Technical Communication Quarterly Jul 2026

“Storying the Process”: Intergenerational Succession and Tactical Technical Communication in a Rural Nonprofit

Jordan P. Woodward University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Abstract

This article examines intergenerational succession in a rural nonprofit as a form of tactical technical and professional communication (TPC). Drawing on ethnographic research, it shows how leaders sustain organizational continuity through documentation, meetings, leadership development, and historical interpretation. Known locally as “storying the process,” these practices layer narrative, relational, and procedural work. The article argues that TPC genres gain meaning through situated, intergenerational labor, contributing to TPC scholarship on storytelling and socially just communication in community-based contexts.

Journal
Technical Communication Quarterly
Published
2026-07-01
DOI
10.1080/10572252.2026.2693557
CompPile
Open Access
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