Herbert W. Hildebrandt

The Pollyanna Hypothesis in Business Writing: Initial Results, Suggestions for Research

This paper looks at three hypotheses: that regardless of the financially good or bad years of a corporation, the communication in the annual let ters to the stockholders will be predominantly positive; that negative words are less frequent in a financially good year than a bad year; and that German readers also tend to accept the same preferred, positive words as Americans. All hypotheses were sustained after viewing 12 annual letters to stockholders in 1975 and 12 letters in 1977. The Pollyanna Hypothesis provides a fertile area for further research: into business letters, business speeches, or other areas which fall into the genre of written or oral business communication.

Enterprise Networking Web Sites and Organizational Communication in Australia.

Baker, N. (2008). How far is too far? Employers and the use of online searches. Retrieved March 25, 2008, from http://www.abanet.org/yld/tyl/febmar08/baker.html Beal, A., & Strauss, J. (2008). Radically transparent: Monitoring and managing reputations online. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley. Du, W. (2007, August 14). Job candidates getting tripped up by Facebook. Retrieved July 10, 2008, from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20202935/ Finder, A. (2006, June 22). For some, online persona undermines a resume. Retrieved March 25, 2008, from http://www.nytimes.com/2006/06/11/us/11recruit.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref= slogin&adxnnlx=1206562553-8L4U8w8GbltO6WAb+GO9yw King, R. (2006, September 11). Social networks: Execs use them too. Retrieved February 20, 2008, from http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/sep2006/tc20060911_414136.htm Lupsa, C. (2006, December 13). Facebook: A campus fad becomes a campus fact. Retrieved November 22, 2008, from http://www.csmonitor.com/2006/1213/p13s01-legn.html Navas, M. (2006, August 6). Don’t get caught in your own Web. The Arizona Republic, p. D1. Rodriquez, K. (2006, July 4). Want a job after graduation? Don’t reveal your wild side online. Retrieved March 25, 2008, from http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/MYSA070506_3A _krod_18714e2_html26640 Samborn, H. (2007, August). Go google yourself! ABA Journal, 93(8), 56-57.

Some Influences of Greek and Roman Rhetoric on Early Letter Writing1

Letter writing, known as dictamen in the Medieval and Renaissance periods, was formatively dependent upon the theory of oral rhetoric of the ancient world, some reflections of which are still apparent today. Three oral rhetoric precepts were applied by letter writers: inventio, locating material for three kinds of letters; dispositio, organizing letters into an introduction, body, and conclusion; and style, applying ornateness along with clarity and correctness to prose. Representative English, Italian, and German letter writing practi tioners carried the oral tradition along.

Business Communication in the People's Republic of China

This is a seminal statement on the pre-eminent position held by business communication in Chinas largest business school—specializing in interna tional trade—the Beijing Institute of Foreign Trade. The authors provide some historical background, review three courses in business communica tion in China, summarize the method of instruction, and end with con cludions and opportunities for closer academic ties with China in making business communication a truly international discipline.

Greek and Chinese classical rhetoric: the root of cultural differences in business and marekting communication

This paper aims to compare the Greek and Chinese rhetorical traditions and explore their influences on today’s business and marketing communication across relevant cultures. In particular, it uses the Aristotelian persuasive orientations as reference points to introduce the Chinese rhetoric, and interpret cultural differences in persuasion from a historical and sociocultural perspective. It has been found that Greek and Chinese rhetoric and persuasion were developed to meet the needs of the social and cultural environments and this rule still applies to today’s business communication. The logical approach has been emphasised in the English rhetorical tradition while both qing (emotional approach) and li (logical approach) are the focus of persuasion in the Chinese tradition. This difference is also the root of cultural differences in modern business communication. Findings from both English and Chinese texts and data are examined to substantiate our focal argument.

Proposal for a Master of Business Administration in Business Communication

A statement prepared by the Graduate Studies Committee of the American Business Communication Asso ciation. Leland Brown, Richard C. Hansen, Richard C. Huseman, William J. Lord, Jr., John D. Pettit, Jr., Michael Porte, Norman B. Sigband, Francis W. Weeks, Robert M. Wendlinger, Richard A. Hatch, and Herbert W. Hildebrandt, Chairman.

Technical Written Reports from Germany

For multinational companies the written report is a major medium of communication. Moving on this assumption, this article suggests that problems do occur within reports between German subsidiaries and parent American companies in the United States. The discussion is divided into two parts: 1) problems associated with operating and action reports as viewed by Germans and Americans, and 2) the place of exterior forces such as culture and language upon the written report. In the end, cultural variances may be the major factor affecting written communication within the same company, yet of two different nationalities.

Business Communication and Architecture: Is There a Parallel?.

Visual persuasion in constructing buildings is often a part of business strategy. Architects, for instance, try to link corporate goals with managements desire for company buildings to represent, for instance, the mission, goal, and even the power and strength of the company. When one analyzes covert visual persuasion, it is clear that modern visual strategy mirrors ancient rhetorical concepts of persuasion. As oral persuasion takes into account source, medium, audience, and content, so too does the visual strategist. In the following statement, we link visual rhetoric with classical rhetoric, look at banks and shopping malls as exemplifying visual rhetoric, and conclude with several declaratives.

Communication in Foreign Trade: A Broader Concept for Business Communication in China

economic changes occur, the bankers, the accounting firms, the businesspeople-even the many scholars-are increasing their travel between mainland China and Hong Kong, between Beijing, Shanghai, and the foreign capitals of the world. Obviously, China needs a new generation of better trained husinesspeople to cope with the great variety of foreigners intending to do business-every kind of business, from marketing Scotch magic transparent tape

Cultural Communication Problems of Foreign Business Personnel in the United States

This paper discusses the communication problems of the German expatriate em ployee in the United States, and notes some differences in oral and written means of communication as seen by the expatriate. Interviews with both Germans and Ameri cans, in Germany and the United States, lead to the conclusion that technical com petence outweighs cultural awareness; that Americans are often unaware of cultural differences between themselves and foreign employees; that language incompetence is more an American problem; and that cultural variances do affect oral and written modes of communication.