ABSTRACT
One definition of a discourse is an institutionalized use of language and language-like sign systems, which can occur at many levels such as the cultural, political, or organizational. Discourses occur around specific topics such as gender, class, or power. Discourses can compete with each other or they can create distinct and incompatible versions of reality. Stories are located within a number of discourses and thus vary dramatically in terms of the language used, the concepts, issues and moral judgments made relevant, and the subject positions made available within them. Each organization, large or small, will build a culture upon a number of these semantic polarities that are necessary to generate meaning about what the organization stands for and how to act within the organizational context. The process of being positioned by others is complicated, but it is crucial to people's understanding of how organizations work.
