Engaging With Society

Abstract

Processes of development and social change entail organized collective action that materializes in different organizational forms (e.g., a community group, an nonprofit organization, or a special parliamentary commission). Even though an important part of these processes takes place at an organizational and interorganizational level, the field of organizational communication (OC) has only had a minor role to play in this area (Angel, 2013). Although civil society activity suggests the need for further articulation between OC and communication for development and social change (CDSC), these traditions have often been approached as separate fields having little in common. Considering how much each tradition can gain from the other, this article discusses OC as a means for social change. This view is inspired by the political and ethical stance that has distinguished Latin American communication studies (Marques de Melo, 1999), particularly contributions from the CDSC field. Thus, the transformative, applied, and political nature that has characterized CDSC could inspire OC scholars toward a more engaged research and practice. Finding a Common Ground: Collective Action In general terms, OC scholars have studied "the dynamic relations between communication processes and human organizing" (Mumby, 2007, p. 3290). Although human organizing is a broad term comprising a wide variety of