American Competitiveness: Dysfunctional Stakeholder Communications

Among the factors contributing to competitiveness problems for many American firms is the presence of excessive and inaccurate self-presentations and resulting defensive communication routines among managers in these firms. Suggestions are provided to identify and reduce conduct leading to these dysfunctional tendencies, but caution is urged in recognizing the difficulties and potential ethical dilemmas that may occur in trying to resolve these problems. Any discussion of future American competitiveness should involve global changes and economic patterns, national trade policies, and manufacturing and quality control. However, executives should also examine questionable managerial communication in firms.