Peering into Transparency: Ideals, Proxies and Organizational Practices

    Publikation: KonferencebidragPaperForskningpeer review

    Abstract

    The current emphasis on organizational and institutional transparency – driven by NGOs, inquisitive media, critical investors and other engaged stakeholders – signifies a growing demand for insight, clarity, participation and democracy. Holding the promise of improved access to valid and trustworthy knowledge about contemporary organizations, the transparency discourse has significant democratic potential. Yet, its most common operationalization – as information availability – reinstalls a “purified” notion of communication devoid of mystery, inaccuracy and misrepresentation. In this paper, we apply transparency to itself by unpacking its implicit model of communication and critiquing its ignorance towards the representative nature of current transparency practices. The critique unfolds the ambiguous nature of the transparency pursuit and demonstrates how its desire for insight, clarity, participation and democracy are counteracted by new types of opacity.
    OriginalsprogEngelsk
    Publikationsdato2013
    Antal sider37
    StatusUdgivet - 2013
    BegivenhedThe 3rd Global Conference on Transparency Research - HEC Paris, Paris, Frankrig
    Varighed: 24 okt. 201326 okt. 2013
    Konferencens nummer: 3
    http://campus.hec.fr/global-transparency/

    Konference

    KonferenceThe 3rd Global Conference on Transparency Research
    Nummer3
    LokationHEC Paris
    Land/OmrådeFrankrig
    ByParis
    Periode24/10/201326/10/2013
    Internetadresse

    Bibliografisk note

    Also presented at The 63rd Annual International Communication Association (ICA) Conference. 2013, jun. 17 2013 - jun. 21, 2013. London, Storbritannien

    Emneord

    • Transparency
    • Communication
    • Representation
    • Organization
    • Democracy

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