in the creation and maintenance of organizational culture. This approach involves studying how the language and form of typical conversations capture what the organization considers important, values, and rules.

Data Collection Approach for Alternate Study

The main data source will be audio records of client-staff contacts, with a focus on service encounters. The intention is to document such real-time online employee-customer communication, in essence, offering a solid source for analysis. In this case, service encounters are chosen because they have the potential to show much about organizational communication practices (Alam, 2021). These interactions can be viewed as the first line of contact between an organization and its external environment, and thus, they serve as vital points for gauging how organizational norms and values are interpreted and understood. These records would reflect on the tone, language, and structure of talks, answers to customers’ questions, techniques of solving cases, and total strategy in regard to customer service.

Relevant Studies

Institutional talk is the alternate approach used in this study. The approach is anchored on methodology and conceptual foundations provided by such exemplary studies as those of Deirdre Boden. In particular, the work by Boden analyzing organizations “as they happen” suggests a real-time and on-site approach to understanding communications within the organizational context (Wertheimer et al., 2022). Her conversation analysis approach, which digs into the complex interaction between corporate members and clients, is a powerful instrument that can be used to study these relationships. Upon looking at the methodology in Boden, one would scrutinize the transcription to establish trends and styles of conversation between staff and clients. Such include looking at their mannerisms, such as taking turns, using slang, conflict management, and how they agree or understand each other among the staff and the clients.

Methodological Differences

The main methodological difference between the two approaches is in the object of analysis. Organizational discourse analysis tends to focus on wider narrative structures and the consequences, whereas institutional talk centers on the intricate technicalities of conversation – turn-taking, speech acts, and interpersonal relations (Wertheimer et al., 2022). The change in perspective makes it possible to view on a micro level the way people’s ordinary dealings generate larger narratives on the organization.

Conclusion

 In conclusion, this has been a fundamental change in direction, putting the microscopic level of institutional talk–specifically client-staff discussions–at center stage. The result pushes beyond the sweeping trends of organizational narratives into everyday conversations across departments and grades, which reflect the organization’s values, norms, and principles in a very tangible, up-to-the-minute way. This study turns to audio recordings of service encounters as a primary data source, providing us with an insightful, firsthand look at the unfolding series of communications between employees and customers.

References

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Appendices

Appendix A: Excerpts from Leadership Discourse

Transcripts

Management Meeting on Strategic Growth.

Transcript: Our organization’s collective effort and visionary approach are vital as we move towards unparalleled growth in any firm.

Context: The following excerpt comes from a senior management meeting discussing an organizational growth strategy, collective effort, and visionary leadership.

Appendix B: Employee Engagement Communication Samples

Transcripts

Team Briefing on Employee Contribution.

Transcript: We appreciate your assistance. Let us work together, bring forth novel concepts, and become the best.

Context: This comment was part of a team briefing that aimed to inspire staff members and illustrate the importance of teamwork and innovations toward an organization’s success.

Appendix C: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Announcements

Transcripts

CSR Announcement on Sustainability and Community Impact.

Transcript: Sustainability entails more than just businesses. It entails making our presence noticeable in a constructive way wherever we go.

Context: One of the sustainability initiatives, CSR, positively impacted the community.