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The Study of Language in Organizations: A Symbolic Interactionist Stance

Ecole des sciences de la gestion, Université du Quéebec a Montreal, Quéebec, Canada; ÉEcole des sciences de la gestion, Universitée du Quéebec a Montréal, Case postale 6192, succursale Centre-ville, Montréeal, Quebec, H3C 4R2, Canada.

Very few models have been developed from research on language in organizations, and those that exist are usually very general. In addition, the assumptions on which they are based are not always explicit, which means that the limits of the models themselves cannot be seen. After describing the characteristics of research that could be done on language from an objectivist and a subjectivist stance, and specifying the limits of these two fundamental views, this paper proposes an explicit model for understanding language based on a symbolic interactionist stance, with emphasis on ascribing meaning and understanding language in the context of the interactive situation in which it occurs. The interactive situation comprises three fundamental components: the environmental, cognitive, and emotional contexts. In the model, the tongue and psycholinguistic schemata of the individuals concerned inevitably have a restrictive effect on the language used, and the language context may help make the speaker's remarks meaningful. The assumptions underlying the choice of a symbolic interactionist stance are described, and the paper ends with some suggested avenues for research revealing new topics or new ways of studying old topics.

Key Words: language • symbolic interactionism • meaning • context • schema • tongue

Human Relations, Vol. 51, No. 11, 1355-1377 (1998)
DOI: 10.1177/001872679805101102


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