Proposes ethnomethodology as a theoretical approach for resolving the structure-agency binary and for treating the activities of writers in organizations as simultaneously embedded in and constitutive of organizational context. Illustrates the value of ethnomethodology with data from a study examining the social practices that surrounded the…

A study examined the influence of organizational context on professionals' determination of appropriate style and technical content for external correspondence. Subjects were 200 architects and engineers employed by a state government agency whose mission is to provide design and construction management services to state facilities. Data were…

Investigates some of the disjunctions between writing as it is taught in academic institutions and writing as it is employed in professional workplaces, especially in the areas of writing context, time pressure, collaboration, and consequences of writing. Considers how these disjunctions might be addressed in the writing classroom. (TB)