Strategic Organizational Discourse and Framing in Hypermodal Spaces

Silvia Ravazzani, Carmen Daniela Maier

    Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaperJournal articleResearchpeer-review

    11 Citations (Scopus)
    347 Downloads (Pure)

    Abstract

    Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore how organizations can strategically frame their legitimate perspective on a specific issue in order to gain salience and public support in a social media context. Design/methodology/approach: By means of framing theory and a critical perspective on strategic discourse in hypermodal spaces, the study examines in detail the discursive strategies and framing processes employed by a non-profit organization that faces local and global contestation of its corporate operations. Findings: Through a critical discourse analysis of the organization’s 385 Facebook posts during two periods of time, the results not only show how the corporate perspective is strategically framed and legitimized, but also challenged and consequently adapted in this hypermodal issue sub-arena. In addition to legitimizing the organizational perspective by providing evidence-based facts and external expert views as reliable and neutral sources, and echoing supporters’ voices and actions as further endorsements, the organization also strategically manages the Facebook dialogue by delegitimizing counterarguments. Originality/value: This study contributes to the corporate communication field by revealing how framing can be materialized in specific discursive strategies aimed to legitimize and delegitimize. It shows how such strategies are interrelated in hypermodal clusters in ways that sustain the organizational discourse, and can evolve across time and within the same actor’s strategy. Methodologically, this study expands the research toolkit by introducing hypermodality in exploring framing and strategic organizational discourse.

    Original languageEnglish
    JournalCorporate Communications
    Volume22
    Issue4
    Pages (from-to)507-522
    Number of pages16
    ISSN1356-3289
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2017

    Keywords

    • Facebook
    • critical discourse analysis
    • hypermodality
    • issue framing
    • social media sub-arenas
    • strategic organizational discourse

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