Selling Usability to Your Supervisor  

What's the best way to convince your supervisor to consider usability testing? Think about where your boss falls among the personality types described by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).

Travis, David. Intercom (2006). Articles>Usability>Workplace

Sensemaking and Identity: The Interconnection of Storytelling and Networking in a Women's Group of a Large Corporation    

Based on the action research model of inquiry, this article is an interpretive ethnographic case study, exploring the power of narratives as a sensemaking device for members of a women's resource network in a large corporation during a time of significant organizational change, and the influence of storytelling on the networking practices of its members. Data are based on participant observation, formal and informal interviews, focus groups, and document analysis, including presentations, meeting notes, and e-mail correspondence. Drawing on the concepts of sensemaking, identity construction, and habitus, analysis of the members' stories suggests three key conclusions: reliance on collectively constructing stories; use of stories to deal with ambiguity and anxiety; and use of stories to construct and regulate identity. When viewed through a narrative lens, these results illuminate the interconnection of storytelling and networking strategies in a women's resource network that provides a hybrid of both expressive and instrumental benefits.

Bird, Shelley. JBC (2007). Articles>Collaboration>Workplace>Gender

Situated Learning in Cross-Functional Virtual Teams    

This paper reports an interpretive study of three cross-functional teams in a single company. The teams were virtual because each was composed of workers located in a small southern U. S. town and a northern U. S. city. The conceptual framework of situated learning within communities of practice guided the interpretation of transcripts of interviews with 22 managers and team members. The results suggest that virtual teamwork creates special demands that require workers to devise local practices for coordinating their work with remote team members. Through different combinations of remote and face-to-face communication, using a variety of communication media, the learning of work practices became situated in the virtual community rather than imposed by managers or specially designed coordinating technologies.

Robey, Daniel, Huoy Min Khoo and Carolyn Powers. Technical Communication Online (2000). Articles>Collaboration>Workplace>Online

The Skills that Technical Communicators Need: An Investigation of Technical Communication Graduates, Managers, and Curricula    

This study examines the skills that recent technical communication graduates and managers believe technical communication students need before entering business and industry as new technical communicators. Through questionnaires and interviews with recent graduates and managers of technical communication departments as well as an analysis of the participating schools' curricula, this study suggests areas where technical communication may need more preparation, including business operations, project management, problem-solving skills, and scientific and technical knowledge. Further research is needed at local, state, and national levels to analyze technical communication undergraduate curricula along with responses from recent graduates of technical communication programs and managers of technical communication programs. Only through continued research can we ensure that future technical communicators receive an education that eases their transition into the world of business and industry.

Whiteside, Aimee L. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2004). Articles>Education>TC>Workplace

Spam on the 'Net: An Ethical Dilemma  

Archee examines the ethical and practical problems associated with receiving and sending unsolicited e-mail.

Archee, Raymond K. Intercom (2001). Articles>Workplace>Ethics>Email

Speaking Ebonics in a Professional Context: The Role of Ethos/Source Credibility and Perceived Sociability of the Speaker    

Within a theoretical context of speech accommodation theory, this study follows Lambert et al. (1960) matched-guise technique. Seventy-two African-American students at a mid-south university listened to and evaluated a tape-recorded excerpt of a speech given by Jesse Jackson at the 1996 Democratic National Convention. The first version of the speech was translated into Ebonics. After students listened to the first four-minute speech in Ebonics, students then proceeded to answer a questionnaire concerning the ethos/source credibility and perceived sociability of the speaker. Next, students listened to the same audiotaped speech (given by the same speaker), except the text of the speech was translated (and subsequently delivered) in Standard English. The students then rated this second speaker on those same ethos/source credibility and sociability scales. The speaker who used Standard English was viewed as more credible (i.e., more competent and having a strong character) and sociable than the Ebonics speaker. Both of these scores were significant at the p .05 level. Future research replicating these results is urged across other African-American samples.

Payne, Kay, Joe Downing and John Christopher Fleming. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2000). Articles>Language>Workplace>Ethnicity

Spectacles of Resistance and Resistance of Spectacles    

The author explores organizational controls in an era dominated by spectacles, images, and pictures and seeks to identify forms of resistance that subvert and undermine these controls. The author analyzes new forms of resistance, such as whistle-blowing, that are particularly aimed at besmirching an organization's image and reputation and argues that although many employees have lost their collective voice, they occasionally raise their individual voices in opposition, cynical rejection, or questioning of managerial practices and discourses or, more often, resort to exit. The author concludes that many current forms of workplace resistance mirror similar forms of resistance used by individuals as consumers in questioning, disrupting, and, at times, challenging the claims of consumerism.

Gabriel, Yiannis. Management Communication Quarterly (2008). Articles>Management>Workplace

Starting and Sustaining Usability Activities in a Company  

This panel presents our experience in starting and sustaining usability activities in different size companies. Some of these activities include educating others about usability, performing task analysis, testing prototypes of new user interfaces, writing usability specifications, and conducting both formal and informal usability tests. We will answer common questions about starting a usability program.

Fisher, Judith R. and Chauncey E. Wilson. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Usability>Planning>Workplace

Strategies for the Lone Writer   

Being the lone writer in an organization can be very rewarding, but often poses unique challenges. Some of the issues of particular concern to lone writers include training, variety of tasks, managing multiple projects, career growth, and organization concerns. In addition, the challenges facing lone writers vary greatly between self-employed lone writers and lone writers in a corporate environment, and between experienced and new lone writers.

Fleischer, Becky and Win Day. STC Proceedings (1999). Articles>Writing>Workplace

Succeeding at Information Architecture in the Enterprise

This article explores some of the approaches needed to ensure that we are successful at implementing IA within organisations, with the goal being to encourage further discussion in the community about these issues.

Robertson, James. Boxes and Arrows (2006). Articles>Information Design>Workplace

Survey of Technical Writers in Small and Startup Software Companies

As part of my research for a presentation at the Forum 2000 Conference in June 2000, I conducted a survey of writers at small and startup software companies. The subject of the survey is the writer's perception of his or her role at a small or startup company. The survey also collected a small amount of factual data about the writer's place of work. I announced my survey on a number of technical writing mailing lists, probably reaching an audience of some 5,000 subscribers. Over 100 writers asked for the questionnaire, and 78 writers submitted replies.

Farbey, David. Tripod.com (2000). Articles>Research>Workplace

Sustaining Communities of Practice in the Workplace: A Case Study  

The expanding definition of technical communication requires an organization with a multidisciplinary set of skills (ranging from editing to visual design to user interface design to usability testing to programming) to meet the new demands. While the members of such a multidisciplinary organization have common goals, they also have unique and specialized needs for education, communication, and shared practices based on their specific skills. Nurturing, developing, and sustaining these distinct skills requires an infrastructure that supports divergent communities of practice, yet still encourages cross-pollination of ideas and integration of processes toward a common goal.

Fisher, Lori H. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Collaboration>Management>Workplace

Taming Internal Communications Clutter

Navigating through internal communication "whitewater" is a growing challenge in today's business environment. Every day, we face a flood of messages and requests from multiple sources, making it increasingly difficult to manage the overload.

Weisz, Terry. Communication World Bulletin (2005). Articles>Business Communication>Workplace

Teaching and Practicing Teamwork in Industry and Academia  

The purpose of this paper is to help educators and trainers design realistic working environments for team writing assignments and, thus, to prepare students to function on high-performance teams in the workplace. This paper describes differences and similarities between academic and industrial team working environments. It focuses on the kinds of tasks teams are asked to perform, the time and other constraints under which teams operate, the types of considerations that go into selecting people to participate in a team, the members' expectations about teamwork, the rewards used to recognize effective teamwork, and the role of the manager or course instructor. This paper offers suggestions to address some of the key challenges.

Kleid, Naomi A. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Education>Collaboration>Workplace

Teaching Line Managers to Be Good Communicators During Times of Change

When organizations are going through change, be it major or minor, the most trusted source of communication for employees is nearly always their line manager. Equipping line managers to communicate well is essential, but it also has inherent challenges.

Scarlett, Hilary. Communication World Bulletin (2007). Articles>Business Communication>Management>Workplace

Technical Communication: The Next Wave  

Perlin examines cutting-edge developments in technical communication and discusses their possible impact on the workplace.

Perlin, Neil E. Intercom (2001). Articles>TC>Workplace

A Technical Writing Course Aimed at Nurturing Critical Thinking Skills

Designing effective technical documents requires insightful and well-designed thinking strategies. Experienced writers--usually good problem solvers--practice critical thinking to identify the problems arising out of conflicting goals and agendas. Problem solving starts with problem finding (Flower 1994), and critical thinking plays a vital role in achieving the resultant writing goals. This article describes the function of critical thinking and its practical application in a technical writing course in an occupational setting. A solid understanding of critical knowledge will enhance novice writers' capability of handling problems and making appropriate decisions.

Kanaoka, Masao. Cambridge Language Consultants (1999). Articles>Education>Workplace>Writing

Technology and Knowledge Transfer: Science and Industry Working Together    

Science and technology are intimately related. The technology sector that drives the modern economy would never have arisen without basic scientific research, and that research is now being funded by companies seeking to gain a technological edge over their competitors. Despite this mutual dependence, technical communication has taken different paths in science and industry. Technology and knowledge transfer, the communication of research results to an audience that can implement the results, bridges these two solitudes and strongly resembles much of the work done by other technical communicators.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. International Journal for Technical Communication (2006). Articles>TC>Research>Workplace

The Use of Humor, Metaphor, Psychology, and Sheer Zaniness to Defuse Volatile Situations, Lower Your Blood Pressure, and Support Stress Management in Technical Communication: Real-World Applications of M4A4Z4 Theory  

This workshop explores the creative use of humor as a de-stressor in the often deadline-driven, pressure-filled world of technical communication, while also addressing the inherent risks involved with this strategy. Three specific techniques involving metaphor, psychology, and incongruity are exemplified in the opening presentation. Participants then form teams to apply these techniques and other strategies to relieve stress in volatile business/technical scenarios.

Voss, Daniel W. STC Proceedings (2004). Articles>Collaboration>Workplace

The Virtual Working Environment: A Challenge for Both Educators and Students  

With the increasing use of technological resources such as the Internet and World-wide Web, the concept of the 'virtual campus' where there is little or no face-to-face contact between colleagues is becoming commonplace. Students will be more attractive to potential employers if they are ready for this environment prior to graduation. To prepare students for this challenge, educators must work to ensure technical communication programs remain current with the technology field. Knowledgeable educators and up-to-date programs will produce graduates that are adequately prepared to enter the professional workforce.

Williams, Beth A. STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Education>Workplace>Online

Theorizing Structure and Agency in Workplace Writing: An Ethnomethodological Approach    

This article proposes ethnomethodology as a theoretical approach for resolving the structure-agency binary and for treating the activities of writers in organizations as simultaneously embedded in and constitutive of organizational context. Structure is defined asthose elements of social circumstances that writers orient to as relevant to their immediatewriting task. In orienting to these elements, writers reproduce them as external andconstraining social facts. The value of ethnomethodology is illustrated with data from astudy examining the social practices that surrounded the writing of an evaluation reportby two managers in an educational institution.

Schneider, Barbara. Journal of Business and Technical Communication (2002). Articles>Workplace>Writing

Toward a More Productive Discussion about Instrumental Discourse

This article traces the ongoing debate surrounding instrumental discourse in technical communication scholarship and identifies steps that scholars should take to increase the efficacy of this debate.

Warnick, Quinn. Orange Journal, The (2005). Articles>Workplace>Writing

Training 101: Learn How to Train  

Practical techniques for organizing, delivering, and surviving your first-ever face-to-face training course. While the focus is on computer software training, the information can be readily adapted for other training situations. BEFORE THE BIG DAY It is useful to know what goes into a training session even if you're not responsible for all the preparations. If

Bracey, Rhonda. STC Proceedings (2002). Articles>Education>Instructional Design>Workplace

Transforming Your Company to a Usability Culture  

Documentation is a finger in the eroding dam of an unusable product.

Ames, Andrea L. STC Region 7 Proceedings (2002). Articles>Documentation>Usability>Workplace

Uncovering Organizational Culture: Making Sense of the Corporate World  

Understanding an organization's corporate culture can help explain how to get things done in an organization: communicate, advanced up the corporate ladder, and get project ideas accepted and completed. We can understand culture by identifying values, norms, and assumptions underlying the corporate 'world..' Cultures can he better understood by looking at such things as how an organization responds to crisis, how the intentions of group leaders come to be shared, and how an organization perceives itself. For example, a study of culture at one organization revealed such differing values between two groups, scientists and engineers, that cross-cultural mediation was necessary.

Kahn, Russell L. STC Proceedings (1995). Articles>Workplace>Rhetoric>Organizational Communication