Constructions of Leadership at the Intersection of Discourse, Power, and Culture

Abstract

This study uses discursive leadership as a framework for analyzing the sensemaking narratives of managers in the Caribbean island of Jamaica. The study analyzes whether or how these Jamaican managers see themselves as acting to develop organizations that are culturally indigenous in the context of dominant national colonial and neocolonial cultural Discourses that seek to marginalize local forms of cultural expression and innovation. Data from the study suggest that asking managers to make sense of the cultural context in which they practice leadership reveals connections between culture, leadership, and communication. The study also reinforces the important role control and agency play in our understanding of leadership.at MICHIGAN STATE UNIV LIBRARIES on June 15, 2015 mcq.sagepub.com Downloaded from

Debunking Eurocentrism in Organizational Communication Theory: Marginality and Liquidities in Postcolonial Contexts

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“…Similarly, Kelly (2008) takes a social constructionist view of leadership by describing it as a series of language games that share a common family resemblance. The focus on discourse helps critical organizational scholars understand relationships among power and discourse and give social actors a chance to transform oppressive societal discourses (Hall, 2011;Mumby, 2005;Sinclair, 2005). However, some critical researchers caution against a utopian faith in the ability of discourse to construct reality and transform social inequalities (i.e.…”

“…Different cultures are examples of sites involved with the material and discursive construction of leadership. For example, Hall (2011) studied leaders of organizations in Jamaica and found that they had to manage dominant discourses of colonialism and Westernization, which complicated their ability to balance their own culture in their leadership processes. Hall's (2011) study was mainly focused on dominant discourses associated with Westernization, but there were also important elements of materiality that played a part in how leadership was constructed and practiced.…”

“…For example, Hall (2011) studied leaders of organizations in Jamaica and found that they had to manage dominant discourses of colonialism and Westernization, which complicated their ability to balance their own culture in their leadership processes. Hall's (2011) study was mainly focused on dominant discourses associated with Westernization, but there were also important elements of materiality that played a part in how leadership was constructed and practiced. Specifically, Hall (2011) found that material conditions of geography, like proximity to the United States, influenced Jamaican manager's discursive constructions of leadership and culture.…”

“…Hall's (2011) study was mainly focused on dominant discourses associated with Westernization, but there were also important elements of materiality that played a part in how leadership was constructed and practiced. Specifically, Hall (2011) found that material conditions of geography, like proximity to the United States, influenced Jamaican manager's discursive constructions of leadership and culture.…”