1,720,976 research outputs found
Discourse, knowledge creation and communities : a view from Italy
No full textThis paper focuses on the role of discourse in efforts to enhance knowledge creation and knowledge sharing in selected organizational contexts that bring together members of different professional communities. It first examines the role of discourse and communication in Eni's knowledge management programs. The energy company based in Italy has developed special programs in the field of knowledge management, in particular by setting up “Practice Communities” with the goal of making tacit knowledge explicit. The paper analyses the discursive strategies and practices used in a set of documents and resources available on the corporate website in English and in Italian to represent knowledge and the company’s knowledge-related initiatives. It also draws on supplementary data in the form of semi-structured interviews with individuals involved in Eni’s knowledge management programs and the Eni Corporate University, which covers what the company refers to as the whole “knowledge cycle”, from planning the requirements of critical skills to the construction of integrated academic curricula in cooperation with universities in Italy, up to the selection of new talents and their training during their professional lives. A qualitative approach is used, with methods drawn from discourse analysis and pragmatics.
The second part of the paper is dedicated to organizations and associations of producers of wines and foods based in Lombardy, Italy. It draws on the author’s collaboration with several associations and her ongoing research in the agro-food industry. Regional associations of wine producers and the individual businesses they represent are currently facing the challenges of innovation and knowledge sharing. Internationalization has taken on importance: local and regional governments and agencies are also participating in this process, as are other local firms. In this scenario, boundaries between various types of organizations are becoming more blurred in promoting events, research, and other initiatives. At times, companies need to compete as well as collaborate, since producing and promoting their products also calls for enhancing quality at a regional level and promoting local elements strategically. To investigate issues of expertise and knowledge sharing, the paper draws on interviews with professionals involved in regional associations of wine producers and producers of local foods and wines. The paper also analyzes the strategies and discursive practices used in media reports and promotional materials to represent different aspects of local products. It gives attention to representations of innovation, expertise and internationalization as well as local culture, traditions and the natural environment. A qualitative approach is used, with methods drawn from discourse analysis and pragmatics, focusing in particular on evaluative language, personal pronouns, and participation framework
Trade fairs and events in the international coffee industry : exploring issues of identity and community
No full textDiscursive strategies in multicultural business meetings
No full textThis book explores multiparty, multicultural interaction at international business meetings. It investigates discourse at an Italian company's meetings of its international distributors, conducted mainly in English and attended by participants from different countries in Europe, Asia and
North America. Data come from audio recordings of the meetings, normally lasting two to three days, and are supplemented by the author's observations of the meetings. The study uses a series of approaches to analyze selected linguistic and interactional features, presenting an
in-depth analysis and discussion of data extracts that draws on both qualitative and quantitative approaches. It highlights the way the main company speaker and some of the multilingual participants use discursive strategies to build common ground, to construct a cooperative business relationship or to negotiate or avert conflict. The study questions the role of cultural differences in approaching multicultural, multilingual meetings and argues that organizational roles, the business context and individual differences must also be considere
Crisis, crunch, and culture: accountability and merit in CEO letters of securities brokerage firms
No full textThis presentation examines how recession-related issues and the financial crisis are addressed in the CEO letters accompanying the annual reports of firms in the Securities Brokerage Industry.
The dataset consists of CEO letters for fiscal years 2007 and 2008. We give attention to the portrayal of the firm, its performance and what could be termed “industry excesses.
International perspectives on business communication : from past approaches to future trends
No full textEurope, with its historical and cultural traditions, its economic challenges and its rich variety of languages, is involved in the globalization process.
Globalization, however it is defined, gives rise to different issues in business communication which must be analyzed, described and, last but not least,
integrated into academic teaching. This volume consists of 16 contributions on the topics Americanization and Globalization, Analyzing Professional
Interaction, New Communication Technologies, Teaching Language through Business Content, Intercultural Teams and English and other Languages in
Business. These themes drew together scholars, educators and practitioners from around the world for the European Convention of the Association for Business Communication held in Dresden in 200
Communicating Within and Across Professional Worlds in an Intercultural Setting
No full textThis paper investigates spoken interactions mainly in English during a specific event involving participants from different linguistic, cultural and professional backgrounds. The event, a winery visit, was organized within a wider three-day international convention on the Nebbiolo grape, which took place in northern Italy in early 2004 and brought together wine producers from Italy, the U.S., Australia, South Africa and Switzerland. Other participants included vineyard owners, journalists, researchers, experts on viticulture and wine from around the world, and members of the local community.
Data for the present paper consist of audio recordings of one of the winery visits organized as part of the convention. During the visit, interactants from Italy, the U.S. and Croatia used English and some Italian. The interactants from Italy and the U.S. were wine producers, while those from Croatia consisted of three journalists and a wine producer with an interpreter. The analysis focuses on the use of evaluation (Thompson / Hunston, 2000) and specialised lexis concerning grape growing, wine making and wines, with attention given to knowledge already shared by interactants and the linguistic means with which they build shared knowledge and common ground. Attention is also given to switches between English and Italian and the use of Italian terms during discussions in English
An Italian perspective on international meetings, management and language
No full textIn this chapter we explore management and language by using cases and examples drawn from our research on authentic interactions at business meetings in Italy as well as our interviews and ongoing contact with Italian managers from a range of industries. Indeed, while taking into account findings from our own research to shed light on how Italian managers use language in different settings, we also wanted to explore the perceptions of managers today. Is it possible to define or describe ‘an Italian style of management’? Or rather, do Italian managers with international experience perceive an Italian style of management? If so, how do they articulate it and how can this be connected to research on authentic interactions? The chapter provides a brief background on the development of Italian capitalism and on the corporate sector in terms of its historical, economic and cultural context. By drawing on analyses of actual language use in business settings as well as interview data, it aims to provide insights into ongoing changes in "management styles" and more specifically the use of language by manager
When (Un)ethical behavior is an issue for the industry : an examination of CEO letters of securities brokerage firms
No full textHighly publicized scandals resulting from unethical corporate behaviour have shaken investor confidence, leading to new legislation in the U.S., such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Indeed, corporate governance and financial reporting practices are under increased scrutiny, whether or not a company's image has been tarnished. This is especially an issue in the case in the Securities Brokerage Industry, an important sector linking corporations and investors and one that has been characterized by a number of high profile scandals in recent years.
Financial scandals have repercussions beyond the individual firm involved, affecting the reputation of the wider industry and the firms in the industry. Communicating an ethical stance or at least addressing ethical issues has conceivably taken on increased importance for securities brokerage firms. In this scenario, it is interesting to examine communication by Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) because they are considered the most credible voice of an organization.
The present chapter explores how ethical issues and industry scandals are addressed in the CEO letters accompanying the annual reports of firms in the Securities Brokerage Industry. It draws on theories of social responsibility and social responsiveness and the relation of these two concepts to ethics in business. The dataset consists of letters written in 2002 and 2003 and thus encompasses a set of letters written before and a set written after major scandals and ensuing legislation, specifically the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, passed in July 2002. The study examines the use of implicit and explicit evaluation, selected lexical items, and personal pronoun references, noting differences in the two sets of letters. It identifies implicit and explicit means by which the letters refer to scandals and address ethics-related issues, noting subtle shifts in the way firms position themselves with respect to industry events that affected investor confidence
Building an ethical climate in organizations : what leaders are doing
No full textThis presentation reports on a book project that aims to provide students, managers and other readers with an opportunity to learn about what CEOs – and their organizations – are doing to build a culture of ethics.
Reports in the media often focus on the negative, with accounts of corporate scandals taking precedence over what is being done to build a stronger ethical climate in the corporate world. Given the preponderance of negative examples, there is not much insight into how leaders approach ethics in their organizations. Students and other stakeholders need positive role models and would benefit from a collection of best practices in business ethics incorporating the contributions of corporate leaders
With this in mind, we embarked on a book project. Taking advantage of our combined backgrounds in business communication, finance and management, we examined the views, best practices, special projects and stories provided by CEOs concerned about ethics. Participating companies are listed among Standard & Poor 500 and/or Fortune 500. We then identified the kinds of behaviour, actions and initiatives that contribute to fostering an ethical climate in organizations.
This approach contrasts with many models in the media, which are predominantly negative and one-sided, with the risk that students, for example, get a biased view of ethics in business. In this scenario, focusing on positive leadership role models is timely and can contribute to teaching ethics in business program
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