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Utvecklingssamtal mellan chefer och medarbetare : undersökning av en samtalstyp i arbetslivet

Lindgren, Maria LU (2001) In Lundastudier i nordisk språkvetenskap. Serie A 56.
Abstract
This dissertation is an investigation into Swedish “utvecklingssamtal”, i.e. a kind of annual, re-curring staff development talk. The investigation consists of four empirical analyses. The first analysis concerns the situational context. The second analysis concerns the structure of the talks, the content and informal organisation. In the third analysis, I have worked quite closely to the theoretical framework described in Fairclough (1989, 1992, 1995), analysing text (talk) and discourse practice in terms of vocabulary, grammar, cohesion, text structure, speech acts, coherence and intertextuality. Finally, the fourth analysis concerns how the participants have grasped the interaction in the talks and the consistency in their evaluations... (More)
This dissertation is an investigation into Swedish “utvecklingssamtal”, i.e. a kind of annual, re-curring staff development talk. The investigation consists of four empirical analyses. The first analysis concerns the situational context. The second analysis concerns the structure of the talks, the content and informal organisation. In the third analysis, I have worked quite closely to the theoretical framework described in Fairclough (1989, 1992, 1995), analysing text (talk) and discourse practice in terms of vocabulary, grammar, cohesion, text structure, speech acts, coherence and intertextuality. Finally, the fourth analysis concerns how the participants have grasped the interaction in the talks and the consistency in their evaluations compared to the results from my other analyses. I have studied four naturally occurring “utvecklingssamtal” in both the public and the private sector of working life. The talks have been audio- and videotaped, and then transcribed.



The results show that the talks are asymmetric and one-sided. The superiors are the strongest on both global and local level of interaction. They introduce and close the talks, summarise, conclude and write down their agreements. They set the agenda, ask questions and give advice. The sub-ordinates follow the agenda, answer the questions and listen to the advice. In most topics, the focus is on the subordinates – the work they are involved in, their working conditions, and their experiences and points of view – more seldom on the superiors. However, this asymmetry and one-sidedness is often not distinguished by any of the participants: after the talks they characterise the interactions as equal and reciprocal.



The definition of the acitivity type given by Engquist (1990), indicates that the talks involve discussions about goals and means for work in a mutual interaction. The present study shows that these elements must be seen as optional in the activity type: in the talks investigated there is hardly any planning, and goals are not formulated at all. Furthermore, the mutual interaction can only be found on the surface with talking and listening participants, whereas under the surface, a conversation pattern covering relations of power with the superior as the dominating participant and the subordinate as the dominated can be found. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

Interaktionen i fyra olika utvecklingssamtal från åldringsvård, industri och skola beskrivs i den här avhandlingen. Till grund ligger kritisk analys av samtalens situationella kontext, organisation och språkliga uttrycksformer. Resultaten jämförs också med hur samtalsdeltagarna själva bedömer interaktionen.



Utvecklingsamtalen visar sig inte vara så ömsesidiga som de tidigare har beskrivits. De genomförs inte heller särskilt jämbördigt; cheferna är de starkare parterna och kontrollerar interaktionen i hög grad. Denna asymmetri är dock samtalsdeltagarna i hög grad omedvetna om. Vidare belyses hur utvecklingssamtalen ändrar karaktär medan de pågår. Från början fungerar de som... (More)
Popular Abstract in Swedish

Interaktionen i fyra olika utvecklingssamtal från åldringsvård, industri och skola beskrivs i den här avhandlingen. Till grund ligger kritisk analys av samtalens situationella kontext, organisation och språkliga uttrycksformer. Resultaten jämförs också med hur samtalsdeltagarna själva bedömer interaktionen.



Utvecklingsamtalen visar sig inte vara så ömsesidiga som de tidigare har beskrivits. De genomförs inte heller särskilt jämbördigt; cheferna är de starkare parterna och kontrollerar interaktionen i hög grad. Denna asymmetri är dock samtalsdeltagarna i hög grad omedvetna om. Vidare belyses hur utvecklingssamtalen ändrar karaktär medan de pågår. Från början fungerar de som formella möten. De övergår sedan till att fungera som förtroliga samtal för att återgå till mötesformen och avslutas formellt. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
supervisor
opponent
  • Prof. Londen, Anne-Marie, Helsingfors, Finland
organization
alternative title
Staff Development Talk between Managers and Co-Workers : Investigation into an Activity Type in Working Life
publishing date
type
Thesis
publication status
published
subject
keywords
semiotics, semantics, Grammar, Lingvistik, critical discourse analyse, staff development talk, IR-profile, interaction, situational context, content, organisation, text, discourse practice, back-channelling, discourse pattern, conversational style, Linguistics, conversationalisation, syntax, Grammatik, semantik, semiotik
in
Lundastudier i nordisk språkvetenskap. Serie A
volume
56
pages
272 pages
publisher
Inst. för nordiska språk, Lunds universitet
defense location
Inst. för nordiska språk, sal Kock
defense date
2001-03-02 10:15:00
ISSN
0347-8971
ISBN
91-628-4605-1
language
Swedish
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Swedish (015011001)
id
584f0cdb-0763-4acb-a345-ca69d482db88 (old id 20330)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:23:36
date last changed
2019-05-22 06:46:55
@phdthesis{584f0cdb-0763-4acb-a345-ca69d482db88,
  abstract     = {{This dissertation is an investigation into Swedish “utvecklingssamtal”, i.e. a kind of annual, re-curring staff development talk. The investigation consists of four empirical analyses. The first analysis concerns the situational context. The second analysis concerns the structure of the talks, the content and informal organisation. In the third analysis, I have worked quite closely to the theoretical framework described in Fairclough (1989, 1992, 1995), analysing text (talk) and discourse practice in terms of vocabulary, grammar, cohesion, text structure, speech acts, coherence and intertextuality. Finally, the fourth analysis concerns how the participants have grasped the interaction in the talks and the consistency in their evaluations compared to the results from my other analyses. I have studied four naturally occurring “utvecklingssamtal” in both the public and the private sector of working life. The talks have been audio- and videotaped, and then transcribed.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The results show that the talks are asymmetric and one-sided. The superiors are the strongest on both global and local level of interaction. They introduce and close the talks, summarise, conclude and write down their agreements. They set the agenda, ask questions and give advice. The sub-ordinates follow the agenda, answer the questions and listen to the advice. In most topics, the focus is on the subordinates – the work they are involved in, their working conditions, and their experiences and points of view – more seldom on the superiors. However, this asymmetry and one-sidedness is often not distinguished by any of the participants: after the talks they characterise the interactions as equal and reciprocal.<br/><br>
<br/><br>
The definition of the acitivity type given by Engquist (1990), indicates that the talks involve discussions about goals and means for work in a mutual interaction. The present study shows that these elements must be seen as optional in the activity type: in the talks investigated there is hardly any planning, and goals are not formulated at all. Furthermore, the mutual interaction can only be found on the surface with talking and listening participants, whereas under the surface, a conversation pattern covering relations of power with the superior as the dominating participant and the subordinate as the dominated can be found.}},
  author       = {{Lindgren, Maria}},
  isbn         = {{91-628-4605-1}},
  issn         = {{0347-8971}},
  keywords     = {{semiotics; semantics; Grammar; Lingvistik; critical discourse analyse; staff development talk; IR-profile; interaction; situational context; content; organisation; text; discourse practice; back-channelling; discourse pattern; conversational style; Linguistics; conversationalisation; syntax; Grammatik; semantik; semiotik}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  publisher    = {{Inst. för nordiska språk, Lunds universitet}},
  school       = {{Lund University}},
  series       = {{Lundastudier i nordisk språkvetenskap. Serie A}},
  title        = {{Utvecklingssamtal mellan chefer och medarbetare : undersökning av en samtalstyp i arbetslivet}},
  volume       = {{56}},
  year         = {{2001}},
}