Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Jul 2013

Constrained Agency in Corporate Social Media Policy

Ryan Weber University of Alabama in Huntsville

Abstract

Corporate social media policies construct what Herndl and Licona term “constrained agency,” an ambiguous, contradictory agent function. Drawing on an analysis of 31 corporate social media policies, this article argues that these policies create constrained agency in two ways: they establish contradictory expectations for a writer's voice by requesting both individual and corporate-friendly voices, and they create a seemingly paradoxical situation where employees both do and do not represent the company. These policies shed light on the complex constructions of agency within corporations and encapsulate the workplace tensions that accompany the affordances of social media tools.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2013-07-01
DOI
10.2190/tw.43.3.d
Open Access
Closed
Topics
multimodality social media voice and style

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (2)

  1. Andrews (2020)
    Why major in writing? Hyperpragmatism and writing program websites
    Computers and Composition
  2. Melton et al. (2018)
    University Student Use of Twitter and Facebook: A Study of Posting in Three Countries
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

Cites in this index (19)

  1. Sunderland (2009)
    Virtuous or Vicious?: Agency and Representation in Biotechnology's Virtuous Cycle
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. Graham (2009)
    Agency and the Rhetoric of Medicine: Biomedical Brain Scans and the Ontology of…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Sun (2009)
    Toward a Rhetoric of Locale: Localizing Mobile Messaging Technology into Everyd…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Sherlock (2009)
    Genre, Activity, and Collaborative Work and Play in World of Warcraft
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  5. Rice (2009)
    Networked Exchanges, Identity, Writing
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Show all 19 →
  1. Stolley (2009)
    Integrating Social Media Into Existing Work Environments
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. Williams et al. (2008)
    Embracing New Policies, Technologies, and Community Partnerships: A Case Study …
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Swarts (2008)
    Information Technologies as Discursive Agents: Methodological Implications for …
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Tomlin (2008)
    Online FDA Regulations: Implications for Medical Writers
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  5. Amidon et al. (2008)
    Wrestling With Proteus
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  6. Miller (2007)
    What Can Automation Tell Us About Agency?
    Rhetoric Society Quarterly
  7. Griggs (2007)
    Non-Rule Environmental Policy: A Case Study of a Foundry Sand Land Disposal NPD
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  8. Winsor (2006)
    Using Writing to Structure Agency: An Examination of Engineers' Practice
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  9. Spears (2002)
    Persuasive Techniques Used in Fundraising Messages
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  10. Schneider (2002)
    Theorizing Structure and Agency in Workplace Writing
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  11. Thatcher (2000)
    Writing policies and procedures in a U.S./South American context
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  12. Ranney (2000)
    Beyond Foucault: Toward a user‐centered approach to sexual harassment policy
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  13. THOMPSON (1999)
    Women and Feminism in Technical Communication
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  14. SULLIVAN et al. (1993)
    Remapping Curricular Geography
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Also cites 7 works outside this index ↓
  1. 10.2190/CPIC7
     ↗
  2. 10.5465/AMJ.2009.36461725
     ↗
  3. 10.1093/oso/9780199256044.001.0001
     ↗
  4. 10.37514/PER-B.2003.2317.2.02
     ↗
  5. Baptista J. and Galliers R., Social Media as a Driver for New Rhetorical Practices in Organisations, 2012 45t…
     ↗
  6. 10.1177/1350508404041998
     ↗
  7. 10.1145/1166324.1166336
     ↗
CrossRef global citation count: 15 View in citation network →

Related Articles

  1. Poroi Jan 2022
    The Gendered Ethos of Pseudoscience: Feminized Discourse on Food Safety in the Blogosphere ↗
    Flemming Schneider Rhode; Tisha Dejmanee
    discourse analysis multimodality social media multilingual writers voice and style argument
  2. Journal of Business and Technical Communication Jan 2021
    Valuing Expertise During the Pandemic ↗
    Sweta Baniya; Liza Potts
    multimodality social media voice and style
  3. Literacy in Composition Studies Nov 2018
    Achieving Visibility: Midlife and Older Women’s Literate Practices on Instagram and Blogs ↗
    McGrath, Laura
    multimodality social media voice and style
  4. Journal of Business and Technical Communication Apr 2026
    An Acceptance Analysis of Firms’ Posts on Sina Weibo to Build Credibility ↗
    Chenghui Wu
    multimodality social media
  5. College English Jun 2025
    Machine Learning’s Unintended Curriculum: The Impact of Large Language Models on Agency, Style, and Action in Literacy Ecologies ↗
    Clay Walker
    multimodality artificial intelligence voice and style