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Literature Review
Technical communicators must be cognizant of globalization, and resulting shifts must be reflected in our research. As Zemlianksy and Kampf (2011) note, “The context of the larger conversation of our field makes the issue all the more relevant … It also shows our colleagues overseas that we, as a community of [global] scholars and practitioners are willing to expand the view of our field beyond the confines of our own continent” (2011, p. 221). In showing overseas colleagues that the field is open to their perspectives and values, we must “not only [take] global and international perspectives into account but also [listen] to international voices and engag[e] through multidirectional dialog” (p. 221). This article reinforces the importance of our examination of the international experiences of technical communicators worldwide. It emphasizes the realities of rapid decentralization of TPC and that our perception of the United States as central is shifting. Our research must begin to reflect that.
A specific way of doing so is by arguing against what Agboka (2012) calls “large culture” ideologies. Agboka claimed that the concept of culture needs to be questioned and examined more if it is to be used to support effective intercultural technical communication. A one-size-fits-all definition of culture is problematic because “large culture” ideologies that surround these definitions cause people to ignore or not fully understand the multilayered dynamics of culture that create identity. In order “to address cultural issues in technical communication, we [should] move the focus of discussions on culture from the global to the individual to help us effectively accommodate shifting individual and multiple identities in this postmodern age” (p. 162). Instead of focusing on culture in a global, collective sense, we should focus on an individual view to ensure that we are effectively accommodating the many identities of a culture. Because we worked with participants in New Zealand and Australia, we worked to note commonalities among interviews but also to present our findings in a way that is individualized and sensitive to the experiences of each technical communicator.
Yet such experiences are globalized for many technical communicators worldwide. Starke-Meyerring, Duin, and Palvetzian (2007) explain the need for global work and citizenship, as technical communicators are now working across cultures, especially in shared online spaces. Starke-Meyerring et al. (2007) note, “In collaborating with their increasingly diverse colleagues, technical communicators must be able to build shared virtual team spaces, exploring and weaving together a diverse range of local cultural, linguistic, organizational, and professional contexts in ways that allow for developing trusting relationships and for sharing knowledge across multiple boundaries” (p. 142). Changes caused by globalization are becoming increasingly important and integral to workplaces.
Further, understanding global communities requires understanding their values. As the community of Kiwi and Aussie writers that we interviewed were highly engaged in ethical considerations, we invoke Dragga (1999), who suggested exploring ethical differences across cultures and the philosophy that inspires them within a TPC frame. Dragga claims that the lens of ethics can provide a vital perspective for technical communicators that they might not normally be aware of unless they are familiar with the dominant beliefs and practices of another country. Dragga writes,
If intercultural technical communication is to be ethical as well as effective, teachers and researchers of technical communication ought to fortify their sweeping surveys of intercultural technical communication and analyses of illustrative case studies through focused research on the morality or moralities driving the communication practices of specific civilizations. (p. 379)
In our research, we found that interviewees were highly focused on the moral intricacies of ethics and professionalism.
Faber (2002) further highlights the importance of ethics for technical communicators, stating that ethical considerations contribute to a technical communicator’s professionalism. Faber writes, “Although individuals and groups may espouse different perspectives of what constitutes good values or proper action, ... professionals exhibit a critical awareness of their own activities. This critical awareness is a key component of the professional’s occupationally derived self-image and directly informs the professional’s work-related practices” (p. 314). This awareness may come through community discourses and a connection to other workers with the same values.