Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study investigates the manner in which the concept of communication is discursively
constructed in a South African insurance company. The company recently underwent a
merger which, according to the literature, should increase its awareness of communicative
practices. The thesis builds on recent theoretical developments in organisational studies,
more specifically, the linguistic turn. The focus falls on the way in which organisational
communication is constructed by implementing the analytical tools of thematic analysis and
discourse analysis.
All of the participants in this study were involved with the merger that the company
underwent. The sample of twenty-three participants included eighteen employees who took
part in an electronic survey questionnaire and five employees who were individually
interviewed. Additionally, documents concerning the merger were analysed to reveal the
way in which the company’s organisational communication is constructed by managers.
During the data collection, participants were questioned about their perspectives of
organisational communication and organisational culture with regard to the merger. The data
strongly shows that communication is generally not considered an important aspect in an
organisation during the merging process. Interestingly, when participants’ attention is,
however, drawn to specifically the concept of communication, a mechanistic view of
communication is presented with only selected communicative practices considered as
‘communication’. The analysis further indicates changing communicative practices in the
newly merged company. In conclusion, this study argues that organisations, especially in a merging context, can
benefit from a greater awareness regarding the importance of organisational communication.
Further linguistic research in the form of organisational studies in this regard is suggested. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie ondersoek die wyse waarop die konsep van kommunikasie deur diskoers
gekonstrueer word in ʼn Suid-Afrikaanse versekeringsmaatskappy. Hierdie organisasie het
onlangs ʼn amalgameringsproses ondergaan wat volgens die literatuur behoort te lei tot ʼn
toename in bewustheid van kommunikatiewe praktyke en veroorsaak dat die konteks ʼn
kardinale element in die navorsing is. Hierdie tesis bou op onlangse teoretiese ontwikkelings
in organisatoriese studies, met ‘n spesifieke fokus op diskoers en taal (die ‘linguistic turn’).
Die fokus val op die manier waarop organisatoriese kommunikasie gekonstrueer word deur
die analitiese metodes van tematiese analise en diskoersanalise te implementeer.
Al die deelnemers in hierdie studie was betrokke by die amalgamering van die maatskappy.
Die steekproef van drie-en-twintig deelnemers sluit agtien werknemers in wat aan die
elektroniese opname deelgeneem het en vyf werknemers waarmee individuele onderhoude
gevoer is. Dokumente aangaande die amalgamering is addisioneel geanaliseer om sodoende
die wyse waarop die maatskappy se organisatoriese kommunikasie gekonstrueer word deur
bestuurders, aan die lig te bring. Gedurende die data-insameling is deelnemers ondervra
aangaande hulle perspektiewe op organisatoriese kommunikasie en organisatoriese kultuur
ten opsigte van die amalgamering. Die data dui daarop dat kommunikasie oor die algemeen
nie beskou word as ʼn belangrike aspek van ʼn organisasie tydens die amalgameringsproses
nie. Tog, wanneer die deelnemers se aandag daarop gevestig word en hul gevra word om
spesifiek te fokus op die konsep van kommunikasie, word ʼn meganiese uitkyk van
kommunikasie voorgestel met slegs geselekteerde kommunikatiewe praktyke wat as
‘kommunikasie’ beskou word. Die analise lig verder die idee van veranderlike
kommunikatiewe praktyke in die nuwe geamalgameerde maatskappy uit. Ter opsomming voer hierdie studie aan dat organisasies, veral in ʼn amalgameringskonteks,
baat kan vind by ʼn groter bewustheid omtrent die belangrikheid van organisatoriese
kommunikasie. Verdere linguistiese navorsing in organisatoriese studies in hierdie verband
word voorgestel.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/96138 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Van Der Merwe, Joanie |
| Contributors | Oostendorp, Marcelyn, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of General Linguistics. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | viii, 112 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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