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Talking in organizations : Managing identity and image in an adverstising agency

Alvesson, Mats LU (1994) In Organization Studies 15(4). p.535-563
Abstract
This paper treats discourses in organizations in relationship to the management of identities and impressions. It is based on an ethnographic study of an advert ising agency and explores how advertising professionals describe themselves, their work and organizations, the profession and their clients. Various functions of such descriptions are proposed, from identity work to marketing. The relation ship between the level of discourse and deeper cultural levels is investigated through the cultural sociologies of Asplund and Bourdieu. The 'habitus' of advertising workers is discussed and 'anti-bureaucracy' is proposed as a concep tual figure — a basic way of conceptualizing vital segments of one's cultural reality — characterizing the... (More)
This paper treats discourses in organizations in relationship to the management of identities and impressions. It is based on an ethnographic study of an advert ising agency and explores how advertising professionals describe themselves, their work and organizations, the profession and their clients. Various functions of such descriptions are proposed, from identity work to marketing. The relation ship between the level of discourse and deeper cultural levels is investigated through the cultural sociologies of Asplund and Bourdieu. The 'habitus' of advertising workers is discussed and 'anti-bureaucracy' is proposed as a concep tual figure — a basic way of conceptualizing vital segments of one's cultural reality — characterizing the advertising industry (in Sweden), informing the meaning of the particular ways of talk that is typical among advertising workers. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Organization Studies
volume
15
issue
4
pages
535 - 563
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:84965590207
ISSN
1741-3044
DOI
10.1177/017084069401500403
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
aa607d36-f28d-4892-aa21-4493c6e551d1
date added to LUP
2016-06-29 09:35:13
date last changed
2021-09-26 04:23:46
@article{aa607d36-f28d-4892-aa21-4493c6e551d1,
  abstract     = {{This paper treats discourses in organizations in relationship to the management of identities and impressions. It is based on an ethnographic study of an advert ising agency and explores how advertising professionals describe themselves, their work and organizations, the profession and their clients. Various functions of such descriptions are proposed, from identity work to marketing. The relation ship between the level of discourse and deeper cultural levels is investigated through the cultural sociologies of Asplund and Bourdieu. The 'habitus' of advertising workers is discussed and 'anti-bureaucracy' is proposed as a concep tual figure — a basic way of conceptualizing vital segments of one's cultural reality — characterizing the advertising industry (in Sweden), informing the meaning of the particular ways of talk that is typical among advertising workers.}},
  author       = {{Alvesson, Mats}},
  issn         = {{1741-3044}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{535--563}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Organization Studies}},
  title        = {{Talking in organizations : Managing identity and image in an adverstising agency}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/017084069401500403}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/017084069401500403}},
  volume       = {{15}},
  year         = {{1994}},
}