The Interpellated Voice: The Social Discipline of Member Communication

Abstract

Acknowledging that the voices of ordinary members may be perceived as more credible than official organizational voices, many organizations seek to mobilize members to speak on their behalf. In this conceptual paper, we examine the constitutive dynamics of such practice, highlighting the influence of social discipline on member voicing. With its notion of ventriloquism, the Montreal School has provided an interesting understanding of how organizations are constituted by the voices ascribed to them. Extant formulations of this perspective, however, fail to conceptualize how member voicing is informed and disciplined by social norms and expectations. Drawing on the notions of interpellation and role, we question how “organizational” organizational communication is and what is being constituted when members voice their organizations. By foregrounding the significance of social figures in this process, we call for an extension of the ventriloqual perspective beyond its current organization-centric perspective.

Preparing the Show: Organizational ventriloquism as autocommunication

“…What is interesting for further development of the ventriloqual perspective is the capability of members to spontaneously make these contextual shifts themselves, for example by mobilizing behaviours and concerns that are taken for granted in the specific situation (Christensen & Christensen, 2022). Extant works seem to overlook the fact that many situations are pregnant with meaning in ways that a priori grant authority to some concerns over others.…”

Voicing an identity: Unpacking the identity sources of member voicing

“…Accounts like these indicate an essentialist understanding of identity and, more importantly, that colleagues often constitute a critical producer of approved identities. Interestingly, this phenomenon highlights how social norms and values participate in validating accepted behavior in organizational settings (Christensen and Christensen, 2022;Watson, 2008;Wieland, 2010). The idea that people should act consistently is not organization-specific but rather a highly valued norm, especially in Western society (Callero, 2013), and is closely connected to the notions of trustworthiness and authenticity.…”

“…Since it is performed on social media, member voicing is more visible than many other activities conducted by members as it does not demand the physical presence of management (or any other public). Such visibility is thus likely to heighten members’ self-surveillance, ensuring that their communication fit management’s expectations (Christensen and Christensen, 2022). As Foucault (1977: 200) notes, visibility is after all “a trap,” and the mere feeling of being watched induces people to act in disciplined ways, watching over what they do and say.…”

“…While provided and desired discursive resources play central roles in members’ identity performances, the disciplinary dimensions of member voicing cannot be explained with reference only to these. A critical reading of previous studies suggests that also pre-organizational discursive resources in the shape of cultural expectations on members’ performances, evaluated and approved by important others, influence member voicing (see also Christensen and Christensen, 2022). The notion of approved identities foregrounds members’ basic needs to be socially validated, accepted, and recognized by the people they are surrounded by (Mead, 1934).…”

Branding the “wow-academy”: The risks of promotional culture and quasi-corporate communication in higher education

“…Therefore, employees who communicate in their professional roles are considered an asset for the organization -but only if their messages are in line with the organizational voice. This is why management might seek to control the voices in organizations: they can be disciplined, silenced, colonized, manipulated, distorted, dismissed, or devalued (Christensen & Christensen, 2022;Dempsey, 2017).…”