Authorial Incongruity and Organizational Presence(s): A Ventriloquial Analysis of Shadowed Organization
Academic Article
Overview
Research
Identity
Additional Document Info
Other
View All
Overview
abstract
This article explores how contradictory sources of authority manifest the organizational presence of a crisis pregnancy center (CPC) in the southeastern region of the United States. As a type of shadowed organization, a CPCs organizational presence is produced in a tensional space between dialectics of revelation and concealment. With an interest toward understanding these dynamics, we conduct a ventriloquial analysis of CPCs pamphlets and website to examine how sources of authority produce the CPC as a distinct organization. Through this analysis, we develop the idea of authorial incongruitythe co-presence of multiple and heterogeneous sources of authorityto demonstrate how organizational presence emerges as a byproduct of tensional relations between authorities, which serve as resources for organizations seeking to present themselves as consistently who they have always been. The implications of these findings suggest distinct challenges and opportunities for building strategic relations between (shadowed) organizations and various incongruent stakeholder groups.
