Strategic Ambiguities

"Eisenberg′s book is refreshing, in addition to its theoretical merits, for the presence of a distinctive human voice, unafraid to express passion, anger and hope. Readers will benefit enormously from the substance of his book, but also from its form."—HUMAN RELATIONSIn Strategic Ambiguities: Essays on Communication, Organization, and Identity, Eric M. Eisenberg, an internationally recognized leader in the theory and practice of organizational communication, collects and reflects upon more than two decades of his writing. Strategic Ambiguities is a provocative journey through the development of a new aesthetics of communication that rejects fundamentalisms and embraces a contingent, life-affirming worldview. Strategic Ambiguities: Explores the role of language and communication in the construction of social structures and personal identities. Provides a useful intellectual and historical context for students through framing chapters and head notes developed especially for this volume.Chronicles the historical development of an important argument about communicating and organizing through the sustained focus on a single theorist.Intended Audience:This text is designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses such as Organizational Communication, Communication Theory, and Organizational Behavior in the fields of Communication, Business & Management, and Educational Leadership."This collection of essays is insightful, thought-provoking, and forward-looking. Eric Eisenberg takes on challenging positions, writes in a cogent and accessible manner, and always stimulates new scholarship. This work will be an important teaching tool, not just for the innovative content of the writing, but also for the historical narrative of organizational communication embedded in it." —Steve May, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill"Lay audiences will find the text rich with evocative narratives even as the theoretical moves will engage students and teacher-scholars. This edited compilation is likely to serve as a springboard for future inquiry and an invaluable resource for teaching and learning in undergraduate and graduate communication courses." —THE REVIEW OF COMMUNICATION

"This collection of essays is insightful, thought-provoking, and forward-looking. Erick Eisenberg takes on challenging positions, writes in a cogent and accessible manner, and always stimulates new scholarship . . . This work will be an important teaching tool, not just for the innovative content of the writing, but also for the historical narrative of organizational communication embedded in it . . . This collection of essays represents a body of work that provides the foundation for our emerging understanding of the relationship between communication, organization, and identity. Its legacy should prompt us to rethink the opportunities and challenges of communication in our increasingly complex world. The world that Eric Eisenberg envisions- and that he has encouraged us to create- is one that draws on ambiguity as a means to support both personal and social transformation. He gives us communication tools for living in a world that calls forth self-reflection, respect, contingency, dialogue, and peace.", "Strategic Ambiguities: Essays on Communication, Organization, and Identity is a collection of essays perfect for college-level courses in either linguistics or business. It details the historical development of communications theories and comes from an internationally recognized leader in the theory and applications of organization communication. Chapters consider the basics of communication perspectives within business and the community environments alike, drawing many important links between the two. An important college-level discourse perfect for holdings strong in linguistics and business.", "Eisenberg′s book is refreshing, in addition to its theoretical merits, for the presence of a distinctive human voice, unafraid to express passion, anger and hope.  Readers will benefit enormously from the substance of his book, but also from its form."—HUMAN RELATIONS, "Eisenberg′s book is refreshing, in addition to its theoretical merits, for the presence of a distinctive human voice, unafraid to express passion, anger and hope. Readers will benefit enormously from the substance of his book, but also from its form. Many may also wonder: why is this kind of academic writing so rare?", "This book attempts to not just reflect the evolution of the authors′ work on strategic ambiguity, but also to analyze the subjects of attachment and the broader existential role of the individual in terms of identity construction and meaning-making."

Eric M. Eisenberg (Ph.D. & M.A., Michigan State University; B.A., Rutgers University) is co-author of the best-selling introductory organizational communication textbook (Eisenberg/Goodall, Organizational Communication:  Balancing Creativity and Restraint, 4/e, Bedford/St. Martin’s ©2005) and is consid­ered one of the top organizational communication scholars and researchers in the field.  A recipient of numerous grants and academic and teaching awards, Eisenberg also serves as associate editor to the fol­lowing journals:  Communication Monographs; Communication Research; Management Communication Quarterly; Journal of Applied Communication Research.