Advanced Search

Journal Navigation

Journal Home

Subscriptions

Archive

Contact Us

Table of Contents

Click here for more information on Marketing Management

Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
Business Communication Quarterly
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow References
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to Saved Citations
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Request Reprints
Right arrow Add to My Marked Citations
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Conaway, R. N.
Right arrow Articles by Wardrope, W. J.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Complore   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?

Communication in Latin America

An Analysis of Guatemalan Business Letters

Roger N. Conaway

University of Texas at Tyler

William J. Wardrope

Texas State University–San Marcos

The format and structure of 150 Spanish-language letters written by business administrators in Guatemalan firms were analyzed to help determine how Latin American business writers organize and present information in various types of routine letters. Findings suggest that Latin American businesspeople follow some, but not all, of the format conventions typical of those used in the United States; that they tend not to use buffers to present bad news; and that they do not consistently place topic sentences at any particular part of business letters. Understanding the differences between U.S. and Latin American business communication practices as illustrated by this study should help instructors to prepare their students to communicate successfully with their future counterparts in all parts of the Western Hemisphere.

Key Words: business letters • buffers • topic sentences

Business Communication Quarterly, Vol. 67, No. 4, 465-474 (2004)
DOI: 10.1177/1080569904270986
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Journal of Business and Technical CommunicationHome page
P. W. Cardon
A Critique of Hall's Contexting Model: A Meta-Analysis of Literature on Intercultural Business and Technical Communication
Journal of Business and Technical Communication, October 1, 2008; 22(4): 399 - 428.
[Abstract] [PDF]