Integrating Rhetorical Criticism into Business Communication as an Interdisciplinary Approach

Abstract

Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to suggest integrating rhetorical analysis and criticism into business communication re- search and pedagogy. Rhetorical analysis and criticism on public addresses of business leaders can provide important insights into the political and social issues of the community and the economic impact of the participants. Such an analysis would contribute to the development of communication scholarship taking place at the intersection of business communication, rhetoric, and society. Methods: This paper reviews articles on the rhetoric of business leaders published in business communication journals (e.g., Jour- nal of Business Communication, Business and Professional Communication Quarterly, Management Communication Quarterly, Journal of Business and Technical Communication, Technical Communication Quarterly). It examines the purpose of rhetorical criticism in business communication and discusses popular criticism methods. Among the various perspectives on rhetorical crit- icism in the field of speech communication, this stduy discusses three commonly adopted methods – Neo-Aristotelian criticism, Genre Criticism, and Narrative criticism. Results: Studies on the rhetorical criticism of speeches of business leaders are not systematically integrated into business commu- nication education and research. Rhetorical critics of speech communication are more interested in public speeches by prominent politicians or social leaders, while business communication scholars are more concerned with rhetorical theory and pedagogy. Conclusions: Integrating rhetorical criticism into business communication as an interdisciplinary approach infuses a new approach that goes beyond the domains of contemporary research and pedagogy. Integrating rhetorical criticism into business communica- tion not only improves the quality of discourse in business society but also tests and modifies both the theory and practice of corpo- rate rhetoric.