Forum Essays Management

Communication Quarterly
Volume 22 Number 4
May 2009 642-647
Introduction © 2009 Sage Publications
10.1177/0893318909332363
http://mcq.sagepub.com
A Brazilian Story hosted at

on the Development of http://online.sagepub.com

Organizational Communication
Linda L. Putnam
University of California, Santa Barbara
Adriana Machado Casali
Universidade Federal do Paraná

O ne of the exciting developments in organizational communication

today is the growth of the field internationally. Both graduate educa-
tion and undergraduate education in organizational communication are
developing in China, Korea, India, Mexico, and Brazil in public relations,
journalism, and media-based programs as well as in departments of man-
agement, sociology, psychology, and linguistics. As with any academic
area, the historical roots, disciplinary home, and interdisciplinary ties shape
its identity and define its role in contemporary society.
This forum addresses the development of organizational communication in
Brazil. However, it is not just a chronology of how a field enters into academia
or how degree programs take shape. It is a story rooted in the political and
social context of a country, the role of government in recognizing a field, and
a tightly woven relationship between academia and professional organiza-
tions (Kunsch & Nassar, 2009 [this issue]; Reis, 2009 [this issue]).
In some ways this story parallels organizational communication’s devel-
opment in the United States; for example, it reveals a search for identity and
a struggle for the appropriate label for a new area, that is, should it be business
communication, corporate communications, institutional communication,
or organizational communication? Similar to Redding’s (1979, 1985) descrip-
tion of the field’s development in the United States, the Brazilian story
reveals a period of preparation that grew out of dissatisfaction with public
relations during the dictatorship regime and a stage of integration and con-
solidation wherein scholars strive to differentiate organizational communi-
cation from related academic studies (Reis, 2009). Also similar to the
United States, scholars were in a quandary as to the most appropriate home

642
 Putnam, Casali / Introduction to the Forum   643

for the field, particularly whether to house it in organizational studies or in

communication (Reis, 2009).
Yet the story of organizational communication in Brazil unfolds in a
very different fashion than in the United States, and probably in other coun-
tries. This difference stems from its Brazilian roots, the sociopolitical con-
text of its development, and the role of scholars and practitioners in
fostering concerns for democracy and social justice. Arising out of a harsh
military dictatorship, certain approaches to organizational communication
emerged with a concern for promoting participation, civic engagement, and
sustainability. Aiming to counter the abuses of a harsh dictatorship, part of
the field “stumbled into identity” and “crystallized” as a recognized area of
study (Redding, 1985) through developing a new approach to public rela-
tions, one that moved away from the regime’s practices of manipulating
public opinion to conceal the truth. This approach embraced a macro view
of the field that privileged relationships between organizations and their
stakeholders and aimed to promote dialogue among multiple groups.
Another unique feature of the Brazilian story of organizational communi-
cation is the presence of tightly integrated, mutually supportive relationships
between academia and professional organizations, including business, gov-
ernmental groups, and nonprofit agencies (Kunsch & Nassar, 2009). Unlike
the U.S. story, Brazilian scholars and practitioners are partners in addressing
social, political, and economic problems. They have developed reciprocal
relationships between university training and industry-based education that
foster an infusion of new ideas in both sectors. They serve together on com-
mittees and boards in both sectors to address economic, environmental, and
social problems. Although entrepreneurial in focus, these partnerships are
driven by the belief that corporations, government, and academia can be
responsible for the social and environmental issues in a community’s devel-
opment. This goal extends beyond organizational economic gain.
This partnership is also evident in the close alliances between practitioner
and scholarly associations. That is, researchers and teachers in the academy
play pivotal roles in Brazilian professional societies, and, in turn, practition-
ers support and foster the development of the academy (Kunsch & Nassar,
2009). Another unique feature in this development is the growth of organi-
zational communication in the third sector or nonprofit organizations. In
Brazil, organizational communication scholars and practitioners are directly
involved in social movement organizations, foundations, and philanthropic
institutions as well as private companies (Peruzzo, 2009 [this issue]).
In the university setting, organizational communication in Brazil has its
own unique identity, one quite distinct from U.S. programs. U.S. programs
644   Management Communication Quarterly

grew out speech communication and mass media, typically housed in com-
munication departments (Redding, 1985; Redding & Tompkins, 1988). It
developed in tandem with organizational behavior, human relations, and
studies of business speaking and persuasion. Although sharing some issues
with journalism and public relations, the study of organizational communi-
cation in the United States was distinctly separate from these related fields
(Redding & Tompkins, 1988, pp. 14-15). In contrast, organizational com-
munication in Brazil emerged as an alternative to traditional public rela-
tions (Kunsch & Nassar, 2009; Reis, 2009).
For Redding (1985), one of the signs that a field has crystallized is the
presence of topics that embody principles and concepts distinct from other
fields. In the early stages of a field’s development, these topics often emerge
from theses and dissertations produced in universities. In Brazil, topics from
dissertations and theses as well as organizational communication research
include issues of strategic planning, the global and international context of
organizational relationships, civic participation and corporate citizenship,
organizational identity, technology and organizational communication, and
so on (Kunsch & Nassar, 2009; Marchiori & Oliveira, 2009 [this issue]; Reis,
2009). Moreover, these topics unfold in the midst of a distinctly Brazilian
experience, one that results in different logics for new media, global changes
in collaborative networks, and the convergence of private and public organi-
zations (Marchiori & Oliveira, 2009). Although these concerns are common
themes in other countries, the study of organizational communication in
Brazil rarely emphasizes such topics as leadership, socialization, decision
making, and organizational networks (Reis, 2009). Instead, these topics are
more likely to appear in the curricula for business schools and departments
of organizational studies.
In terms of theory, the study of organizational communication in Brazil
embraces a variety of perspectives, including functional, interpretive, criti-
cal, and dialogic approaches (Marchiori & Oliveira, 2009). Research on
discourse and cultural framings of texts emphasizes symbolic communica-
tion and the process of sense making. However, the roots of the field in
Brazil have a distinctly critical or cultural origin, one that stems from the
critical view of communication that became prominent in Latin America in
the mid-1970s (Reis, 2009). This critical approach infuses not only the
field’s scholarship but also its practice (Peruzzo, 2009). Thus, promoting
changes in the public interest, mobilizing human development activities,
and embracing a holistic framework that meets the public’s needs infuse the
field through engaging in social action.
 Putnam, Casali / Introduction to the Forum   645

The first author of this article had the good fortune to travel to Brazil in
2007 to address the first meeting of Abrapcorp, an academic association
aimed at promoting and disseminating research in organizational commu-
nication and public relations. In conversations with Stanley Deetz and
James Taylor, other North American scholars who presented lectures in
similar venues in Brazil, we were impressed with the opportunities that
organizational communication scholars have to advance the field in con-
junction with Brazil’s unique experiences. The historical roots of the field,
its partnerships with professional organizations, and the grounding of the
discipline in civic discourse and social action form a solid foundation for
academics to foster effective communication among multiple stakeholders.
Moreover, these experiences are rich sources for developing new concepts
and theories, ones that rely more on collaborations among social scientists
than on borrowing from other fields (Marchiori & Oliveira, 2009).
The second author, a Brazilian researcher and professor, had the opportu-
nity as part of her doctoral studies to spend 3 years learning from and work-
ing alongside organizational communication scholars at the University of
Montreal. During this time, it became obvious that organizational communi-
cation was conceived in a significantly different way on the two continents;
for example, organizational processes and dynamics seem to attract much
more interest in North America than in Brazil. Yet it also became quite clear
that both Brazilian and North American scholars could learn a great deal from
exploring the perspectives used in other countries and from getting acquainted
with new approaches to familiar themes such as culture, authority, and struc-
ture. This forum joins with other Management Communication Quarterly
articles (Krone, 2009 [this issue]) in providing opportunities for dialogue
through insights gleaned from the Brazilian story.
In the first essay in this forum, Reis (2009) analyzes four key periods in
organizational communication’s development in Brazil, namely, the coun-
try’s industrialization, the reign of a harsh military regime, the period of
reestablishing democracy, and the opening of the country to globalization.
Reis’s essay describes a sociopolitical context that led to developing organi-
zational communication as a new approach to public relations that aligns the
field with the country’s aim to strengthen democracy and promote corporate
citizenship.
The second essay, by Kunsch and Nassar (2009), continues an explora-
tion of these historical roots, but this article focuses on the partnerships that
have developed between academia and the business world. It also centers
on the academic–practitioner relationship as both parties collaborate to
646   Management Communication Quarterly

develop pedagogical initiatives, professional associations, publications, and

awards. Through this discussion, it provides insights as to how the field
developed a distinct identity, crystallized, and became recognized as a
viable academic discipline.
The next essay, by Peruzzo (2009), examines communication processes
in third sector organizations. The third sector includes nongovernmental
organizations, social movements, nonprofits, voluntary organizations, insti-
tutes, foundations, and activist groups. Organizational communication in
this arena focuses on social action and human development, goals that grow
out of the integration of business, government, and academia in addressing
social problems. Peruzzo shows how practitioners in the third sector
employ a modus operandi aimed at mobilizing publics, developing concrete
action steps, and building the credibility of nonprofit groups.
The fourth essay in the forum, by Marchiori and Oliveira (2009), over-
views the theoretical perspectives that guide organizational communication
research. It also addresses the challenges that the field faces and offers sug-
gestions for future research. It highlights the opportunities that multidisci-
plinary work holds and ways to capitalize on these opportunities to expand
the social scientific foundations of the field. Finally, it targets several areas,
namely, ethics, new media, collaborative networks, and global changes, as
opportunities for future development.
In different ways, the essays in this forum contribute “a tale of the field” in
that they mark unique features in the emergence of organizational communica-
tion in Brazil. They provide accounts of a historical project that has left its mark
on Brazil and on the development of the field academically and professionally.
As the field grapples with the role of practice as a theoretical focus, the need
for collaboration across sectors, and the desire to make a difference in the
world, the story of organizational communication in Brazil offers hope for a
new tomorrow.

References
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Marchiori, M. M., & Oliveira, de I. L. (2009). Perspectives, challenges, and future directions
for organizational communication research in Brazil. Management Communication
Quarterly, 22(4), 671-676.
 Putnam, Casali / Introduction to the Forum   647

Peruzzo, C. M. (2009). Organizational communication in the third sector: An alternative per-

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Linda L. Putnam (PhD, University of Minnesota, 1977) is a professor in the Department of

Communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her main research interests
include negotiation and organizational conflict, discourse and organization, and conflict fram-
ing. She is a fellow of the International Communication Association and a distinguished
scholar of the National Communication Association.

Adriana Machado Casali (doctoral degree, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil,
2006) is an associate professor in the Social Communication Department at the Universidade
Federal do Paraná, Brazil. Her main research interests include internationalization processes
and organizational communication.