Corporate Disclosure During COVID-19: A Close Reading and Discourse Analysis

Abstract

We conduct a close reading and micro-level analysis of a market update released by Restaurant Group Plc, a UK leisure firm, during the COVID-19 pandemic to examine its communication functions. While the market update aligns with communicative action theory by enhancing information transparency, it also deploys various rhetorical strategies, including impersonalization, positive self-evaluation, and metaphors consistent with impression management. The overly optimistic tone bears no relation to subsequent corporate outcomes. This study provides valuable insights for business and professional communication practitioners and students, enabling them to interpret the linguistic characteristics of market updates as a distinct genre of corporate communication.

Journal
Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
Published
2025-09-04
DOI
10.1177/23294906251358385
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  1. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  2. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
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