Changing the Process of Institutional Review Board Compliance    

In the past two years I have submitted proposals for the same study to eleven IRBs at colleges and universities across the country. While I strongly support the need for obtaining IRB approval, I believe as a discipline and as individuals we need to work to revise the IRB process. As it is now practiced at many institutions, the IRB process positions composition researchers and composition research in potentially problematic ways.

McKee, Heidi. CCC (2003). Articles>Usability>Workplace

Choose More Than a Job… Choose How You Want to Work  

Technical communicators can be found in various working environments, including consulting firms, traditional companies and organizations, and in entrepreneurial ventures. Each environment has advantages and disadvantages that you should consider. As a technical communicator, you have the ability to choose the working environment that is right for you during different stages of your career.

Statt, Ronald A. STC Proceedings (2003). Careers>Workplace

Choose Sunwest: One Airline's Organizational Communication Strategies in A Campaign Against the Teamsters Union    

This article presents a qualitative text analysis of persuasive documents written by a major U.S. airline in a 2004 counter-campaign against the Teamsters union. The methodology for this study is based on Stephen Toulmin's argument model, including his "double triad" and his interpretation of artistic proofs, which parallel the three classical rhetorical appeals. Actual corporate documents are featured in this article, supported by content from management conference calls that were attended by the researchers. The article concludes with implications for teaching and research in the field of technical and professional communication.

Ortiz, Lorelei A. and Julie Dyke Ford. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2007). Articles>Business Communication>Management>Workplace

Collaborating with Student Interns and Graduates in Research that Contributes to the Development of Programs in Technical Communication  

In what significant and distinctive ways is writing enmeshed in the professional sites our students will enter after graduation (or earlier, if they work as interns in such sites prior to graduation)? How can we distinguish between general, transportable aspects of writing expertise that can be developed in school and later applied effectively in a range of different workplaces and other, local aspects of writing expertise that are specific to particular professional environments and can only be acquired through on-site experience once there?

Smart, Graham. CPTSC Proceedings (2000). Articles>Education>Workplace

Collecting Information: Qualitative Research Methods for Solving Workplace Problems    

There is evidence that technical communicators are not well prepared to collect information designed to answer workplace problems with systematic methods. Because mastering the use of qualitative collection methods such as observation, artifact searches, and interviews is often incorrectly assumed to require little expertise, my goal is to show how much thought has gone into the systematic use of such methods in the social sciences, including business. Thus, I focus on the basic considerations involved in collecting information using qualitative methods, especially (though not exclusively) targeted for technical communicators within industry. To that end, I cover two broad areas: (a) fundamental issues, such as formulating researchable questions and addressing credibility and practicality in workplace research, and (b) the details of collecting qualitative information and also determining the specifics of an information collection plan. The topic of analyzing information after it is collected is not covered

Campbell, Kim Sydow. Technical Communication Online (1999). Articles>Usability>Workplace

Coming into the Workplace: What Every Technical Communicator Should Know—Besides Writing  

Working successfully as a technical communicator involves a great deal more than a thorough knowledge of professional skills and capability in the craft. Working at this kind of job means dealing with all sorts of people, handling all sorts of assignments and dealing with all sorts of corporate agendas and requirements that have seemingly little to do with getting the project out the door. But it’s all in a day’s work, and if you want to keep the job, you’ve got to accept and actually operate within all of those guidelines, strictures, rules (written and unwritten) and mores that make up the corporate structure.

Barker, Thomas, Rebecca A. Fuller, Deborah J. Rosenquist, John Schladen and Thea Teich. STC Proceedings (1995). Careers>Workplace>Writing>Technical Writing

Communicating Internally: Achieving Your Balance

Employees are inundated with mass information and messages. It is their responsibility to digest all this information in appropriate ways so that they can be effective in their roles, partner with others and help their company be profitable and competitive. Technology—e-newsletters, web mail, instant messaging—has greatly accelerated this environment of mass-transit communications, and while this saves time, it creates a bigger challenge: connecting and managing internal information clearly to align employees and maximize productivity.

Voss, Rebecca. Communication World Bulletin (2004). Articles>Business Communication>Workplace

Communication and Gender in Workplace 2000: Creating a Contextually-Based Integrated Paradigm  

This conceptual article presents a critical review of gender-difference and gender-sameness theory and research. The focus is upon gender workplace communication, a topic often debated in the popular and organizational literature. A contextually-based integrated paradigm is proposed which represents a shift from a gender-difference foundation to a more integrated approach that includes the interaction of gender with Standpoint Theory, culture, organizational climate, and structure and task context. The network of shared meanings concept is introduced as having a major impact on gender communication orientation. Research using an example of communication to create a contextual meaning for social support is highlighted. Implications and conclusions for organizations, researchers, and educators are discussed.

Baker, Randolph T. and Lisa Zifcak. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (1999). Articles>Communication>Workplace>Gender

Communication and Women in Engineering

Women can be either encouraged or discouraged to take on the role of engineer through communication. Encouraging women to take on the role of engineer is imperative because of the lack of women currently in engineering.

Brown, Sarah. Orange Journal, The (2005). Articles>Workplace>Engineering>Gender

Communication in International Virtual Offices  

Advances in communication technologies mean that colleagues from different parts of the world can work together in the same online space. In some cases, that space is an e-mail exchange, text messaging, or a shared corporate intranet site; in other cases, it is an electronic bulletin board or chat room related to a project. These shared online work spaces—or international virtual offices (IVOs)—provide a level of interaction that can reduce production costs and shorten production cycles.

St. Amant, Kirk R. Intercom (2003). Careers>Telecommuting>Collaboration>Workplace

Communicative Practices in the Workplace: A Historical Examination of Genre Development    

Although studies of actual communication practices in the workplace are now commonplace, few historical studies in this area have been completed. Such historical studies are necessary to help researchers understand the often com-plicated origins of genre conventions in professional discourse. Historical research that draws on contemporary genre theory helps address this void. A genre perspective is particularly valuable for helping researchers trace a given type of document s emergence and evolution. This perspective also provides a way of accounting for the connections between communicative practices and the other activities that occupy the attention of workplace organizations. To illustrate what this perspective brings to historical research in professional communication, I examine the development of communicative practices at a national production company that relied on texts to mediate its organizational activities across geographically dispersed locations.

Zachry, Mark. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication (2000). Articles>Business Communication>Workplace>History

Competitive Advantage through Employee Engagement

Engagement. Is it the latest corporate buzzword? Not for serious business leaders who understand the correlation between engaged employees and improved financial performance. They see engagement as a source of competitive advantage. All things equal, they believe, an organization that has engaged employees will outperform one that doesn’t.

Shaffer, Jim. Communication World Bulletin (2005). Careers>Management>Collaboration>Workplace

Conquering the Cubicle Syndrome

Cubicles aren't really physical walls--they're a state of mind. In effect, it's the belief that you've been compartmentalized and isolated that defines the cubicle. The four-sided, felt-lined livestock pens loved by evil office managers everywhere hides the truth: cubicles are all about being isolated and treated as part of the building infrastructure, whatever the physical location of your chair.

Hart, Geoffrey J.S. TECHWR-L (1999). Careers>Workplace>Collaboration

Controlling Access to an Extranet

The only real difference today among an extranet, an intranet, and a public Web site is how and when users can access the site. Intranets are often on private networks, and extranets are occasionally, as well; but today's robust access-control mechanisms make private networks less and less essential to providing secure access to either an extranet or an intranet. On the other hand, password-protecting portions of a public Web site is becoming more and more common, and isn't a password-protected Web site the same thing as an extranet?

Bloomberg, Jason. Intranet Journal. Design>Web Design>Intranets>Workplace

Corporate Culture as a Source of Crisis in Companies

Corporate culture involves certain values and rules of behaviour within and outside the company, which are shared by the company employees. The cause and effect relationship between the company crisis and corporate culture is reciprocal. If the corporate culture is not strong enough when a crisis occurs, its value system can break down or the crisis can unveil inconsistencies between its stated values and relations and its actual ones. On the other hand, the corporate culture can directly launch a crisis causal chain, which means that the original cause of the crisis initiates other imbalances, or deepens the imbalances occurring in another department, speeding up the development of the crisis and making it more difficult or even impossible to pull the company out.

Zuzak, Roman. Communication World Bulletin (2004). Articles>Business Communication>Workplace

Corporate Size and Knowledge Management

The more knowledge is hoarded, the less productive we were able to become. It’s difficult to get beyond that “sharing for the benefit of the whole” stigma, but when you can it can be a wonderful thing.

Hauser, Lisa. STC NJIT Student Chapter (2005). Articles>Knowledge Management>Workplace

Corporate Social Responsibility Requires Strong Collaboration Between HR and Internal Communicators

There are ongoing debates about the reporting and working relationship between HR and internal communication, but one thing is certain: When it comes to systemic change, the kind required for effective corporate social responsibility (CSR) implementation, the two must work together in an inextricably-linked collaboration.

Mees, Adine. Communication World Bulletin (2006). Articles>Business Communication>Workplace>Public Relations

Corporate Usability Maturity: Stages 1-4

As their usability approach matures, organizations typically progress through the same sequence of stages, from initial hostility to widespread reliance on user research.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2006). Articles>Usability>Workplace

Corporate Usability Maturity: Stages 5-8

An organization that reaches the managed usability stage still has far to go to reach usability nirvana. Attaining these higher maturity levels requires many years of effort.

Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2006). Articles>Usability>Workplace

Creating a Culture of Accountability

Most of those who write about corporate social responsibility focus first and foremost on external stakeholders—responsibility-focused investors, workers in the supply chain, local communities, the press, governments or NGOs—and understandably so. These groups can undermine corporate reputations by publicizing perceived instances of social irresponsibility. Reputations may be intangible, but damage to them can cost real dollars.

Mike, Barry and Jeff Grimshaw. Communication World Bulletin (2006). Articles>Business Communication>Public Relations>Workplace

Creating an Orientation Package for Your Organization  

You can create an orientation package to acclimate new personnel and ensure that they receive all the items and information they need in a timely manner. The orientation package can consist of six sections: introduction, maps, organization overview, skills list, other information sources, and checklists. Such an orientation package is currently being used at the IBM(R) Corporation in Cary, North Carolina. Businesses constantly grow and change. People join organizations, transfer between departments and sites, and return after extended absences. The sooner new personnel become skilled in their new positions, the sooner they will be productive and contributing members of the organization.

Flaherty, Erin E. STC Proceedings (1993). Articles>Business Communication>Workplace

Creating Leaders: On the Front Lines and Beyond

Companies such as GE, Procter & Gamble, General Mills, McKinsey, IBM, FedEx and others began building their leadership engines by doing what any great team does: putting the right people in the right leadership positions in the first place. They then strengthen the leaders’ skills and knowledge and rigorously hold them accountable for hitting their operating and financial targets. Let’s peek under the hood at these leadership engines to see how these great companies not only create but sustain leadership engines that continuously produce strong leaders.

Shaffer, Jim. Communication World Bulletin (2007). Articles>Education>Management>Workplace

Cubicle Etiquette  

Presents 22 rules for considerate behavior in the workplace.

Smith, Gary M. Intercom (2000). Careers>Workplace>Collaboration