From Words to Actions: Communication for Business Management

Based on the work of Jurgen Habermas, language and communication and ways to move from words to communicative action in the business environment are discussed. Information is not the basis of communication. Rather, it is language and understanding. Language operates on two levels, a technical or linguistic level and a social or communicative level. The latter leads to interpersonal relationships and communicative action which provide the context for critique, change, and organisational competitiveness. The ways for managers to develop communicative competence among members of an organisation are considered.