Extending Organizational Memory and Corporate Communications Research via Autoethnography/Autobiography

Authors

Damion Waymer, University of Cincinnati - Main CampusFollow
Nneka Logan, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University

Abstract

Culture, business, and communication are overlapping human phenomena. However, corporate communication methods have yet to embrace the complexity of organizational culture. Since the study of culture is anthropological in nature, we propose foregrounding autoethnography/autobiographical approaches and method to analyze corporate organizational culture. We argue that studying corporate communication, public relations, and society via the lenses of organizational culture and subsidiary organizational memory can provide unique insights into practice of corporate communication and the theorizing of organizational memory research. In this case example, we answer this question: In what ways can autobiographical/autoethnographic narratives of organizational members inform the theory, research, and practice in corporate communication?

Keywords

Autobiography, Autoethnography, Organizational Culture, Organizational Memory, Corporate Communications, Public Relations

Author Bio(s)

Damion Waymer (Ph.D., Purdue University, 2006) is a Professor of Communication at the University of Cincinnati where he also serves as the Associate Provost for Faculty Development and Diversity. His program of research centers on organizational discourse, particularly regarding PR, issues management, corporate social responsibility (CSR), branding, and strategic communication. His research projects address fundamental concerns about issues of power, race, class, and gender, specifically, and how these social constructions shape and influence the ways that various stakeholders receive, react, and respond to certain messages. Correspondence regarding this article can be addressed directly to: damion.waymer@uc.edu.

Nneka Logan is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at Virginia Tech’s College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. Logan’s research areas include public relations, corporate discourse, rhetorical studies, and diversity. Logan holds a Ph.D. in communication and a master's degree from Georgia State University, and a bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia.

Publication Date

8-16-2016

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2016.2419

Recommended APA Citation

Waymer, D., & Logan, N. (2016). Extending Organizational Memory and Corporate Communications Research via Autoethnography/Autobiography. The Qualitative Report, 21(8), 1457-1474. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2016.2419