Journal of Business and Technical Communication Jan 2009

Rethinking Loci Communes and Burkean Transcendence: Rhetorical Leadership While Contesting Change in the Takeover Struggle Between AirTran and Midwest Airlines

Kathryn M. Olson University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

Abstract

In situations of potential business change, the cooperation of various direct and indirect stakeholders (i.e., employees, customers, shareholders, neighbors) is crucial. The alternative policy courses may all be reasonable, and yet none of them may be clearly best for all stakeholders; support for an option must be cultivated through public rhetoric. Loci communes and Burkean transcendence are two potent rhetorical strategies that can help business leaders publicly weigh and civilly advocate a policy position relative to competing alternatives. This article develops and illustrates that argument by analyzing the public rhetoric involved in AirTran's attempt to build support for its hostile takeover of Midwest Airlines and Midwest's successful resistance to that attempt. Midwest's deft development of the transcendent term value helped it circumvent the initial deadlock between its preferred loci communes (i.e., the existent and quality) and AirTran's (i.e., the possible and quantity). The article advances a rationale and call for rhetorical scholarship to adopt more situated, social practice views of loci communes and transcendence.

Journal
Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Published
2009-01-01
DOI
10.1177/1050651908324378
CompPile
Search in CompPile ↗
Open Access
Closed
Topics
modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism public rhetoric
Export
BibTeX RIS

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (0)

No articles in this index cite this work.

References (76) · 3 in this index

  1. Adams, M. (2007)
    USA Today
  2. AirTran beats expectations with $2.4M profit. (2007, April 25). USA Today. Retrieved June 18, 2007, from http…
  3. AirTran hopes for a Delta-Northwest merger. (2008, January 30). DealBook: The New York Times. Retrieved May 2…
  4. AirTran, JetBlue: Rivals' mergers could be good for business. ( 2008, February 12). USA Today: Today in the S…
  5. AirTran: Summary.
    Chicagotribune.com
Show all 76 →
  1. AirTran unions support Midwest takeover. (2006, December 19). MSN.Money. Retrieved July 9, 2007, from http://…
  2. Aristotle. (1926)
    The "art" of rhetoric (J. H. Freese, Trans.)
  3. 10.2307/373661
     ↗
  4. Bar, B. (2007)
    Law.com
  5. Bauer-King, N. (2007)
    JSOnline
  6. 10.2307/2708069
     ↗
  7. Boethius. (1978)
    Boethius's De topicis differentiis (E. Stump, Trans.)
  8. Breen, Q. (1952)
    Archiv fur Reformationsgeschichte
  9. Bryson, J.M. (1992)
    Leadership for the common good: Tackling public problems in a shared-power world
  10. Burke, K. (1984)
    Attitudes toward history
     ↗
  11. 10.1080/00335637909383470
     ↗
  12. 10.1080/10510977809367962
     ↗
  13. 10.1080/00335638209383609
     ↗
  14. Crowley, S. (1990)
    The methodical memory: Invention in current-traditional rhetoric
  15. Daykin, T. (2006)
    JSOnline
  16. Daykin, T. (2006)
    JSOnline
  17. Daykin, T. (2006)
    JSOnline
  18. Daykin, T. (2007)
    JSOnline
  19. Daykin, T. (2007)
    JSOnline
  20. Daykin, T. (2007)
    JSOnline
  21. Daykin, T. (2007)
    JSOnline
  22. Daykin, T. (2007)
    JSOnline
  23. Daykin, T. (2007)
    JSOnline. Retrieved
  24. 10.1080/03634526409377395
     ↗
  25. Fairhurst, G.T. (1996)
    The art of framing: Managing the language of leadership
  26. Fedor, L. (2007)
    Star Tribune
  27. Fredrix, E. (2007)
    Netscape
  28. Fredrix, E. (2007)
    Pantagraph.com
  29. Fredrix, E. (2007)
    Wisconsin State Journal
  30. Garcia, J. (2007)
    OrlandoSentinel.com
  31. Garcia, J. (2007)
    Orlando Sentinel
  32. Geewax, M. (2008)
    JSOnline
  33. Grantham, R. (2007)
    Atlanta Journal-Constitution
  34. 10.1017/S0362152900010047
     ↗
  35. 10.1177/09526950022120746
     ↗
  36. Hirschhorn, L. (1992)
    Harvard Business Review
  37. Hirschman, D. (2007)
    Springfield News-Sun
  38. Hirschman, D. (2007)
    Atlanta Journal-Constitution
  39. Hirschman, D. (2007)
    Atlanta Journal-Constitution
  40. Hirschman, D. (2007)
    Statesman.com
  41. Hoeksema, T.E. (2007)
    JSOnline
  42. 10.4135/9781452233222
     ↗
  43. Johnsson, J. (2008)
    Chicagotribune.com
  44. Lank, A.D. (2007)
    JSOnline
  45. 10.2307/374448
     ↗
  46. Lechner, J.M. (1962)
    Renaissance concepts of the commonplaces: An historical investigation of the general and …
  47. Leff (1983)
    The Topics of Argumentative Invention in Latin Rhetorical Theory from Cicero to…
    Rhetorica
  48. Leff (1996)
    Commonplaces and argumentation in Cicero and Quintilian
    Argumentation
  49. Leff (2006)
    Up from Theory: Or I Fought the Topoi and the Topoi Won
    Rhetoric Society Quarterly
  50. Manschreck, C.L. (1965). Preface. In C. L. Manschreck (Trans. & Ed.), Melanchthon on Christian doctrine: Loci…
  51. Maxon, T. (2008)
    Airline Biz Blog: The Dallas Morning News
  52. McCandlish, L. (2008)
    Chicagotribune.com
  53. (2007)
    Midwest Air Group accepts TPG Capital offer of $17 per share, rejects AirTran's bid
  54. Midwest Airlines. (2007)
    PRNewswire
  55. Midwest Airlines. (2007)
    ThomasNet Industrial Newsroom
  56. Midwest Air says AirTran's offer too low. (2007, January 10). Boston.com. Retrieved July 23, 2008, from http:…
  57. Midwest Air warns on profit, cites weak fares. (2007, June 12). Boston.com. Retrieved July 9, 2007, from http…
  58. Midwest CEO: AirTran takeover would kill airline's charm. ( 2007, February 28). USAToday.com. Retrieved July …
  59. 10.1080/00335638909383868
     ↗
  60. Olson, K.M. (2006). Educating rhetorical leaders. In P. Riley (Ed.), Engaging argument (pp. 532-538). Washing…
  61. Olson, K.M. (2007)
    10.5840/jcr20073029
    Journal of Communication and Religion  ↗
  62. Perelman, C. (1969)
    The new rhetoric: A treatise on argumentation (J. Wilkinson & P. Weaver
  63. Ramde, D. (2007)
    GazetteXtra
  64. Reed, D. (2007)
    USA Today
  65. Rovito, R. (2007)
    Kansas City Business Journal
  66. Rovito, R. (2007)
    Business Journal of Milwaukee
  67. Rovito, R. (2007)
    Business Journal of Milwaukee
  68. Sandler, L. (2006)
    JSOnline
  69. Skiba, K.M. (2007)
    JSOnline
  70. 10.1177/002188638201800303
     ↗
  71. 10.1017/CBO9780511552878
     ↗
CrossRef global citation count: 7 View in citation network → Build reading path →

Related Articles

  1. Philosophy & Rhetoric Apr 2025
    Aristotle: Art of Rhetoric ↗
    Peter A. O’Connell
    classical rhetoric modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism revision argument multilingual writers grammar and mechanics public rhetoric editorial matter
  2. Philosophy & Rhetoric Apr 2025
    Introduction: On the Desirability of Speaking to Others ↗
    Nirvana Tanoukhi; Nicholas Dunn
    modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism discourse analysis argument social media race and writing gender and writing disability studies public rhetoric literary studies editorial matter
  3. Rhetoric & Public Affairs Dec 2024
    Communicating the Other Across Cultures: From Othering as Equipment for Living, to Communicating Other/Wise ↗
    Shelby R. Crow
    modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism empirical research public rhetoric body and rhetoric editorial matter
  4. Philosophy & Rhetoric Sep 2024
    Where’s the Rhetoric? Imagining a Unified Field ↗
    Joshua Hanan
    modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism composition theory genre theory discourse analysis cultural rhetorics argument qualitative research quantitative research digital rhetoric social media grammar and mechanics gender and writing disability studies public rhetoric affect and writing body and rhetoric editorial matter
  5. Rhetoric & Public Affairs Sep 2024
    Populist Rhetorics Case Studies and a Minimalist Definition ↗
    Arthur E. Walzer
    classical rhetoric modern rhetorical theory rhetorical criticism discourse analysis argument digital rhetoric social media disability studies public rhetoric editorial matter