Module description
What is the module about?
Deirdre Boden powerfully argued that talk is the lifeblood of organisations. Take some of the basic features of management, such as negotiating, motivating, persuading, etc. – they are all impossible to imagine without language. Furthermore, distinctive patterns of language and social interaction emerge in different organisational settings and these patterns shape how we understand and experience work, organisations and, indeed, organisational products and services. As a result, an interdisciplinary research field has emerged to explore this perspective on language as action and to interrogate the unique properties of ‘organisational discourse’ and ‘institutional talk.’
This module engages with some of the key theories, approaches and findings from this research field to consider how language and social interaction underpin organisational life. The module is structured around studies of organisational texts (e.g. recruitment brochures, mission statements, websites and adverts), as well as studies of talk-in-interaction in organisational settings (e.g. business meetings, call centres, healthcare delivery and sales encounters). Lectures focus on the key issues, studies and perspectives, while in the tutorials students will participate in the analysis of a range of organisational texts and recordings.
Who should do this module?
The module will help you to see how studying language and social interaction can inform our understanding of work and organisations.
The module will also:
- Provide practical research training in qualitative studies of organisational language, interaction and discourse
- Develop analytic skills to deal with rich and complex qualitative data
- Encourage creative thinking to identify and pursue innovative research topics
- Enhance presentation skills (both oral and written) to develop systematic, persuasive and evidence-based arguments
Assessment details
90% coursework, consisting of one small-scale research project (2000 words) and one essay chosen from a selection (1500 words)
10% oral presentation, consisting of a 5-minute presentation of the research project
Teaching pattern
1 x 1-hour weekly lecture
1 x 1-hour weekly tutorial
Suggested reading list
There is no single text that covers all the issues addressed in the module. However, the following books provide useful background materials:
Tietze, S., L. Cohen and G. Musson (2003) Understanding Organizations through Language. London: Sage.
Mautner, G. (2015) Discourse + Management: Critical perspectives. London: Palgrave.
Llewellyn, N. and J. Hindmarsh (Eds.) (2010) Organisation, Interaction and Practice: Studies in ethnomethodology and conversation analysis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.