Technical Communication Quarterly Apr 2025

Communicating Global Governmentality: The United Nations Global Compact, BP, and the Implicit Violence of Human Rights Discourse

Michael T. MacDonald University of Michigan–Dearborn

Abstract

The reports the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) requires of its members provide an opportunity to study the shifting role of the private sector within the regime of human rights discourse. Using British Petroleum as a case study, I combine technical communication theories of power with Foucault's concept of governmentality to examine the rhetorical strategies in UNGC-BP communications, finding a disconnect between human rights principles and company reporting that validates rather than rejects corporate violence.

Journal
Technical Communication Quarterly
Published
2025-04-03
DOI
10.1080/10572252.2024.2394999
CompPile
Search in CompPile ↗
Open Access
Closed
Topics
rhetorical criticism discourse analysis technical communication qualitative research
Export
BibTeX RIS

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (0)

No articles in this index cite this work.

References (52) · 10 in this index

  1. Agbozo (2023)
    Multimodal Critical Discourse Analysis for Technical Communication Research
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. BP. (2003). Defining our path: Sustainability report 2003. Communication on progress UN Global Compact. https…
  3. BP. (2005). Making energy more. communication on progress UN global compact. Retrieved from https://unglobalc…
  4. BP. (2006). Sustainability report 2006. Communication on progress UN global compact. https://unglobalcompact.…
  5. BP. (2008). Sustainability report 2007. Communication on progress UN global compact. https://unglobalcompact.…
Show all 52 →
  1. BP. (2009). Sustainability review 2008. Communication on progress UN global compact. https://unglobalcompact.…
  2. BP. (2011). Sustainability review 2010. Communication on progress UN global compact. https://unglobalcompact.…
  3. BP. (2013). Sustainability review 2012. Communication on progress UN global compact. https://unglobalcompact.…
  4. BP. (2015). Sustainability report 2014. Communication on progress UN global compact. https://unglobalcompact.…
  5. BP. (2019). Responding to the dual challenge: BP sustainability report 2018. Communication on Progress UN Glo…
  6. BP. (2020). UN global compact communication on progress November 2020. Communication on Progress UN Global Co…
  7. BP. (2023). Human rights. BP.com. Retrieved August 10 2023 from https://www.bp.com/humanrights
  8. 10.2307/j.ctt17kk9p8
     ↗
  9. Butts et al. (2021)
    Rhetorical hedonism and gray genres
    Communication Design Quarterly
  10. Foucault M. (1990)
    The history of sexuality: An introduction
  11. Foucault M. (1991)
    The foucault effect: Studies in governmentality
  12. 10.1057/9780230245075
     ↗
  13. Frost (2013)
    Transcultural Risk Communication on Dauphin Island: An Analysis of Ironically L…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  14. 10.1215/9780822386544
     ↗
  15. 10.1093/oso/9780199264315.001.0001
     ↗
  16. 10.26818/9780814214688
     ↗
  17. 10.1109/ProComm57838.2023.00046
     ↗
  18. Human Rights Watch. (2015). World report 2015: Iraq. Human rights watch. https://www.hrw.org/world-report/201…
     ↗
  19. Jackson A. Y. (2012)
    Thinking with theory in qualitative research: Viewing data across multiple perspectives
  20. Jones et al. (2016)
    Disrupting the Past to Disrupt the Future: An Antenarrative of Technical Commun…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  21. 10.1007/s10551-013-1747-6
     ↗
  22. Katz (1992)
    The Ethic of Expediency: Classical Rhetoric, Technology, and the Holocaust
    College English
  23. 10.4324/9780203865736
     ↗
  24. Longo (1998)
    An approach for applying cultural study theory to technical writing research
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  25. Menton M. (2021)
    BINGO complicity, necropolitical ecology and environmental defenders
    Policy Matters
  26. 10.4324/9780429266669
     ↗
  27. 10.1215/9780822391845
     ↗
  28. 10.1215/9780822387879
     ↗
  29. 10.1007/s10551-014-2216-6
     ↗
  30. 10.4324/9781315442044-8
     ↗
  31. 10.1017/CBO9780511488856
     ↗
  32. Rude (2004)
    Toward an Expanded Concept of Rhetorical Delivery: The Uses of Reports in Publi…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  33. Starke-Meyerring (2005)
    Meeting the Challenges of Globalization: A Framework for Global Literacies in P…
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  34. United Nations Global Compact. (2022). 2022 annual report. UNGlobal compact. https://unglobalcompact.org/libr…
  35. United Nations Global Compact. (n.d.-a). Communication on progress. UNGlobal compact. https://unglobalcompact…
  36. United Nations Global Compact. (n.d.-b). One global compact: Accelerating and scaling global collective impac…
  37. United Nations Global Compact. (n.d.-c). The ten principles of the UN global compact. UNGlobal compact. https…
  38. United Nations Global Compact. (n.d.-d) Transparency builds trust. UNGlobal compact. https://unglobalcompact.…
  39. United Nations Global Compact. (n.d.-e). UNGlobal compact. https://unglobalcompact.org
  40. United Nations Global Compact. (n.d.-f). Who we are. UNGlobal compact. https://unglobalcompact.org/what-is-gc
  41. 10.1007/s10551-014-2214-8
     ↗
  42. Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. (2023a). About. Voluntary principles on security and human…
  43. Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. (2023b). Panel at PDAC – navigating complex waters: Tools …
  44. Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. (2023c). Voluntary principles on security and human rights…
  45. Waddell (1995)
    Defining sustainable development: A case study in environmental communication
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  46. 10.4324/9780429198748
     ↗
  47. Walwema (2021)
    The WHO Health Alert: Communicating a Global Pandemic with WhatsApp
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
CrossRef global citation count: 0 View in citation network → Build reading path →

Related Articles

  1. Communication Design Quarterly Sep 2024
    Review of "Embodied Environmental Risk in Technical Communication by Samuel Stinson and Mary Le Rouge," Stinson, S., & Le Rouge, M. (Eds.). (2022). Embodied Environmental Risk in Technical Communication. Routledge. ↗
    David Reamer
    rhetorical criticism discourse analysis technical communication qualitative research race and writing body and rhetoric book reviews
  2. Communication Design Quarterly Mar 2024
    Review of "Embodied Environmental Risk in Technical Communication by Samuel Stinson and Mary Le Rouge," Stinson, S., & Le Rouge, M. (Eds.). (2022). Embodied Environmental Risk in Technical Communication. Routledge. ↗
    David Reamer
    rhetorical criticism discourse analysis technical communication qualitative research race and writing body and rhetoric book reviews
  3. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication Sep 2016
    Public Engagement in Environmental Impact Studies: A Case Study of Professional Communication in Transportation Planning ↗
    Kristen R. Moore
    rhetorical criticism discourse analysis service learning technical communication professional writing qualitative research multimodality
  4. Written Communication Apr 2011
    Globalizing Writing Studies: The Case of U.S. Technical Communication Textbooks ↗
    Aya Matsuda; Paul Kei Matsuda
    rhetorical criticism discourse analysis writing pedagogy technical communication qualitative research
  5. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication Sep 2003
    Case study on the development of a computer-based support tool for assisting Japanese software engineers with their English writing needs ↗
    M. Narita; K. Kurokawa; T. Utsuro
    rhetorical criticism discourse analysis voice and style technical communication qualitative research digital rhetoric