Der organisationelle Raum im Nutzungskonflikt: Streit um eine Hörsaalbesetzung an der Universität

Abstract

Using the example of a lecture hall occupation, the question of the extent to which interaction and space are related is investigated. Space is described as a construct that is assigned certain usage options on the basis of institutional specifications. The question is what options the actors have for action. It is also about which oral and written forms of communication they can use and what legitimation they have to act. In organizational communication, it is now important to present one’s own actions to social groups in a consistent and comprehensible manner. This is important for decisions when one’s own actions and those of others are to be coordi- nated. An important point of reference is the mission statement formulated by the university, which contains essential values and guidelines for one’s own actions. In the case of the lecture hall being occupied by an environmental group, the mission statement is the essential basis of argumentation for the university management and its press office. The university sees itself as the actor that determines the action. It invokes traditional and established practices and its responsibility for its own members. In the present example, an environmental group tries to question these established and traditional practices in order to introduce their own forms of discourse. The environmental group gets into a conversational and a legal conflict with the university.

Keywords

• space
• interaction
• organizational communication