Communicative Practices in the Workplace: A Historical Examination of Genre Development

Mark Zachry Utah State University

Abstract

Although studies of actual communication practices in the workplace are now commonplace, few historical studies in this area have been completed. Such historical studies are necessary to help researchers understand the often complicated origins of genre conventions in professional discourse. Historical research that draws on contemporary genre theory helps address this void. A genre perspective is particularly valuable for helping researchers trace a given type of document's emergence and evolution. This perspective also provides a way of accounting for the connections between communicative practices and the other activities that occupy the attention of workplace organizations. To illustrate what this perspective brings to historical research in professional communication, I examine the development of communicative practices at a national production company that relied on texts to mediate its organizational activities across geographically dispersed locations.

Journal
Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published
2000-01-01
DOI
10.2190/umgd-lgr6-qjue-cjhy
Open Access
Closed
Topics

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (7)

  1. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  3. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  5. Technical Communication Quarterly
Show all 7 →
  1. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

Cites in this index (2)

  1. Written Communication
  2. Written Communication
Also cites 10 works outside this index ↓
  1. 10.1177/002194369603300303
  2. 10.1177/108056999706000305
  3. 10.56021/9780801837579
  4. 10.1177/108056999605900210
  5. 10.1207/s15327884mca0404_3
  6. 10.2307/2393771
  7. 10.1080/00335638409383686
  8. 10.2307/258774
  9. 10.1207/s15327884mca0404_2
  10. Zachry Mark Constructing Usable Documentation: A Study of Communicative Practices and the Early Uses of Mainf…
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