Teaching Workplace Genre Ecologies and Pedagogical Goals Through Résumés and Cover Letters
21 Jul 2021-Business and Professional Communication Quarterly (SAGE PublicationsSage CA: Los Angeles, CA)-Vol. 84, Iss: 4, pp 294-317
TL;DR: This paper examined how and why 20 instructors in introductory service courses enact their pedagogical values and address current concerns (e.g., personal branness) and found that 20 instructors (17 tenure-line and 3 nontenure-line) performed well.
Abstract: This study examines how and why 20 instructors (17 tenure-line and 3 nontenure-line) in introductory service courses enact their pedagogical values and address current concerns (e.g., personal bran...
Citations
More filters
13 Mar 2013
TL;DR: The rhetorical structure of LinkedIn Summaries of 50 professional résumé writers in the US from a genre analytic perspective was analyzed, and it was found that the LinkedIn Summary shares many moves in common with the job application letter.
Abstract: Research problem: In light of the growing popularity of LinkedIn as a self-promotional tool for the job search process, this paper examines the rhetorical structure of LinkedIn Summaries. Research questions: (1) Which rhetorical moves are found in the Summary sections of LinkedIn profiles? (2) Do the Summary sections display similar patterns of textual organization? (3) What strategies do the writers of the Summary sections deploy to achieve these rhetorical moves? Literature review: This paper has a genre analytic theoretical orientation of approach, whose underlying assumption is that genres sharing the same purposes and context of use are likely to have similar organizational patterns and to deploy similar strategies to achieve these purposes. Previous research on LinkedIn has focused on characteristics of the service and its impact on interactions, but not as a medium used in the classroom. A much deeper literature exists on job application letters, which concludes that a job application uses similar rhetorical moves, or discoursal units that perform distinct communicative functions, to a sales promotion letter. The moves include: introducing candidature, establishing credentials, essential detailing of candidature, indicating value of candidature, offering incentives, enclosing documents, using pressure tactics, soliciting response, and ending politely. Methodology: It is a study that analyzed the rhetorical structure of LinkedIn Summaries of 50 professional résumé writers in the US from a genre analytic perspective. Results and conclusions: The LinkedIn Summary shares many moves in common with the job application letter. Moves that were found in all or nearly all of the texts were establishing credentials, identifying target market and detailing service; an additional move, not seen in job application letters, was also identified-that of personal branding. However, a rigid organizational structure was not seen. The results and the methodology used to obtain them will be of use to students and others wishing to use LinkedIn to promote themselves to potential employers. The study is limited to one particular professional group in one region, but there is ample scope for further research looking at LinkedIn profiles in other professions and other parts of the world.
9 citations
TL;DR: In this paper , an ethnographic case study provides authentic insights into the intertextual negotiation processes for a particular merger-and-acquisition (M&A) transaction in the context of international legal practice, involving interdisciplinary legal and business professionals.
Abstract: This ethnographic case study provides authentic insights into the intertextual negotiation processes for a particular merger-and-acquisition (M&A) transaction in the context of international legal practice, involving interdisciplinary legal and business professionals. Using genre and discourse analytical methodology, this study focuses on the interactional discourse practices and textual products used for negotiation of the primary sale and purchase agreement. By providing sociolinguistic insights into the M&A negotiation process, these research findings can promote a better understanding of the professional discourse activities and interactional role behaviors for this very important area of international business law practice.
01 Jul 2022
TL;DR: In this paper , the advantages, procedures, and limitations of this pedagogical approach are discussed, as well as the potential to shape students' approaches to revising their work, giving one another feedback, and preparing them for future writing beyond the technical communication classroom.
Abstract: Formative feedback conferences, meetings with small groups of students about their assignment drafts, have the potential to shape students’ approaches to revising their work, giving one another feedback, and preparing them for future writing beyond the technical communication classroom. This extended abstract details the advantages, procedures, and limitations of this pedagogical approach.
References
More filters
TL;DR: In this paper, a conception of genre based on conventionalized social motives which are found in recurrent situation-types is proposed, and the thesis is that genre must be conceived in terms of rhetorical action rather than substance or form.
Abstract: This essay proposes a conception of genre based on conventionalized social motives which are found in recurrent situation‐types. The thesis is that genre must be conceived in terms of rhetorical action rather than substance or form.
2,796 citations
"Teaching Workplace Genre Ecologies ..." refers background in this paper
...This approach layers genre formatting (i.e., the look of a cover letter and its features on the page) with genre as social action (i.e., what students want to accomplish through writing a résumé and cover letter; Miller, 1984)....
[...]
..., the look of a cover letter and its features on the page) with genre as social action (i.e., what students want to accomplish through writing a résumé and cover letter; Miller, 1984)....
[...]
...This definition goes beyond genre as social action (Miller, 1984) and activity theory (Spinuzzi, 2012) to consider how multiple genres work together and refocuses attention back to writing as a process (Lawrence et al., 2017; Melonçon, 2018), with further attention to each genre’s content (Doan,…...
[...]
...This definition goes beyond genre as social action (Miller, 1984) and activity theory (Spinuzzi, 2012) to consider how multiple genres work together and refocuses attention back to writing as a process (Lawrence et al....
[...]
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) origins, what it has meant to the academic world as a whole, how it encapsulates various trends with different theoretical backgrounds and methodological approaches, what are its limitations and its new developments.
Abstract: The aim of this paper is to see what Critical Discourse Analysis is. This implies scrutinising its origins, what it has meant to the academic world as a whole, how it encapsulates various trends with different theoretical backgrounds and methodological approaches, what are its limitations and its new developments. A simple practical example will show its potential.
164 citations
"Teaching Workplace Genre Ecologies ..." refers methods in this paper
...CDA has the flexibility to be used for analyzing both instructors’ spoken views from the interviews along with their assignment sheets (Lê & Lê, 2009)....
[...]
TL;DR: The authors analyzed 12 currently popular technical communication textbooks for their treatment and discussions of the types of writing that engineers produce, revealing a persistent bias toward humanities-based styles and genres and a failure to address the forms of argument and evidence that our science and engineering students most need to master to succeed as rhetoricians in their fields.
Abstract: Twelve currently popular technical communication textbooks are analyzed for their treatment and discussions of the types of writing that engineers produce. The analysis reveals a persistent bias toward humanities-based styles and genres and a failure to address the forms of argument and evidence that our science and engineering students most need to master to succeed as rhetoricians in their fields. The essay ends with recommendations and calls upon instructors to reenvision the service course in technical communication.
60 citations
"Teaching Workplace Genre Ecologies ..." refers methods in this paper
...Although I relied on business communication textbooks like many other novice instructors (Doan, 2019; Wolfe, 2009), I found that textbooks often presented these genres to students as checklists rather than as workplace genre ecologies, coordinated texts that emphasize the phronesis, or practical wisdom, of a workplace or organization....
[...]
...Although I relied on business communication textbooks like many other novice instructors (Doan, 2019; Wolfe, 2009), I found that textbooks often presented these genres to students as checklists rather than as workplace genre ecologies, coordinated texts that emphasize the phronesis, or practical…...
[...]
TL;DR: In this paper, a study of a decade ago (Hutchinson, 1984) to detect potential changes in the preferences for resume content of personnel adminis trators in Fortune 500 organizations was conducted.
Abstract: With the heavy reliance upon restcmes for securing employment, instructors are called upon both formally and informally to teach resume design. The pre sent research was conducted in response to the observation that limited empir ical research exists on resume content. More specifically, the research extends from and compares to a study of a decade ago (Hutchinson, 1984) to detect potential changes in the preferences for resume content of personnel adminis trators in Fortune 500 organizations. Based upon responses to questionnaires, the present research draws comparisons between the 1984 research and the present survey to enhance the information available to teachers of resume design.
46 citations
"Teaching Workplace Genre Ecologies ..." refers background in this paper
...Email: sdoan4@kennesaw.edu Doan 295 1980s (McDowell, 1987), changing little when transitioning to electronic media (Baker et al., 1998; Hutchinson & Brefka, 1997)....
[...]
01 Jan 2003
TL;DR: An analytical framework is described, that of genre ecologies, that can be used to systematically investigate compound mediation within and across groups of workers and highlights the interpretive and cultural-historical aspects of compound mediation that are so important in understanding the use of textual artifacts.
Abstract: Traditionally, technical communicators have seen the texts that they produce -- manuals, references, instructions -- as "bridging" or mediating between a worker and her tool. But field studies of workers indicate that the mediational relationship is much more complicated: Workers often draw simultaneously upon many different textual artifacts to mediate their work, including not only the official genres produced by technical communicators manuals but also ad hoc notes, comments, and improvisational drawings produced by the workers themselves. In this chapter, I theorize these instances of compound mediatiation by drawing on activity theory and genre theory. I describe an analytical framework, that of genre ecologies, that can be used to systematically investigate compound mediation within and across groups of workers. Unlike other analytical frameworks that have been used in studies of technology (such as distributed cognition's functional systems and contextual design's work models), the genre ecology framework highlights the interpretive and cultural-historical aspects of compound mediation that are so important in understanding the use of textual artifacts. The analytical framework is illustrated by an observational study of how 22 software developers in a global corporation used various textual artifacts to mediate their software development work.
46 citations