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- Title
Defensive Writing.
- Authors
BROMAGE, MARY C.
- Abstract
The article focuses on the qualities of clarity, brevity, and directness in business writing. In order to communicate clearly and write concisely, executives must be conscious of their purpose and avoid vague writing that is characterized by the passive voice, impersonality, and stilted wording. Unknowns that contribute to ineffective communication include: diversity of technical information, range of readers having access to the document, and uncertainty about the timing of a message and choice of media. The situational relationship of the reader and writer and the deductive approach of starting with the key point are mentioned. Indirectness, or an inductive approach, may be useful when resistance to a message is expected. Examples of ineffective writing are given.
- Subjects
BUSINESS writing; ORGANIZATIONAL communication; UNCERTAINTY reduction theory (Communication); WRITING processes; COMMUNICATION in management; SOCIOLOGY of authorship; MINIMALIST theory (Communication); STANDPOINT theory (Communication); SENSEMAKING theory (Communication); MESSAGE theory (Communication)
- Publication
California Management Review, 1970, Vol 13, Issue 1, p45
- ISSN
0008-1256
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.2307/41164262