Abstract

Distributed work is an increasingly common phenomenon in a number of technical and professional settings, and the complexity of this work requires high degrees of knowledge sharing and integration that move beyond assembly-line approaches to collaboration. Since participants in distributed-work settings rely almost exclusively on written and spoken language to mediate their collaborative relationships, professional communication faculty need educational approaches that empower students with language practices designed specifically to support effective teaming in these complex environments. To address this need, we employ discourse analysis and Speech Act Theory to identify these language practices in a case study of two cohorts of distributed, interdisciplinary, and cross-cultural student teams. The findings show correlations between language practices and successful collaboration. These correlations have significant implications for teaching and practice.

Journal
IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
Published
2010-09-01
DOI
10.1109/tpc.2010.2052857
CompPile
Open Access
Closed
Topics
Export

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (7)

  1. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  2. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  3. Technical Communication Quarterly
  4. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  5. Technical Communication Quarterly
Show all 7 →
  1. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  2. Journal of Business and Technical Communication

References (46) · 4 in this index

  1. Multiple Perspective Analyses of Classroom Discourse
  2. 10.1177/105065198800200201
  3. 10.1016/j.obhdp.2005.08.001
  4. What Writing Does and How it Does it An Introduction to Analyzing Texts and Textual Practices
  5. 10.1080/09544820500273797
Show all 46 →
  1. Distributed Work
  2. Multiple Perspective Analyses of Classroom Discourse
  3. 10.1002/j.2168-9830.2005.tb00868.x
  4. Logics of Conversation
  5. Speech act theory Introduction to semantics Guest lecture Univ Groningen The Netherlands
  6. 10.1057/palgrave.kmrp.8500143
  7. Multiple Perspective Analyses of Classroom Discourse
  8. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  9. 10.1006/obhd.2000.2893
  10. 10.1006/obhd.2000.2884
  11. Facilitating interdisciplinary research
  12. 10.1002/j.2168-9830.2007.tb00920.x
  13. 10.1002/j.2168-9830.2008.tb00962.x
  14. 10.1207/S15327051HCI1523_4
  15. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  16. 10.1287/isre.1040.0028
  17. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  18. 10.1525/9780520353237
    A Rhetoric of Motives  
  19. 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2006.00024.x
  20. 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198245537.001.0001
  21. Technical Communication Quarterly
  22. 10.1287/orsc.10.6.791
  23. The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life
  24. case study of prior knowledge: expectations and identity constructions in interdisciplina…
    Int J Eng Educ
  25. 10.4018/978-1-59904-893-2.ch003
  26. Conceptualizing the awareness of collaboration: A qualitative study of a global virtual team
    Comput Supported Cooperative Work  
  27. Criteria for Accrediting Engineering Programs
  28. 10.7551/mitpress/2464.003.0008
    Distributed Work  
  29. 10.1016/j.jengtecman.2003.12.005
  30. Working With Emotional Intelligence
  31. 10.1017/CBO9780511813085
    Politeness Some Universals in Language Use  
  32. 10.1016/j.bushor.2007.02.005
  33. 10.1016/j.destud.2007.06.001
  34. 10.1002/acp.2350090604
  35. 10.7551/mitpress/2464.003.0007
    Distributed Work  
  36. Towards an Analysis of Discourse The English Used by Teachers and Pupils
  37. 10.1111/j.1460-2466.2005.tb03025.x
  38. Identity and pragmatic performance of second language learners
    American Association for Applied Linguistics Annu Conf Arlington VA
  39. 10.1080/08824090409359963
  40. negotiating meaning in science classroom communities: case across age levels
    J Classroom Interact
  41. 10.1109/IPCC.2002.1049125