Rhetoric, Discourse and Argument in Organizational Sense Making: A Reflexive Tale

Abstract

It is argued that rhetoric is a key element in both the thinking and communicat ive processes of ordinary human actors and that this applies as much to the writer of this paper as to the two organizational actors whose words are closely analyzed. Following a rhetorical analysis of a dialogue between two managers encountered within a participant observation research project, two broad dis courses are identified within the organization and these are said to provide sets of discursive resources which are variously drawn on by managers in making sense of their managerial work and in pursuing interests.