Abstract

This study examines the corporate environmental reports of 100 companies listed in the 2009 Fortune 1000 in order to illustrate how this type of genre communicates a green corporate ethos to audience members who are trying to distinguish between greenwashing tactics and true environmental concerns. The authors analyze how corporate environmental reports are constructed at macro and micro discursive levels to promote a socially responsible image to in-group (e.g., employees and stockholders) and out-group (e.g., consumers) members. The results of the analysis show how these reports use ideological persuasion to influence or change audience members’ opinions about corporate environmental sustainability.

Journal
Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Published
2012-10-01
DOI
10.1177/1050651912448872
CompPile
Open Access
Closed
Topics
Export

Citation context

Cited by in this index (6)

  1. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  2. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  4. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  5. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Show all 6 →
  1. Journal of Business and Technical Communication

References (59) · 1 in this index

  1. Alcoa. (2010). Sustainability report. Retrieved June 10, 2010, from http://www.alcoa.com/sustainability/en/pd…
  2. 10.1007/s10551-008-9806-0
     ↗
  3. 10.1108/EUM0000000007299
     ↗
  4. Environmental management and development
  5. 10.1016/S0019-8501(96)00146-0
     ↗
Show all 59 →
  1. 10.1016/S0007-6813(00)80018-X
     ↗
  2. Shaping written knowledge
  3. Analysing genre: Language use in professional settings
  4. 10.1002/pf.2207
     ↗
  5. Worlds of written discourse: A genre-based view
  6. 10.1075/scl.28
     ↗
  7. 10.1108/13632540310807430
     ↗
  8. 10.1177/002194369703400408
     ↗
  9. 10.1108/13632540110806811
     ↗
  10. 10.1007/s10551-005-1953-y
     ↗
  11. 10.1108/07363769710185999
     ↗
  12. 10.1177/0021943608317111
     ↗
  13. Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  14. 10.1016/S0363-8111(99)80142-8
     ↗
  15. 10.1177/0957926593004002002
     ↗
  16. Strategic management: A stakeholder approach
  17. 10.1007/s10551-006-9277-0
     ↗
  18. 10.1016/S0024-6301(98)00074-0
     ↗
  19. Green H. (2008, December 12). The greening of the corporation. Business Week Online. Retrieved July 10, 2009,…
  20. Professional discourse
  21. An introduction to functional grammar
  22. On grammar
  23. 10.5040/9781474211970
     ↗
  24. 10.2979/gls.2004.11.2.205
     ↗
  25. Hertz. (2010). Green initiatives report. Retrieved June 10, 2010, from https://images.hertz.com/pdfs/green_in…
  26. Language as ideology
  27. 10.1016/S0363-8111(01)00085-6
     ↗
  28. ITT. (2009). Global citizenship executive summary. Retrieved June 10, 2010, from http://itt.com/_docs/citizen…
  29. 10.1075/scl.28.04kan
     ↗
  30. Kraft Foods. (2010). Creating a more delicious world. Retrieved June 10, 2010, from http://www.kraftfoodscomp…
  31. 10.1023/A:1022962719299
     ↗
  32. 10.1177/002194369903600101
     ↗
  33. 10.1177/002194360103800105
     ↗
  34. 10.1177/1086026602153001
     ↗
  35. Mincer J. (2008, October 6). The color of money: Sustainability has become more than abuzzword among corporat…
  36. 10.1111/j.1745-6606.2005.00006.x
     ↗
  37. 10.1108/13632540910951768
     ↗
  38. 10.1080/00221546.2006.11778934
     ↗
  39. 10.1111/j.1467-8608.2006.00440.x
     ↗
  40. 10.1016/S0148-2963(96)00061-6
     ↗
  41. Green marketing
  42. 10.1007/s10551-011-0901-2
     ↗
  43. PPG. (2008). Corporate sustainability report. Retrieved June 10, 2010, from http://www.ppg.com/en/corporatesu…
  44. 10.1108/eb039673
     ↗
  45. Sara Lee. (2010). Sustainability report. Retrieved June 10, 2010, from http://www.saralee.com/en/Sustainabili…
  46. 10.1362/0267257053779154
     ↗
  47. 10.1177/0021943607313989
     ↗
  48. 10.1002/bse.599
     ↗
  49. Genre analysis: English in academic and research settings
  50. 10.1007/s10551-008-9890-1
     ↗
  51. Ideology: A multidisciplinary approach
  52. 10.1007/s10551-008-9731-2
     ↗
  53. Principles of corporate communication
  54. 10.1111/j.0045-3609.2004.00002.x
     ↗