Abstract
This article applies speech act theory to business communication principles in order to determine why certain messages succeed while others fail. Specifically, it shows how H. P. Grice's maxims of quantity, quality, relation, and manner illuminate the writing process in business communication. It also discusses the pros and cons of conventional versus nonconventional business writing strategies. It suggests that speech act theory provides both a theoretical framework for dis cussing business communications and a practical means of analyzing individual messages.
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