The Rhetoric of Enterprise Content Management (ECM): Confronting the Assumptions Driving ECM Adoption and Transforming Technical Communication

This article lays out some of the key issues driving organizations' increasing interest in enterprise content management (ECM). It then problematizes both the rhetoric that technology developers are using to sell ECM technologies to business leaders and the assumptions on which business leaders are basing critical technology implementation decisions. Finally, it argues why technical communicators must take action—through direct participation in the ECM discourse—to shift the rhetoric that is structuring the ECM debate and thus shaping the potential of the field of technical communication.     

What's Civic About Technical Communication? Technical Communication and the Rhetoric of Community

Although the concept of community has been advanced in technical communication as a moral reference point for civic rhetorical action, this concept is typically used in romantic, redemptive, and essentializing ways. This article argues for a radical and symbolic/rhetorical view of community, regarding it a discursive construct purposefully invoked by technical writers for strategic reasons.     

Teaching Business and Technical Writing in China: Confronting Assumptions and Practices at Home and Abroad

In light of growing interest in technical communication around the world, cross-cultural teaching opportunities may challenge basic assumptions about teaching and learning for both teachers and students. A faculty-development project in the People's Republic of China illustrates various ways facilities, educational practices, and worldviews from each side of the exchange require significant compromise. A negotiated, student-centered classroom environment may be a significant strategy for instruction in such settings.     

The Rhetoric of Free: Open Source Software and Technical Communication During Economic Downturns

This article explores the ramifications of deploying free and open source software (F/OSS) for technical communication program development. Against the backdrop of the recession, the article draws on empirical research to examine how different stakeholders understand the F in F/OSS, its relationship with proprietary software, and the institutional contexts surrounding these technologies. It contributes four recommendations for working with F/OSS that might help programs shore up in tough times and thrive postdownturn.     

从古典修辞学到社会学:传播学研究内容与方法的嬗变

第一次世界大战与第二次世界大战期间,学者们在对参战国宣传战的实证研究中,对于报刊和广播等大众传媒"强效果理论"产生怀疑,同时基于演讲技巧和文本分析的古典修辞学研究路径的传播学研究的局限性日益明显。具备不同学科背景的的社会科学家从各自熟悉的角度研究人类传播活动,拉斯韦尔的宣传和舆论研究,拉扎斯菲尔德的传播效果和受众研究,勒温的社会环境和群体动力研究以及霍夫兰的劝服和态度研究等拓宽了传播学的研究范畴,同时把定性分析和定量分析的社会学研究方法引入传播学领域,促进了传播学从修辞学到社会学研究路径的转变。     

Multimodality in the Technical Communication Classroom: Viewing Classical Rhetoric Through a 21st Century Lens

The authors provide a robust framework for using rhetorical foundations to teach multimodality in technical communication, describing a pedagogical approach wherein students consider the rhetorical canons—invention, arrangement, style, delivery, and memory—when developing texts beyond print. Students learn to assess their own work, reflecting on how each canon contributed to the rhetorical effectiveness of their multimodal projects. The authors argue for using the canons as a rhetorical foundation for helping students understand technical communication in the digital age.     

电梯技术信息管理系统的设计与实现

为满足电梯企业技术信息管理与查询的需求,利用数据库技术开发了一套基于B/S模式的信息管理系统。该系统可对企业的相关技术信息进行有效的管理和查询,提高企业在电梯的安装维护保养等方面的效率,为企业信息化管理奠定基础,对相关企业进行技术信息管理具有一定的参考价值。     

利用变革管理和项目管理理论实施企业电子商务

21世纪是飞速发展的信息时代，我国企业必须利用电子商务来带动信息化，实现企业跳跃式发展，本文在介绍电子商务的特点及其传统实施办法的基础上，重点研究了利用变革管理和项目管理理论以及“S模拟实施”法指导企业实施电子商务，促进企业信息化建设。     

企业文化传播与和谐企业建设

优秀的企业文化是构建和谐企业的重要因素,其形成与发展离不开媒体和传播。媒体在信息时代担当着重要的社会角色,和谐企业建设不能缺少媒体的支持;企业应充分利用好媒体这把双刃剑为己服务,企业知名度的提升和企业形象的树立更是依赖于媒体;呼唤建立和谐的媒企关系。     

汉语交际中口语修辞的运用与研究

口语交际是一种复杂的社会现象。口语交际活动的动态性,决定了口语修辞活动的复杂性和综合性。口语修辞活动较之于书面语修辞具有突出的显性特征,口语修辞中语境起着制约、补衬作用,口语修辞活动应符合言语交际的得体性原则。     

The Discrepancy-Induced Source Comprehension (D-ISC) Model: Basic Assumptions and Preliminary Evidence

Despite the importance of source attention and evaluation for learning from texts, little is known about the particular conditions that encourage sourcing during reading. In this article, basic assumptions of the discrepancy-induced source comprehension (D-ISC) model are presented, which describes the moment-by-moment cognitive processes that readers undergo when reading-to-understand controversial messages. We then review supporting evidence from single and multiple text comprehension research. In the discussion, we draw conclusions based on the theoretical and empirical research, highlight limitations of what is known to date, and suggest how further investigations of D-ISC might address these concerns.     

企业(集团)预算管理控制方法的探讨

预算是一系列反映企业未来一定预算期内预计财务状况和经营成果,以及现金收支等价值指标的总称。预算管理是企业对未来整体经营规划的总体财务安排,是一项重要的管理工具,企业集团财务管理必须以市场为导向,以资本为纽带,以现代企业制度为保证,合理配置企业集团资产,发挥集团优势,提高资本的运营效率。本文就预算控制作为预算管理的重要内容,如何采取合适的方法来保证预算管理的作用进行探讨。     

Analysis of Communication and Dissemination Channels Influencing the Adoption of Integrated Soil Fertility Management in Western Kenya

Abstract

Purpose: The following study was carried out to evaluate the socio-economic factors influencing access to Integrated Soil Fertility Management (ISFM) information and knowledge among farmers in western Kenya, and subsequent ISFM uptake with a view to assessing communication gaps.

Design/Methodology/Approach: Structured questionnaires were administered to 120 farmers from Vihiga and Siaya districts. In Vihiga, farmers were sampled in a systematic random manner from farmer groups lists, whereas in Siaya, farmers were selected based on randomly selected diagnostic trial sites of the Africa Soil Information Service (AfSIS) project.

Findings: Community-based and mass media channels were found to be significantly advantageous to farmers. Farmers’ preferred information sources and channels included own experiences, farmer field days and farmer groups, respectively. A probit regression model indicated that off-farm income, education level, distance from nearest information centre, livestock value, and district of residence were the socio-economic variables that significantly influenced farmer access to ISFM information and knowledge, and subsequent uptake. In conclusion, farmer field days and farmer groups should be promoted as vehicles for agricultural information communication and dissemination.

Practical Implications: The study has practical implications for dissemination of agricultural technologies, especially in small-holder farming regions, characterized by high poverty and poor infrastructure.

Originality/Value: The study is original because channels for communication and dissemination of ISFM technologies are poorly documented or non-existent in western Kenya, and in most small-holder farming systems in Africa. The adoption behaviour of ISFM technologies in relation to socio-economic factors by farmers is still poorly understood.     

Adoption of Agri-Environmental Measures by Organic Farmers: The Role of Interpersonal Communication

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of interpersonal communication on the adoption of agri-environmental measures (AEM) by organic farmers in Germany.

Methodology: The study used the logit model to predict the probability of adoption behaviour, and Social Network Analysis (SNA) was conducted to analyse the question of whether validating information about organic farming provided by interpersonal information sources is associated with communication frequency.

Findings: Our findings demonstrate that being an early adopter of organic farming practices and frequent contact with young and highly educated farmers increases the probability of adoption of other AEM. However, contact frequency in interpersonal networks was found not to be a significant determinant for explaining adoption decisions. Frequently communicating farmers in the network are more likely to attribute higher levels of importance to organic farming information received from formal actors than to information received from informal actors.

Practical Implications: If young and highly educated farmers, who can be considered as informal opinion leaders, are approached by the extension services, then an effective diffusion of information on AEM can be expected. To support the AEM adoption, a platform should be provided by state agencies that would enable organic farmers to understand the environmental benefits achieved over the time.

Originality/value: This study contributes to the scientific discussion on the role of interpersonal communication on AEM adoption. A new aspect is our consideration of organic farmers adopting additional AEM. Moreover, we highlight organic farmers' validation of the importance of formal and informal information sources on organic farming.