Coherence in Workplace Instant Messages

Abstract

In our case study, we examined the instant messaging (IM) workplace discourse of a pair of expert IM users. We found that the participants maintained discourse cohesion and thus coherence via short, rapidly sent transmissions that created uninterrupted transmission sequences. Such uninterrupted transmission sequences allowed each participant to maintain the floor. Also, the participants used topicalizations and performative verbs to maintain coherence. We also found that the participants' use of short transmissions may have ambiguated their enactment of their institutional roles and the rights afforded to them by those roles.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2009-10-01
DOI
10.2190/tw.39.4.e
CompPile
Search in CompPile ↗
Open Access
Closed
Topics
Export

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (1)

  1. Journal of Business and Technical Communication

References (36) · 5 in this index

  1. 10.1145/506443.506500
  2. The Handbook of Discourse Analysis
  3. 10.1598/RRQ.40.4.5
  4. 10.1080/13691180701658020
  5. 10.1177/0261927X06303480
Show all 36 →
  1. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  2. America Online, AOL's Third Annual Instant Messaging Survey, www.aim.com/survey
  3. Business Communications Review
  4. 10.1016/S0271-5309(98)00005-6
  5. 10.1109/IPCC.2007.4464067
  6. Discourse
  7. 10.1080/13691180701658012
  8. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  9. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  10. 10.1016/j.chb.2003.12.001
  11. 10.1145/358916.358975
  12. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  13. 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2005.tb00280.x
  14. Gender and Conversational Interaction
  15. Computer-Mediated Conversation
  16. 10.1017/S004740450000885X
  17. The Counselor as Gatekeeper
  18. 10.1353/lan.1974.0010
  19. 10.1109/HICSS.1999.772674
  20. 10.1017/CBO9780511813085
  21. 10.1177/1461445600002002002
  22. New Zealand English Newsletter
  23. Stimulated Recall Methodology and Second Language Research: Issues & Opportunities
  24. 10.1109/IPCC.2006.320365
  25. Lam Christopher and MacKiewicz Jo, A Case Study of Coherence in Workplace Instant Messaging, Proceedings of t…
  26. MacKiewicz Jo, Comparing PowerPoint Experts' and University Students' Opinions about PowerPoint Presentations…
  27. Technical Communication
  28. 10.4018/978-1-59904-863-5.ch020
  29. Technical Communication
  30. Technical Communication
  31. Journal of Business and Technical Communication