The Language of Organizational Styling

This interdisciplinary, book-length study of the linguistics of organizational styling presents an innovative take on the notion of style.

Lionel Wee (Author)

9781107666979, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 28 March 2019

211 pages, 3 b/w illus.
21.9 x 15.2 x 1.2 cm, 0.3 kg

'In sociolinguistics, and more particularly in social semiotics, Lionel Wee has attempted to break new ground … Wee's perspective that the styling of organizations is fundamentally different from (yet related to) that of individuals emerges as a particularly salient theme.' Sebastian Muth, Journal of Sociolinguistics

The ways in which commercial organizations and service providers 'style' themselves - creating the image they wish to portray to their potential consumers - is a long-established area of research in the fields of sociology and business studies. However, language also plays an important role in organizational styling, something which until now has been largely overlooked in the literature. This is the first book-length study of the linguistics of organizational styling, looking at the language and semiotic resources used by holiday resorts, pharmaceutical companies, restaurants and insurance companies in order to project their identities, and style themselves. It discusses in detail a number of case studies and presents an innovative take on the notion of style, as well as bringing together work from linguistics, business studies and sociology. This interdisciplinary book will be of interest to scholars and advanced students in sociolinguistics, and scholars of sociology and business studies.

1. Introduction: the organization as a corporate actor
2. Styling: from persons to organizations
3. Enterprise culture as a master ethical regime
4. Size matters: the semiotics of big versus small businesses
5. When Peter meets Harry: the emotional labor of organizations
6. Organizational restyling
7. Styling the organizational other
8. Organizations and speakers: structure and agency in language.

Subject Areas: Sales & marketing [KJS], Management of specific areas [KJMV], Business studies: general [KJB], Social theory [JHBA], Sociology [JHB], Communication studies [GTC], Applied linguistics for ELT [EBAL], Sociolinguistics [CFB], Linguistics [CF], Language [C]