Negative Messages as Strategic Communication: A Case Study of a New Zealand Company's Annual Executive Letter
We argue here that being negative can, in certain contexts, make strategic sense. Making extensive reference to context, we analyze a single annual executive letter written by the director of a small New Zealand business. The letter appears to focus on problems. These problems are, however, relative...
Gespeichert in:
Veröffentlicht in: | The Journal of business communication (1973) 1999-07, Vol.36 (3), p.229-246 |
---|---|
Hauptverfasser: | , |
Format: | Artikel |
Sprache: | eng |
Schlagworte: | |
Online-Zugang: | Volltext |
Tags: |
Tag hinzufügen
Keine Tags, Fügen Sie den ersten Tag hinzu!
|
container_end_page | 246 |
---|---|
container_issue | 3 |
container_start_page | 229 |
container_title | The Journal of business communication (1973) |
container_volume | 36 |
creator | Crombie, Winifred Samujh, Helen |
description | We argue here that being negative can, in certain contexts, make strategic sense.
Making extensive reference to context, we analyze a single annual executive letter
written by the director of a small New Zealand business. The letter appears to
focus on problems. These problems are, however, relatively minor ones that had
either already been solved or were in the process of resolution when the letter was
written. These problems appear to serve three functions: to distract attention from
more serious issues, to undermine the credibility of potential challengers, and to
provide a context in which the writer can present himself and the other company
directors positively as problem solvers. The writer's immediate objective appears to
have been achieved: The business of the annual general meeting was conducted in
eleven minutes, and each resolution was carried without amendment. The status
quo was maintained. Focusing on negatives may, however, have proved to be a
high-risk strategy in the longer term. Recent communications from the director to
stockholders reveal that he is having difficulty in sustaining at least one of the
positions he adopted in his executive letter. |
doi_str_mv | 10.1177/002194369903600301 |
format | Article |
fullrecord | <record><control><sourceid>gale_cross</sourceid><recordid>TN_cdi_gale_infotracgeneralonefile_A56336323</recordid><sourceformat>XML</sourceformat><sourcesystem>PC</sourcesystem><galeid>A56336323</galeid><ericid>EJ592868</ericid><sage_id>10.1177_002194369903600301</sage_id><sourcerecordid>A56336323</sourcerecordid><originalsourceid>FETCH-LOGICAL-c296t-97fabb4f931ce8b1bdad671783ac87393e25ba8a63224d4c74263c0a1487846e3</originalsourceid><addsrcrecordid>eNp9kT9v2zAQxYkiAeo4-QJBB25dqph_JIrqZhhuksJ1hjZLFuFEnQQZEmWQUlp_-1BR0KVBccMB937vAeQj5JqzG87TdMWY4FksVZYxqRiTjH8gC54kIooTLc7IYgKiifhILrw_MDYd1IJ0e6xhaJ6R_kDvoUZPwdOfg4MB68bQTd91o21MYHr7la7pBjwGfSxPtK8o0D3-pk8ILdhygo9gT589XVs7Qku3f9CMr-k7HAZ0l-S8gtbj1dteksdv21-bu2j3cHu_We8iIzI1RFlaQVHEVSa5QV3wooRSpTzVEoxOZSZRJAVoUFKIuIxNGgslDQMe61THCuWSfJlza2gxb2zVhweZGi06aHuLVRPO60RJGSJkwKN38DAldo15jxczb1zvvcMqP7qmA3fKOcunPvJ_-wimT7MJXWP-Grbfk0xopYO8muWphPzQj86GH_pf4AtjSZMD</addsrcrecordid><sourcetype>Aggregation Database</sourcetype><iscdi>true</iscdi><recordtype>article</recordtype></control><display><type>article</type><title>Negative Messages as Strategic Communication: A Case Study of a New Zealand Company's Annual Executive Letter</title><source>SAGE Journals Online</source><creator>Crombie, Winifred ; Samujh, Helen</creator><creatorcontrib>Crombie, Winifred ; Samujh, Helen</creatorcontrib><description>We argue here that being negative can, in certain contexts, make strategic sense.
Making extensive reference to context, we analyze a single annual executive letter
written by the director of a small New Zealand business. The letter appears to
focus on problems. These problems are, however, relatively minor ones that had
either already been solved or were in the process of resolution when the letter was
written. These problems appear to serve three functions: to distract attention from
more serious issues, to undermine the credibility of potential challengers, and to
provide a context in which the writer can present himself and the other company
directors positively as problem solvers. The writer's immediate objective appears to
have been achieved: The business of the annual general meeting was conducted in
eleven minutes, and each resolution was carried without amendment. The status
quo was maintained. Focusing on negatives may, however, have proved to be a
high-risk strategy in the longer term. Recent communications from the director to
stockholders reveal that he is having difficulty in sustaining at least one of the
positions he adopted in his executive letter.</description><identifier>ISSN: 0021-9436</identifier><identifier>EISSN: 1552-4582</identifier><identifier>DOI: 10.1177/002194369903600301</identifier><language>eng</language><publisher>Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications</publisher><subject>Analysis ; Annual Reports ; Business Communication ; Business Correspondence ; Communication Research ; Communication Strategies ; Corporate directors ; Corporation reports ; Discourse Analysis ; Foreign Countries ; Higher Education ; Letters (Correspondence) ; Management ; Negative News ; New Zealand ; Organizational communication ; Small business</subject><ispartof>The Journal of business communication (1973), 1999-07, Vol.36 (3), p.229-246</ispartof><rights>COPYRIGHT 1999 Association for Business Communication</rights><woscitedreferencessubscribed>false</woscitedreferencessubscribed><citedby>FETCH-LOGICAL-c296t-97fabb4f931ce8b1bdad671783ac87393e25ba8a63224d4c74263c0a1487846e3</citedby></display><links><openurl>$$Topenurl_article</openurl><openurlfulltext>$$Topenurlfull_article</openurlfulltext><thumbnail>$$Tsyndetics_thumb_exl</thumbnail><linktopdf>$$Uhttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/002194369903600301$$EPDF$$P50$$Gsage$$H</linktopdf><linktohtml>$$Uhttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/002194369903600301$$EHTML$$P50$$Gsage$$H</linktohtml><link.rule.ids>314,780,784,21819,27924,27925,43621,43622</link.rule.ids><backlink>$$Uhttp://eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/detail?accno=EJ592868$$DView record in ERIC$$Hfree_for_read</backlink></links><search><creatorcontrib>Crombie, Winifred</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Samujh, Helen</creatorcontrib><title>Negative Messages as Strategic Communication: A Case Study of a New Zealand Company's Annual Executive Letter</title><title>The Journal of business communication (1973)</title><description>We argue here that being negative can, in certain contexts, make strategic sense.
Making extensive reference to context, we analyze a single annual executive letter
written by the director of a small New Zealand business. The letter appears to
focus on problems. These problems are, however, relatively minor ones that had
either already been solved or were in the process of resolution when the letter was
written. These problems appear to serve three functions: to distract attention from
more serious issues, to undermine the credibility of potential challengers, and to
provide a context in which the writer can present himself and the other company
directors positively as problem solvers. The writer's immediate objective appears to
have been achieved: The business of the annual general meeting was conducted in
eleven minutes, and each resolution was carried without amendment. The status
quo was maintained. Focusing on negatives may, however, have proved to be a
high-risk strategy in the longer term. Recent communications from the director to
stockholders reveal that he is having difficulty in sustaining at least one of the
positions he adopted in his executive letter.</description><subject>Analysis</subject><subject>Annual Reports</subject><subject>Business Communication</subject><subject>Business Correspondence</subject><subject>Communication Research</subject><subject>Communication Strategies</subject><subject>Corporate directors</subject><subject>Corporation reports</subject><subject>Discourse Analysis</subject><subject>Foreign Countries</subject><subject>Higher Education</subject><subject>Letters (Correspondence)</subject><subject>Management</subject><subject>Negative News</subject><subject>New Zealand</subject><subject>Organizational communication</subject><subject>Small business</subject><issn>0021-9436</issn><issn>1552-4582</issn><fulltext>true</fulltext><rsrctype>article</rsrctype><creationdate>1999</creationdate><recordtype>article</recordtype><recordid>eNp9kT9v2zAQxYkiAeo4-QJBB25dqph_JIrqZhhuksJ1hjZLFuFEnQQZEmWQUlp_-1BR0KVBccMB937vAeQj5JqzG87TdMWY4FksVZYxqRiTjH8gC54kIooTLc7IYgKiifhILrw_MDYd1IJ0e6xhaJ6R_kDvoUZPwdOfg4MB68bQTd91o21MYHr7la7pBjwGfSxPtK8o0D3-pk8ILdhygo9gT589XVs7Qku3f9CMr-k7HAZ0l-S8gtbj1dteksdv21-bu2j3cHu_We8iIzI1RFlaQVHEVSa5QV3wooRSpTzVEoxOZSZRJAVoUFKIuIxNGgslDQMe61THCuWSfJlza2gxb2zVhweZGi06aHuLVRPO60RJGSJkwKN38DAldo15jxczb1zvvcMqP7qmA3fKOcunPvJ_-wimT7MJXWP-Grbfk0xopYO8muWphPzQj86GH_pf4AtjSZMD</recordid><startdate>199907</startdate><enddate>199907</enddate><creator>Crombie, Winifred</creator><creator>Samujh, Helen</creator><general>SAGE Publications</general><general>Association for Business Communication</general><scope>7SW</scope><scope>BJH</scope><scope>BNH</scope><scope>BNI</scope><scope>BNJ</scope><scope>BNO</scope><scope>ERI</scope><scope>PET</scope><scope>REK</scope><scope>WWN</scope><scope>AAYXX</scope><scope>CITATION</scope></search><sort><creationdate>199907</creationdate><title>Negative Messages as Strategic Communication: A Case Study of a New Zealand Company's Annual Executive Letter</title><author>Crombie, Winifred ; Samujh, Helen</author></sort><facets><frbrtype>5</frbrtype><frbrgroupid>cdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-c296t-97fabb4f931ce8b1bdad671783ac87393e25ba8a63224d4c74263c0a1487846e3</frbrgroupid><rsrctype>articles</rsrctype><prefilter>articles</prefilter><language>eng</language><creationdate>1999</creationdate><topic>Analysis</topic><topic>Annual Reports</topic><topic>Business Communication</topic><topic>Business Correspondence</topic><topic>Communication Research</topic><topic>Communication Strategies</topic><topic>Corporate directors</topic><topic>Corporation reports</topic><topic>Discourse Analysis</topic><topic>Foreign Countries</topic><topic>Higher Education</topic><topic>Letters (Correspondence)</topic><topic>Management</topic><topic>Negative News</topic><topic>New Zealand</topic><topic>Organizational communication</topic><topic>Small business</topic><toplevel>online_resources</toplevel><creatorcontrib>Crombie, Winifred</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Samujh, Helen</creatorcontrib><collection>ERIC</collection><collection>ERIC (Ovid)</collection><collection>ERIC</collection><collection>ERIC</collection><collection>ERIC (Legacy Platform)</collection><collection>ERIC( SilverPlatter )</collection><collection>ERIC</collection><collection>ERIC PlusText (Legacy Platform)</collection><collection>Education Resources Information Center (ERIC)</collection><collection>ERIC</collection><collection>CrossRef</collection><jtitle>The Journal of business communication (1973)</jtitle></facets><delivery><delcategory>Remote Search Resource</delcategory><fulltext>fulltext</fulltext></delivery><addata><au>Crombie, Winifred</au><au>Samujh, Helen</au><format>journal</format><genre>article</genre><ristype>JOUR</ristype><ericid>EJ592868</ericid><atitle>Negative Messages as Strategic Communication: A Case Study of a New Zealand Company's Annual Executive Letter</atitle><jtitle>The Journal of business communication (1973)</jtitle><date>1999-07</date><risdate>1999</risdate><volume>36</volume><issue>3</issue><spage>229</spage><epage>246</epage><pages>229-246</pages><issn>0021-9436</issn><eissn>1552-4582</eissn><abstract>We argue here that being negative can, in certain contexts, make strategic sense.
Making extensive reference to context, we analyze a single annual executive letter
written by the director of a small New Zealand business. The letter appears to
focus on problems. These problems are, however, relatively minor ones that had
either already been solved or were in the process of resolution when the letter was
written. These problems appear to serve three functions: to distract attention from
more serious issues, to undermine the credibility of potential challengers, and to
provide a context in which the writer can present himself and the other company
directors positively as problem solvers. The writer's immediate objective appears to
have been achieved: The business of the annual general meeting was conducted in
eleven minutes, and each resolution was carried without amendment. The status
quo was maintained. Focusing on negatives may, however, have proved to be a
high-risk strategy in the longer term. Recent communications from the director to
stockholders reveal that he is having difficulty in sustaining at least one of the
positions he adopted in his executive letter.</abstract><cop>Thousand Oaks, CA</cop><pub>SAGE Publications</pub><doi>10.1177/002194369903600301</doi><tpages>18</tpages></addata></record> |
fulltext | fulltext |
identifier | ISSN: 0021-9436 |
ispartof | The Journal of business communication (1973), 1999-07, Vol.36 (3), p.229-246 |
issn | 0021-9436 1552-4582 |
language | eng |
recordid | cdi_gale_infotracgeneralonefile_A56336323 |
source | SAGE Journals Online |
subjects | Analysis Annual Reports Business Communication Business Correspondence Communication Research Communication Strategies Corporate directors Corporation reports Discourse Analysis Foreign Countries Higher Education Letters (Correspondence) Management Negative News New Zealand Organizational communication Small business |
title | Negative Messages as Strategic Communication: A Case Study of a New Zealand Company's Annual Executive Letter |
url | https://sfx.bib-bvb.de/sfx_tum?ctx_ver=Z39.88-2004&ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-8&ctx_tim=2024-12-25T08%3A33%3A00IST&url_ver=Z39.88-2004&url_ctx_fmt=infofi/fmt:kev:mtx:ctx&rfr_id=info:sid/primo.exlibrisgroup.com:primo3-Article-gale_cross&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.atitle=Negative%20Messages%20as%20Strategic%20Communication:%20A%20Case%20Study%20of%20a%20New%20Zealand%20Company's%20Annual%20Executive%20Letter&rft.jtitle=The%20Journal%20of%20business%20communication%20(1973)&rft.au=Crombie,%20Winifred&rft.date=1999-07&rft.volume=36&rft.issue=3&rft.spage=229&rft.epage=246&rft.pages=229-246&rft.issn=0021-9436&rft.eissn=1552-4582&rft_id=info:doi/10.1177/002194369903600301&rft_dat=%3Cgale_cross%3EA56336323%3C/gale_cross%3E%3Curl%3E%3C/url%3E&disable_directlink=true&sfx.directlink=off&sfx.report_link=0&rft_id=info:oai/&rft_id=info:pmid/&rft_galeid=A56336323&rft_ericid=EJ592868&rft_sage_id=10.1177_002194369903600301&rfr_iscdi=true |