The language of management: an enduring challenge.
The language used in health care organizations has a profound effect on the way people conduct their work. The aim of this paper is to highlight and examine the significance of language in health care organizations, and raise awareness of its relevance to nurse managers. This is achieved by exploring three main themes. The contrasting views of health care, reflected in the language of management and nursing; the management of rhetoric; and researching language. It is argued that the material effects of language need to be recognized by nurse managers, if they are to fulfil their role effectively, and that language can also be used as a resource in the pursuit of this goal. Recommendations are made concerning the need for nurse managers to become sensitive to the varied dimensions of language and a means of initiating this process is suggested.
Hewison
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School of Health and Social Sciences, Coventry University, UK.
D003144:Communication Barriers; D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D009718:Nurse Administrators / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000523:psychology*; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009745:Nursing, Supervisory / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012660:Semantics