Argumentation and Rhetorics in Creation of Corporate Responsibility Constructs

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Argumentation and Rhetorics in Creation of
Corporate Responsibility Constructs

• Marjo Siltaoja
• University of Jyväskylä
• marjo.siltaoja_at_econ.jyu.fi
• 358142604390

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Framework of the presentation

• A brief discussion concerning
• The research task and focus of the research
• Theoretical and conceptual framework
• Empirical data and analysis
• Preliminary results
• Discussion

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The research task

• This research aims to describe the different ways
  to construct the legitimacy of corporate actions
  and existance within corporate responsibility
  framework
• The focus is on the argumentation and rhetorics
  of managers and employees

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The research task

• What is argumented for when talked about
  corporate responsibilities
• - (corporate tasks responsibility in favour of
  whom/what)
• What kinds of meanings are produced in relation
  to corporate responsibilities
• In what way is the legitimacy of the business
  being constructed ?

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Conceptual framework

• Responsibility- treated as an ethical concept
• Legitimacy- An organisation is said to be
  legitimate to the extent that its means and ends
  appear to conform with social norms, values and
  expectations (Asforth Gibbs, 1990).
• Business legitimacy in the frame of corporate
  responsibilities is understood here as a licence
  to operate in society, gained by co-ordinating
  the stakeholders interests and behaving in a
  publicly acceptable manner.
• Sociological views focus to reputation as a
  social construction mainly from the viewpoint of
  legitimacy. The primary argument of legitimacy
  theory is that external factors influence
  corporate management to seek to legitimise
  activities. Therefore, legitimacy is much about
  managing societal perceptions.

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Qualitative research approach

• Constructionistic framework
• The use of language when argumenting some
  standpoints etc- Certain language becomes
  legitimate and gives grounds to its dominant
  position- Provides a commonsense understanding of
  reality
• 16 thematic interviews ( 8 managers and 8
  employees) within newspaper company

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Focus of analysis

• The focus is on meaning of unity- narratives, in
  which the example, model or illustrations takes
  place
• context specifity
• Van Eemeren pragma-dialectical viewpoint
• Argumentation is a verbal, social and rational
  activity aimed at convincing a reasonable critic
  of the acceptability of a standpoint by putting
  forward a constellation of one or more
  propositions to justify this standpoint
• Rhetorical analysis (Perelman)
• According to the perelmanian approach,
  argumentation has a non-coercive character,
  allowing reasonable solutions, that is,
  non-definitive, non-terminal solutions to the
  problems in discussion. What is at stake, and
  because of that acquires the strength of true, is
  the legitimation given by the audience to an
  opinion, aval that can be taken away as soon as
  more strong and convincing reasons are presented.
  
• the division of means of influence
• Logos
• Ethos
• Pathos

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Arguments of responsibility(examples)

• Responsibility of the region (province)- the
  commitment of the company for the region
• The company is for the province in breath and
  blood, I mean that that sort of ethical code
  still exists
• (primary) responsibility of economic performance-
  commitment to good economic performance as a
  means to achieve legitimacy
• We are a normal company of market economy, who
  takes care of its profitability and
  sustainability
• I think that the company has to be competetive in
  order to fulfill owners and stakeholders
  expectations, expectations as a good taxpayer as
  a company as a good taxpayer and from the part of
  our staff (kuten myös henkilöstön osalta).

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An example of analysis of narratives

• I remember when--- was the chief editor and we
  went really as a delegation to claim more
  workforce, I even did a clarification, like how
  many editors companies comparable with us have,
  and then I will always remember, what I did not
  understand then, that ground. The chief editor
  said that we cannot take them, because when they
  come, they shall stay for 40 years and cost
  millions. I understood a part, which in a way is
  understood when quickly heard, but I did not
  understand that me meant keeping them for
  forty-years. It was a question of honour that we
  (the company) kept. Particularly, the old company
  did not take workforce it knew it would not
  keep.
• In this narrative, it is argued in favour of an
  old ideology-driven business
• Is stating a fact from reality and constructs the
  current reality
• Logosgt That was a question of honour that we (the
  company) kept. Particularly, the old company did
  not take workforce it knew it would not keep.
• Ethos gt We went, I even did a clarification
• Pathosgt Telling a story, giving an example
• Values honour, loyalty, commitment
• Long-term responsibility

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An example of analysis of an narrative

• We are a normal company of market economy, who
  takes care of its profitability and
  sustainability , we have responsibility of its to
  owners, of course. We had co-operation
  negotiations (yt-neuvottelut) in june and 11
  people had to be layed-off, mainly temporary
  employment were not continued. Of course there
  was anger and tension, the matter was
  regrettable. If we say that we have chosen some
  good ethic, with that matter one must not start
  to play religious, it does not give rights to
  inertia or negligence, so lets not start to pet
  the staff, no, it is also an obligation towards
  own staff. It will lead eventually to
  catastrophe.
• Business focused rhetorics
• Presenting real facts
• Constructs the current and future reality
• pragmatic argumentation
• Responsibility is consistent with society-market
  dricen focus

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Discussion

• The legitimacy of the business changes along with
  societal change (Powell and Dimaggio 1983)
• Institutional area of business
• Change is ownership is a strategic phenomena-
  valuetransitions

• Politics is not the main interest of people
  within the society
• Market-economy
• Tells about the societal change-consistent with
  societys values
• ..But the companies are getting similar with
  market-economy, institutionalising to their
  new environment
• Certain resistance for change- structural change
  is grounded on efficiency. Moreover, instead of
  dominance-more adjustement

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Thank you!
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An example of analysis of an narrative

• Like we say, there exist no return to old, but
  what was good in old was that this idea of
  constant growth did not exist. If we have just
  divided the share of the century to owners, do we
  think it is enough, no, they will want more in
  future.
• Nobody waited for dividents, the main point was
  that we are together in this, no one, it was
  always that other mission. So, when it came to
  the stocks, these old were also converted-like,
  ha, now we take all the lost years back
• ei kukaan odottanutkaan osinkoja et tärkeintä oli
  se et me ollaan täs mukana, ei kukaan, se oli
  aina muu se missio. Et sitte ku se tuli pörssiin
  niin sitte nää vanhatki niinku käännytettiin? et
  aha Nyt otetaan kaikki menetetyt vuodet takaisin
• Keskisuomalaisen historiahan kuuluu nimenomaan
  näin päin että isännät on pistäny talonsa takuuks
  että Keskisuomalainen ei olis kaatunu ja se oli
  heille hirveen tärkee että tuota et mihin nyt
  ollaan keikahdettu ku seuraava sukupolvi on tullu
  omistajiksi niin ihan toiseen reunaan

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Perelman ethos, pathos, logos

• LOGOS the subject matter of an argument
• analyses single arguments
• analyses the relationship between arguments
• evaluates the acceptability of an argument in
  target audience
• ETHOS
• manners by which the speaker presents his/hers
  creditability
• Means by which the speaker creates a relationship
  with audience
• PATHOS
• means to influence to the reception of an audience

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Importance of research

• This research places an argument that in present
  society, the major emphasis put on economic goals
  has created a new quest for business legitimacy
  in various forms of responsible business.
• Organizational change in ownership can be
  regarded as a strategic phenomenon and is
  therefore an important area of research within
  business and economics.