A Non-Verbal Perspective on Communicative Constitution of Organization: Fleshing Out Genre With Goffman's Situational View

• In Event: So Far, So Good, Part 1: Organizational Communication Research Escalator

Abstract

Recent theoretical work on the communicative constitution of organization challenges established views of recurring action patterns as the basic components of organizations. In this paper I develop a lens on communicative organizing practices to bridge these two schools of thought, which highlights the duality of action and meaning. I do so by “fleshing out” Yates & Orlikowski’s (1992) genre approach with Goffman’s (1963) work on social interaction. The situational view of genre developed here reveals how – through cooperatively performing a recognizable script of bracketing behaviors – co-present actors jointly frame their focused interaction and interpretation of meaning. A notional example is used to illustrate. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Author

• Jo Ann M. Brooks