Towards a Communicative Theory of Organizational Consent: Two Case Studies of Consent Contracts in Body Work

Abstract

This essay offers four empirically grounded claims to build a communicative theory of organizational consent (CTOC): (a) communication is the substance of organizational consent, (b) revoking organizational consent requires (re)negotiation, (c) communicating (non)consent is a power-laden process, and (d) organizational texts enable and constrain consent talk. Data used to abductively build these propositions came from two case studies of body work and organizational consent (i.e. two dance-intensive musical productions at a university). Within both studies, members were expected to sign and adhere to a “consent contract” – a policy detailing (in)appropriate touch and risk management procedures. The contract was largely forgotten by members in Study 1. Within Study 2, consent talk was routinized and inscripted within members’ everyday conversations. In our theorizing, we employ the Montreal school’s metatheoretical perspective of the communicative constitution of organizations (CCO) and an (im-)properties approach to (socio-)materiality. With this foundation, we support our claim-building by contrasting case study findings in conversation with past literature on consent and body work. Theorizing organizational consent through the lens of CCO shifts the conceptualization of consent as a static legal agreement or a psychological perception to consent as a dynamic, ongoing process of social construction. The conclusion offers heuristic and practical implications for future research and reform.