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Abstract

This historical case study identifies language components managers may use to articulate shifts in their strategy. The authors analyzed the language revisions and substitutions Dana Corporation’s upper management made to their highly significant strategic statement, The Philosophy and Policies of Dana (PPD). A large global vehicle parts supplier, Dana experienced tremendous growth and standing until the late 1990s, when a downturn in the industry necessitated dramatic facility closings and workforce reductions. The authors compared the 1987 and 2004 versions of management’s PPD using two frameworks from strategy to guide textual analyses: Campbell’s Ashridge Mission Model and Eccles and Nohria’s Strategic Triadic, coupled with historical company research and conversations with company officials. Dana’s example suggests language options—thematic devices, modifiers, verbs, and sentence subjects—that managers should consider when formulating messages about the strategic changes they envision.

Keywords

management language rhetorical choice strategic language organizational discourse mission statement management communication

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Language Options for Managing

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