Филологические науки/7. Язык, речь, речевая
коммуникация
PhD in Philology Ivantsiv O. V.
Ternopil V. Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University,
Ukraine
DISCURSIVE STRATEGIES
OF CORPORATE IMAGE FORMATION
The last three decades in linguistics have seen a considerable growth of
interest in discourse analysis. Although the scope
of discourse research
in the sphere of business is extremely
diverse, strikingly,
very few studies have so far focused on
corporate imagemaking
(see, for example T. Ananko [1], O. Bulgakova [2], I. Lysychkina
[4], O. Shefer [6],
M. Valdebenito
[7]). The majority of studies of this
type of discourse do not refer to linguistics, although in some research papers
a language component is undoubtedly present. However, the English imaging
corporate discourse deserves much more attention from linguists. We consider it
necessary to underscore that language as a semiotic system of signs must become
a subject-matter in the analysis of this type of discourse.
Corporate imagemaking
has become one of the most quickly developing areas of discourse. This has been
the result of several factors, some of which include the availability of new
technology in business communication and a massive information explosion, and,
as a consequence, the compulsive nature of advertising and promotional
activities in business and the essentially competitive nature of many of
business activities.
The choice of the object
of our study is
primarily due to the increase
in the value
of communication
in business, which leads to
the importance of its research for optimization and
efficient organization. To enhance competitiveness, to seize and retain
their position in the market, to gain a good reputation and increase profits, to build
and maintain a rapport with both existing and potential customers and
shareholders, companies need to create a positive
corporate image and establish
effective communication and information processes, which requires a
more detailed analysis of public
relations (henceforth PR) communication.
Corporate image can be defined as a mental construct formed by
communicative factors with the aim of establishing a stable set of conceptions
and associations connected with a company in the addressee’s mental picture of
the world.
Modern English imaging
corporate discourse is characterized by the specific functioning of language in
a corporate context, by the use of language resources in business activities
and verbal and para-verbal aspects of PR
communication. The analyzed discourse reveals its own communicative, pragmatic,
lexical, syntactic, textual, visual-graphic, genre-stylistic and other
features.
The major characteristics of modern English imaging corporate discourse
embrace intertexuality, interdiscursitivity
and interpractice. Thus, it can be defined as a
complex type of discourse, a hybrid substance that is characterized by the
integration of the features of various discourse types, such as media
discourse, advertising discourse and marketing discourse, and is realized at
their intersection.
The present research
focuses on the strategic choices made by the addressers of the English imaging
corporate discourse. The strategic approach is particularly relevant to the
analysis of company’s image formation because the sphere of corporate imagemaking is characterized by detailed planning of
communicative actions of the addresser.
Discursive
strategy is a means of the realization of communicative aims in the social
verbal interaction [5, p. 114]. The notion of discursive strategy correlates
with the conception formulated by Teun A. van Dijk [3]. The main components of it are global and local
strategies. Global strategy occupies a dominant position because it organizes
discourse. It is implemented through local strategies, which are aimed at
achieving certain goals and controlling the results at certain stages. These
strategies form a general macrostrategy of discourse
management [3, p. 274].
The communicative intention of the English imaging corporate
discourse addresser lies in influencing the target audience to perceive the organization
in a favorable light. This communicative
intention is realized through a global strategy of
company’s positioning
which consists in programming
the receipient’s mental picture of the world
aimed at creating a positive
image of a company as a reliable partner, a manufacturer of high quality
and exclusive products, a desirable employer and a benefactor.
The global
strategy of company’s positioning is concretized through the local strategies
which help to specify the nature of influence potentially exerted on the
conscious (argumentation) and subconscious (suggestion) levels.
In the English imaging corporate discourse, we distinguish three local
discursive strategies. The strategy of rational
argumentation is aimed at influencing the
rational sphere of recipient’s
consciousness. The strategy of emotional
argumentation appeals to the emotional-psychological sphere of the recipient.
Both of these strategies are tools in persuading the target audience in the
company’s success and the effectiveness of
the products it manufactures
by developing substantial arguments. The strategy of subconscious suggestion is aimed at producing a deliberate impact on the addressee’s subconsciousness associated with decreased critical thinking during the perception and realization of the suggested content without its understanding, detailed logical analysis and assessment.
The instrumental aspects
of these strategies
in modern English imaging corporate discourse are discursive tactics. They are implemented by linguistic
means of different language levels,
in the selection of
which the latest scientific achievements in the theory of
speech influence, argumentation
theory, rhetoric, logic, epistemology, axiology, psycholinguistics, cognitive science, neuro-linguistic programming, public relations and corporate
marketing should be taken into account. Further research is
necessary to examine the imaging corporate discourse in different spheres of
business activity.
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