Diatexts at work: The diatextual approach as a psycho-cultural path of critical discourse analysis in the organizational context

Abstract

Purpose

The paper argues that the diatextual analysis could be considered a psycho-cultural path of critical discourse analysis because it stresses the role of hermeneutical procedures in catching the inter-subjective nature of meanings. The purpose of this paper is to discuss these theoretical speculations in light with some empirical evidences coming from a discursive study exploring the construction of organizational identity through socialization practices.

Design/methodology/approach

Two focus group discussions were conducted, respectively, with retired workers and young workers employed in the same working organization to investigate how workers discursively shape their sense of belonging to the organization. Narratives of past and present membership were analyzed adopting the diatextual perspective, which was precious in tracking down the discursive traces of subjectivity, modality and argumentation emerging from their discourses.

Findings

Diatextual analysis was a precious tool to explore organizational identity through the different rhetoric that older and young workers used to make sense of it: “enchantment” vs “disenchantment.”

Research limitations/implications

The study was a case study. It involved few people and results cannot be generalized, but the main aim of the paper was to support qualitative methodology.

Practical implications

The implication of the study are precious to design formal socialization and human resource management practices better attuned with the need of workers.

Social implications

The social implications are connected with a wider revision of the organizational policies in terms of HRM.

Originality/value

The value of this paper is the discursive diatextual approach in organizational research.

Citation

Manuti, A., Scardigno, R. and Mininni, G. (2017), "Diatexts at work: The diatextual approach as a psycho-cultural path of critical discourse analysis in the organizational context", Qualitative Research Journal, Vol. 17 No. 4, pp. 319-334. https://doi.org/10.1108/QRJ-07-2016-0044