Bahasa sebagai Cermin Relasi Kuasa dalam Komunikasi antara Pekerja dan Manajemen di Lingkungan Institut Teknologi Sawit Indonesia: Analisis Wacana Kritis

Abstrak

This study aims to reveal how language reflects and constructs power relations between management and employees within the organizational communication context of the Institut Teknologi Sawit Indonesia (ITSI). Employing a qualitative approach with Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis model, this research examines internal written documents such as decrees, circular letters, and administrative correspondences between management and staff. The findings show that language functions as a symbolic instrument of power used to control, negotiate, and legitimize social positions within the organizational structure. Managerial discourse tends to be directive and normative, while employees use mitigative and adaptive linguistic strategies to maintain politeness and relational harmony. The novelty of this study lies in applying Fairclough’s model to an industrial-based higher education organization, revealing a blend of bureaucratic, professional, and participatory values in institutional discourse. The study contributes to developing inclusive, reflective, and democratic organizational communication in higher education contexts