(Re)disciplining Organizational Communication Studies: A Response to Broadfoot and Munshi    

If one of the principal goals of critical organization studies writ large is the increased democratization of organizing processes, and if communication is key to that democratization, how does postcolonial theory enable us to rethink the relationship between communication and democracy?

Mumby, Dennis K. and Cynthia Stohl. Management Communication Quarterly (2007). Articles>Business Communication>Organizational Communication>Ethnographies

Rebranding at a Deeper Level

Too often companies perceive rebranding as a shallow cosmetic exercise. New PMS colour here, tweak of the logo there and throw in some nice TV ads. Done deal. Not so. In order to compete, be differentiated and sustain a competitive advantage, organisations need to push the brand much deeper to their internal core: their people.

Craner, John. Communication World Bulletin (2005). Articles>Business Communication>Marketing

Records Required by ISO 9000

ISO 9000 requires that records be kept of critical operations. Record keeping is the fourth tier of required documentation in ISO 9000, following the Quality Policy Manual, Procedures, and Work Instructions.

Kurtus, Ron. School for Champions (2001). Articles>Business Communication>Standards>ISO 9000

Rediscovering Communication

Today we have more ways of communicating than ever. The challenge? If businesses aren't careful, what they're trying to say--and what their customers are trying to say--can get lost in the complexity.

Jones, Colleen. UXmatters (2007). Articles>Business Communication>Communication

Resistance, Gender, and Bourdieu's Notion of Field

Recent conceptualizations of resistance have tended to privilege intentional and conscious acts of resistance and forms of resistance manifested within relations of power that researchers typically define as asymmetrical, such as the labor-management relation. The author argues that these tendencies lead us to overlook forms of resistance manifest in other relations of power that exist in organizations, as well as set ourselves up as arbitrators of what is to be considered 'effective' resistance. Using Bourdieu's concepts of capital and field, the author examines how we can read resistance both to the idea of sex discrimination and to patriarchal power relations from the accounts of female career police officers and offers a more perspectival, relativistic account of resistance.

Penny, Dick. Management Communication Quarterly (2008). Articles>Business Communication>Management>Theory

Resources for Business

Here you can find information to help you buy translation services as well as resources for technical authors and publishers of foreign-language documents.

Trans-K. Resources>Language>Business Communication

Resources for Writing Business Plans

A business plan is a document used to start a new business or get funding for a business that is changing in some significant way. Business plans are important documents for business partners who need to agree upon and document their plans, government officials who may need to approve aspects of the plan, and of course potential investors such as banks or private individuals who may decide to fund the business or its expansion.

McMurrey, David A. Illuminati Online (2001). Articles>Business Communication>Planning>Writing

Response Mechanisms—The Key to ROI

ROI still eludes many B2B communicators, despite the increasing pressure to prove it. What is the amount of revenue your company gains as a result of your communication after you’ve subtracted expenses? This is especially good to know if you integrate your marketing communication. What part of the mix is working, and what isn’t? If you know that, you can eliminate the duds and rev up the elements that really bring in revenue. Ultimately, over time, you can increase the return on your marketing investment by knowing how well the components of your program perform.

Elrick, Merry. Communication World Bulletin (2004). Articles>Business Communication>Assessment

A Response To Patrick Moore's 'Questioning The Motives Of Technical Communication and Rhetoric: Steven Katz's 'Ethic Of Expediency''    

In my 1992 College English article 'The Ethic of Expediency: Classical Rhetoric, Technology, and the Holocaust' [1], I looked at the implications of a Nazi memo whose sole purpose was to improve the efficiency of the gassing vans, in order to begin to try to understand and discuss the negative uses and ethical abuses to which technical communication, and deliberative rhetoric generally, could be taken by the powerful and unscrupulous. In 'Questioning the Motives of Technical Communication and Rhetoric: Steven Katz's 'Ethic of Expediency'' [2], Patrick Moore accuses me of ignoring alternate translations, citing out of context, and focusing on the negative meaning of words to make my case. The point at issue in these charges, I believe, is whether (and to what degree) Aristotle meant to base deliberative discourse on 'expediency.' I will take each of these charges up one at a time to explore them more thoroughly, discuss their interrelations, and then conclude with a few observations of my own.

Katz, Steven B. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2006). Articles>Business Communication>Ethics>Theory

Rethinking the Idea of Profit in Professional Communication and Cultural Capitalism    

Critical theorists often attack economic capitalists for focusing excessively on profit. But critical theorists are themselves capitalists--cultural capitalists--and they also pursue profit: in the form of publications, promotions, enhanced reputations, tenure, and course releases. Economic capitalists typically use profit for constructive reasons: as a form of audience analysis and as a way to create the wealth that enables other people to work, to have specialized jobs (including professorships), and to raise families. Profit is an integral part of the communication of economic capitalism, and the profit motive helps capitalists create safer products and usable professional communication.

Moore, Patrick. Journal of Business and Technical Communication (2004). Articles>Business Communication

Revive Employee Publications with New Technologies

You would think that if the humble print employee newsletter hasn't been killed off in the Internet explosion of the past decade, then it must have more than just its reputation going for it. It must actually meet a fundamental business need to inform and engage a workforce.

Schmidt, Belinda. Communication World Bulletin (2005). Articles>Business Communication>Workplace>Newsletters

Rhetoric 3316.06: Writing for the Workplace

Rhetoric 3316 studies and practices 'workplace communication required of professionals who write as part of their jobs. Emphasis on developing a sense of audience and purpose, writing in teams, and learning problem-solving strategies. Intensive practice writing workplace documents such as memos, letters, e-mail, resumes, and reports.'

Nahrwold, Cynthia. University of Arkansas-Little Rock. Academic>Courses>Writing>Business Communication

The Rhetoric of Misdirection in Corporate Privacy-Policy Statements    

U.S. businesses wish to continue to profit by collecting personal information from their website visitors, yet they fear that the practice both alienates visitors and exposes them both to legal problems from U.S. authorities and business sanctions from data-privacy authorities in Europe and Canada. This dilemma is reflected in the typical corporate privacy-policy statement, which is full of misleading and deceptive rhetoric intended to cover up the gap between the company's privacy policy and the image it wishes to project.

Markel, Mike. Technical Communication Quarterly (2005). Articles>Business Communication>Legal>Privacy

The Rising Power of Research in the Boardroom

Reputation risk has become an increasingly important item on the boardroom agenda. Conscientious and/or beleaguered company directors are turning to research for a sense of the health of their world and, in turn, the measure of the responsibilities they must assume. Like a ‘wellperson clinic,’ objective and independent research is increasingly being used to test perceptions and expectations and monitor the weak signals or murmurs that may either support them or destroy them in the years, if not months, ahead. For the reluctant directors out there, new-style regulation is ensuring that being pessimistic is no way to run a company. Beyond tarnished personal reputations, the penalties for poor risk management and oversight can range from unlimited fines and censure to imprisonment.

Macleod, Sandra. Communication World Bulletin (2004). Articles>Business Communication>Research

Rocky Mountain Communication Review  

The Rocky Mountain Communication Review is a publication for and by students enrolled in communication graduate programs. It is staffed by graduate students nominated from communication programs in the intermountain west. Faculty members from these programs serve on an editorial advisory committee.

Rocky Mountain Communication Review. Journals>Business Communication>Graduate

ROI Doesn't Have to be a Four-Letter Word

If you know ahead of time where the risks are, you can manage them (or at least watch them) and avoid unpleasant surprises down the road.

Solution Matrix (2006). Articles>Business Communication>Business Case

ROI That Never Arrives: The Devil is in the Assumptions

ROI estimates in business fail primarily because managers give too much attention to the 'pay out' odds, and too little attention to measuring and managing 'probability' odds. A good risk and sensitivity analysis of the assumptions behind the predictions allows you to do both.

Solution Matrix (2006). Articles>Business Communication>Business Case

Rules for Writing Good Letters/Memoranda

Ten rules to follow when writing professional documents.

Mississippi State University (2000). Resources>Business Communication>Correspondence

Sales Letters: Four Point Action Closing

Having convinced your reader that your product or service is worth the price, you want to get action before the reader has a change of mind, before forgetfulness defeats you, before the money goes for something else--before any of the things that could happen do happen. Therefore, a good persuasive closing is essential.

Purdue University (2000). Resources>Business Communication

Sample Thank You Letters

The thank you letter is one of the most commonly overlooked aspects of job hunting. Don’t fall in to the trap of thinking it isn’t important. A handwritten note is best but a thoughtful email will suffice. And like your resume, your thank you letter should be customized to reflect the mood and content of the interview.

Monster.com (2001). Careers>Interviewing>Correspondence>Business Communication

Secrets of Communicating with Four Generations

When you see a gray-haired, three-piece-suited executive talking to a twentysomething with multiple body piercings, it may seem that the generation gap in the workplace is bigger than ever. But people of all ages essentially want the same things—even if they look or behave differently. A recent study conducted by the Center for Creative Leadership discovered that many of the assumptions made about each generation were exaggerated or untrue. Instead, the so-called generation gap is, in large part, the result of miscommunication and misunderstanding.

Deal, Jennifer J. Communication World Bulletin (2007). Articles>Business Communication

Seven Debilitating Diseases of Business Websites (and Their Cures)

If you're a site doctor like me, you see a lot of sick websites on the Net. Yes, they work, but even when sites are treated with massive doses of cold medicine, visitors quickly see symptoms that make them want to back away. Most of these problems are design flaws: not mediocre graphics, but basic flaws in the planning and execution of the site itself.

Wilson, Ralph F. Web Marketing Today (1998). Articles>Web Design>Business Communication

Seven Steps to Employee Portal Nirvana (Or at Least a Portal That Really Works)

Confusing. Frustrating. Underutilized. Time-consuming. If you are like most communicators, these are just some of the words that come to mind when thinking about your organization’s employee portal. Intranets and employee portals have long been plagued by numerous challenges, including limited funding, poor navigation, content overload and changing technology. Add in growing user expectations, disengaged executives and differing opinions about what portals are and how they deliver tangible value, and it’s no wonder they are such sore spots for communicators.

Rudnick, Michael. Communication World Bulletin (2004). Articles>Web Design>Intranets>Business Communication

Shaping Reputations Online

We are living in a new media world where public conversations bring together people from all over the globe. Thanks to the Internet, individuals from every continent are able to create a buzz that can introduce new heroes or ruin an organization’s reputation in minutes.

Gallardo, Luis. Communication World Bulletin (2008). Articles>Business Communication>Public Relations>Online