Värdegrundstexter – ett nytt slags uppdrag för klarspråksarbetet?

Abstract

This article presents a relatively new and evolving genre at public authorities, the platform of values (värdegrund). The platform of values is presented as part of a changing discourse, where presenting the public authority in question in a positive manner is getting increasingly more important. In this respect, the platforms of values resemble marketing texts, but they are also regarded as tools for governing. Since the texts articulate an expected manner of behaviour, for example that the authority is efficient and committed, they offer a subtle way of imposing a code of conduct on employees. The main focus in the article is on the relation between plain language norms and the genre of platform of values. Textual analysis of three platforms of values reveals that there are not many problems of comprehensibility, but that the level of lexical abstraction might pose a problem for readers. There are also other problems related to the platforms of values. They increase the amount of texts and genres within the public authorities, which increases costs in time and money. They also tend to be unclear communicatively, and might gloss over problems of behaviour, since they are written in a declarative mode. From a language policy perspective, they offer an opportunity to discuss the boundaries of plain language, and possible sharpen the concept of plain language practice.

With a “Licence to Adapt”: Translation Shifts in Subsidiary Corporate Value Statements

“…The use of mood metaphors in the CVSs also contributes to this ambiguity. When mood metaphors are used in a text, it is up to the person reading the text to interpret it, which means that the CVSs are open to multiple interpretations and might be considered to be a code of conduct in disguise (Höög, 2015). This ambiguity is illustrated in a study of employees' perception of a CVS (Höög & Björkvall, 2018).…”

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“…Organisatoriska värderingar kodifieras ofta i värdegrunder och visioner, där ett antal värdeladdade ord används återkommande (Waaranperä 2013, Nyström Höög 2015. I organisationskontexten fyller dessa ord en retorisk funktion.…”

“…3 Numera finns viss forskning om myndigheters värdeord och strategidokument, som visioner och värdegrunder (t.ex. Pälli, Vaara & Sorsa 2009, Waaranperä 2013, Nyström Höög 2015, Rehnberg 2017b). Ett resultat som framkommit i denna forskning är att värdeladdade ord som används och lyfts fram i värdegrunder och andra strategidokument ofta framstår som innehållstomma (Nyström Höög 2015, Rehnberg 2017b).…”

“…Vissa ord har större betydelsepotential än andra. Hit hör många av de värdeladdade ord och uttryck som på senare år har börjat användas av organisationer i värderingsstyrning (jfr Bumpus & Munchus 1996, Pälli, Vaara & Sorsa 2009, Nyström Höög 2015. Som jag redan varit inne på används vissa av dessa ord främst i den formella organisationskommunikationen, till exempel i diverse strategidokument, utan att för den skull ha slagit igenom på bred front i organisationen.…”