From Writers to Information Coordinators

Abstract

Using a previous study at the same site for comparison, this study examines how recent adoptions of intranet and improved mail technologies have altered the collaborative practices of corporate communication writers at an insurance company. A systematic analysis of collaborative activities using a newly developed continuum shows that the writers’ jobs were significantly transformed by the company’s transition to a digital concept of writing. In particular, writers focused less on producing text and more on developing, coordinating, and structuring the newly adopted corporate intranet.