Chapter 8 - Dwelling Place praxis

            Chapter 8 discusses the good of organizational communication ethics, consisting of four “metaphors of communication ethics praxis” (138). One of the praxis I found particularly interesting was “dwelling place.” Dwelling place, according to the book, is a particular place or venue where communicative practices and stories can come together, giving the organization “a sense of uniqueness” (138). The book further describes dwelling place using the process of selecting a school of higher education and finding employment as examples, in that “one must figure out which institutions and organizations provides the best fit or right dwelling to shape one’s future, and will provide a sense of fit” (139).

            One example that I think perfectly illustrates this praxis is with star high school athletes being recruited to join top notch Division I schools. Such schools as Ohio State, Auburn, Duke, and North Carolina, are known for their heavy recruitment of high school athletes, and the process these student athletes have to go through to ensure both their academic and athletic future is crucial. Andrew Wiggins, for example, attended Huntington Prep School in West Virginia, where he flourished in basketball. He was named one of the top recruits in the nation next to Jabari Parker, and was courted by many colleges, including Florida State, Kentucky, and North Carolina. Wiggins eventually committed to Kansas in 2013, one of the best known and successful college basketball programs in D1 history, and posted an impressive 17 points per game in his only season with the school. Wiggins then declared for the NBA draft in 2014, was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers, but was then traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves later that summer.

            The college recruitment process for athletes like Andrew Wiggins can be especially difficult, considering the relative celebrity athletes carry coming into the school, and the reputation of the institution must be taken into account as well. Wiggins chose Kansas because he knew it was one of the best basketball colleges to play for, and having the ability to shine on national TV for the school can put you in a better position to be taken high in the NBA draft. Top 5 draft picks usually are rewarded larger (in money value) rookie contracts than players taken 6-30, and that’s another motivating factor to do well as a college athlete.

            The book talks about “identifying an employing organization that will provide a sense of fit and potential dwelling place” (139). When the Cavaliers drafted Wiggins, his summer after the draft was filled with trade rumors, particularly about being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Kevin Love. Wiggins was indeed eventually traded to Minnesota, and to loosely quote Wiggins, he said that he wanted to play for a team “that wants and needs him.” Because Cleveland dangled him as trade bait, he took a bit of an offense to that, and after having talks with Kansas basketball coach (Bill Self), he said he “wanted to be in a situation that forced him to be great right away.” The Timberwolves haven’t had a winning season for almost 12 years, and Wiggins wanted to be in a situation where he could be the #1 guy, and Minnesota provided that opportunity for him. Minnesota is a great fit for Wiggins; his first season with the Wolves not only resulted in a Rookie of the Year award, but he seems to have won over the confidence of Wolves fans all around.