Business and Professional Communication Quarterly Jun 2017

Professional Communication as Phatic: From Classical<i>Eunoia</i>to Personal Artificial Intelligence

James E. Porter

Abstract

Phatic refers to the rhetorical function of creating effective communication channels, keeping them open, and establishing ongoing and fruitful relationships, all of which are vital in the age of digital rhetoric, social media, and global intercultural exchange. In this realm, the professional communicator functions less as an originator of new information and more as a space designer, a facilitator of others’ online interactions, a curator of user-generated content, and a communication leader. The phatic function—especially relevant to online interactions such as virtual teamwork, intercultural communication, and user help forums—deserves significant attention as a primary purpose for professional communication.

Journal
Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
Published
2017-06-01
DOI
10.1177/2329490616671708
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Topics
digital rhetoric multimodality social media artificial intelligence professional writing multilingual writers

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (4)

  1. Reinsch (2026)
    Sentinel and Designer: Identities for Business Communication
    Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  2. Sharma et al. (2025)
    A Decade of <i>Business and Professional Communication Quarterly</i…
    Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  3. Cyphert (2024)
    Taking a Rhetorical Perspective on Emerging Communication Practice: Pedagogy as…
    Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  4. Sharma (2022)
    Making Meaningful Connections and Learning Workplace-Like Business Writing Thro…
    Business and Professional Communication Quarterly

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  2. Blythe et al. (2014)
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    Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Hurley et al. (2014)
    The Rhetoric of Reach: Preparing Students for Technical Communication in the Ag…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  4. Wolff (2013)
    Interactivity and the Invisible: What Counts as Writing in the Age of Web 2.0
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