Why "Business" communication Needs to Preserve. Its Identity within "Professionai" Communication
Business communication has much to leam from and contribute to professional communication, but it also has its own concems, insights, and identity that need to be retained in "professional" communication. Central to these concems and insights is the basic difference between the two disciplines, which is posed most starkly in the foundationai course.
We who teach and study discourse in organizations can affect public policy, business practice, and scientific practice only though language—primarily language in organizations. Where are the pressure points? How does one persuade someone who disagrees? How does one find allies? How does the culture of the organization make it harder or easier for people to behave ethically? All of these are crucial questions not merely for our research programs, but for our students and our society. They are questions that are more likely to be asked by people who focus on "business" communication. We need to ask these questions—and we need to retain the perspective and areas of expertise that professional communication finds developed and ready at hand in "business" communication.