Speaking Power: Strategic Talk and Boundary-Spanning in Boardroom Governance Exploring Communicative Competence through the BACS Typology

Speaking Power: Strategic Talk and Boundary-Spanning in Boardroom Governance Exploring Communicative Competence through the BACS Typology | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Speaking Power: Strategic Talk and Boundary-Spanning in Boardroom Governance Exploring Communicative Competence through the BACS Typology Nicholas Beech, Jeff Gold, Down Bruce, Adalberto Arrigoni, Agnew Duncan, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7537891/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 7 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study examines how directors use strategic talk in boardrooms to shape decisions, navigate power, and influence organisational direction. Addressing limitations in dominant governance paradigms, it explores the lived communicative practices of elite decision-makers. Using ethnographic observation and Critical Discourse Analysis, it introduces the Boardroom Attributes, Characters and Skills (BACS) Typology comprising linguistic skill, contextual awareness, and interpersonal dynamics to analyse how governance is performed through interaction. Findings reveal that strategic talk serves not only to advance agendas but also to perform boundary work, construct legitimacy, and foster dialogical spaces. These practices are relational and context-dependent, often obscured by formal governance models. The BACS framework highlights how communicative competence varies across individuals and is shaped by power structures such as seniority and symbolic capital. The study advocates for more inclusive, reflective boardroom cultures by foregrounding discursive skill and contextual sensitivity. It challenges static governance models and contributes a nuanced understanding of how legitimacy and strategic influence are constructed through language. The BACS Typology offers both theoretical insight and practical relevance for enhancing strategic dialogue in elite settings. Humanities/Cultural and media studies Social science/Cultural and media studies Humanities/Language and linguistics Social science/Language and linguistics Social science/Politics and international relations Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviews received at journal 25 Mar, 2026 Reviewers agreed at journal 14 Mar, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 02 Mar, 2026 Editor invited by journal 24 Sep, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 23 Sep, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 10 Sep, 2025 First submitted to journal 04 Sep, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7537891","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":599386867,"identity":"03e6d7ff-ceea-4ef8-baf1-791b2c5ee17d","order_by":0,"name":"Nicholas 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