CMNS 380 (Corporate Communciations) – Rhetorical Analysis of Mission Statement, Vision Statement and/or Other Corporate Document

Your response in the rhetorical analysis option should be about 4000 words long, an equivalent length to Option A: questions and case studies.

Analysis of Mission Statement, Vision statement and/or other Corporate Document 

The purpose of this assignment is to analyze a corporate document that is available to your tutor – either a text that is readily available on-line or a text that can be scanned and sent to your tutor with your submission. 

You will analyze the chosen document/s for key words and rhetorical techniques.  This rhetorical analysis, supported by your choice of on-line rhetorical analysis tools from the tool cupboard, focuses on the rhetorical and linguistic choices made by the authors to convey their main messages.  You will also consider how these texts relate to the corporate communication studies theory featured in the course, particularly as these apply to strategy and strategic decision-making.

Text Selection

The chosen document should be a mission statement, a vision statement or another corporate document that illustrates the organizational nature, intention and/or purpose of a corporate entity or a unit of the same.  Note that both for-profit and non-profit organizations are acceptable choices. 

For example, you may choose to analyze the mission statement of a human resource department of a large organization (in large organizations, specific units sometimes have their own mandate).  The document could also address the nature, intention and/or purpose of a specific organizational project.  For example, an organization undertaking an environmental project may publish documents to this effect on their website. 

Here is an example of the Starbucks Mission Statement, which is an effective example of a text that could be used for this assignment (but don’t use this text – come up with your own J): http://www.starbucks.com/about-us/company-information/mission-statement  Note that as the text is only 440 characters long, it would be necessary to choose another related text in order to effectively complete the task, such as Starbucks’ statement for Recycling and Reducing Waste: http://www.starbucks.com/responsibility/environment/recycling .  There are notable parallels in terms of content and presentation between these two documents that serve to reinforce the same ideas and concepts.   

Your tutor is available to assist you with the selection of an appropriate text.  Note that an effective starting point is to review the texts available on the sites of organizations with which you are familiar.  The chosen text should be at least 1000 words in length to ensure that you have enough material to work with.   

Rhetorical Analysis Tools

Once your texts are selected, delimited, read and annotated, go to the TAPor site or choose another tool for content/text analysis in the e-Lab’s Virtual Tool Cupboard. Rhetorical tools serve a variety of functions such as identifying word patterns, linguistic repetition, correlations between and among words used in a text, etc. The larger array of tools in the data analysis tools section of the e-Lab may also assist you to develop the analytical content of your essay.  Note that your tutor is available to help you.    

Another good starting point for your consideration is the  e-Lab’s Rhetorical Theory resource, as pertinent and interactive information is featured there.

Assignment Details

A suggested outline is presented below as well as a marking rubric that will be used to evaluate your work.  Your finished paper will be 1600 to 2000 words in length, doubled-spaced and formatted in MLA or APA style; please advise your tutor if you require guidance or resources in this respect.  Note that the Purdue University On-Line Writing Lab (OWL) offers current information on both styles of academic formatting, which could be of great use to you in this respect.  The Athabasca University Write Site also presents useful tools and information on academic writing and formatting.   Before you write the essay, please also carefully read the section in the Student Manual entitled Writing Essays. 

It is essential to include textual proof within your essay; quotes and citations taken directly from the text should appear within your content, properly cited, to support the arguments presented. 

The recommended development sections that follow may comprise more than one paragraph, depending on your writing approach and style.  Your tutor is available to review an outline of your intentions before you begin writing your essay.  Please review the following information on developing and outline before you begin:  http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/544/01/   

Introduction

In your introduction, summarize and contextualize the chosen text (or related texts) and their provenance.  In your own words, explain the purpose of the organization and their objectives.  Within the introduction, identify the key elements of the rhetorical situation:

• What is prompting the message?
• What circumstances are prompting the communication? 
• Who is the sender of the message and their intention? 
• Who is the intended audience?
• What is the main message conveyed by this/these text/s and how is this conveyed?

In your own thesis statement, briefly outline the rhetorical approaches you will discuss in your development as well as the content analysis techniques used to deconstruct the text (which on-line rhetorical analysis tools you used).

Development 1 – Focus on Content

Use the on-line rhetorical analysis tools chosen to perform an analysis of the chosen text/s. Discuss your observations and conclusions in this section as they pertain to the subject text/s.  The content and direction of this section will depend on the conclusions you draw based on the results of your analysis.  Key points to consider in this section:

• Which words are repeated?
• What are the relationships between these words?
• Which effects are produced by the use of these words (associations, images, impressions)?
• How does this relate to the main messages and intentions specified above?

Development 2 – Focus on Rhetorical Technique  

In this section of your essay, respond to the following questions as they pertain to the chosen text/s.  What type of texts are the texts under study?

• How is the text organized?
• Which principles of effective business writing are used?

Note that the Purdue On-Line Writing Lab offers a wealth of information on this topic.   

• How would you characterize the style and tone of the text?
• How does the chosen text relate to the information on mission/vision statements in the course material (particularly as these relate to the concept of strategy and related texts)?

Development 3 – Focus on Rhetorical Effectiveness

In this section of your essay, respond to the following questions as they pertain to the effectiveness of the delivery of the intended message.  Use your knowledge of mission and vision statements as well as your own response to the text/s to guide your response. 

• Do the rhetorical techniques used in the texts compliment the content?
• Is the content effectively delivered through the rhetorical strategies used?
• Does the message succeed in delivering the organization’s main message?
• If so, how does it achieve this?
• If not, how could the message be delivered more effectively?

Conclusion

In your conclusion, revisit the main ideas and arguments presented in your paper.  Restate whether you, in the end, feel that the document fulfills its intended purpose.  Consider whether the document effectively addresses all elements of the rhetorical situation: purpose, audience, stakeholders and context.