Understanding the Writing Context in Organizations

Linda Driskill

Linda Driskill discusses the importance of communication in written documents, she explains different situations and how communication was handled.


The Importance of the Writing Context

Driskill first talks about a marketing team and the concept they created for their direct mail piece for the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD). The direct mail piece was catchy and to the point, however, as procedure they had their lawyer overlook the document and it failed to be approved because of legalities with the wording. She explains how the writers on the marketing did their job, but were not equipped with the legal expertise to successfully create a direct mail piece.


Why Current Models Neglect Context

The next section Driskill discusses in the problem with courses on communication. She states that the courses focus on the means for expressing meaning, no the meanings themselves (p.57).

One of the approaches to organizational communication is structural-functionalism which requires the focus to be on the mechanisms of the organization. This theory which is influenced by the Shannon-Weaver Theory is based on reducing noise in the system and creating a flow rate to channel information. Shannon-Weaver Theory was not concerned with people or why they needed to communicate. Schramm revised the Shannon-Weaver model it was more focused on the environment were communication took place and recognized that people were involved and that feedback is part of communication.


External Sources of Meaning: Mutual Funds Industry Example

Driskill explains external sources of meaning to be influences on the writers they are not absolute some examples of external sources of meaning are money supply and credit availability. Basically the factors that directly affect the business at hand but are not factored into the work are external sources of meaning.


Internal Sources of Meaning: The Challenger Accident Example

The structure, size, and technology of the organization will affect the role people play and the way rhetorical situations are defined (p. 63). Some of the factors of internal sources of meaning are: corporate culture, individuals, and situations. Internal factors deal greatly with people and their perceptions at work and how they communicate and how people receive the communication.


Organizational Situations and Rhetorical Situations

This addresses knowing your audience and knowing that not one particular type of audience is reading your information. Driskill refers back to the example of the marketing team for NASD. Knowing that not such a simple audience will be reading you document, a person who looks deeper into the meaning might be upset with the word choices and deem them unfair or illegal.


Implications for Teaching

Driskill talks about identifying the different situations that occur and how information and communication was handled is the best way to learn for the future and to correct any communication flaws. It is important to recognize the internal and external sources of meaning with teaching communication models.