Piling on the rhetoric

The informativeness of a text helps us understand the role of rhetoric in corporate communications

 
Global warming, biological diversity and the distribution of toxins are just three examples of issues in the limelight raising questions about corporations’ environmental responsibilities. As a result, an increasing number of actors ascribe corporations greater liability when it comes to environmental issues, but also when it comes to human rights, poverty and other social matters. More and more corporations choose to incorporate environmental aspects into their business models. The environmental dimension has become a part of product development, production, distribution and service, and today it seems to go without saying that corporations strive for energy efficiency, limitation of effluents, reduction of harmful materials and so forth.

Magnus Fredriksson

Dr Magnus Fredriksson lectures in media and communication studies at the Department of Journalism, Media and Communication at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. His research focuses on communication in organisational contexts with a specific focus on corporate identity, as well as on corporate social responsibility and the ideas and norms that dominate the practice. He also works as a communication consultant specialising in analyses, evaluations and advising.