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Probing language in Tanzania within western oriented business organisations. Analysis of senior managers' workplace discourses in different social groups

This study from Tanzania contributes to the understanding of the
management discourses circulating amongst senior managers in Western owned
companies in Tanzania. It identifies two dominant discourses, a
Western derived Contractual discourse and the local derived Kinship
discourse. The division of their use is not by ethnic origin of senior
managers but are drawn on in various ways by all managers.
This research focuses on senior experienced managers from three
different nationalities who were asked to tell stories from their experiences
in management life. Their stories contain their perceptions of various
populations and show their evaluations of those populations. Analysis
shows how people draw on discourses circulating within their societies,
reveals these actual underlying discourses, and explores the languages
used in communication. Two sets of communication languages emerged
from this analysis, the Western contractual and the local kinship discourse.
Western contractual thinking rests upon efficiency and profit-making. This
stands in contrast to the kinship thinking which is rooted in communal and
humanistic values. These contrasting discourses contribute to
misunderstanding, but there is common ground between them. If this
commensurable dimension is internalised, a local Tanzanian management
discourse may appear that would represent a new management discourse.
An organisational framework that may support this discourse’s emergency
and circulation is suggested.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:BRADFORD/oai:bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:10454/14410
Date January 2015
CreatorsRafner, Carl Ottar
ContributorsLee, Hugh, Harding, Nancy H.
PublisherUniversity of Bradford, Faculty of Management & Law
Source SetsBradford Scholars
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis, doctoral, DBA
Rights<a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />The University of Bradford theses are licenced under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/">Creative Commons Licence</a>.

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