Journal of Business and Technical Communication Apr 1991

The Business Writer, the Law, and Routine Business Communication

ELIZABETH A. McCORD

Abstract

Business communicators today risk legal liability as courts are increasingly holding writers and their employing organizations responsible for reasonable—although often unintended—interpretations of their routine writing. Research and pedagogy have not kept abreast of this change. Rhetorical theory, particularly a social perspective, provides a useful foundation for understanding judicial resolution of claims arising out of writing; however, theory must also account for factors not encompassed within extended audience analysis. Current texts offer general descriptions of the laws most likely to affect business writers; in addition, writing pedagogy must provide specific strategies for avoiding liability-prone prose.

Journal
Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Published
1991-04-01
DOI
10.1177/1050651991005002003
Open Access
Closed
Topics
writing pedagogy rhetorical theory multilingual writers affect and writing

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (1)

  1. Rogers et al. (2003)
    Reconceptualizing Politeness to Accommodate Dynamic Tensions in Subordinate-to-…
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication

Cites in this index (8)

  1. Winsor (1990)
    The Construction of Knowledge in Organizations: Asking the Right Questions abou…
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. Zappen (1989)
    The Discourse Community in Scientific and Technical Communication: Institutiona…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. HARRISON (1987)
    Frameworks for the Study of Writing in Organizational Contexts
    Written Communication
  4. DOHENY-FARINA (1986)
    Writing in an Emerging Organization
    Written Communication
  5. LaROCHE et al. (1985)
    Rhetoric and Rational Enterprises
    Written Communication
Show all 8 →
  1. MYERS (1985)
    The Social Construction of Two Biologists' Proposals
    Written Communication
  2. BAZERMAN (1985)
    Physicists Reading Physics
    Written Communication
  3. Odell et al. (1982)
    Writing in a Non- Academic Setting
    Research in the Teaching of English
Also cites 13 works outside this index ↓
  1. 10.1177/108056998705000301
     ↗
  2. 10.1177/108056998805100404
     ↗
  3. 10.2307/2786390
     ↗
  4. 10.1109/47.31613
     ↗
  5. 10.1177/002194368802500106
     ↗
  6. Doheny-Farina, Stephen (1987)
    10.1109/TPC.1987.6449062
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication  ↗
  7. 10.2307/377272
     ↗
  8. 10.2307/357716
     ↗
  9. 10.1177/108056998604900402
     ↗
  10. 10.2307/357914
     ↗
  11. 10.2307/357405
     ↗
  12. 10.1109/47.7814
     ↗
  13. 10.1109/47.56374
     ↗
CrossRef global citation count: 4 View in citation network →

Related Articles

  1. College Composition and Communication Sep 2023
    Engaging Assessment Counterstories through a Cultural Rhetorics Framework ↗
    Stephanie West-Puckett; Nicole I. Caswell; William P. Banks
    writing pedagogy writing program administration assessment multimodality gender and writing multilingual writers affect and writing
  2. College Composition and Communication Jul 2023
    Toward a New Neurobiology of Writing: Plasticity and the Feeling of Failure ↗
    Edward Comstock
    writing pedagogy multilingual writers affect and writing
  3. KB Journal: The Journal of the Kenneth Burke Society Jan 2023
    Kenneth Burke and the Gargoyles of Language: Perspective by Incongruity and the Transvaluation of Values in Counter-Statement and Permanence and Change ↗
    David Blakesley
    rhetorical theory multilingual writers affect and writing
  4. Written Communication Jul 2021
    A Reflexive Approach to Teaching Writing: Enablements and Constraints in Primary School Classrooms ↗
    Mary Ryan; Maryam Khosronejad; Georgina Barton; Lisa Kervin; Debra Myhill
    writing pedagogy multilingual writers affect and writing
  5. Written Communication Oct 2019
    L2 Writing Task Representation in Test-Like and Non-Test-Like Situations ↗
    Baraa Khuder; Nigel Harwood
    writing pedagogy writing program administration multilingual writers affect and writing