ABSTRACT

Attention is drawn to the role of language, socially constructed into discursive forms, which carries institutionally embedded assumptions not necessarily stated, but with consequences for interpretation and outcomes for reward management. There is merit, therefore, in paying attention to the communicative aspects that may involve both verbal and non-verbal features. At one level, institutionalized reward management discourse may be observed as socially constructed not only to convey managerial intention but also to seek legitimization of outcomes from the effort–reward bargain. Finally, to inform more effective reflection on approaches to communicating reward management, developments are briefly sketched around techniques under the rubric of neurolinguistics, with potential opportunities for application by academics and practitioners alike.