Uno stabile che “hanno deciso di riaprire” o una “casa occupata”? Prese di posizione e decisioni in una organizzazione post burocratica

This study shows the relationship between position-taking and decision-making in a borough committee of a middle size Northern Italian city. The study applies the Naturalistic Decision Making theory which is particularly sensitive to the contextual aspects of decision-making processes. The committee is considered an instance of post-bureaucratic organization because of the fact that citizens can participate directly to meetings in which important decisions for the borough are taken. Discursive analysis of two video recorded meetings has focused on the relationship between position-taking and the use of a particular linguistic expression by a local association's spokesperson and by some members of the committee. The results of the research show that specific proposals forwarded by participants takes different meanings depending on the different argumentative stances in which it is spoken and that these stances mediate the conclusive decision of members of the committee.