Competing Logics, Shared Language: A Discursive Study of AIESEC's Recruitment Communication
Authors
Luther, Lasse ; Øllgaard, Albert Schmidt
Term
4. term
Publication year
2026
Submitted on
2026-06-01
Pages
81
Abstract
This thesis investigates how AIESEC’s recruitment messages make the organization attractive by blending two “organizational logics”: an NGO logic focused on mission and social impact, and a corporate logic focused on careers and market value. We ask how this mix of NGO‑oriented and corporate discourses shapes the organization’s logic and the identity offered to prospective volunteers. We analyze an excerpt from AIESEC Denmark’s website titled “Why should you join AIESEC” and a recruitment‑focused post from the organization’s Instagram account. Our theoretical framework draws on organizational hybridity. Using New Institutionalism, we consider how organizations respond to societal expectations; the institutional logics perspective helps explain how NGO and business logics can coexist within the same communication. Research on NGO recruitment highlights volunteer motivation and meaningful work; research on business recruitment highlights employer branding—how organizations present themselves to attract candidates—and ideas of organizational attractiveness and value creation. To operationalize these ideas, we built an analytical model inspired by Max Weber’s “ideal type,” placing organizations on a continuum between NGO and business logics across five dimensions: primary purpose, success metrics, core logic, whose interests are prioritized, and how motivation is framed. Methodologically, we combined a multimodal discourse analysis of visual elements with an interpretive discourse analysis of language. Our findings show a hybrid strategy: AIESEC links social impact to personal and professional development, positioning global volunteer work as a way to gain skills and long‑term career benefits. This hybridity is asymmetrical. Corporate‑style themes of self‑optimization and employability dominate, while humanitarian and collectivist elements largely legitimize and support organizational actions. Overall, the communication sits closer to a corporate ideal type and can be read as part of a broader neoliberal trend that reframes social engagement as individual development, which may contribute to depoliticizing social issues. We suggest that future studies examine more strongly mission‑driven NGOs to see whether similar business‑oriented discourses appear in their communication.
Denne afhandling undersøger, hvordan AIESEC’s rekrutteringsbudskaber gør organisationen attraktiv ved at blande to “organisationslogikker”: en NGO‑logik med fokus på mission og samfundsmæssig effekt og en virksomhedsmæssig logik med fokus på karriere og markedsværdi. Vi spørger, hvordan denne blanding af NGO‑orienterede og virksomhedsprægede diskurser former organisationens logik og den identitet, der tilbydes potentielle frivillige. Vi analyserer et uddrag fra AIESEC Danmarks hjemmeside med overskriften “Why should you join AIESEC” samt et rekrutteringsorienteret opslag på organisationens Instagram‑konto. Vores teoretiske ramme bygger på organisatorisk hybriditet. Med New Institutionalism ser vi på, hvordan organisationer tilpasser sig samfundets forventninger; perspektivet om institutionelle logikker forklarer, hvordan NGO‑ og forretningslogikker kan sameksistere i den samme kommunikation. Litteratur om NGO‑rekruttering fremhæver frivillig motivation og meningsfuldt arbejde; litteratur om forretningsrekruttering fremhæver employer branding—hvordan organisationer præsenterer sig for at tiltrække kandidater—samt organisatorisk attraktivitet og værdiskabelse. For at gøre disse ideer operationelle udviklede vi en analytisk model inspireret af Max Webers “idealtyper”, der placerer organisationer på et kontinuum mellem NGO‑ og forretningslogikker på fem dimensioner: primært formål, succeskriterier, kerne‑logik, interesseorientering og motivationsstruktur. Metodisk kombinerede vi en multimodal diskursanalyse af visuelle elementer med en fortolkende diskursanalyse af sproget. Vores analyse viser en hybrid strategi: AIESEC kobler samfundsnytte til personlig og professionel udvikling og fremstiller globalt frivilligt arbejde som en mulighed for at opnå kompetencer og langsigtede karrierefordele. Denne hybriditet er asymmetrisk. Virksomhedsprægede temaer om selvoptimering og employability dominerer, mens humanitære og kollektivistiske elementer primært legitimerer og understøtter organisationens handlinger. Samlet set ligger kommunikationen tættere på en virksomhedsidealtype og kan læses som led i en bredere neoliberalt præget tendens, hvor socialt engagement omfortolkes som individuel udvikling, hvilket kan bidrage til at depolitisere sociale problemstillinger. Vi foreslår, at fremtidig forskning undersøger mere mission‑drevne NGO’er for at se, om de udviser lignende forretningsorienterede diskurser i deres kommunikation.
[This apstract has been rewritten with the help of AI based on the project's original abstract]