Abstract

When newcomers join an organization, one of the most challenging tasks that they face is learning to write the way that particular organization recognizes as appropriate. Supervisors who review the writing produced by those newcomers are often expected to ensure that the documents meet organizational standards. This article, based on an ethnographic study of newcomers in two organizations, describes what newcomers need to learn in order to write appropriately and suggests resources and strategies that can help guide employees through the maze of organizational discourse conventions. Part II of this article will describe how newcomers learn and will provide further suggestions for facilitating learning about writing in the workplace.

Journal
IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
Published
1998-06-01
DOI
10.1109/47.678552
CompPile
Open Access
Closed
Topics
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (8)

  1. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  4. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  5. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Show all 8 →
  1. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  3. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication

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