Institutional Identity as Discourse: Explaining What We Are Made of

TY - JOUR

T1 - Institutional Identity as Discourse

T2 - Explaining What We Are Made of

AU - Jørgensen, Poul Erik Flyvholm

PY - 2019/6

Y1 - 2019/6

N2 - This conceptual paper explains how institutions can communicate desired images, and how analysts may deconstruct them, by proposing a distinct system for instantiating identity-driven discourse. It first situates identity against a small set of interrelated constructs to confirm how these constructs not only infuse identity with fundamental rationales, but also motivate a self-reflexive conversation once an articulated identity is responded to by its audience. The paper specifically illustrates how human values serve as contextual imperatives in an organisational identification process and thus facilitate the construction of narratives about institutional character and goals in an effort to build credibility, strong reputation, legitimacy, and trust. The paper’s introduction is a precursor to offering a detailed rhetorical model which allows human identity to be shaped into discrete forms of values discourse. The model takes inspiration from different approaches to identity and discourse from across research traditions to arrive at a blend of dimensions helpful in operationalising how organisations may verbalise what they are both made of and strive to achieve. Together with a set of dimensions derived from Impression Management Theory (Rosenfeld et al. 2002), Rokeach’s (1973) distinction between instrumental and terminal values has proved a useful resource in detailing a model whose principal structure is Aristotle’s shaping of ethos into competence, trustworthiness and goodwill. The present model was also informed by McCroskey and Teven’s (1999) writings on message source credibility, in particular the significance of verbalising the message sender’s empathy or caring for the message receiver. In its current form, the model is a refinement of previous versions that were applied to a series of empirical studies to deconstruct and exemplify the real-life identity discourse of organisations from different sectors and genres.

AB - This conceptual paper explains how institutions can communicate desired images, and how analysts may deconstruct them, by proposing a distinct system for instantiating identity-driven discourse. It first situates identity against a small set of interrelated constructs to confirm how these constructs not only infuse identity with fundamental rationales, but also motivate a self-reflexive conversation once an articulated identity is responded to by its audience. The paper specifically illustrates how human values serve as contextual imperatives in an organisational identification process and thus facilitate the construction of narratives about institutional character and goals in an effort to build credibility, strong reputation, legitimacy, and trust. The paper’s introduction is a precursor to offering a detailed rhetorical model which allows human identity to be shaped into discrete forms of values discourse. The model takes inspiration from different approaches to identity and discourse from across research traditions to arrive at a blend of dimensions helpful in operationalising how organisations may verbalise what they are both made of and strive to achieve. Together with a set of dimensions derived from Impression Management Theory (Rosenfeld et al. 2002), Rokeach’s (1973) distinction between instrumental and terminal values has proved a useful resource in detailing a model whose principal structure is Aristotle’s shaping of ethos into competence, trustworthiness and goodwill. The present model was also informed by McCroskey and Teven’s (1999) writings on message source credibility, in particular the significance of verbalising the message sender’s empathy or caring for the message receiver. In its current form, the model is a refinement of previous versions that were applied to a series of empirical studies to deconstruct and exemplify the real-life identity discourse of organisations from different sectors and genres.

KW - operational model, identity discourse, values, ethos, organisational identification

M3 - Journal article

VL - 2019

SP - 8

EP - 24

JO - I-LanD International Journal

JF - I-LanD International Journal

IS - 1

ER -