Evasive actions in top-down communication

Abstract

The ambiguity of the we-referent in internal communication documents can make text interpretation difficult. We analyzed the 1999 issues of the ’Maxi Guide’, the weekly top-down briefing of a large Belgian distribution chain. In relational and hybrid texts in particular, the referent of the pronoun often changes within the same text without any textual or graphic indicator.This article will first describe how the use of we is avoided. In total seven strategies were detected (e.g., perspective changes, non-finite clauses, elliptical sentences). They will be explained and illustrated with examples translated from both French and Dutch. Next, the article will outline how we itself operates as an evasive strategy. The examples will demonstrate how similar strategies are used in the two languages.

Weis More Than You Plus I. The Interpretation of the We-Forms in Internal Business Communications

“…This illustrates how the strong modals strengthen the position of the sender(s). In earlier publications (see Dieltjens and Heynderickx [1,81]) we demonstrated how a sender-exclusive we-form functions as an evasive strategy for direct instructions. Example (25) contains such an evasive we-form (we = Rs).…”

The Indefinite “We” (HET “WIJ”-Gevoel/Le “Nous” Indéfini)—Sender and Receiver References in Top-Down Communication: A Text Type-Based Approach

“…After a short overview of the seven strategies used, each one is briefly explained and illustrated with examples from both French and Dutch. In Dieltjens and Heynderickx [25] the seven strategies are discussed in depth (see Table 6). The party isn't over yet!…”